Editing UP College of Engineering (section)

=== College during Marcos' Administration ===

When student activism was intense in the University, even in Manila colleges and universities, the student succeeded in interrupting classes with the establishment of the so-called commune in the University campus. The activist group was able to occupy the radio transmitting section atop the engineering roof garden for a few days. The U.P. Campus was sequestered at that time with little traffic to and from the campus area. However, there were no other destruction of U.P. property in the college except for some activist graffiti on the outside walls of the building which were readily cleaned up.

The heirs of German A. Yia, through his widow, Mrs. Pura Yia, donated a sizeable sum to finance the construction of the German A. Yia Hall. The building had been used for additional electrical laboratories. The building is situated at the corner of Magsaysay Avenue and Agoncillo Street. The late German A. Yia belonged to the mechanical engineering class of 1928. After graduation, he continuously worked for the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Company. He served as a President of U.P. Alumni engineers for two terms, from 1960-1962.

One significant innovation in the operation in the operation of the hydraulics laboratory was its conversion into the National Hydraulics Research Center under the UPERDFI with Professor Angel S. Alejandrino as the Director. Funding came from the National Water Resources Council, the MWSS, the NIA, and the NPC. Smooth operating procedures have been achieved, and water resources development projects have been implemented under the Center. The UPERDFI funded the first seven professorial chairs in the College. Scholarship funds were received from Asia Industries and alumni of the College. To assist the incumbent Dean of Engineering who had duties with the National Irrigation Administration the position of Associate Dean of the Collage was established and Dr. Leopoldo V. Abis was appointed to the position.

Just before the summer of 1973, the first Engineering Faculty Conference was held at the Development Academy of the Philippines in Tagaytay City. Problems of the college were discussed, aside from the more leisurely sightseeing by the attending faculty, as well as getting acquainted with their peers. In the College, the academic program was reinforced with the institution of graduate courses in computer science and environmental engineering.Aside from this, the Association of Engineering Education for Southeast Asia was also organized in which the Dean of Engineering Dr. Ibarra E. Cruz served as editor of the technical journal of the organization.

The UP Alumni Engineers started the construction of the sundial to replace the one destroyed by typhoon Yoling. However, the location was moved from the front of the Engineering Building to the space between the east wing and the UP Alumni Engineers building, along G. Apacible Street.

In 1974, UP College of Engineering sponsored a seminar for engineering deans and educators. Textbook writing was given impetus with grants from the UPERDFI Research projects. The college faculty members who participated were initiated by design and transportation personnel in the various aspects of transportation industry. The Transport Training Center (TTC) was established with funding from the Japanese government and the Department of Public Highways. Dr. Salvador F. Reyes was designated the first director. The TTC building was built in the area between the UP Alumni Engineers building and the East wing of Melchor Hall.

The UP Alumni Engineers donated funds necessary for the furnishing of the German Yia Hall. The Second Engineering Conference was held on the damsite of Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija. Aside from the discussion of college problems, the faculty had an educational tour of the newly completed water resources project.

During the year 1975, the nuclear engineering in the graduate level was revived to train engineers for the proposed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Visiting professors in computer science and environmental engineering arrived from the U.S.A. - Dr. Oscar H. Ibarra, a U.P. engineering alumnus and faculty member from University of Minnesota, and Dr. K. Keshavan from Worshester University, respectively. Various faculty workers were also working on individual researches on solar energy utilization and gasification for internal combustion engines.

Notable events in 1976 and 1977 were the institution of multi-disciplinary courses in environmental engineering in the undergraduate level. Three faculty members were sent abroad for graduate work under the UNDP Grant. The Third Engineering Conference was held in Caliraya, Laguna. The diploma course in water resources was instituted which was shorter than the M.S. Program. The Science Equipment Project for secondary schools supported by UNDP and NSDB was transferred to Engineering and housed at the German Yia Hall.

In 1978, The National Engineering Center (NEC) was established as per P.D. No. 1295. It is an agency supported by the National Government and by the UNDP. The NEC will be an umbrella body under which the non-teaching activities of the college will be administered. These units include: The National Hydraulics Research Center (NHRC), the Training Center for Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry (TCAGP), the UP Industrial Research Center (UPIRC), and the Transport Training Center (TTC), and the Building Research Services (BRS). The multi-million peso building of NEC located in the area between Melchor Hall in the same block as the German Yia Hall, was started. Since its establishment, the NEC had sponsored various seminars in strategic cities in the country for upgrading engineering educators, a project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and EDPITAF. The NEC publishes a regular pamphlet, the Philippine Engineering Journal. Dr. Leopoldo V. Abis is presently the NEC Director. During the previous year, the annual engineering Faculty Conference was held at Sun Valley in La Union.

Also starting in 1978, the UNDP Assistance Program was implemented, consisting of acquisition of books and equipment, fellowship grants to faculty members of masteral/doctoral studies abroad and services of engineering education consultants. In 1978, seven faculty members were sent abroad under the program. The Engineering Student Council was restored in 1978; also the student publication, "Engineering Logscript", was revived. The Annual Engineering Faculty Conference was held at Legaspi City. Professor Dominador I. Ilio retired from teaching; thus ending his UP College of Engineering carreer that he had begun in 1935 as a student assistant.

Professor Marino M. Mena was appointed Dean of Engineering at the expiration of the term of Dean Alfredo Juinio in 1979. The NEC building was still under construction together with the laboratory annex to German Yia Hall. Thirteen faculty members were sent abroad for advanced studies under the UNDP Grant. Substitutes were taken in the faculty under the counterpart UNDP Peso Fund. For academic year 1979-1980, the enrollment in Engineering totaled 1,222 in the undergraduate level and 375 in the graduate level. These numbers do not include the pre-engineering students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences who had to apply for admission to engineering after completing a pre-engineering course. The enrollment in the graduate division had been increasing steadily, within the masteral curricula of environmental engineering, nuclear engineering, engineering education, computer science, and water resources engineering aside from the regular fields which have undergraduate curricula.

Fourteen faculty members were sent abroad for advanced degrees during the year. Professor Norberto S. Villa of the Department of Geodetic Engineering retired early in that year. The Sixth Annual Conference was held at Kamaya Point in Bataan. 

As of 1980-1981, the faculty staff totaled 100 members; 18 with doctorate degrees, 31 with masters degrees. There were 21 with the rank of Professors, 8 Associate Professors, 15 Assistant Professors, and 55 instructors. Professional lectures totaled 44.

During the Academic year 1981-82, another eleven faculty members left for abroad while six returned with advanced degrees and rejoined the staff. As of December 1981, 24 faculty members were on fellowships abroad. Three more were scheduled to leave in 1982. In response to the urgent needs of the government, computer and energy programs have been initiated. A bachelor program in Computer Science and a masteral and Doctorate program in Energy engineering have been developed for implementation in 1983. In the expansion and improvement of physical facilities, laboratory equipment worth about $190,000 has been acquired through the UNDP grant. Additional laboratory and office equipment have been received from the ADB/EDPITAF grant. Microcomputers have been acquired for the use of faculty and students. Old chairs in the Engineering Theater were replaced , and a public telephone system was installed for general use. At the end of the academic year 1981-82, 254 students were graduated in the various curricular openings making a total of 5,742 graduates of UP Engineering since its establishment in 1910.
[http://engg.upd.edu.ph/history2.html ''This was taken form UP College of Engineering History page.'']