(FEB. 18)—Prof. Rene Luis “Jojo” S. Mata, Assistant Professor at the UP College of Architecture (UPCA) passed away Jan. 30 from cardiac arrest in Lucena City.

He was interred on Feb. 3, 3 p.m. at the National Shrine of Mt. Carmel Church in New Manila, Quezon City.

According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) website, Mata was with the NCCA and Philippine National Railways Team “doing technical assistance and inspections on the heritage train stations for possible conservation work in Lucena and Naga when the unfortunate incident happened.”

He has been with the university since 2002 when he became a Senior Lecturer at the UPCA.

Mata collaborated with the NCCA on several projects. According to the NCCA website, Mata was an Executive Council Member of the NCMS since 1992, initially as the then representative of the Intramuros Administration of the Department of Tourism. He was the incumbent Vice-Head of the said committee as individual member at the time of his passing.

He is survived by his parents Carmelito P. Mata and Lourdes Sevilla Mata, and his siblings Jennina Elena S. Mata-Joven, Rolando Alberto S. Mata, Ricardo Gabriel Felipe S. Mata, Raphael Vicente S. Mata and Raul Carmelo S. Mata.