UP Chemical Engineering Society, Inc.

UP Chemical Engineering Society, Inc.
Established	August 26, 1954
Motto	Academic Excellence and Holistic Development
Type	Socio-Academic
Location	3/F Lobby, Melchor Hall, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City
Affiliations	Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers - Junior Chapter Luzon (PIChE-JCL) and Philippine Association of Chemistry Students, Inc. (PACS, Inc.)
Website	http://upkem.org/
Contact Us	ec@upkem.org

History and Legacy

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In August 26, 1954, fourteen chemical engineering juniors formed a group. These students were nothing more than a circle of friends having the same subjects, interests and break periods. During their stay in the College, these students began to realize the importance of formally organizing a group to unite all chemical engineering students in the college; thus, UP KEM Engineers was born.

The organization quickly grew to become one of the largest socio-academic organizations in the University and gained a wider vision of its path. Not limiting itself to social gatherings and events, UP KEM Engineers also represented the Department of Chemical Engineering in events in and out of the University. It was in 1965 that the organization took a big step and organized its first major event, AWITAN, a university-wide chorale competition for student organizations in UP Diliman

Martial Law did not prevent the organization from growing and continuing to excel. From what was then a faculty-and-student bowling competition, the first ever Chemical Engineering Week was established. Here, UP KEM Engineers organized activities that promote community within the Department and the student body, such as plant visits, exhibits and film showings. The crowning glory of the Chemical Engineering Week, however, was the first Inter-University Quiz Show, which is currently one of the biggest chemical engineering quiz shows in the country.

A few years later, UP KEM Engineers became the UP Chemical Engineering Society, Incorporated (UP KEM); and while its name may have changed, the core traditions of academic excellence, holistic development and prime professionalism remain. Guided by these objectives, UP KEM continued its path and remained true to its standards of excellence and leadership.

UP KEM then became one of the co-founders of the Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers-Junior Chapter Luzon (PIChE-JCL), an organization for chemical engineering students in Luzon, as well as the Philippine Association of Chemistry Students, Incorporated (PACS, Inc.), an organization for students pursuing chemistry and related courses.

Aside from developing its members, UP KEM also seeks to make an impact for the entire chemical engineering community. In line with this, UP KEM organized the Students’ National Chemical Engineering Conference (sNCEC), the biggest national chemical engineering event in the country, in order to gather participants to learn about innovations in the field, as well as to connect with other students and professionals with its sub-events. As UP KEM’s flagship event, sNCEC provides an avenue for chemical engineering students and professionals from all over the country to gather and share their knowledge.

As a socio-academic organization, UP KEM also realizes its capacity to serve the community and make a meaningful impact on society. Each year, KEM Gives Back (KGB) seeks to visit less fortunate communities and organize activities that are educational and beneficial to these community. Aside from this, Check Mark the Spot (CMTS) is a year-long movement that promotes science and technology to the Filipino youth through its sub-events. CMTS envisions a nation built by critical thinkers and problem solvers in the future, and it targets the youth to be the catalyst that makes this vision a reality. UP KEM instills a sense of social responsibility and selfless service to our members, and these two events give them the opportunity to fulfill the role of giving back and influencing the lives of others.

More than sixty two years has past and UP KEM still travels along the path set by the vision of its fourteen pioneer members. Home to over 150 members and over 1200 alumni, UP KEM continues to be the premier chemical engineering student organization in the country. Setting higher standards for itself, its members, and its projects, UP KEM has gone far and will continue to go above and beyond.

KEM's 5P's

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PURPOSE TO LIVE FOR
A KEMer’s goal is to excel in all aspects of life, be it academic or social for it is with holistic development that a person actually grows.

PEOPLE TO LIVE WITH
KEM aims to become a home for all chemical engineers of any social group or class. In diversity we find unity. In unity, we find glory.

PRINCIPLES TO LIVE BY
KEM achieves victory by hard work, dedication and most of all, honesty. We fight a good, clean fight. We run the race and we finish it.

PROFESSION TO LIVE OUT
KEM’s influence on its members is not limited to academics. It instills strength within all KEMers, manifesting even after they leave the university. KEMers continue to shine endlessly, never fading and never outshone.

POWER TO LIVE ON
Given this unique power, KEMers continue to show their prowess to all corners of the College of Engineering – never ceasing to dream and never stopping to make those dreams a reality.

Standing Committees

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Membership Committee
The Membership Committee is tasked with strengthening the internal affairs of the organization, implementing the application process, and evaluating the progress of aspiring applicants. It also assists in all social and recreational activities, ensuring that camaraderie and good working relations are established within the organization. It is composed of the most active members of the organization who also belong to other committees, making it the most diverse committee in KEM. True to the ideals of UP KEM, the Membership Committee sees to it that all members of the organization abide by the rules, fulfill their responsibilities, and most importantly, finds a family to cherish in KEM.

Finance and Marketing Committee
The Finance and Marketing Committee takes charge of the organization’s finance and corporate affairs. Its members come up with innovative income generating projects to ensure that each event is well-funded. The committee also ensures that the finances of the organization are accounted for and managed. Aside from this, the committee reaches out to corporate establishments, institutions, and other organizations in order to establish connections and partnerships that will be beneficial to KEM and its stakeholders.

Publicity and Creatives Committee
The Publicity and Creatives Committee is in charge of maintaining KEM’s reputable image and its high-caliber brand of excellence that is recognized not only in the university, but throughout the country. Tasked with creating the distinct KEM brand, the committee oversees all the publications and information dissemination campaigns of the organization and its events. It also takes charge of the different media accounts of the organization, the domicile’s information board, as well as the UP KEM website. Its members supervise the branding of KEM’s endeavors in order to ensure that all publicity materials are always of superior quality.

Ways and Means Committee
The Ways and Means (WAM) Committee takes charge of the organization’s logistics, merchandise, and domicile. Its members are actively involved in KEM’s internal events as logistics team heads, where they make sure all logistics requirements of the organization are provided for. The committee also ensures cleanliness and orderliness of the organization’s official domicile. They also secure all property and supplies of the organization. The members also contribute to the procurement and distribution of KEM merchandise through the UP KEM Online Shop (kosh).

Educational Affairs Committee
The Educational Affairs Committee promotes academic excellence both within and outside of the organization. This is done by holding year-round events such as tutorials and by having a built-in library within the domicile. In addition, the committee also provides review materials and modules for the benefit of its members. The committee also dedicates its time and effort to the community by spearheading events that advocate science and technology to high school students through Check Marks The Spot (CMTS). It also fosters good ties between the students and the faculty of the Chemical Engineering Department by conducting the annual Student-Teacher Dialogue.

Socio-Cultural Affairs and Recreations Committee
The Socio-Cultural Affairs and Recreations Committee manages both the socio-civic and sports events of the organization. The committee aims to develop and refine the skills and talents of every KEMer through training sessions and recreational events. It also promotes health awareness and the well-being of the members through information campaigns and regular sports activities. Its members take pride in nurturing talented individuals who excel in socio-cultural and sports competitions both inside and outside the college.

Executive Council 2017-2018

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President: Alexander P. Roxas (13B)
Executive Vice President: President: Rans Miguel N. Lintag (13B)
Executive Secretary: John Frederick R. Imperial (13B)
Vice President for Membership: Gian Carlo C. Aguila (13B)
Vice President for Finance and Marketing: Aelen Blessel C. Ducao (13B)
Vice President for Publicity and Creatives: Sweet Hazel T. Aquino (13B)
Vice President for Ways and Means: Dorothy Joy Q. Ytac (13B)
Vice President for Educational Affairs: Marc Alec Dominic O. Yau (13B)
Vice President for Socio-Cultural Affairs and Recreations: Gabriel C. Ranola (13B)

Awards and Recognition

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Some of the most recent awards bagged by UP KEM include the following:

Award	Award Giving Body	Date
Parangal sa Samahang Mag-aaral	UP OVCSA	2016, 2017
Engineering Organization Excellence Awards (EOEA) Champion	UP ARISE	2011, 2012, 2017
Engineering Organization Excellence Awards (EOEA) Best AVP	UP ARISE	2011, 2013, 2014, 2017
National Finalist	TAYO, Inc.	2016
Best Chapter Organization	PIChE-JCL	2015, 2016, 2017
Best Society	PACS, Inc.	2014, 2016, 2017