Gearing up against natural calamities,
School engineers organize in Manila
METRO MANILA – For the first time, engineers working in Manila’s prime universities initiated an organization that would tackle disaster preparedness issues.
The engineers gathered at the Far Eastern University (FEU) on October 26, 2017. Though the organization’s key motivation is disaster preparedness, it would also allow its members to exchange best practices in structural integrity.
Engr. Edward Kilakiga, FEU’s vice president for facilities and technical services, and Engr. Arnaldo Ocfemia from De La Salle University-Benilde conceived the idea months ago.
Kilakiga said:
“Probably, there’s no organization that covers all engineers in schools. We can establish one so we’ll have a means to communicate about our concerns on facility management.”
Twenty-four engineers came from more than 10 schools, though Kilakiga was expecting a larger participation.
One of the issues tackled was that of flooding, which has been a perennial problem in the university belt for years. Flood Control Asia RS, Corp., a German-owned company that produces flood barriers, sent a resource speaker to discuss possible solutions to flooding.
The conference extended until late in the afternoon, when the engineers talked about concerns other than flooding.
Engr. Edward Kilakiga previously worked among hotels as a facility manager. Now, he works in the Far Eastern University, where he seeks to influence other engineers working in schools to address disaster preparedness and structural integrity issues.
Mr. Alvin Baking, marketing head of Flood Control Asia RS, Corp. (FCA), delivered a talk that stressed the need for innovative flood control systems. Kilakiga invited FCA’s marketing and technical team since most of the schools in the university belt are prone to flooding.
Baking said that most schools are spending at least Php 5 million for repairs, overhead expenses, and service interruptions brought by flooding.
Engineers from various universities in Manila expressed desire to solve outstanding issues in natural calamities.
Dr. Andreas Klippe, chief executive officer and president of FCA, assured school engineers that his service is of high-quality. In fact, FCA earned the approval of international accrediting firms, one of which is FM Global.
Flood Control Asia RS, Corp. thanked all those who participated through a raffle draw. The prize at stake was an overnight stay for two at the Clarkton Hotel, the oldest luxury lodging in Angeles City, Pampanga. Aside from an overnight stay for two, the winners can also enjoy an unlimited brunch of genuine German delicacies.
Clarkton Hotel, probably the oldest luxury lodging in Angeles City, offers authentic German cuisine with a Filipino touch. It sponsored the raffle draw during the conference, where two engineers won an overnight stay for two at the hotel.
