At Day 2: FOREFRONT Continues to Educate Partner Communities on Solid Waste Management

news by Darwin Eugenio 
photos by Jeth Abisamis (UST-ChES ComDev)

On its second day, the UST ChES Community Development Committee continues in its noble mission to inform, educate and promote Solid Waste Management through its off-campus event titled  "FOREFRONT: Footsteps Towards A Greener Future” held last February 7, 2016 at North Triangle Alliance, Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal.

Headed by its project heads Arun Nanda Kumar, Maria Kassandra Tan, Jeth Abisams, Hazil Magpayo, and Paula Bacani, the second day of the event was graced with the presence of enlightening speakers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and its two branches, the National Solid Waste Commission (DENR – NSCW) and the Environment Management Bureau - Environmental Education and Information Division (DENR-EMB EEID).

 

 (Left Picture: UST ChES participants scanning the books to be later given as prizes.

(Right Picture: Ms. Zeny Alzate giving an opening message.)

Held at the Kristong Hari chapel by the mountainside, the event was formally opened by Zeny Alzate, the chapel coordinator who praised the efforts of UST ChES and UST Simbahayan (the community development and charity arm of the University of Santo Tomas).

An icebreaker game, Pinoy Henyo, was then played to make the atmosphere lively and to interact with the audience – mostly community residents in the area. The said game was hosted by Hannah Gohing and Hazel Pullan.

Hannah Gohing (left) and Hazel Pullan (right) facilitating a game

A resident guessing the word placed above her head.

The first speaker, Nelie Dimer, from the DENR NSWC, was then called on to discuss the situation of solid waste management in the country. Her hands-on dynamic approach was appreciated by the thirty-strong audience. As she was speaking, volunteers and participants took on their painting materials and trooped to the other side of the chapel to paint some newly-donated garbage bins made of sturdy high density polyethylene.

Ms. Nelie Dimer from the DENR - National Solid Waste Commission

Participants at the outskirts of the chapel smile for the camera.

Ms. Nelie Dimer listens to one of the questions of the residents

After Ms. Dimer finished her interactive lecture, a lunch break was held with the UST participants handing out free food to the participants.

Engr. Binuya, an Engineering Sciences faculty member takes a look at
the work done by the participants and volunteers.

After lunch break, the organizers decide to have another game to get the attention of the residents as they just finished their lunch and were returning to their seats. The game, “Bring Me” had residents scrambling to give the item asked by the two game masters – Kassandra Tan and volunteer Darwin Eugenio. The winners of the game were given prizes – a tote bag from UST ChES’ sponsor M’Lhuillier and a book on making crafts from recycled materials.

Winners of the game (3rd from left to 2nd from right) with their prices.

The last guest speaker, Mr. Niño Pinalva of the DENR-EMB-EEID, presented numerous powerpoint and audio-visual presentations discussing some of the grievous environmental problems the country is facing and how communities can work together to address such issues. The community members present in the chapel listened intently as he discussed these issues.

Mr. Nino Pinalva of the DENR EMB-EEID

A roundtable discussion was held among grouped community members and UST participants to discuss on the solutions they promised to do in order to improve solid waste management practices of their community. The fruits of these discussions were then discussed among the entire audience afterwards.

A resident reading a book on making crafts from recycled materials.

The event was formally closed by Arun Kumar, who thanked the participants for giving their full attention to the speakers. A photo-taking opportunity was then held before the community residents left the chapel.

Residents smile for the camera

Mr. Nino Pinalva (4th from left) being awarded a certificate of appreciation.
He is flanked by the project heads of Forefront.

“Nag-enjoy mga volunteers. Everyone just fell into place, maraming natutunan, at maraming learning opportunities.” remarked Arun Kumar, also the Chair of the UST ChES Community Development Committee.

A group photo of the residents and volunteers. In front of them are the four
garbage bins donated by UST ChES ComDev.

“Interacting with the community was fun. Even if I’m just a young college student, they listened and had fun sharing their thoughts on how they could mitigate the amount of trash they produce. I felt at home with them, unexpectedly. They also shared, with visible happiness, their contributions in managing solid waste. I really recommend this event as it brings out the inner volunteer in you.” a 5^th year-level volunteer said.

The participants and volunteers from UST.

Two faculty members, Prof. Edna Quinto and Engr. Rose Ann Tamolang, also participated and observed the event. The third and final day of FOREFRONT will be held on February 21, 2015 and is open to all UST-ChES members.

UST ChES Opens ChES Week with Kemikalan 2016

by Queen Desiree Dalisay

Kemikalan, an annual quiz show organized by the UST Chemical Engineering Society – Student Affairs Committee, was one of the many much-awaited events for the weeklong celebration of the UST Chemical Engineering Society Week. “Kemikalan 2016: Journey to Divergence”, a battle of wits and intelligence among chemical engineering students was held last January 25, 2016 at the Education Auditorium, Albertus Magnus Building.

Photo Credits: Jobie Tuscano (UST-ChES MemDoc)

Spearheaded by Althea Mae Mendenilla and Denzel Duane Soliaban, the quiz show challenged participants on their knowledge of fundamental Chemical Engineering Courses, namely in the Mathematics, Engineering Sciences, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering domains.

The Participants and Judges

Participants were chosen through a qualifying examination given to every section during the first week of classes. Six teams, each consisting of five members – wherein each member represents a particular year level - were formed. The quiz team also joined in on the challenge provided by the questions given, but was not included in the competition.

Protests and corrections raised by the participants were reviewed and verified by Engr. Mardie Pacia, Prof. Edna Quinto, and Assoc. Prof. Bernadette Duran, all from the Chemical Engineering Department who served as this year’s judges for Kemikalan.

The Quiz Show Proper

With its theme being derived from a famous book and movie series, Kemikalan 2016 deviated from its predecessors by providing additional challenges and twists that the participants braved using their wit and strategic thinking. The quiz show was divided into three major rounds and two bonus rounds. The major rounds, Aptitude, Switch, and Divergent consisted of 10, 12, and 8 questions, respectively. While the bonus rounds, Insurgent and Allegiant consisted of only one question each and were asked in between the major rounds. Each bonus question allowed a team to either earn 200 points for themselves or deduct the same from another team’s.

Upon finishing the Aptitude Round, the top five teams randomly picked from the five factions, namely Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite while the sixth team remained faction less. These factions gave them powers that can be used twice for the Switch Round and once for the Divergent Round. For the end of the Switch Round, the top scoring teams had a chance to pick the faction that they think will benefit them best. The team who picked Abnegation had a chance to pass for a certain question but still get half the point for that question. Amity gives a team the ability to extend their time while Candor gives a team the ability to not allow an opposing team to use a calculator for a given question. The team with the Dauntless faction can freeze an opponent and finally, the team with the Erudite faction can copy the answer of another team.

The questions provided by the organizers really tested the knowledge of the participants as shown by the number of protests during each round. And while the participants were given a break from the pressure their brains are experiencing, the audience had a bit of fun themselves through the Kemikalkalan. Ten students volunteered and were asked a series of trivia questions until only one remained. The last man or woman standing received a prize from the UST ChES.

Photo Credits: (UST-ChES MemDoc)

Winning Teams

And upon the end of all the quiz show, the bottom three teams were named while the ranking of the top three teams remained unknown until it was announced at the Culminating Night by the end of the ChES week.

On the said night, it was announced that the top three winning teams for this year’s kemikalan are the following (from 1^st to 3^rd place): Team 4 (Mark Lorenz Capili, Pauline Losaria, Joyee Ann Zhang, Jayson Ordinaria and Luisito Reno Chin), Team 3 (Jerelle Javier, Raven Mancilla, John Dela Peña, Amir Bracino, Christelle Sepe), and Team 5 (Cheska Teñoso, Edward Felipe III, Jazinda Capati, Jed Dupaya, and Charmaine Layson).

UST-ChES Holds Seminar on Nanotechnology

by Dana Coleen Pineda

As part of the series of events prepared by the Chemical Engineering Society (ChES) for the UST-ChE community last ChES week, the UST Chemical Engineering Society (UST-ChES) conducted a nanotechnology seminar titled "MAGNIFY: Exploring the Building Blocks of Nanotechnology" last January 27, Wednesday, at the UST Engineering Conference Hall.

A group photo of the participants.
(Photo Credit: Mark Danver Mendoza, UST-ChES Memdoc)

The said seminar, hosted by Jr Mabanta and Noelle Ivonette Reyes of UST-ChES Publicity Committe, focused on nanotechnology, related government DOST Projects, ADMATEL, Nanolab, and the testing capabilities that gives chance to the Chemical Engineering students to boost their knowledge in nanotechnology.

Dedicated speakers Engr. Jo Ann Sy, Engr. Jesse Jagape, and Dr. Araceli Magsino Monsada shared their knowledge about nanotechnology, its benefits, and risk to humanity. Engr. Sy shared her knowledge about the projects of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and their testing capablities. She also talked about the facilities and the machineries inside the nanolab.

After the first talk, an intermission number was performed by Gio. "Dahil nanotechnology ang topic, kakantahin ko po ang Little Things ng One Direction" he said to typify Nnnotechnology before singing.

Engr. Jesse Jagape, talked about the advanced tools for nanotechnology and the Advanced Device and Materials Testing Laboratory (ADMATEL) which was established to reinforce and upgrade the failure analysis and materials testing facility of our local industry. On the other hand, Dr. Araceli Magsino Monsada discussed about the synthesis and characterization of Nano Titanium Oxide and the photocatalyst coating which enhanced the aging resistance.

An open forum was also held to give students the chance and freedom to ask and to give their opinions before the program ended.

Talents Abound: UST-ChES Conducts Annual Variety Show

by Kevin Chad M. Cerezo

                In line with the weeklong celebration of the 40^th year of the UST Chemical Engineering Society (UST-ChES), the Chemical Engineering Society held its annual variety show titled “Restrospect: The UST ChES Variety Show 2016” on January 29, 2015 at the Albertus Magnus Auditorium. The said event was conducted to highlight the talent and skills of chemical engineering students in various fields, such as singing, dancing, on-stage acting, and the like.

The APC Group and their High School Musical-themed performance.
(Photo Credit: Jobie Tuscano, UST-ChES Memdoc)

The "R&M" Singing Duo performing an acoustic number
(Photo Credit: Alyssa Alcala)

Christine Pagaduan performing a solo number
(Photo Credits: Jobie Tuscano)

            Taking home the bacon with the highest weighted percentile, the A.P.C. group composed of mainly fifth year students, retained their two-peat championship title with their skit inspired by the 2006 Disney hit movie, High School Musical. The first and second runner-ups of the tilt were the “R&M” (Russel Avedano) singing duo of the second year students and solo singer freshman Christine Pagaduan, respectively.

The "R&M" duo being interviewed by the three hosts
(Photo Credit: Merryl Marquez/The Reaction)

The APC Performers
(Photo Credit: Merryl Marquez/The Reaction)

The APC Performers 
(Photo Credit: Merryl Marquez/The Reaction)

            Carl Edward Fulgencio, leader of the APC group performers, said that their victory was unexpected. “Yung skit concept 2 days ago [bago yung variety show] lang nabuo tapos 1 day before [ng show] yung rehearsal kasi wala naman pasok noon.” he said. (“The concept of the skit was done 2 days before the show while rehearsals were done the day before since there were no classes [on that day]”) Mark Jed dela Cruz, an APC performer, said that the competition was nice.

            Eight performances, either by group or solo, were done. Evaluation of the top 3 entries was based on the votes coming from the audience and the percentile ranking in accordance to the criteria set by the judges. The judges of the competition were selected Thomasian students, namely: Meeko Evangelista of the Faculty of Engineering; Eizel Lyn Marcelo of the Conservatory of Music; and Chelsea Tamayo of the AMV College of Accountancy. Cash prizes and certificates were given to the respective winners. This year’s variety show was headed by Jorge Ochoa, UST ChES Public Relations Officer, and Coleen Palicpic, Vice Chair of the Publicity Committee. The UST ChES Publicity Committee served as the organizers of this yearly event.

Through Centuries: ChES crowns ChE Youth Ambassador and Ambassadress 2015

by Divine Grace Agura

As part of the series of events prepared by the Chemical Engineering Society (ChES) for the UST-ChE community this ChES week, the UST Chemical Engineering Society held the “TCHEYAA 2016: The Search for the Next Thomasian Chemical Engineering Youth Ambassador and Ambassadress” at the Albertus Magnus Auditorium last January 26, 2016 with masters of the program, Ms. Christine Rodriguez, an alumna of Faculty of Engineering and Mr. Berl Stephen Reeves Dutosme from the Faculty of Arts and Letters.

Ms. Corina Tan and Mr. Renzo Gabriel, the
Thomasian Chemical Engineering Youth Ambassador and Ambassadress, respectively.
(Photo Credit: Jobie Tuscano/UST-ChES Memdoc)

Corina Tan and Jan Renzo Gabriel, a 5th year and 3rd year student respectively, were hailed as this year's Thomasian Chemical Engineering Youth Ambassador and Ambassadress.

Candidates were initially presented at the UST ChES General Assembly last October 29, 2015, as a kickoff for the main event in order for them to prepare for the pageant night. Students, faculty members, and other spectators began to line up for registration at around 5:30 pm where they also received freebies from major sponsors. Prior to the start of the program, the UST Chemical Engineering Chorale lead the invocation and singing of the National Anthem. Banners and cheers from the crowd filled the auditorium when the candidates presented themselves as they walked on the stage.

While they were preparing for the casual attire portion of the pageant, organizers proceeded to award the certificates and tokens of appreciation to the judges. Awards were presented to Ms. Alyssa Gohing, a fashion and fitness blogger, Ms. Rose Afan, the Thomasian Youth Ambassadress 2015 and Mr. Paulo Katigbak, the Thomasian Youth Ambassador 2015.

As the contestants showcased their charms in their casual attires, and wit during the casual interview, the audience engulfed the whole auditorium with loud cheers for their respective representatives. This was subsequently followed by the creative wear portion after a performance from the UST ChE local band, "Aliquot", composed of Wrenzie Regodon, Ryan Noriega, Judge Chua, Bettina Fresnoza, and Nichol Manio. Candidates wowed the audience as they presented their historical eras-themed creative wears primarily made of recycled materials. Civilizations represented were the Roman Empire, Viking Civilization, Imperial Japanese, Han Dynasty China, Aztec Civilization, and the Ottoman Empire. A lot of students appeared to be very interested in the costumes, which also promoted recycling.

One of the criteria of the pageant which is new this year is the Advocacy of the candidates wherein they have proposed plans, projects and areas of research that would help lessen the impacts of current scenarios to the people and to the environment. This aims not only to build awareness among the contestants but also to the students and to the whole community. This was followed by the formal wear portion where contestants showed elegance in their gowns and was serenaded by Pauline Losaria and Marie Catangay right after.

Special Awards

Special awards were announced at around 8:15PM. These awards were given to: Shunji Sugaya (Mr. Blackwater), Sharlene Lusung (Ms. Careline), Jude Billiones and Eren Peñan (Mr. and Ms. Photogenic), Raniel Anastacio and Jan Renzo Gabriel (Best Advocacy Project), Jude Billiones and Joyce Manalo (Best in Casual Wear), Raniel Anastacio and Jan Renzo Gabriel (Best in Creative Wear), and Jude Billiones and Corina Tan (Best in Formal Wear). The top three paired candidates (female and male) were Corina Tan and Von Justin, Joyce Manalo and Jude Billiones, Raniel Anastacio and Jan Renzo Gabriel. For the final part of the pageant, finalists were subjected to a question and answer portion, showcasing both their wits and charm.

Von Justin emerged as the 2nd runner up together with Raniel Anastacio while Jude Billiones and Joyce Manalo secured the spot as 1st runners-up. Project Heads Janille Constantino and Janssen Radley Penaflor, delivered inspiring messages for the success of the event, and promised to continue making improvements for not only for the pageant but also to any other student activities.  All candidates were all smiles after another spectacular experience as the program ended.

(For more pictures: Visit the album uploaded by the UST ChES Official Facebook page.)