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The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Philippine National Police Directorate for Research and Development (PNP-DRD) to work on multidisciplinary projects related to law enforcement and public safety. 

PNP forged an alliance with T.I.P. last Monday, June 19, 2023, in recognition of the continuing relevance and significance of various applied research activities towards the improvement of police operations in the country. 

“It (MOU) serves as a testament to our commitment to enhancing our existing and future operations with the ultimate goal of better serving and protecting the Filipino people,” said Acting PNP Deputy Chief for Administration Police Lieutenant General Rhodel Sermonia. 

Sermonia presided over the MOU signing ceremony on behalf of PNP Chief Police Major General Benjamin Acorda, Jr. held at the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. 

The partnership between T.I.P. and PNP-DRD covers “greater and more creative exchange of ideas and methods” in pursuit of jointly approved research undertakings, training programs, among other related activities. 

“The PNP shall lead in establishing lines of communication with T.I.P. and its various units through formal and informal meetings whereby projects may be proposed and initiated,” according to the MOU.

“The terms of collaboration, both technical and financial, shall be negotiated per project. These shall include any product, service, training and/or publication arising from said activities,” the document added.

T.I.P. Quezon City Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Cynthia Llanes signed the MOU for the institution on behalf of T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz and Senior Vice President Angelo Q. Lahoz. 

Sermonia, meanwhile, represented Acorda as one of the signatories for the PNP with Police Brigadier Generals Robert Gallardo and Marcelo Dayag, officer-in-charge and executive officer respectively of the PNP-DRD. 

“I am optimistic that this collaboration will undoubtedly yield fruitful results in enhancing our capabilities,” Sermonia noted in his speech. “Together, we can develop cutting-edge solutions, enhance our operational efficiency, and foster a culture of integrity within our ranks,” he added. 

Present to witness the signing ceremony for T.I.P. were Dr. Felizardo Reyes, Jr (Dean, College of Computer Studies), Dr. Therese May Alejandrino (Director, TechnoCoRe) with program chairs Dr. Gerald Cayabyab (Information Technology Department), Dr. Roselia Morco (Information Systems Department), and Ms. Hazel San Patilano (Computer Science Department).

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) understands the benefits of having a positive learning environment, knowing that a school should provide its students not only knowledge but healthy coping mechanisms to deal with the uncertainties of an ever-changing world. 

T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz underscored this message during the 61st founding anniversary celebration of the academic institution that her parents–Engr. Demetrio A. Quirino and Dr. Teresita U. Quirino–founded in 1962. 

“Our goal as a school is not only limited to us teaching our students what we know, but we must also nurture their strengths, acknowledge their weaknesses, and encourage their potential. With empathy as our anchor, we must be more mindful of their needs,” she said in her speech. 

With six decades of commitment towards quality education, T.I.P. managed to weather a lot of adversities that came its way, none more critical than the challenges presented by a global public health crisis that reshaped the future of learning. 

While T.I.P is proud of the fact that it had made prior investments in digital infrastructure, which enabled the school to deliver its education purely online in the first quarter of 2020, it also understands the need to do more in the service of its students and stakeholders.

T.I.P. has since resumed full face-to-face classes for all its campuses in Manila and Quezon City beginning January this year–the start of second semester for school year 2022-2023–in compliance with government mandates, but it remains open to extending some degree of flexibility to those who are still having trouble with the transition. 

“Look out for those who are struggling and ask how we can help, making sure no one gets left behind. Similar to how we were in our younger years, our students are in need of a stable and reliable support system… Listen and be present to them,” Dr. Quirino-Lahoz reminded. 

T.I.P. marks its founding anniversary with the theme “Celebrating 61 Years of Evolving Innovative Education” to express its commitment to growth as an institution guided by the vision of making quality higher education accessible to every Filipino. 

Dr. Quirino-Lahoz focused on the value of empathy, which must go both ways not only between the educators, students and their parents, but the management and staff who are working hard to achieve the shared goals and aspirations of the entire T.I.P. community. 

“To our students, please also do your best with your studies. We can and will support you with our utmost best. But the grit and determination to finish your studies on time still comes from within you… Let us all be our best for each other,” she said.

Working well under pressure while navigating differences is what a group of seven junior architecture students from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) consider as one of their takeaways from winning a recent architectural competition. 

Their design proposal “Hinto: A Glimpse of the Forgotten” bested 95 other entries at the 2022 EULAT Manila Architectural Workshop organized by Instituto Cervantes de Manila and the Spanish Embassy in collaboration with the Intramuros Administration last November 2022.

T.I.P. Manila students Aubrey Denisse Santos, Missey Andrea Liwanag, Joriz Mendoza, David Joshua Falame, Aron Frank Gosim, Jeron Escandor, and John Joseph Aberte said they joined the contest only to gain some experience. Little did they know they would win the grand prize.

“We wanted to give people a space for them to find whatever answers they are looking for, to remind them of those things that they have somehow forgotten subconsciously,” explained Santos of their winning architectural design. 

Their proposal featured an open-planned structure amidst the bustling Magallanes street with arcs that stood on concrete pillars and latticework inspired by the traditional architectures of churches built around Intramuros.  

According to Liwanag, they designed it that way to help them maximize and control the entry of daylight into the building as well as facilitate better airflow “because we want to achieve as much as possible the openness of spaces.” 

The 2022 EULAT Manila Architectural Workshop contest was an initiative of the European Union National Institutes for Culture as part of its EULAT 4 Culture project aimed at strengthening cultural ties between Europe, Latin America and the Philippines. 

A five-man jury composed of Architects Jose Arcilla (Intramuros Administration), Gerald Lico (University of the Philippines), Rino Fernandez (University of Santo Tomas), Michael Manalo (National Commission for Culture and the Arts) and Javier Galvan (Instituto Cervantes) selected the winning entries based on their “capacity to integrate intangible characteristics in Fil-Hispanic architecture in a modern and innovative design, which invites reflection and debate.” 

Four more programs of the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) had been successfully assessed by the ASEAN University Network - Quality Assurance (AUN-QA): T.I.P. Manila’s Accountancy and Chemical Engineering programs and T.I.P. Quezon City’s Architecture and Business Administration programs.  The virtual assessment took place last July 25-29, 2022.

In total, T.I.P. now has eight programs that have met the education quality standard of the assessing body. The first four are T.I.P. Manila’s Architecture and Business Administration programs and T.I.P. Quezon City’s Accountancy and Secondary Education programs. 

“These assessment exercises add value to the education of our students and to our life as a school community. We will deploy our learnings and continuous quality improvements from all AUN-QA visits to steadfastly provide the best educational experience possible for our students,” said Dr. Lahoz.

The ASEAN University Network is an international organization that promotes cooperation among higher education institutions in the ASEAN region. Its assessment arm is AUN-QA, responsible for educational standards and continuous academic improvement of ASEAN schools. AUN-QA assessors are composed of chief quality officers appointed by AUN member universities.


Currently, T.I.P. is also an associate member of AUN-QA, and to date, is one of only 23 schools in the Philippines to have such a status with the international organization.

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) hosted a 3-week virtual student exchange program with Indonesia’s Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Yogyakarta (UPNVY).

UPNVY and T.I.P. each sent eight (8) Information Technology Education (ITE) students to undergo the educational and cultural exchange from May to June 2022.  “The objective is to provide these students with international educational experiences to improve their global competitiveness,” said T.I.P. QC CS/IT Program Chair Jun Reyes.

The Indonesian exchange students virtually joined T.I.P. ITE students in their Applications Development, Emerging Technologies, and Business Data Visualization classes. Technical webinars on mobile development, game development, and the Philippine startup ecosystem were offered as well to the UPNVY students. 

For their cultural immersion, a virtual presentation was put together to showcase the ways of life of both Indonesia and the Philippines.

Engr. Conrado Navalta, T.I.P. Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and the Head of International Relations Office; Dr. Cynthia Llanes, T.I.P. Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Quezon City campus; Dr. Rosalinda Valdepeñas, T.I.P. Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Manila campus; and Dr. Rukmowati Brotodjojo, UPNVY Head of International Affairs, led the student exchange program committee along with officers from both institutions.  

The virtual student exchange program with UPNVY is the first of several initiatives that T.I.P. organized under the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program where T.I.P. is a member of the TVET Polytechnic Network.

Knowledge is power, but knowledge applied is even more powerful. 

Living up to their school's mantra of being lifelong learners, problem solvers, and innovators, students of the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) continue to build on the future with tools that are not only useful but also ingenious. 

Here are some of their notable inventions from the past years: 

1. SiglaVent

SiglaVent is an innovative automated emergency resuscitator with ventilator features. The device — made in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (PCIEERD and PCHRD), Lung Center of the Philippines, and other stakeholders — is currently undergoing clinical investigation to further validate its safety, functionality, and reliability.

2. DRIVER.PH

Short for "Drivers Roadworthiness Improvement Verification Education and Readiness for the Philippine Logistics Industry," DOST-sponsored DRIVER.PH aims to help Filipino truckers through data analytics, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT). It keeps track of their overall performance and experience on the road, giving an objective and scientific evaluation for a safer and more efficient truck driving. 

3. iLAWA

iLAWA is a pollution-powered battery that lights up fisherfolks' path while at the same time cleaning diluted lake waters. Funded by the DOST-PCIERRD, iLAWA also seeks to address intermittent power conditions in the country's rural areas. 

4. Cleenvent

A startup venture under the T.I.P. Nurture Innovation Technology Revolution Office (NITRO), Cleenvent promises "a better air environment for a better home." This solar-powered ventilation system — which can be installed on walls, ceilings, or attics with zero operating costs — uses the sun's solar radiation to decrease temperature and humidity buildup inside abodes with continuous ventilation. During the Philippines Startup Week 2021, QBO Innovation Hub featured Cleenvent as one of the Top 100 Filipino startups to watch in 2021. Since its business registration in January 2022, Cleenvent has sold 21 units.

5. Non-Invasive Bacteria Detector

Amid growing concerns of antimicrobial resistance, the non-invasive bacteria detector offers an alternative solution by identifying microbes found in wounds through quick gas absorption. The electrochemical device was a runner-up in the Philippine leg of the 2021 James Dyson Awards, and has been proven to be effective on diabetic patients at Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center.  

6. SignTech

SignTech is a sign language translator app designed to make communication easier between deaf and mute individuals and non-disabled people. It bagged second place in the Empowerment Prize Track of HooHacks Hackathon 2021. 

7. SulyApp

Powered by artificial intelligence, SulyApp connects to closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and immediately sounds an alarm once it recognizes a skeptic activity.  The more data it gathers, the smarter and more accurate the app gets.  Police no longer need to sit down and monitor CCTVs 24/7.  SulyApp won third place in the 2021 Philippine National Police-Information Technology Management Service (PNP-ITMS) Hackathon.  

8. Ahhyarn

Ahhyarn (a play on the Filipino word 'ayan') is a startup concept that turns bubble wraps to yarn. This brilliant idea claimed the waste management design championship of Climathon Pasig 2021, and was also given the City Environment and Natural Resource Office (CENRO)'s Choice Award and UnionBank UPBXcellerator Innovation Award.

9. Rechargeable Emergency Kit

Once featured on national television, the rechargeable emergency kit comes with a handy flashlight, lamp, electric fan, and USB charging port all made from scraps.  This invention won the grand prize in T.I.P.’s Environmental Fair in 2021.

10. Pedal-Operated Road Sweeper

This work of art rode on the popularity of bicycles to help street sweepers do their jobs — way to be efficient and environment-friendly! For several weeks, this pedal-operated road sweeper went viral on social media and was featured by almost all major networks. 

Got some game-changing ideas too? Let's turn your vision into reality! Enroll now at T.I.P. that offers globally competitive, ABET-accredited engineering education!

Streets are the gateway to a country's soul; but even in these smallest communal spaces, socioeconomic divide is evident — so much so that museums and other forms of art have become inaccessible to the masses. 

Such was the reality that Joshua Delos Santos, an architecture senior from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.), tried to shatter with his magnum opus "Reconnecting Communities through Filipino Street Culture." 

The pièce de résistance landed 2nd place in the Street Museum competition of international publication ArchTwist, and combines — among others — art, culture, history, education, and commerce. 

"My objective was to bring everyone closer to their roots and gain meaningful experiences from interacting and socializing. It's not like a traditional museum where you just look at certain pieces of art," said Delos Santos. 

In his rendition of a typical 100 meter street, Delos Santos put up a central bike lane with spaces for learning, retail, and recreation at the sides. The stalls are made from sustainable materials like bamboo, metal, and polycarbonate sheets, to name a few. 

While not all barangays can accommodate such vision, the concept — if implemented — is still a big boost to the local tourism scene.

"Mr. Delos Santos's work gives a glimpse of the culture that we have at the Architecture Department of T.I.P. Manila. We're all for building more liveable cities for the people," said program chair Nathaniel Cruz. 

Hosted by Bangladesh, ArchTwist's Street Museum welcomed entries from students and young professionals from Asia and Europe.

Shifting courses in college could be a double-edged sword, but for the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.)'s topnotcher in the 2022 chemical engineering (ChE) board exams, Engr. Shania Montesa, it was the right thing to do. 

"I actually started out as a civil engineering student in T.I.P. Quezon City. After two years, I transferred to T.I.P. Manila to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a chemical engineer," shared Montesa, who comes from a family of civil engineers. 

"Making the decision to shift was not easy. I had to give up the job and connections that were waiting for me even before I entered college. There were even people who doubted that I could finish the degree and have a good career." 

Though she did not initially aim to top the May 2022 ChE boards, Montesa went for it anyway as gratitude to those who have helped her get through a whirlwind college journey. 

From not knowing something as basic as the difference between physical and chemical change to graduating with Latin honors, and from not being able to speak during graded recitations and reporting to becoming a certified student leader, Montesa broke out of her shell, gained experience, and realized her full potential. 

It took faith and three seemingly simple yet powerful words from a dear professor for her to trudge on — "Kaya mo 'yan!" she would always be told. Now, she's off to contribute even more to the world, one chemical at a time.

After signing a landmark partnership agreement last year, the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) and the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE) continue to step up local science and engineering research with their ongoing visiting professorship program. 

T.I.P.'s latest online guest lecturer was PAASE member and chemist Dr. Elmer-Rico Mojica, who talked about Antibiotics in the Environment: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly to a thousand T.I.P. students and faculty.

"Nowadays, we are more exposed to antibiotics not from medication but from meat products that have antibiotic residues. This can lead to the development of superbugs and our bodies being resistant to certain drugs," he said. 

Though a number of restaurants and fast food chains around the world have committed to serving antibiotic-free meat, only some deliver on their promises. Livestock use of antibiotics is also at a record-level high; and while wastewater treatment plants do the job, they don't necessarily target antibiotics.

"Antimicrobial resistance worsened during the pandemic because few new medicines were in the pipeline, but there's hope since more and more studies on antibiotics are being conducted as we slowly go back to normal," Dr. Mojica added. 

An associate professor at Pace University, New York, Dr. Mojica has done extensive research in chemistry focusing mainly on characterization of compounds. He is often tapped for speaking engagements in various colleges and universities here and abroad. 

"As lifelong learners, problem solvers, and innovators, we, T.I.P.ians, always welcome learning opportunities such as this. I look forward to having more visiting professors from PAASE in the future," said T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz.

PAASE is a non-profit organization composed of scientists and engineers of Philippine descent who have distinguished themselves in scholarly and research related activities. It has over 230 members from all over the world specializing in diverse fields of study, including physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, mathematics, computer science, and engineering.

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) hurdled the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)'s 2021 Philippine Startup Challenge with its dual sign language translator app Inseñas.

The brainchild of Information Technology and Computer Science seniors Patricia Anne Taño, Maria Sofia Balaoro, and Pocholo Beltran, Inseñas provides real-time, avatar-based sign language and speech-to-text translation in both English and Filipino.

"We decided to incorporate our mother tongue so people could truly engage with the deaf and mute. It's not enough that you discern a problem; you also need to try to address it," said Taño, who used to represent her disabled father in local meetings for PWDs.

Created to "break the barrier and the stigma," Inseñas also features learning modules on basic and advanced sign language to "listen to those who can't speak and talk to those who can't hear."

The app bested 27 other pitches in the student category of the competition, held to encourage and support relevant ICT business ventures in the country. Prizes include, among others, training, promotion, and partnership opportunities with Huawei and DICT.

"Inseñas's win shows that our students are able to grasp the core competencies of their technopreneurship classes. Once complete, this would definitely be part of T.I.P.'s lasting legacy," said team adviser Dr. Gerald Cayabyab.

Three groups of Accountancy seniors from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) conquered the first-ever open plan competition of the Philippine Council of Deans and Educators in Business (PCDEB) with their advocacy-driven feasibility studies. 

'Ad'lak' dietary fiber rice wine and sustainable food packaging 'IPAck' both emerged as champions in the food and non-food category, respectively; while training provider 'Business Mentor Experts' (BME) finished second place in the service category. 

Ad'lak dietary fiber rice wine uses adlai as its main ingredient, thus the portmanteau ('Ad' from adlai and 'lak' from alak or wine). It's a healthy option for diabetic and body-conscious individuals, with only 12 calories per 120 ml. 

As the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) promotes the nutritious yet low-maintenance crop, Ad'lak dietary fiber rice wine — concocted by Allonah De Guzman, Graciella Mae Delos Santos, Queency Cole Sales, and Shiela Mae Sayson — is sure to gain market share soon. 

Pushing for an advocacy 

IPAck, meanwhile, uses rice husks (ipa) as an alternative food packaging. The oil-proof, non-leak, microwaveable, and decomposable boxes come in three different sizes, and are grainier than those currently in circulation. 

Inventors Krista Flores, Johayna Macodi, Andrea Mae Portales, Viel Mariz Rapadas and Mikaela Jade Tamayo wanted to maximize the country's most abundant agricultural waste, while also reducing Filipinos' overall plastic consumption. 

In a world where career training and development is just usually for corporate employees, second placer BME extends its services to undergraduates who would want to grow outside of their niche. 

For this, proponents Jescerlyn Asis, Melody Bangayan, Kiana Despabiladero, Rachell Ann Romulo, and Mary Ann Christel Simbillo plan to tap experts and professionals from all fields, including small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs).

"Competitions like this provide an opportunity for both our students and faculty. Their wins demonstrate that the school's desired learning outcomes are being met," said Nancy Cruda, T.I.P. Business Administration Program Chair. 

A total of 27 entries from various universities and colleges were accepted in the inaugural PCDEB open plan competition, which aimed to promote amongst students a working knowledge of the business industry. 

Who says you can't use greens to treat wastewater? 

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) debunked just that as it pioneers the construction of a wetland facility in Upper Cubi, Subic, Zambales. 

The groundbreaking project, done in collaboration with Subic Water Sewerage Co., Inc. and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), aims to reduce the concentration of wastewater pollutants through an integrated reed bed system or phytoremediation. 

"We are now actually in the second phase and we want to prove that phytoremediation is, indeed, an economically viable, environment-friendly, and sustainable solution," said T.I.P. Senior Vice President Angelo Lahoz. 

"We had a similar project before and the conditions were very different; but using that experience and some valuable inputs from our partners, we were able to come up with a good technical design," he added.   

If the endeavor proves to be a success, SUBICWATER Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Antonio III said it would revolutionize wastewater treatment in the country and may even be implemented nationwide. 

Construction of the plant-based sewerage facility is set to finish by June. 

At the heart of two of the busiest central business districts in the metro (Quiapo, Manila and Cubao, Quezon City) lies a premier engineering and computing school – the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.). 

Bearing the colors white, yellow, black, and grey, T.I.P. stands mighty tall and proud with 60 years of experience in providing quality education for all. 

Founded in 1962 by Engr. Demetrio A. Quirino and Dr. Teresita U. Quirino, the institution has, time and again, proven to be a viable player in the field. Here's why:

1. T.I.P.'s programs are ABET-accredited.

Not once, but twice. 

T.I.P. got the first ABET accreditation of 20 of its programs in 2013 – 14 from the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and 6 from the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC). 

In 2018, T.I.P. vied for the second cycle of ABET international accreditation and received, a year later, reaccreditation of all 20 of its engineering and computing programs.

2. T.I.P. has recognitions from CHED.  

Both T.I.P. campuses were granted Autonomous Status, the highest honor that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) can bestow, in 2016 and again in 2019. 

T.I.P. also has 16 CHED Centers of Excellence (COE) and Centers of Development (COD) in engineering and information technology. 

3. T.I.P.'s research infrastructure remains robust. 

In 2021, the Institutes for Research, Innovation, and Scholarship (IRIS) named T.I.P. as the fifth top school for engineering research in the country. 

Students, faculty members, and industry partners constantly engage in innovative endeavors that allow them to hone innate technopreneurship skills. 

4. T.I.P. offers scholarship grants. 

On top of relatively low school fees, T.I.P. also offers scholarships and financial assistance to deserving students in line with its founders' vision of "bringing the blessings of higher education to the masses." 

5. T.I.P.'s graduates are sought after by employers.

T.I.P.ians have an average employment rate of 92.5%. Jobstreet's 2018 Employer Survey also ranks T.I.P. as the seventh most preferred school by employers when it comes to hiring fresh graduates and the second most preferred school by companies in the engineering industry. 

The institution's Career Center is likewise recognized by USAID-STRIDE as a Model Career Center. 

They aren't called heroes for nothing. 

Long-time teaching and non-teaching staff of the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) got their well-deserved spotlight during last month's 2022 Employees’ Recognition, held in time for the school's 60th founding anniversary.

T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz personally thanked the awardees for their loyalty and dedication, calling them 'exceptional heroes.' 

Seven record-breaking individuals hit the 24-year mark, while six successfully made it to 20 years.  Nine extraordinary employees are celebrating 15 years with the institution, and 36 more are on their 10th year. 

T.I.P. Manila's lone 24-year awardee Engr. Roberto Dela Cruz said he stayed with T.I.P. because of its "culture and community spirit."

For Humanities and Social Science Instructor Mari Cris Azul, working in T.I.P. was a meaningful "change of career" as she was "better off in the academe than in the corporate world."

John Pete Sarabia, T.I.P. Quezon City's registrar for 20 years now, found love in the halls of T.I.P. and has already built a family of his own. 

"As I reflected on why people stay on with companies, specifically with T.I.P., I realized that it is because they have found their mission and purpose. Their personal values happen to align with those of the school and so they find joy in their work," Dr. Quirino-Lahoz said.

Employees with the most number of student recruits were also recognized at the event.

Two DIT (Doctor of Information Technology) candidates of the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) reaped awards in the 12th IEEE Computing and Communication Workshop and Conference (CCWC) held virtually from Las Vegas, USA. 

Rossian Perea and Epie Custodio bagged Best Paper and Best Presenter, respectively, bringing honor to their program and T.I.P. 

Perea's Analysis of the Use of Analytics Platform for the Commercial Value of Mud Crab Production using Non-parametric Model combined aquaculture and IT to improve the country's annual mud crab yield. In one shot, micro farm owners and monitoring institutions can now come up with better data-driven decision-making processes for their produce.

Custodio's Performance Analysis of Deep Learning Architecture in Classifying Calamansi, meanwhile, aimed to develop an innovative and reliable way of classifying calamansi based on size, maturity, and overall condition. 

"These achievements show that T.I.P. graduate students are globally competitive," said T.I.P. Manila Graduate Programs Dean Dr. Enrique Festijo. 

The IEEE CCWC gives students, educators, and researchers an avenue to tackle issues, trends, and developments in computing and communication. A total of 190 papers were accepted this year. 

Researches of DIT and PhD CS candidates Christopher Estonilo and Great Allan Ong were also presented at the said conference.

Sixty years since the establishment of the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.), the name Quirino has become almost synonymous to the school — thanks to its founding father Engr. Demetrio A. Quirino, Jr.+

A steadfast educator, Engr. Quirino built T.I.P. from the ground up, hurdling all sorts of challenges that came with running a premier engineering and computing higher education institution. He was supported and accompanied by his equally dedicated wife, Dr. Teresita U. Quirino; and together, they dreamed of giving Filipinos the chance of a better life. 

Engr. Quirino's love for learning also translated to his authorship of books and provision of scholarship grants (one even named after him). He always said "democratizing access to education is the only way to unleash the infinite capacity of Filipinos to be the best they can be." Now, a good number of his own students and scholars are already successful in their respective fields, some even taught at T.I.P. like he did. 

Unbeknownst to many, Engr. Quirino was once a military officer who, during World War II, courageously fought alongside his comrades and earned for himself the US Army Purple Heart Award for Valor in Service. The Nueva Vizcaya native likewise topped the 1953 Civil Engineering Board Exam. 

Always wanting to make things happen, "Papa Deming," as he was to his children, faced difficult situations head-on, embracing the struggle. He was "an enabler, a classic character." T.I.P. survives today because of the very values of resiliency, grit and determination that he had espoused and passed down during his time.

Educator and entrepreneur, Engr. Quirino will always be remembered as the man who started it all — the man behind the now 25,000-strong T.I.P., a community of lifelong learners, problem solvers, and innovators.

There's something nostalgic about turning 60. It's a milestone, yes, one that ought to remind you of the good ol' days while at the same time looking forward to the next chapter of your life. It's passion, dedication, and excitement all rolled into one. 

The same is true for the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.). From its humble beginnings in 1962, this premier engineering and computing school – founded by Engr. Demetrio A. Quirino and Dr. Teresita U. Quirino – has come a long way in bringing the blessings of higher education to the masses. 

"If you think about it, we have the best of both worlds: the wisdom accumulated over the past years, complemented with the passion and drive of a young person still eager to prove oneself," said T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz. 

For its 60th anniversary, T.I.P. is putting the spotlight on blended learning. The institution is set to resume limited face-to-face classes after two full years of remote education due to the pandemic. But even then, T.I.P. has already been supplementing traditional classroom discussions with online assessment activities – thanks to its robust IT infrastructure. 

Named fifth top school for engineering research by the Institutes for Research, Innovation, and Scholarship (IRIS), T.I.P. continues to mold lifelong learners, problem solvers, and innovators with 20 programs accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC), 16 programs recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development, and several more accolades. 

Its graduates are now contributing to society at large, some of whom have even come full circle in their journey as a T.I.P.ian. 

"I'm just happy to be here. It feels good to go back and teach at the institution that once cradled you," shared T.I.P. humanities instructor Abegail Magno. 

Efren Chavez, who has been with T.I.P.'s chemical engineering department for 15 years, said he'll always be a "proud alumnus and faculty member."  

The school may have already reached seniority in terms of age, but it's still very much alive and kicking. Retirement is nowhere in sight for this 60-year-old education veteran bent on uplifting the lives of the Filipino youth. With grit and determination – values it has long upheld since the beginning – T.I.P. is sure to conquer anything the new normal may bring. 

As Dr. Quirino-Lahoz puts it, "there is still so much we can do."

For more information on T.I.P., please visit tip.edu.ph or T.I.P.’s official social media accounts through @TIP1962official for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) recently acquired a United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) grant for two of its endeavors to stop online sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the country. 

T.I.P.'s informational website 'TARA' (Talk About Rights and Awareness) and emergency directory app 'iSafer' were among the 15 projects that were given Php 120,000 funding by the UNFPA in partnership with the Government of Canada, Coalition Against Trafficking In Women - Asia Pacific (CATW-AP), Youth and Students Advancing Gender Equality (YSAGE), and Sowing Legacy (SLMi). 

With its library of articles, videos, and exercises, TARA aims to be a "safe haven" for Filipino SGBV victims and survivors. The site – which is now accessible to the public via taraph.org – lists advocacy events and communities that people can join and be a part of while at the same time allowing them to report instances of abuse. A chatbot and journaling feature will soon be added to allow for online consultations with healthcare specialists. 

iSafer, meanwhile, compiles Philippine emergency hotlines with focus also on SGBV. Depending on one's location, the app shows contact details of the nearest police desk, fire station, hospital/clinic, and even government satellite offices, to name a few. An emergency alert button that could notify authorities of one's whereabouts is also underway. 

T.I.P. Information Systems seniors Andrei Agbuya, Aldrin Asama, Jetsky Cabasal, Erika Shaina Dizon, Ricaela Glipo, Mauee Czelsie Samaniego, Alliah Santos, and Jane Sulit spent almost two months working on the "eye-opening" projects. 

Their mentor, Dr. Risty Acerado, said "it isn't just technology we're offering, but also advocacy." Through these initiatives, T.I.P. endeavors to assuage, if not totally eradicate, SGBV.

Gracious. Inspiring. Motherly. 

This is Dr. Teresita U. Quirino+ of the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.).  

An accomplished educator and school administrator (she founded T.I.P. in 1962 with husband Engr. Demetrio A. Quirino), "Ma'am Tesy," as she is fondly called, remains loved by her constituents even up to this day. 

"I first met TUQ when I applied back in 1996. I was so nervous before the interview but when she spoke to me with a soft voice, I felt at ease. She even asked the story behind my name," recalled T.I.P. Education Program Chair Lirio Banal. 

Brenda Corpuz, T.I.P.'s senior high school consultant, shared how generous Dr. Quirino was for "always remembering employees on special occasions" like birthdays, Christmas, and New Year. 

The esteemed leader – who served the institution as faculty member, president, and chairman for 54 years – was a sought-after speaker and advocate. Under her guidance, the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) successfully lobbied for changes in the country's education system. 

In 2017, Dr. Quirino was named one of two PACU Persons of the Year – a distinction that, to date, has only been conferred on 10 outstanding individuals.

With her passion and dedication to work, Dr. Quirino had gone far and beyond in bringing the blessings of higher education to the masses. She didn't merely touch lives; she also helped change them.

"A competent engineer must also have a heart and social conscience," she would often say. 

This quote of hers has become embedded in the hearts and minds of T.I.P.ians, reminding them of their purpose to always do well and give back. 

"Ma'am Tesy" is succeeded by her daughter, T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz, who now runs the school with EVP Angel C. Lahoz, SVP Angelo Q. Lahoz, its board of directors and executive management. According to her, "the legacy of my parents is a vibrant community of believers in higher education as a chance to have a better life." 

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) has signed a three-year partnership with Malaysia's Sunway University (Sun-U) following its inclusion in the latter's 2021 International Research Networks Grant Scheme. 

In a virtual conference, T.I.P. and Sun-U agreed to bolster the quality and volume of research in Asia by collaborating on projects geared towards sustainability and planetary health.  

T.I.P.'s newly minted Center for Advanced Batteries, one of the new DOST Niche Centers in the Regions (NICER) for Research and Development, will work closely with Sun-U's Center for Nano-Materials and Energy Technology to produce durable lead acid batteries. 

"Most of the things that have been powering the world's economy and way of life need to be deeply decarbonized. Research on how to obtain cleaner energy is something that Southeast Asia must take a lead on, especially since we have access to lots of natural resources," said T.I.P. TechnoCoRe Catalyst Principal Researcher Dr. Drandreb Earl Juanico. 

The two universities are also eyeing to implement a visiting professorship and student exchange program, on top of a comprehensive review and development of each other's curriculum. 

Sun-U President Prof. Sibrandes Poppema noted that the institution is leveraging its collaborations to establish regional research networks, share valuable knowledge, and make a global impact. 

To this, T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz concurred, saying, "When experts from various countries unite, we strengthen the community of researchers and inventors. When platforms for learning extend beyond the classroom, we transform our students to be curious, research-oriented, innovative and responsive to societal needs." 

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) has once again aced its periodic ISO quality management surveillance audit and is very much at the top of its game when it comes to delivering world-class education in the new normal. 

T.I.P.'s efforts to increase enrollment while at the same retaining its pool of students and instructors were audited by international quality assurance company Det Norske Veritas (DNV), yielding positive results with no non-conformities.

"The pandemic has been fraught with so many challenges but we still continue to give our best now more than ever to make sure that we're able to deliver superb student services," said T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz. 

With its robust IT infrastructure, the institution, according to DNV, remains "keen on the ongoing developments in the transition to limited face-to-face learning." 

The school also consistently invests in its teaching and non-teaching staff through the provision of incentives, research and scholarship grants, online training, and seminars on mental health, cyber security, and other social issues. 

As in-person classes slowly make a comeback, T.I.P. eyes the safe return of its fully vaccinated students and faculty with strict health protocols in place in both its Manila and Quezon City campuses.

For more information on T.I.P., please visit tip.edu.ph or T.I.P.’s official social media accounts through @TIP1962official for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) Manila's comprehensive civic website 'Helpier' clinched first runner-up in the 2021 Build On, ASEAN hackathon of e-commerce giant Amazon.

An online platform for all kinds of aid, 'Helpier' enables multiple stakeholders across the country to connect and share resources, services, and skills, pushing for a more inclusive society.

Donations, collaborations, and other forms of assistance are welcome on the website.

To avoid misuse, Computer Engineering seniors RanielAndriFaderugao, Lois Fernando Ilustre, Von Jason Lagare, Yuneza Claire Mortos, and Justin Mark Salandanan put up a verification system in which users need to present a valid government ID. Tokens are likewise given to encourage people to help.

"'Helpier' demonstrates our students' capability to effectively identify, formulate, and solve complex societal issues. Through this, we are also addressing world sustainable development goals 10, 11 and 12," said mentors Engr. Jennifer Enriquez and Engr. Mon ArjayMalbog.

Amazon's 2021 Build On, ASEAN hackathon challenged communities to craft solutions to problems faced by some of its partners. T.I.P. Manila worked on the issue set by technology leader Cognizant, competing with nine other student and professional teams nationwide.

For more information on T.I.P., please visit tip.edu.ph or T.I.P.'s official social media accounts through @TIP1962official for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

How far can you go with upcycling plastic wastes?

Inspired by global footwear brand Adidas turning polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into thread, Environmental and Sanitary Engineering seniors from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) thought of converting bubble wraps – a byproduct of online shopping – into yarn.

This startup concept of Analyn Balog, Aila Marie Bandola, Kim Nicolle Divina, Vince Ivan Ilagan, Myrriel Sofia Mejia, and Ronniello Remudaro bested five other pitches to claim the waste management design championship of Climathon Pasig 2021. It was also given the City Environment and Natural Resource Office (CENRO)'s Choice Award and UnionBank UPBXcellerator Innovation Award.

"As the country's plastic problem continues to swell due to the rise of e-commerce, more and more bubble wraps end up in our landfills. Such environmental issues challenged our students to come up with a solution that would wind this non-biodegradable waste into something useful," said T.I.P. Technopreneurship Coordinator Engr. Shearyl Arenas.

The group partnered with the Pasig City government and a local machine shop to collect, sort, and process bubble wraps into yarn.

The upcycled product, aptly called 'Ahhyarn' (a play on the Filipino word 'ayan'), will create livelihood projects for weavers across the metro and nearby provinces. It can also be sold commercially to produce bags, pillowcases, and stuffed toys, among others.

Iterations are still to be made but pilot-testing is already set at the barangay level.

Through this, T.I.P. hopes to contribute to the lessening of plastic waste one bubble wrap at a time. It may be much of a handful, but as the students would say, "kaya natin yaarn."

Climathon Pasig is an annual ideation event where students, business leaders, and policymakers pitch possible solutions to climate change.

For more information on T.I.P., please visit tip.edu.ph or T.I.P.'s official social media accounts through @TIP1962official for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

As the world continuously evolves, so does the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.). 

Since its inception in 1962, T.I.P. has seen both major and minor changes in its operations, leadership, and until recently, its education system. With the Covid-19 pandemic affecting practically every aspect of human life, the institution, like everyone else, had to regroup and rebalance – updating, first and foremost, its vision and mission. 

"The idea is that we are in a continuum. The path ahead of us, our purpose, and our reason for being should be clear," said T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz. 

This is not the first time the school has reworked its vision and mission, although the lifespan of each version has gradually shortened through the years to keep up with the times. The latest modification is not a far cry from the last one either, with T.I.P. still aspiring to "provide a good life for the Filipino through quality education." It has, however, added in a new element: technopreneurship. 

At a young age, T.I.P.ians are taught to immerse and give back to their community – to be lifelong learners, innovators and problem solvers. They are encouraged to find purpose and passion early on to become productive and responsible citizens. Countless inventions of theirs have made it on the national and global stage, and many more are being developed. 

Known for equipping students with globally competitive education, T.I.P. continues to innovate even in the midst of crisis. The institution was named fifth top school for engineering research by the Institutes for Research, Innovation, and Scholarship (IRIS) last July. 

This and a myriad of other accolades prove T.I.P.'s commitment to achieve academic excellence and contribute to society at large. 

In the words of late founders Engr. Demetrio A. Quirino, Jr. and Dr. Teresita U. Quirino, "Democratizing access to education is the only way to unleash the infinite capacity of Filipinos to be the best they can be. A competent engineer must also have a heart and a social conscience." 

To read T.I.P.’s new Vision and Mission statement, please visit tip.edu.ph.

Two groups of Computer Engineering students from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) reaped awards in the 2021 NASA Space Apps Challenge, with both of their entries winning in different categories.

Quaranteam's personalized Covid-19 proximity risk assessment app 'Agapay' was hailed as Local People's Choice, while Team Aguhon's mangrove planting application 'Our Shores' was chosen as global nominee.

'Agapay,' as its name suggests, acts like a companion to keep safe from the virus. It checks whether a person is Covid-positive or not, identifies the number and severity of cases in a specific location, gives a list of the nearest healthcare facilities, and suggests ways to avoid getting infected.

"The challenge we chose is very close to home. Even with the lockdowns, alternative solutions and other preventive measures against Covid-19 are still needed. 'Agapay' is our answer to that," said group mentor Engr. Richard Roman.

The app – developed by David Evangelista, Sam Ryan Ruiz, Kurt Daniel Macamay, Mark Joseph Pollente, and Axle Rhon Purugganan – used data from the Department of Health, NASA, World Health Organization, Humanitarian Data Exchange, and Johns Hopkins University.

It also has a PPE recommender that advises which personal protective equipment to use when going out.

From local winner to global nominee

'Our Shores,' meanwhile, encourages communities to plant trees at the coastlines with just a few taps on their phones. Through the app, people can grow their own virtual garden to be outplanted by local government units or non-government organizations, helping reduce carbon emissions, protect against storm surge, and provide opportunities to fisherfolk.

Data from NASA, Geo Portal, and Mangroves Matters PH were used to determine the sites eligible for planting, which users can select from alongside their species of choice.

Once they've fully grown their trees, users will be given a unique certificate or ID that they can show to visit their plants in person.

"'Our Shores' won because of its lasting socioeconomic and environmentalimpact. Most people think that engineering is just all about making money, but there's actually more to it as proven by our students, who are set to make a positive change as they compete globally with pure knowledge and skills," said Engr. Cris Hate, who mentored the group of Arnauld Reubin Anin, Mica Antonio, Franklin Nazareno, Marlowe Ojano, and Joshua Pontillas.

The NASA Space Apps Challenge is the largest annual hackathon in the world. More than 400 students and professionals battled nationwide this year.

For more information on T.I.P., please visit tip.edu.ph or T.I.P.’s official social media accounts through @TIP1962official for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Technological Institute of the Philippines' (T.I.P.) spin-off company, SEBI Technologies, Inc. (SEBI Tech), is expanding its reach in the north with the introduction of its homegrown EmpowerED Lite school management system to the Bataan Heroes College (BHC).

T.I.P. Senior Vice President and concurrent SEBI Tech President and CEO Angelo Lahoz signed a Memorandum of Agreement with BHC Administrator Laurice Faye Juarez early October, marking the start of a good working relationship between their schools.

"This partnership aligns with our strategic thrust towards digital transformation and sustaining innovation. We see the future of work and classes as hybrid (on campus and online), so we are working towards building the capacity to do both well," said Juarez.

BHC is SEBI Tech's latest client-partner, and is the first to use EmpowerED Lite.

A fully integrated, customizable, ready for use school management system, EmpowerED Lite offers all the key benefits of EmpowerED at a much lower cost and shorter deployment timeframe.

In as fast as two months, client-partners like BHC can have faster, more efficient, automated student and faculty services ranging from enrollment, grades, curriculum, and fees management, including graduation.

"We always want to find ways to do things better. From an internal standpoint, decongesting manpower for clerical tasks will allow us to focus more on high value work, not to mention sparing our personnel from burnout. It helps boost their morale too," Juarez added.

With BHC on the list, the EmpowerED school system now serves a combined total of 42,500 students and over 3,000 faculty and staff across different schools in the country.

For more information on SEBI Tech and the EmpowerED line of products and services, visit sebitechnologies.com or contact them at 0917 838 5503 or info@sebitechnologies.com.

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) has achieved another feat as its spin-off company, SEBI Technologies, Inc. (SEBI Tech), pioneers the development of blockchain-encrypted digital certificates in the country.

T.I.P. SEBI Tech partnered with Taiwanese start-up Turing Chain to bring the revolutionary and state-of-the-art technology here, aiming to produce an initial 15,000 traceable, incorruptible, and secure e-certificates for its students.

"This collaboration is a significant progress for T.I.P. and Turing Chain. Issuing documents with innovative techniques is a brand new concept. With SEBI Tech, the technology will soon be made available to more schools and industry partners in the Philippines as well," said T.I.P. Senior Vice President and concurrent SEBI Tech President and CEO Angelo Lahoz.

The blockchain solution will simplify the validation process for certificates and effectively prevent forgery. Using an asymmetric encryption scheme, Turing Chain guarantees high information transfer privacy.

For schools, this means devoting less manpower to the tedious requests for credentials such as diplomas and transcript of records, which include mailing. Students no longer need to spend a lot of time and money, only to run administrative procedures in the new normal.

For industries, recruitment will be much simpler and cheaper. Companies can instantly verify an applicant's background from anywhere in the world by just clicking on a URL or scanning a QR code provided.

As blockchain promises transparency of every bit of data, it efficiently builds trust between parties involved, making the process more convenient, fully online, and above all, secure.

"Bringing our blockchain-based certificate system to a new country is both a breakthrough and a remarkable opportunity. As trust in blockchain grows, more and more companies are willing to give it a try. It's a demonstration of digital transformation," said Turing Chain CEO Jeff Hu.

Founded in Berkeley, Turing Chain is expanding rapidly around the world, serving more than 80 institutions in industries like agriculture, real estate, sports, and the arts.

To give their and T.I.P. SEBI Tech's blockchain technology a try, you may contact info@sebitechnologies.com.

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) is kickstarting the new school year with the introduction of its Professional Science Master's Degree in Engineering Management (PSMEM).

In a recent virtual conference – together with academic and industry partners USAID-STRIDE (US Agency for International Development-Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development), P.IMES Corporation, Applied Machining Corporation (AMC), and Western Digital Storage Technologies (WDST) Philippines Corporation – officially launched PSMEM, its third graduate degree offering in six years.

"One of USAID's core principles is 'locally led development,' and PSMEM is the epitome of that. It's the first-ever, home-grown, self-initiated PSM in the Philippines," said USAID Office of Education Director Dr. Thomas LeBlanc.

STRIDE Chief of Party Dr. Richard Abendan also commended T.I.P. for initiating, developing, and launching a PSMEM degree program on its own.

"With its strong track record and visionary leadership, T.I.P. is now demonstrating that it can lead its own development efforts with minimal support from STRIDE. This is an outcome that we would always love to see – academic institutions building their own mechanisms towards innovating curriculum and producing industry-ready graduates," he said.

For T.I.P. Senior Vice President Angelo Lahoz, the new PSM came about "because of our partners' clamor for a practice-based program that they can leverage for career advancement."

PSMEM is the latest addition to T.I.P.'s growing list of PSM degree programs. It offers a solid career opportunity for both new and experienced engineering professionals who want to develop and sharpen their business-handling skills. The program – benchmarked with similar offerings from higher education institutions here and abroad – aims to equip enrollees with both technical and managerial expertise, designed to play a key role in preparing the next generation of leaders in the engineering sector.

In the new normal where multi-tasking, risk management, and planning have become increasingly important to ensure continuous business operations, AMC President John Lee said offering PSMEM is "timely and critical."

WDST Development Engineering Manager Aileen Jara, a chemical engineer by profession, likewise affirmed that "PSMEM is what Filipino engineers need, since undergraduate programs are technical and are void of management courses."

"Innovation at work is what differentiates an engineer from others. An engineering manager must develop communication skills to allow him to connect deep technical content to a variety of audiences – from quality assurance, to finance, to legal, and procurement," she added.

Application and enrollment for T.I.P.'s PSM programs (Engineering Management, Construction Management, and Data Science) is now open. Classes will be held online via T.I.P.'s official learning platform, Canvas.

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) has renewed its partnership with the Philippine Institute for Certified Quantity Surveyors (PICQS), in a move to empower Filipino youth engineers and bolster quantity surveyor (QS) education across the country.

T.I.P. and PICQS virtually signed a Memorandum of Understanding last June 16, 2021, led by T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz and PICQS Founder Julie Christie dela Cruz.

Also in attendance were T.I.P. Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs Cynthia Llanes (Quezon City) and Rosalinda Valdepeñas (Manila), PICQS National President Engr. John Chavez, and PICQS Philippine Chapter President Engr. Sharon Pascual.

"As national president and head of the regulatory board, I can only see the benefits that this agreement will bring to the future students of T.I.P.," said Chavez, who is also a T.I.P. alumnus.

With the renewed partnership, T.I.P. is now set to offer certificate courses, elective tracks, and a diploma program in quantity surveying. The alliance likewise provides for a PICQS student chapter in T.I.P., granting its fellows provisional membership in the organization upon graduation.

To achieve chartered or certified status, quantity surveying practitioners undergo rigorous training and an Assessment of Professional Competence. In the aftermath of a natural or man-made accident, for example, top quantity surveyors are called to assess property damage and replacement cost.

"We really are in a global practice, but we only have a few chartered or certified quantity surveyors. The signing of this agreement will not just bring more joint collaborations between T.I.P. and PICQS, but hopefully inspire more students to take on quantity surveying as a profession," said dela Cruz.

Headquartered in the Philippines, PICQS is a 2,500-strong all-Filipino organization of QS-trained engineers. It has chapters in the United Kingdom, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, KSA, North America, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Indochina-BIM.

T.I.P. and PICQS first partnered in 2018 when the latter introduced the QS profession to the school's engineering and architecture students. Some PICQS members have likewise taught in T.I.P.'s Professional Science Master's (PSM) Degree Program in Construction Management.

"Our collaboration with PICQS was productive, to say the least. Today, we renew our partnership with an enhanced common goal. We shall be working together to address precisely the need for competent practitioners in quantity surveying," said Dr. Lahoz.

After signing a landmark partnership agreement last January, the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) and the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE) have gotten the ball rolling to advance engineering and mathematics amongst the youth.

Two esteemed PAASE members have so far served as guest lecturers in T.I.P.'s undergraduate and graduate programs, sharing the knowledge they have amassed through extensive years of practice.

"I gladly accepted the offer to be a visiting professor because teaching is something that I am truly passionate about, and also because of the opportunity to train a cohort of Filipino students across the globe. I felt that this would enable me to contribute something meaningful to the Philippines," said Dr. Joost Santos, who taught a 6-week online course on operations research and optimization techniques in T.I.P. Quezon City's Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Degree in Construction Management program.

An industrial engineer and associate professor at The George Washington University - School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Santos has been involved in various critical infrastructure projects in the fields of transportation, electric power, and oil/gas process control systems. His specializations include financial engineering, disaster risk management, and infrastructure interoperability and multi-criteria decision analysis.

"The level of academic aptitude and intellectual curiosity of T.I.P.ians was impressive. It was very satisfying to see how they successfully solved problems on topics that were new to them," Santos shared.

On the role of statistics in data science

Dr. Edsel Peña, statistics professor at the University of South Carolina, meanwhile held a one-time virtual lecture attended by T.I.P. faculty, students, and employees.

In his talk, Peña underscored the importance of statistics in what is considered as one of today's hottest and fastest booming industries: data science. Simply put, data science is math, business, and information technology combined altogether.

Social media, Peña said, "has ushered in the era of big data, and we need statistics to understand and summarize all these." He cites the case of election polls and the ongoing worldwide vaccination against Covid-19: "We can't get the whole population; but a good, unbiased sample can give us a measure of the pulse of the people."

Peña, who is also program director of the US National Science Foundation, likewise welcomed the idea of offering a data science undergraduate program, noting that "there's a great need for data scientists especially in the Philippines."

Last year, at the height of the pandemic, T.I.P. – in partnership with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), its Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) program, CloudSwyft Global Systems, Inc. and Emerson Philippines – launched its Professional Science Master's Degree in Data Science, the first in Metro Manila.

"It is not everyday that we are a direct recipient of lectures especially tailored for us by professors of such caliber and stature. We are truly blessed to have them share their expertise with our students, and we hope to engage with other equally brilliant minds from PAASE in the future," said T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz.

PAASE is a non-profit organization composed of scientists and engineers of Philippine descent who have distinguished themselves in scholarly and research related activities. It has over 230 members from all over the world specializing in diverse fields of study, including physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, mathematics, computer science, and engineering. Learn more about PAASE by visiting paase.org/about-paase.

About ERDT

The Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) is a consortium of member universities in the country that offer master's and doctoral degrees in various engineering fields.

ERDT was created to:

1. implement high-impact research agenda that are aligned with the development plans of the Philippines;

2. contribute in attaining a critical mass of graduates with master's and doctorate degrees;

3. upgrade the qualifications of practicing engineers;

4. upgrade the quality of engineering colleges and make engineering graduate education accessible; and

5. help in developing a culture of research and development (R&D) in the country

ELIGIBILITY

An applicant must:

1. be a Filipino Citizen

2. not be more than 50 years of age at the start of the program

3. have passed the admission requirements of the graduate program supported by ERDT

4. have a BS/MS degree in engineering or related field

5. be in good health condition

6. not have any criminal/ administrative case

7. pass the interview and other screening procedures

PRIVILEGES AND INCENTIVES

¹ Given only to students who study outside their home province.
² Must be applied by the scholars, subject to evaluation and approval. Grant approved is subject to liquidation.
³ Not applicable to Master of Engineering scholars.

REQUIREMENTS

1. Accomplished ERDT Application Form

2. Certified True Copy of the Official Transcript of Records

3. Confirmation Slip of Recommendation Letters from 3 former professors or supervisors
Provide contact details (name, position/designation, phone number, and email) of three referees to the Graduate Programs Coordinator. Confirmation slip shall be provided once the recommendation forms from three referees are received via email.

4. Photocopy of PSA (NSO) Birth Certificate

5. Valid NBI clearance

6. Medical clearance indicating "fit to study"

7. A narrative of not more than 1,000 words describing your current work or a project or research that you worked on and your contribution towards the completion of the project

8. A narrative of not more than 500 words describing what you intend to do (e.g. work, business, etc.) after earning your graduate degree

9. A narrative describing your intended research area

10. If employed, recommendation and permission to take a leave of absence from the employer or head of agency while on scholarship

TERMS OF SCHOLARSHIP

1. The scholarship grant shall be for full-time graduate studies to ensure on-time completion of MS/PhD degree.

2. The grantee must not be employed while on scholarship. He/She must secure approval for official leave of absence, if employed.

3. The grantee shall execute a Scholarship Agreement.

4. The grantee must not have other scholarships.

5. The grantee's academic performance shall be evaluated every school term on established policies to determine his/her scholarship status.

6. A service obligation to be rendered in the Philippines shall be required of the grantee after he/she finishes the MS/PhD degree i.e., one year of service for every year of scholarship.

7. Refund of scholarship with interest shall be required of the grantee for non-completion of his/her graduate program, termination of the scholarship, or failure to comply with the service obligation.

DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION

Deadline of applications for 2nd Semester SY 2021-2022 is on December 10, 2021.
 

CONTACT DETAILS

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) last March 2-4, 2021 successfully completed the ISO 9001:2015 recertification process for its Quality Management System (QMS). International quality assurance company Det Norske Veritas (DNV) conducted the recertification process virtually through their audit team headed by Marita Bayon.

With this successful audit, T.I.P. 's QMS has been certified compliant to the ISO 9001 standard since 1999 or for 22 consecutive years as of writing.

“This successful ISO 9001:2015 audit is proof that the T.I.P. QMS remains at par with those of the world’s best educational institutions. Our school processes have been found to be repeatable and consistent, leading to quality at all levels of operation. Moreover, we have been consistently enhancing T.I.P.‘s services through continuous improvement projects and initiatives, with insights derived from surveys and focus group discussions with relevant stakeholders,” said T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz.

As a formal part of the T.I.P. QMS’ certification maintenance, the audit aimed to determine T.I.P.’s continuing compliance with the ISO 9001:2015 standard for the provision of tertiary education. It also gauged the effectiveness of the T.I.P. QMS in helping achieve specified organizational objectives, as well as meet applicable statutory, regulatory, and contractual requirements. Overall, the DNV auditors found a myriad of positive observations and no non-conformities to meet ISO requirements.

The 2021 recertification of the T.I.P. QMS involved four focus areas. The first, activities to retain enrolled students, saw DNV positively citing various related T.I.P. efforts. These include the availability of student-friendly payment terms, scholarship grants, and a supplementary financial aid program for students. Student services, including the T.I.P. Student Well-Being Program for physical, mental, and academic well-being; USAID-awarded T.I.P. Virtual Career Center; and the strict implementation of health protocols for in-campus transactions were also noted as remarkable efforts.

The second focus area was activities to retain performing and qualified teachers. T.I.P.’s efforts to ensure the professional development and well-being of its teaching and non-teaching employees were also positively observed. Moreover, it was noted that T.I.P. was able to undertake numerous research projects and grants. During this pandemic, T.I.P. was able to secure nine (9) grants from the Department of Science and Technology and its various industry partners.

The third focus area involved the effectiveness of student competence measurement. Cited as positive indicators of T.I.P.’s high degree of control over this area were the ABET accreditation of T.I.P.’s 20 engineering and computing programs by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC), as well as the school’s use of the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). ABET programmatic accreditation entails the existence of a comprehensive outcomes-based assessment system for students, while Canvas features built-in analytics for real-time student assessment. Both these measures enable T.I.P. to manage student competencies over the short- and long-term.

The fourth focus area looked into the effectiveness of the school’s new development processes. T.I.P.’s smooth transition into online learning was positively cited for this area, specifically the intermittent use of and extensive training with the T.I.P. Canvas LMS pre-pandemic. Additional positive observations were made regarding the school’s IT-related aspects, including system quality, IT quality plan, IT staff, and online library.

Lastly, the DNV also noted T.I.P.’s overall commitment to the continuous improvement of its QMS. T.I.P.'s management continuously endeavors to conduct benchmarking at the local and international arenas; adheres to operational and quality plans; regularly engages stakeholders; undertakes new normal readiness projects; and obtains international accreditations, among others.

“The ISO certification ensures that T.I.P.’s stakeholders experience consistently high standards of service from the entire institution. It is a mark of quality in everything T.I.P. does, allowing T.I.P. to realize its foundational objective of providing high-quality tertiary education within reach of most Filipinos,” concluded Dr. Lahoz.

For more information on T.I.P., please visit tip.edu.ph or T.I.P.’s official social media accounts through @TIP1962official for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Two groups of Industrial Engineering students from the Technological Institute of the Philippines Quezon City (T.I.P. QC) bagged 1st and 3rd place in the Undergraduate Research Competition category of the 5th North American Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (IEOM) held last August 10-14, 2020.

The best research entitled Pandemic Response Based Healthcare Services System Architecture Among Urbanized Communities In The Philippines topped the said category. It focuses on innovating the current telemedicine application to help residents for easy access to proper medication and consultation with doctors regarding their physical health amidst the COVID-19 pandemic through the system architecture, house of quality (HOQ), and multiple regression analysis. It was authored by 5th year IE students Jesraah Nadine Sedavia, Lance Paolo Sacdalan, Christian James Madrid, Zaira Angelica Baliday, and Jerick Timbang.

The other winning research was entitled Quay Crane Scheduling Based Problem: A Process Optimization For An International Container Terminal in the Philippines. It aims to optimize the berth scheduling of quay crane service and waiting times by the application of integer programming and queueing theory in identifying the actual waiting time and service time of an international container terminal in the Philippines. It was authored by another group of 5th year IE students Vincent Salosagcol, Princess Faith Fernandez, Mark Angelo Martinez, Martin Rafael Valencia, and Giovanni Ables.

Industrial Engineering Program Chair Engr. Arianne Palisoc and faculty member Engr. Yoshiki Kurata guided the students from the start-up to the presentation of their research. Engr. Palisoc praised the dedication and effort exerted by the students, “Due to the pandemic, the teams had limited time and resources but with their grit and determination, they were able to accomplish their research.”

Jesraah Nadine Sedavia shared her team’s experience in joining the competition, “At first, we were hesitant that our research paper would be picked after all the difficulties we encountered while we were doing it, especially amidst a pandemic. But with teamwork, perseverance, and encouragement from the Industrial Engineering Department, we were able to strive through.”

T.I.P. has been joining and winning in IEOM since 2018. When asked on the importance of participating in the competition, Engr. Palisoc noted, “The substantial experience from the competition allowed our students to extend their academic interests, motivate enthusiasm for learning, and expand their vision as future Industrial Engineers.”

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) is reengineering how it delivers its services starting this School Year 2020-2021 by launching T.I.P. LEADS—its new Learning Experience using Alternative-Design Systems.

“LEADS is T.I.P.’s innovative way of providing an exciting online and flexible learning experience for the students. But instead of merely migrating from traditional face-to-face to online education, T.I.P. is reengineering its entire education ecosystem to set itself up as a stronger engineering and computing school during and even beyond this pandemic,” commented Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz, T.I.P. President.

On top of a reengineered education ecosystem, T.I.P. LEADS shall also involve modular course delivery; Online Study Group Tutorials; Online Student Well-being Program; and the transition of the USAID STRIDE-awarded T.I.P. Career Center into a virtual one.

T.I.P. undergraduate and graduate program students shall all now experience modular course delivery this upcoming first semester. In contrast to the traditional delivery where students take up to 9 courses simultaneously, the modular approach allows students to focus on and complete up to 3 courses every 6 weeks. The student-friendly modular approach ensures better attainment of learning outcomes, while at the same time lessening the time students need to spend in front of their devices.

The T.I.P. Online Study Group Tutorial (OSGT) sessions is a free tutorial service which aims to prepare incoming college students for college level Math and English topics. Offered through Canvas LMS—the official learning platform of T.I.P.—OSGT shall additionally enable students to familiarize themselves with online and flexible learning even before the official start of the semester. T.I.P.’s alumni can likewise attend these OSGT sessions as part of their licensure examination review.

There shall also be synergistic delivery of student services such as Student Affairs, Guidance and Counseling Center, and Medical and Dental Clinic through the online T.I.P. Student Well-being Program. The schools Student Affairs staff shall be online to handle the academic and non-academic issues faced by the students. To better ensure their physical and mental health, students can set virtual consultations with T.I.P. 's guidance counsellors and doctors, ensuring they do not have to leave their homes for their basic well-being needs.

Moreover, the T.I.P. Virtual Career Center has prepared a full lineup of online activities and seminars throughout the semester to further help prepare T.I.P.ians for work.

“This shift to online and flexible learning is indeed drastic. This is why T.I.P. is innovating its services and processes. Though the mode of learning shall be different for the time being, we want to ensure that our students still get the quality, relevant education they have come to expect from us. Whatsmore, T.I.P. LEADS is an important forward-thinking step towards making our education borderless and accessible for Filipinos, wherever they may be,” said Dr. Quirino-Lahoz

A group of Information Systems (IS) students from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) Quezon City and their iSAFER sex trafficking prevention app took home bronze in the Cybersecurity Conference 2020 Hackathon organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Information Systems Security Association Philippine Chapter (ISSA Ph).

Created by T.I.P. IS students Aldrin Asama, Elisah Redonga, and Justine Triambulo under the guidance of T.I.P. IS faculty member Dr. Risty Acerado, iSAFER is a mobile application created to address the growing cases of online sex trafficking affecting women and young people in the country. It expedites the reporting to and calling of law enforcement authorities in times of harassments and emergencies.

In addition to placing third overall, the T.I.P. team also won the tourney’s Best Pitch Award.

“iSAFER” is designed to help its user in emergency situations where calling authorities might be difficult. The application has a button that alerts law enforcement authorities in times of emergency while also providing them the user's GPS location. It also simultaneously publishes a "panic post" and "panic tweet" on the user’s social media profiles to alert even more people.

Moreover, it has a quick-access siren button that creates a loud noise to alert people nearby. The button would also trigger an automatic video call to the law enforcement agency, with the video saved to a secure database for investigation efforts.

These helpful features of the iSAFER app also won the team the Best User Interface Award in the hackathon.

This strong third place showing from the T.I.P. IS students marks another notch in the school’s hackathon-winning ways. Most recently, T.I.P. computing students also placed third in the 2018 Philippine Programming Challenge Finals which took place last March 2019.

T.I.P. Information Systems Program Chair Dr. Roselia Morco noted, “Hackathons are significant in enhancing the analytical skills and problem-solving skills of our students. We joined this hackathon to challenge our IS students and let them realize that joining such competitions provides greater opportunities, including exposing them to new ideas and collaborations with industry practitioners and other professionals.”

In addition to the winning T.I.P. team, five other T.I.P. IS students presented at the conference. Jane Sulit, Ramon Christus Tomaquin, Erika Shaina Dizon, Mauee Samaniego, and Zachary Jatayna discussed how they used various web scraping and data mining tools—including Beautiful Soup, Google BigQuery, Data Studio, and Voyant—for their research projects for UNFPA and ISSA Ph. They received laptop units from the two organizations to help in their research endeavors.

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) recently secured funding from the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) for its Automated Emergency Ventilator prototype. With this grant, TIP is set to produce five units of its prototype design that shall undergo further calibration and testing in government-recognized testing facilities before it can get approval from the Food and Drug Authority (FDA).

“We of course would like our prototype design to pass all necessary testing and eventually gain FDA approval so that it may truly be used by medical frontliners in the field. Having DOST support greatly increases our chances of progressing all the way to FDA approval.”, explained T.I.P. Senior Vice President Angelo Q. Lahoz.

Lahoz continued, “There are actually a couple of locally-designed ventilators already in the testing stage even before the pandemic began, and several more still that were initiated the same time we started designing ours. This just goes to show the level of ingenuity inherent in the Filipino. Although these ventilators are indeed in competition with each other, it actually provides the FDA many options, and therefore the luxury to approve the designs that provide the best feature sets and product value.”

A small group of T.I.P. engineering faculty members initiated the project a couple of weeks following the national government’s announcement of placing the entire Metro Manila under enhanced community quarantine. Eager to maximize its idle fabrication facilities, T.I.P. committed support to the efforts of its engineering researchers in creating something useful in the fight against COVID-19. After looking at the efforts in other countries and analyzing what could potentially be of great help to the Philippine medical sector, it was decided that institutional efforts would be pooled into the design of an automated emergency ventilator.

Rapid design projects aimed at solving real problems such as this benefit greatly from effective multi-stakeholder collaborations. T.I.P. allied itself with numerous like-minded individuals and groups who share the same desire to fight the good fight.

One of these stakeholders is the Vents for Philippines, a network of private individuals, medical practitioners, and companies from varied sectors that came together to design an emergency ventilator for medical practitioners in the Philippines. With the said collaboration, T.I.P. volunteers were able to produce a pair of prototypes just three weeks after initiating the project.

Working together with both T.I.P.'s original set of collaborators and the Vents for Philippines network, T.I.P.’s project engineers gained access to an even broader set of resources. With this, prototype design work progressed immensely. When the DOST-PCIEERD issued a call for emergency ventilator proposals, T.I.P. and its collaborators decided to apply for the grant.

As T.I.P. and its collaborators continue to work on the project towards FDA approval, the spirit and joy of collaboration form the winning story already. “With the new people and organizations we have met, and the new friends and allies we have gained, T.I.P. looks forward to further developing and harnessing Filipino ingenuity towards solving real problems, through continued collaborations with stakeholders into the future.” Lahoz concluded.

The prototyping of this Automated Ventilator Project is being done in-house at T.I.P.’s TechnoCoRe facility located at its Quezon City campus. It is a state-of-the-art, seven-storey hub housing the engineering institution’s dedicated fabrication workshops, researchers, laboratory specialists, and engineers. It is a testament to T.I.P.’s commitment towards Technopreneurship and Collaborative Applied Research (collectively called TechnoCoRe), which involves the engineering school working with industry partners to solve problems plaguing Philippine society.

T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz on T.I.P. Online Learning Starting Summer 2020

Dear T.I.P. Community,

First and foremost, I hope you and your family are well.

We can all agree that these are challenging times and they continue to be so with the further extension by the national government of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) from May 1 to May 15, 2020.

It is becoming clearer that there really is no certainty as to when our situation shall normalize; that, even if COVID-19 vaccines or cures become locally available, it shall take time for these to be administered to everyone. As such, staying at home, physical distancing, and prohibitions against mass gathering shall be the new norm for the foreseeable future, maybe even beyond.

Unfortunately, our personal and academic lives shall likewise remain in flux. This is tough on all of us, most especially on you, our students. But this is the reality that we are dealing with now—one wherein we need to accept change no matter how difficult it may be. We just have to be open to the new challenges before us and creatively and optimally see our way through. Learning cannot stop, and we need to use whatever tools are communally available to ensure continuity of education.

Many schools nationwide are currently preparing for the time when classes shall be held through various flexible learning modalities. Flexible learning is the “design and delivery of programs, courses, and learning interventions that address learners’ unique needs in terms of pace, place, process, and products of learning” (taken from Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero De Vera’s report to the Inter-agency Task Force [IATF] last April 27, 2020). In simpler terms, flexible learning is a holistic and inclusive manner of creating and delivering educational materials through both online and offline methods.

T.I.P. is stepping up to this challenge, first, with our offering of Online Summer 2020 Classes from May 11 to June 20, 2020. This aims to accommodate the portion of students who can and are willing to give purely online learning a try for this Summer term. This does not aim to discriminate against those who cannot avail themselves of such a modality. Rather, the goal here is to at least be able to serve the segment of students who are able and willing to do so. We want to be proactive as early as now because their feedback and experience shall be vital in crafting our flexible learning initiatives moving forward.

We are aware that you have valid concerns about being able to actually learn online. Rest assured that the online courses we are offering for Summer 2020 have been thoroughly developed to be effective and enjoyable in the digital space. You understood that correctly! Face-to-face classes have not just been simply uploaded in a sense on your Canvas account. They were properly modified to fit this new learning environment. Of course, we shall continue to adapt materials along the way to ensure that students are still able to attain the intended learning outcomes. T.I.P. shall endeavor to be adaptive and flexible moving forward.

Despite the uncertainty of these times, T.I.P. commits itself to ensuring that our students shall be able to complete and make the most of their Summer 2020 classes. While purely online classes are new territory for all of us, these shall be doable because T.I.P.'s teachers shall remain dedicated throughout the student’s online learning journey. T.I.P. also commits to further strengthen its IT infrastructure to deliver an optimal online learning experience for the students.

Again, this purely online method of delivering our Summer 2020 term will serve as the foundation for our flexible learning initiatives in the future. T.I.P. will continuously keep in touch with its stakeholders to ascertain the best and most inclusive possible means of ensuring educational continuity in the face of our current circumstances.

As a community, we shall face this new challenge together, and as a community, we shall see each other through.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. We shall all see each other again.

(sgd.)
DR. ELIZABETH QUIRINO-LAHOZ
President

(In photo) From left to right: STRIDE Program Institutionalization Manager Dominic Barnachea, USAID STRIDE Career Consultant Dr. Jeffrey Garis, STRIDE Program Chief of Party Dr. Richard Abendan, T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz, T.I.P. Manila Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rosalinda Valdepeñas, and T.I.P. Career Center Director Dr. Frank Alejandrino during the Model Career Center awarding to the T.I.P. Career Center.

The Career Center of the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) was awarded the recognition, “Model Career Center” by the Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) Program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) during the 2nd STRIDE Career Center Development Training recently held at the Career Center of T.I.P Quezon City. In attendance were representatives of various Luzon-based Higher Education Institutions and STRIDE officials.

Present at the event to receive the award were T.I.P. President Dr. Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz, T.I.P. Manila Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rosalinda Valdepeñas, and T.I.P. Career Center Director Dr. Frank Alejandrino. The recognition was awarded by STRIDE Program Chief of Party Dr. Richard Abendan, STRIDE Career Consultant Dr. Jeffrey Garis, and STRIDE Program Institutionalization Manager Dominic Barnachea.

The award reads “The USAID STRIDE Program recognizes the Technological Institute of the Philippines as a Model Career Center that exemplifies best practices in engaging industry in career development and championing student success as promoted by the STRIDE Career Center Development Program.”

The idea of career centers was introduced to the Philippines by USAID through the STRIDE Program in order to help Philippine universities integrate existing in-campus student development services into a cohesive whole for better interaction with the industries that employ their graduates.

T.I.P. President Dr. Quirino-Lahoz explained that the T.I.P. Career Centers have learned how to nurture at the institutional level real working linkages with the best industry partners, helping jumpstart the careers of T.I.P. students. The Career Centers have thus served as a great leveler for T.I.P. students who otherwise do not have the usual family connections or “old boy” networks which students from better off families have.

An indicator of the early success of the T.I.P. Career Centers and T.I.P.’s Outcomes-Based Education in enhancing the employability of T.I.P. graduates can be gleaned from the JobStreet.com Employer Preference Survey released in 2018, where T.I.P. ranked 7th in the most preferred schools by employers in terms of hiring fresh graduates and second most preferred school by companies in the engineering industry.

Dr. Abendan and Dr. Garis both commended the T.I.P. Career Center for its success in providing good services to the students as reflected in the employability of T.I.P. graduates, 92% for T.I.P. Manila and 93% for T.I.P. QC.

Dr. Quirino-Lahoz elaborated, “The T.I.P. Career Centers have provided students opportunities, experiences, and connections, way beyond the usual realm of possibilities in Higher Education.”

"The USAID STRIDE award for the T.I.P. Career Center is a validation of T.I.P.’s hard work, creativity and commitment as a community to transform lives and help students build their careers. It also puts T.I.P. in the forefront as a pioneer and leader in career development services," she said.

Two groups of Computer Engineering students from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) reaped awards in the 2021 NASA Space Apps Challenge, with both of their entries winning in different categories. 

Quaranteam's personalized Covid-19 proximity risk assessment app 'Agapay' was hailed as Local People's Choice, while Team Aguhon's mangrove planting application 'Our Shores' was chosen as global nominee. 

'Agapay,' as its name suggests, acts like a companion to keep safe from the virus. It checks whether a person is Covid-positive or not, identifies the number and severity of cases in a specific location, gives a list of the nearest healthcare facilities, and suggests ways to avoid getting infected. 

"The challenge we chose is very close to home. Even with the lockdowns, alternative solutions and other preventive measures against Covid-19 are still needed. 'Agapay' is our answer to that," said group mentor Engr. Richard Roman. 

The app – developed by David Evangelista, Sam Ryan Ruiz, Kurt Daniel Macamay, Mark Joseph Pollente, and Axle Rhon Purugganan – used data from the Department of Health, NASA, World Health Organization, Humanitarian Data Exchange, and Johns Hopkins University. 

It also has a PPE recommender that advises which personal protective equipment to use when going out.

From local winner to global nominee 

'Our Shores,' meanwhile, encourages communities to plant trees at the coastlines with just a few taps on their phones. Through the app, people can grow their own virtual garden to be outplanted by local government units or non-government organizations, helping reduce carbon emissions, protect against storm surge, and provide opportunities to fisherfolk. 

Data from NASA, Geo Portal, and Mangroves Matters PH were used to determine the sites eligible for planting, which users can select from alongside their species of choice. 

Once they've fully grown their trees, users will be given a unique certificate or ID that they can show to visit their plants in person. 

"'Our Shores' won because of its lasting socioeconomic and environmental impact. Most people think that engineering is just all about making money, but there's actually more to it as proven by our students, who are set to make a positive change as they compete globally with pure knowledge and skills," said Engr. Cris Hate, who mentored the group of Arnauld Reubin Anin, Mica Antonio, Franklin Nazareno, Marlowe Ojano, and Joshua Pontillas. 

The NASA Space Apps Challenge is the largest annual hackathon in the world. More than 400 students and professionals battled nationwide this year. 

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) recently acquired a United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) grant for two of its endeavors to stop online sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the country. 

T.I.P.'s informational website 'TARA' (Talk About Rights and Awareness) and emergency directory app 'iSafer' were among the 15 projects that were given Php 120,000 funding by the UNFPA in partnership with the Government of Canada, Coalition Against Trafficking In Women - Asia Pacific (CATW-AP), Youth and Students Advancing Gender Equality (YSAGE), and Sowing Legacy (SLMi). 

With its library of articles, videos, and exercises, TARA aims to be a "safe haven" for Filipino SGBV victims and survivors. The site – which is now accessible to the public via taraph.org – lists advocacy events and communities that people can join and be a part of while at the same time allowing them to report instances of abuse. A chatbot and journaling feature will soon be added to allow for online consultations with healthcare specialists. 

iSafer, meanwhile, compiles Philippine emergency hotlines with focus also on SGBV. Depending on one's location, the app shows contact details of the nearest police desk, fire station, hospital/clinic, and even government satellite offices, to name a few. An emergency alert button that could notify authorities of one's whereabouts is also underway. 

T.I.P. Information Systems seniors Andrei Agbuya, Aldrin Asama, Jetsky Cabasal, Erika Shaina Dizon, Ricaela Glipo, Mauee Czelsie Samaniego, Alliah Santos, and Jane Sulit spent almost two months working on the "eye-opening" projects. 

Their mentor, Dr. Risty Acerado, said "it isn't just technology we're offering, but also advocacy." Through these initiatives, T.I.P. endeavors to assuage, if not totally eradicate, SGBV.   

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.), represented by its Executive Management Committee Head Dr. Cynthia C. Llanes, signed a memorandum of agreement for T.I.P.’s participation in the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) SEA-TVET Teacher and Student Exchange Programs.

The exchange programs aim to enhance institutional internationalization and global competitiveness and employability of graduates. This partnership will benefit T.I.P. faculty members and students in its engineering, computing, business, accountancy, and arts programs.

In 2016, T.I.P. became a signatory of the SEAMEO SEA-Teacher Program, an exchange program for the internship of education students. The SEA-TVET Teacher and Student Exchange Programs will allow international student internship and faculty exchange among academic institutions of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam starting school year 2020-2021.

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) and its spin-off company SEBI Technologies, Inc. (SEBI Tech) recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the University of the Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), wherein T.I.P.—through SEBI Tech—will develop UA&P’s registration system in line with its Project Phoenix initiative. Project Phoenix aims to automate UA&P’s application and enrollment system thereby improving its student services from admissions to alumni affairs.

T.I.P. Senior Vice President and concurrent SEBI Technologies, Inc. President and CEO Angelo Lahoz and UA&P President Dr. Winston Padojinog formalized the partnership on January 31, 2020 at the UA&P campus in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

“Project Phoenix is meant to improve both our services to our students as well as the level of work efficiency of our people,” remarked UA&P President Dr. Padojinog. “When we automate our processes, we also magnify the quality of our student services.”

“It is us schools that know our processes the best. That is why we at T.I.P. decided to create an educational management system from scratch; one that captures the intricacies and processes unique to schools,” explained Angelo Q. Lahoz, T.I.P. Senior Vice President and SEBI Tech President and CEO, on SEBI Tech’s origins.

“This system has immensely helped our students in T.I.P., as well as the Saint Joseph Institute of Technology (SJIT) in Butuan City. Now, we are adding the University of Asia and the Pacific to our list of partner schools. Beyond deploying this system, we more importantly view our role as empowering our partner schools. This is why we have named our system ‘EmpowerED.’ We empower them to operate more efficiently and effectively so they can better grow their schools,” Mr. Lahoz added.

EmpowerED is managed by SEBI Technologies, Inc., the first spin-off company of T.I.P. As a separate company from T.I.P., SEBI Tech is dedicated to continuously improving EmpowerED and servicing the system maintenance needs of its partner schools. Through SEBI Tech, T.I.P.'s partners have a committed service provider working with them throughout system implementation and beyond.

To date, there are 31,000 students and 1,300 school employees EmpowerED yearly around the Philippines.

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) and its spin-off company SEBI Technologies, Inc. (SEBI Tech) recently completed the deployment of its EmpowerED school management system at the Saint Joseph Institute of Technology (SJIT) in Butuan City, Agusan Del Norte. SJIT is the first school in Mindanao to use EmpowerED for its enrollment, purchasing, and payroll systems.

“We were facing problems regarding enrollment times and curriculum management brought in part by our disparate automated and manual systems,” explained SJIT Senior Vice President Nic Salas. “We initially wanted referrals of IT solutions providers, but instead, T.I.P. Senior Vice President Angelo Lahoz offered to deploy EmpowerED, their in-house developed school management system, to SJIT.”

On top of handling SJIT’s student registration needs, EmpowerED also facilitates the school’s purchasing and employee payroll systems. The entire system currently serves over 5,000 SJIT students and over 200 SJIT employees.

“The operational issues SJIT faces are the same issues that T.I.P. faced 15 years ago when we were in need of a new system. No conventional IT provider could address our problems because they did not adequately understand our needs. That is why we at T.I.P. decided to create an educational management system from scratch; one that captures the intricacies and processes unique to operating schools,” commented T.I.P. Senior Vice President and concurrent SEBI Technologies, Inc. President and CEO Angelo Lahoz. 

“We named the system ‘EmpowerED’ because beyond deploying IT solutions, we more importantly view our role as empowering our partner schools. We empower them to operate more efficiently and effectively so they can better grow their schools,” Mr. Lahoz added.

EmpowerED is managed by SEBI Technologies, Inc., the first spin-off company of T.I.P. As a separate company from T.I.P., SEBI Tech is dedicated to continuously improving EmpowerED and servicing the system maintenance needs of its partner schools. Through SEBI Tech, T.I.P.'s partners have a committed service provider working with them throughout system implementation and beyond.

To date, there are 31,000 students and 1,300 school employees EmpowerED yearly around the Philippines.