Submerge: Disaster Risk Reduction in the Philippines Civil Engineering Talk
Last Saturday, October 4, the UP Aggregates, inc. held its 9th annual Civil Engineering Talk at the Henry Lee Irwin Theater at the Ateneo De Manila University, Quezon City.
The Civil Engineering Talk (CET) is a symposium for and by Civil Engineering students as a means of imparting and sharing insights and knowledge of how the field can be applied and be utilized in the different aspects of our society.
This year, the CET had the theme, SUBMERGE: Disaster Risk Reduction in the Philippines: The Case of Storm Surge and Flooding in light of recent events involving water-related hazards particularly Typhoon Yolanda, – internationally known as Haiyan. The talk aimed to discuss disaster risk mitigation and preparedness through Civil Engineering against such incidents.
Different professionals shared their expertise on the subject of storm surge and flooding including, Dr. Eric C. Cruz, who covered the topic of Storm Surge mitigation, Atty. Francis M. Tolentino, The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairperson, with the mitigation of Flooding, Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, who discussed the basic concepts of hazard mapping, and the Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation (DREAM) program, and Dr. Benito M. Pacheco, who discussed the concepts of Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness and to talk about the role of academe in Disaster Risk Reduction. Panel Question and Answer was held for each session, allowing the participating students to clarify or learn new things as the speakers elaborated on their respective topics.
With almost 2,200 participants from all over the country, the 9th Annual Civil Engineering Talk broke its own record with the statistics and quality of the symposium, the event garnered praise from its participants through social media, and achieved its goal to impart knowledge and open minds to the possibilities of Civil Engineering as a tool in shaping and developing our society. Each year the CET aims to broaden its scope, to help Civil Engineering students see the potential of the field, and to become a beacon for the future Engineers of the Nation.
