Junnel E. Cagampang and Gelmar A. Coniendo, BS in Industrial Automation and Mechatronics graduates of the Department of Industrial Automation and Control Engineering Technology (IACET) with Professor Cesar S. Gabo as coach won the bronze medal in Mechatronics in the recent 11th ASEAN Skills Competition (ASC) held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 26-October 29, 2016.
This is the first time a national team won a medal in Mechatronics in the ASC. The MSU-IIT Mechatronics Team has been a national champion twice and has represented the country in the 8th ASC in Bangkok, Thailand and the 9th ASC in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The team came well prepared to the Kuala, Lumpur tussle as they spent a month at Gold Camp 2 where all the regional winners in all trade areas underwent physical, emotional and psychological (PEP) training conducted by TESDA and the Philippine Army. Only those who survived after a thorough evaluation was qualified and could participate in the 2016 Philippine National Skills Competition (PNSC). The team made it to the PNSC and eventually won the gold medal in Mechatronics. Cagampang and Coniendo, 2016 School of Engineering Technology class valedictorian and salutatorian respectively, skipped this year’s 48th Commencement Exercises to compete in the PNSC and give honor to the Institute.
The team also underwent the rigorous training at Gold Camp 3 which includes another month long of PEP training by TESDA and technical training at FESTO Philippines in Metro Manila to prepare for the ASC competition where the best of ASEAN nations compete with the world skills standard.
In Kuala Lumpur, the MSU-IIT team competed against other ASEAN teams that have long experience in skills competition including the biennial World Skills Competition (WSC). The Philippines, though locally honed as compared to other teams, held its ground to win the bronze medal in Kuala Lumpur. The Philippine team scored 511 points based on 500 points scale used in World Skills competition and the score is only two points shy needed to win a gold medal. There was no silver medalist in Mechatronics during the recent ASC.
Tagaytay City, Philippines — Eight (8) faculty advisers of MSU-IIT’s Graduate School of Engineering attended the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) Research Management Training held at Summit Ridge Hotel, Tagaytay City on March 12-13, 2016.
The faculty advisers were COE Assistant Dean Dr. Maria Shiela Ramos , Dr. Roberto Malaluan (Graduate Coordinator), Prof. Jonathan Tiongson, Dr. Jonathan Maglasang, Prof. Metodia Trinidad, Dr. Noel Estoperez, Prof. Allenn Lowaton and Prof. Jefferson Hora and the MSU-IIT – ERDT Project Leader and COE Dean Atty. Edgar Alan Donasco.
The said activity aims to provide opportunities to the ERDT faculty members to acquire and improve their skills in research management.
“The primary aim of ERDT is to create institutes in the eight member universities. Starting this August 2016, the monthly allowance for ERDT scholars [taking up] their Masters [degrees] will be increased to 20,000 pesos ” said Dr. Aura Matias, the ERDT Program Leader and Dean of the UP-Diliman College of Engineering in her welcome address.
The ERDT is a highly-funded development project by the Philippine government through the Department of Science and Technology. It aims to attain a critical mass of candidates for the masters and doctorate degrees in the various engineering disciplines.
The ERDT is implemented through a consortium of eight universities in the Philippines with mature engineering graduate programs. These universities are UP-Diliman, UP-Los Banos, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Mapua Institute of Technology, Central Luzon State University, the University of San Carlos and the MSU- Iligan Institute of Technology.
Ms. Faith Q. Baldanado an IACET graduate and Mr. Roque B. Requino, an ELET graduate of the School of Engineering Technology entries in TATAK TESDA ViDEO MAKING CONTEST Year 2 made it to Top 10 to qualify for the national finals in individual and school categories respectively. The 3-minute video contest is a nationwide competition to promote success stories of TVET graduates. Both entries also represents Region X in in the contest.
Faith, story focuses on her being an honors student, competitor and assistant coach in the National and ASEAN Skills competitions in the field of Mechatronics. She is now a faculty of IACET Department after graduating as Summa Cum Laude in BS in Industrial Automation and Mechatronics. As a faculty and skills trainer, her student’s had pass the national certification of TESDA who are now working in various industries not only in the country but abroad.
Roque’s video story centers on how MSU-IIT change his life as a graduate of three-year Electrical Engineering Technology of MSU-IIT. He strived hard to obtain a college diploma despite the difficulties in life. He was hired, first as a laboratory technician of ELET Department and then of IACET Department. He finished his Bachelors and Master’s in Teachers Technician Education and is now a faculty of IACET Department. He is what Prof. Nimfa Bracamonte, MSU-IIT Director of Extension described as the “all time trainer” in Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) for Out of School Youth (OSY) of various barangays of Iligan City.
Ms. Baldonado and Mr. Requino video entries are now posted at www.facebook.com/TESDAOfficial. Only the “Likes” received by these entries on this Facebook Page from the time of posting until 12:00 noon of May 11, 2015 shall be considered for the People’s Choice Award. So please visit and press like for SET-MSU-IIT and Region X entries.
All Top 10 entries shall be shown in their entirety during the Tatak TESDA Awarding Ceremony at the Philippine International Convention Center Reception Hall in Pasay City, Metro Manila on May 12, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. Winners shall be announced during the same occasion.
