2025-26 TECHNICAL BULLETTIN - DIGITAL

1115C E L E B R A T I N GYEARS OF KNOWLEDGE,PROGRESS, & SERVICETECHNICAL BULLETIN 2025-2026 TECHNICAL BULLETIN 2025-2026fasttrack 3.0ENGINEERING FOR TRUST: RESEARCH, GOVERNANCE AND PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE OF THE PUBLIC GOODPROFESSORIAL CHAIR COLLOQUIUM BOOK OF ABSTRACTS PROFESSORIAL CHAIR COLLOQUIUM BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

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prefaceThe Professorial Chair Award recognizes faculty members who have distinguishedthemselves through excellence in teaching, research, service to theuniversity/community, and professional growth. These awards are made possiblethrough endowments from donors and partners, managed by the UP EngineeringResearch and Development Foundation, Inc. (UPERDFI) and the UP Foundation. Theirsupport enables our faculty to pursue research that addresses pressing societalchallenges.On December 10, 2025, the UP College of Engineering (COE) held its annualProfessorial Chair Awards Colloquium, featuring 149 faculty members presenting theirresearch under the theme \"Engineering for Trust: Research, Governance andProfessional Excellence in Service of the Public Good.\" This theme underscores theneed for engineers to be more than technically proficient at a time when governancefailures and corruption divert resources meant for essential services.The colloquium opened with a plenary session featuring Dr. Cielo Magno of the UPSchool of Economics and Dr. Iris Martinez of the Department of Industrial Engineeringand Operations Research, who discussed the intersections of engineering practice,governance, and professional ethics. This was followed by parallel sessions wherefaculty presented research spanning all engineering disciplines. The day concluded witha Thanksgiving dinner hosted by UP President Angelo Jimenez.The research presented reveals clear patterns in how the College’s faculty areaddressing contemporary challenges. Nearly half of the presentations contribute toIndustry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), while 40% address Sustainable Citiesand Communities (SDG 11). Significant work also focuses on clean energy, climateaction, and responsible consumption. To provide coherence to this diverse portfolio, thepresentations have been organized into five multidisciplinary themes:1.Advancing Clean Energy and Climate Solutions2.Building Sustainable Cities and Environments3.Improving Water, Health, and Food Security4.Advancing Education, Innovation, and Engineering Practice5.Strengthening Policy, Governance, and Digital SystemsThese themes demonstrate the College’s commitment to research that addresses realworld problems. The work ranges from fundamental investigations that will informfuture innovations to applied studies designed for near-term implementation.

Since its founding in 1910, the UP College of Engineering has maintained thatexcellence in teaching and research represents the academe's essential contribution tonational development. With the highest concentration of PhD-holding faculty in anyengineering school in the country, and through the work of the National EngineeringCenter and its affiliated research centers, the College engages directly with governmentagencies, industries, and communities to translate research into practice.The PCA colloquium showcases that engagement. Each presentation in this TechnicalBulletin represents not only individual scholarly achievement but also the collectiveeffort to fulfill the College's mission: to generate knowledge and produce innovationsthat address challenges in sustainability, safety and security, health and quality of life,and to serve the evolving needs of society through interdisciplinary collaboration. Theresearch documented here reflects the College’s conviction that engineering, practicedwith competence and integrity, can meaningfully contribute to building a more just andsustainable society.

messagePROF. MARIA ANTONIA N. TANCHULING, PH.D.Dean, UP College of EngineeringWelcome to the 2025 edition of the PCA Colloquium of the UP College of Engineeringand the National Engineering Center.This year, we chose the theme - Engineering for Trust: Research, Governance andProfessional Excellence in Service of the Public Good. We need to emphasize theseespecially at this time when massive government corruption is being exposed.Today, Dec 10 is International Human Rights Day. Corruption leads to gross violation ofhuman rights such as access to health and education. Billions of pesos which couldhave been otherwise spent well for hospitals, medical equipment, and schools havebeen stolen and diverted to private coffers of corrupt officials and politicians.These are issues directly involving us as major players in infrastructure development.We are more than technical designers of systems, but rather, we should be responsibleand ethical engineers who ensure that resources are utilized judiciously, with carefulconsideration for the planet and the people.To open this year’s colloquium, we are honored to have with us two renowned speakerson these topics – Dr. Cielo Magno and Dr. Iris Martinez. Maraming salamat sa pagpaunlak sa aming imbitasyon despite your hectic schedules. I am certain we will gainnew insights from your talks.To all our Professorial Chair Awardees, my colleagues - congratulations for youroutputs. Thank you for sharing your work to the public. Let us continue to use ourexpertise and research skills in our respective fields to serve the public good.Technology is never neutral – it benefits select groups. Let us always choose to servethe majority and the marginalized.I would like to take this opportunity to thank the UP Engineering Research andDevelopment Foundation, Inc, or UPERDFI, and the UP Foundation for managing theProfessorial Chairs endowments. Maraming salamat sa ating mga donors – all theprivate individuals and companies for believing in us. Through your generosity, we areable to support 149 Professorial Chairs. Your trust inspires us to continue to do ourbest, and persevere in what we do, despite the various challenges facing us asresearchers and academics. We are all partners in building our nation.5(message delivered during the PCA Colloquium Plenary Session on December 10, 2025 at the DM Consunji Theater,UP Institute of Civil Engineering)

On behalf of the UPERDFI, it is my honor to deliver the rallying remarks to start off the 2025 ProfessorialChair Colloquium. The banner title is a mouthful – ENGINEERING FOR TRUST: RESEARCH, GOVERNANCEAND PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE OF THE PUBLIC GOOD. It is taking me a long time tounderstand what the menu offerings are. But I would rather replace the word TRUST with PERFORMANCE!For it is only when we implement our engineered solutions that we can generate benefits.Let us acknowledge the efforts of our 149 professors! They did these papers as part of their commitmentto teach. Let us listen to what they will share with us during the 12 simultaneous presentations; and if timepermits, let us debate with them. These bunch of 149 chairs is a record high in the College of Engineering.Of these, 137 chairs are administered by the UPERDFI, and another 12 by UP Foundation Inc.Our two presentors in this Plenary: Prof Cielo Magno of the School of Economics and Prof Iriz Martinez ofthe DIEOR, have ignited our nerves to be more pragmatic, particularly as we face challenging times in ourhistory. She has shown how the process of forming our national budget is full of loopholes. Prof Cielo’s rap– Tax ng Ina Mo, Ipaglaban Mo, which she top-billed in the Pan Xenia – Adelfe Enu Crea Foundation Concertlast September, would have been a great igniter to action! Hopefully, we can request her to share with usher composition? Ok with you, Prof Cielo?Prof Iris dwelt on her research in the aspect of engineering ethics. While we have a course on this topic inour curriculum now, getting practitioners to live with ethical principles is very relevant.In fact, in yesterday’s Inquirer, my UP katiempo Doy Romero used the words CIVIC ENGINEER, not civil. Thebasic point is that it is important for every citizen to think and do what is right in every task, and thus, toparticipate in carrying out our responsibility.Our biggest challenge today is to get ourselves to move forward. Thus, I suggest that we all focus on doingthe right things right. Spending time romanticizing the sins of the recent past, going to the streets to showindignation, investigating and marvelling at how much damage has been done, are good. But these actionswill not build. I would rather that we demolish, reconstruct, renovate, rebuild!The more pragmatic approach is to focus on the FROM NOW ON. One concrete way is that we Engineerscan and must do is to take part in reviewing the supporting technical/engineering documents of all items inthe National Expenditure Budget, Insertions included. This is because from what I gathered fromdiscussions with former DBM people, many of the projects submitted to them do not have detailedEngineering Drawings, but rather, only the Project Title, Site and Amount. And not only that, their Bills ofWorks, if any, have very generous tolerances in terms of budgeted unit rates, meaning built-in overpricing.The deck showed by Prof Cielo indicate the haphazard way our Budget is constructed.We pride ourselves that there is no corruption in UP. I believe that, as some friends who have UP contractssay so. However, where is the performance? Even a comfort room renovation that says 90 calendar days tocomplete, took three times longer!messageENGR. ALFONSO A. ALIGA JR.Executive Director, UP Engineering Research andDevelopment Foundation Inc.6

We in UPERDFI have taken the cudgels for the College of Engineering, having been invited to take part incrafting the CADENA Bill sponsored by Sen Bam Aquino, now tagged as a priority bill by President Marcos.This is the Citizen Access to Disbursements of Expenditures for National Accountability, which was taken upin the Senate last month. It was initially tagged as the Blockchain the Budget Bill, but due to the inputs ofUPERDFI/UPCOE that the Bill be technology-neutral, the word blockchain was taken out. Thanks to ProfAdrian Valdez who was the face of UP/UPERDFI in the technical panel!From the comments made by some colleagues in government, the information that is planned to beincluded in the CADENA Bill is all available now, from the Info Systems established by the DBM some 25years ago (like PhilGEPS), from parallel systems sponsored by DPWH, by the BTr, by COA, etc. The onlydifference is that the CADENA Bill has penalty provisions for entities that do not provide completeinformation.The role of Engineers in the FROM NOW ON is very critical! We must act to tune up the process of buildingthe National Budget. And to me, it seems laborious but not difficult. For projects that involve infrastructure,we must flag down those that do not meet minimum design and construction standards, and reasonablecost estimates. And propose to take them out of the disbursement schedule. And in parallel, we offer toprofessionalize the design and engineering effort.For our professors, we must continue to elevate research productivity. One key way is to collaborate, toenable us to build upon each other’s expertise. I encourage our professors to eyeball the list of topics, andidentify which ones, which professors, they could team up to expand the impact of their efforts whilelessening research costs. One recent example is the development of a sensor for brain waves to predict anelileptic attack, being done by a Teaching Associate in EEEI. (And this could apply to a case of vertigo!) AndI later on found out that a DCS professor has a similar project funded by Japan, using brain waves topredict brain disorder.And we must stress the applicability of results to usefulness and impact to society, rather than research foracademic curiosity or to expand the stock of knowledge. Ground-level research may not bring you to bepublished in a learned journal. But who cares? I care! As a Filipino taxpayer, every 6 pesos out of everyP1,000 that I pay goes to UP. That’s P40 Billion out of the P6.36 Trillion National Budget. Thus, we mustspend our funds wisely!We must be able to implement research results. Our Foundation has set aside funds for what we call LastMile Work. Like two years ago, we will be interested in working with professors to implement theirrecommendations.For those who are here, especially industry representatives, alert us on what papers you are interested tosupport in terms of application. Based on what you have heard in the presentations, you can gauge themerits of the research results. And if some idea is particularly interesting to your companies, pleaseconsider funding a Research Grant!Again, we acknowledge with much thanks the efforts of our chair awardees in advancing ideas that can beimplemented to generate benefits that we can feel concretely! We thank them for elevating the quality oftheir research, to address the growing sense of donor activism among our supporters. In some cases,donors do not think well of the research quality. Thus, they pause, or altogether stop, the funding of theirchairs.Let us not stop with these presentations. Let us get things done on the ground!!AND, we are grateful to President Jimenez for hosting everyone for Dinner tonight! Here at the ExecutiveHouse. All of us are invited to celebrate, and partake of the All-Filipino Menu that is his favorite. This is thesecond year of a tradition that he started last year!7(message delivered during the PCA Colloquium Plenary Session on December 10, 2025 at the DM Consunji Theater,UP Institute of Civil Engineering)

Ang, Ma. Rosario Concepcion O.Locating Biomass Collection Points (BCP) For Optimal Siting of Coconut BiomassEnergy Facilities in Palawan Province Using GISSemirara Mining Corporation Professorial Chair in EngineeringBabaan, Jennieveive B.A Geo-AI-based ensemble mixed spatial prediction model with fine spatial-temporalresolution for estimating daytime/nighttime/daily average ozone concentrationsvariations in TaiwanMiescor - Cesar Nuguid Professorial Chair in EngineeringBalela, Mary Donnabelle L.Enhancing the physicochemical properties of nickel cobaltite catalyst for oxygenevolution reaction in anion exchange membrane water electrolyzersDado and Maria Banatao Professorial Chair in Engineering (2)Ballesteros, Florencio Jr. C.Development of a Standardized Greenhouse Gas Quantification Template for thePhilippine aviation industryDon Felipe Say and Theresa Chua Say Professorial Chair in EngineeringBautista, Dominic M.Wave Energy Resource Assessment Off the Coast of Miliga-BigaBeach, Bulusan, Sorsogon by Prevailing Wave ModellingSemirara Mining Corporation Professorial Chair in HydraulicsBerana Menandro S.Performance Analysis of Cement Plant Waste-Heat Recovery for PowerGeneration Based on Partial Evaporating Cycle with EjectorJesus Francisco Professorial Chair in Energy and RailwaysCervera, Rinlee Butch M.Direct Regeneration of LFP Cathode Material from Spent Li-ion Batteries via AqueousRelithiationDado and Maria Banatao Professorial Chair in Engineering (1)Danao, Louis Angelo M.Minimizing Levelized Cost of Energy in Philippine OWESC-Based Offshore Wind Farmsusing Particle Swarm OptimizationThe Abba's Orchard Professorial Chair in Mechanical EngineeringDe Leon, Rizalinda L.Renewable energy-powered methane production using LCES in Luzon, Philippines: Atechno-economic studyBeta Epsilon Professorial Chair in EngineeringTHEME 1: ADVANCING CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE SOLUTIONS8t a b l e o f c o n t e n t s242526272829303132

9Del Mundo, Rowaldo D.Reliability Evaluation Power Grid with High Penetration of Variable Renewable EnergyDean Rowena Cristina L. Guevara Professorial Chair in EngineeringDiaz, Leslie Joy L.Product Circularity Assessment of Upcycled Plastic Products in the PhilippinesIntegrated Microelectronics Inc. Professorial Chair in EngineeringEspiritu, Richard D.V.Facile synthesis of cellulose acetate and cross-linked poly(epichlorohydrin) polymerblend as fuel cell anion exchange membraneGE Philippines Meter and Instrument Co. Professorial Chair in EngineeringHerrera, Eugene C.Flows for Power and Play: Harmonizing Hydropower Development with River RecreationMaynilad UP Centennial Professorial Chair in EngineeringLuistro, Franco Danilo C.Flotation of Fine Activated Carbon using Emulsified Diesel Collector and Pine Oil FrotherApex Mining Professorial Chair in Mining EngineeringMacaspac, Hannah Erika D.Pulverized Water Hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) Reinforced PLA for FDM:An Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of the CompositeDavid B. SyCip Professorial Chair Mechanical EngineeringMagdaluyo, Eduardo Jr. R.Preparation and characterization of nanocellulose crystal/zinc oxide/titanium dioxide(NCC/ZnO/TiO2) micro/nanocompositeDr. Mariano P. Ramiro Professorial Chair for Materials EngineeringOrozco, Christian R.DPSIR Framework for Sustainable Fly Ash Utilization in Concrete: Policy and PracticeInsights from the Philippines and ThailandHolcim Professorial Chair in EngineeringPedrasa, Michael Angelo A.Effects of Forecast Uncertainties on the Energy Management Optimization for RetailElectricity Customers Under CUF-Based ContractsMeralco Professorial Chair in EngineeringPrincipe, Jeark A.Assessment of Optimal Sites for Solar-Power Irrigation Systems Using Remote Sensingand GIS: Case of the PhilippinesFF Cruz Professorial Chair in Geodetic EngineeringSadie, Homer T.Utilization of Waste Glass as Partial Replacement for Fine Aggregates in ConcretePavement BlocksLongridge Construction, Inc. Professorial Chair in Civil Enngineering3334353637383940414243

10Tamargo, Ramuel John I.Cu/Mn Oxidation Catalyst Integration into Recycled Carbon Fiber-based Filter for DieselSoot Emission ControlCesar A. Buenaventura Professorial Chair in EngineeringTio, Adonis Emmanuel D.C.Identifying Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) in the Philippines Using GISAHP ApproachTeam Energy Professorial Chair in Energy EngineeringTomacruz, Jan Goran T.Atomic Adsorption Energies Prediction on Bimetallic Transition Metal Surfaces Using anInterpretable Machine Learning-Accelerated Density Functional Theory ApproachFederico E. Puno Professorial Chair in Engineering (A)Tungpalan, Djoane Kate T.Dissolution of copper from mine tailings using citric acidAtty. Raul C. Villanueva Professorial Chair in EngineeringVergel, Karl B N.Energy Demand and Emissions of Domestic Maritime Transportation in the Philippinesin 2022Levy Espiritu Professorial Chair in Civil EngineeringYap, Kristian July R.Parametric Investigation on the Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Alkali-Pretreated Citrusmicrocarpa (Calamansi) WasteCerlito San Juan and Family Professorial Chair in Engineering444546474849THEME 2: BUILDING SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND ENVIRONMENTSAberilla, Jhud Mikhail O.Environmental and economic sustainability of wastewater reclamation and reuse inurban areasMaynilad Professorial Chair in Engineering (1)Acacio, Alexis Philip A.Managing Geotechnical Risks in the Design and Construction of Retaining and FloodWalls: Overcoming Project Integration BarriersDr. Salvador F. Reyes Professorial Chair in Geotechnical EngineeringAddawe, Jozelle C.JeePS: Designing a Realtime Public Transportation Tracking SystemJose P. Dans, Jr. Professorial Chair in EngineeringAmolato, Rochie D.Optimizing Residential Rainwater Harvesting Systems: Improved Gutter and ScreenDesignAngel A. Alejandrino Professorial Chair in Engineering51525354

11Antonio, Oscar Victor Jr. M.BIM-Based Framework in the Operations and Maintenance PhaseRonaldo S. Ison Professorial Chair in Structural Engineering and Disaster RiskManagementAustria, Isabel M.Towards Collaborative Weather Sensing:An SDR-Based Interoperability Gateway for Weather Information Aggregation (SIGWA)Meneleo G. Carlos Sr. Electrical Engineering Centennial Professorial ChairBaniqued, Julius Rey R.Development of a Scoring Framework and Rapid Tool for Novice Screeners to Estimatethe Seismic Risk of Damage in Low-Rise Concrete Buildings in the PhilippinesSenator Gaudencio Antonino Professorial ChairCandelaria, Ma. Doreen E.Evaluating the Performance of Crushed Mussel Shells as Partial Replacement to FineAggregates in the Concrete MixJose Ma. Diago De Castro Professorial Chair in EngineeringCarcellar, Bienvenido III G.From Traces to Trends: Experimenting with GPS Mobility Data for Migration DetectionProf. Dominador Ilio Professorial Chair in EngineeringClaridades, Alexis Richard C.Developing a Geospatial Framework for Calculating a15-Minute City Index (FMCI): The Case of Quezon CityDCCD Engineering Corporation Professorial Chair in EngineeringCruz, Gil Jr. G.Simulation-Based Evaluation of Permeable Pavement Systems for Stormwater RunoffControl in Tropical ClimatesJorge M. Consunji Professorial Chair in EngineeringCruz, Margaux Angelica A.Spatiotemporal Analysis of Mining-Induced Vegetation Lossin Homonhon Island Using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index: Possible Impactson Biodiversity and CommunityQuezon Power Professorial Chair in EngineeringDenoga, Gerald Jo C.Preliminary Characterization for the Development of a Low Cost and Low ComplexityHybrid Drivetrain Optimized for Public Transportation Driving CyclesFernando N. Seriña Professorial Chair in Mechanical EngineeringDiola, Ma. Brida Lea D.Towards Sustainable Tourism and Solid Waste Management in Remote Islands: Policiesand Practices in the Province of Batanes, PhilippinesAMH Philippines Professorial Chair in Civil Engineering55565758596061626364

12Encarnacion, Job Immanuel B.Evaluation of the Carbon Emissions of Electric Vehicles in the Philippines consideringLocal Power MixLeopoldo V. Abis Professorial Chair in Mechanical EngineeringFernandez, Ken Bryan A.Age of Air, Purging Flow Rate, and Net Escape Velocity in a Cross-Ventilation ModelSheltered by Urban-like Blocks using LESApolonio P. and Lorna L. Yson Professorial Chair in Mechanical EngineeringFestin, Cedric Angelo M.Privacy-Preserving Vehicle Intrusion Detection Using Machine Learning and EncryptionDMCI Project Developers Professorial Chair in Engineering (3)Gabud, Roselyn S.Towards the Curation of Environment-Related Knowledge Graphs: Fine-Tuning GeneralDomain Language Models for Biodiversity Named Entity RecognitionMarubeni UP Centennial Professorial Chair in EngineeringGermar, Fernando J.Integrating Pushover Analysis with NSCP 2015 for the Evaluation and Retrofit Design ofLow-Rise RC BuildingDMCI Project Developers Professorial Chair in Engineering (1)Hernandez, Jaime Jr. Y.Preliminary Studies on the Simulation of Load Effects of Storm Surge and Log ImpactsAntonio G. Tan Giok Kun Professorial Chair in Civil EngineeringHizon, John Richard E.Real Time Air Quality Sensor System for E-TrikesSan Roque Power Corporation Professorial Chair in Computer ScienceJunio-Jimenez, Jessica M.Durability Assessment of Loadbearing Concrete Hollow Blocks with Gold Mine Tailingsas a Partial Substitute for SandDean Alfredo L. Juinio Professorial Chair in Civil EngineeringLustro, Julius Rhoan T.PM 2.5 Monitoring in Elevated-level Metro System in the Philippines Using Low-CostSensorsLagman Family Professorial Chair in EngineeringMabaquiao, Luis Carlos S.A Proposed Operational Framework for a Hybrid Tide Gauge and GNSS-IR CoastalMonitoring Network for Disaster Mitigation in the PhilippinesJose P. Segovia Professorial Chair in EngineeringOdulio, Carl Michael F.Performance-Based Mapping of Electric Tricycle Considering Road Grade in thePhilippinesRoger Murga Professorial Chair in Engineering6566676869707172737475

13Palmiano, Hilario Sean O.T4Cast simulation software on travel demand forecasting and analysis for transportationplanning, and its potential in local public transportation (PT) route rationalizationDr. Olegario G. Villoria, Jr. Professorial Chair in Transportation and LogisticsQuinay, Pher Errol B.Characteristics Of The Response Of A Low-Rise StructureUsing Spectral-Matched And Scaled Ground MotionsBeatriz Basa-Altura Professorial Chair in Civil EngineeringResuello, John RossmonLeaching of Refractory Gold Telluride Ore Using Choline Chloride– Ethylene GlycolEnrique and Elena Ostrea UP Centennial Professorial ChairReyes, Rosalie B.Measuring Ground Subsidence Rate in Bulacan and Pampanga Delta using GeodeticTechniquesGeotechnics Philippines, Inc. Professorial Chair in Civil EngineeringSadie, Noriza T.Investigation of the Compostability of Bio-based Alternatives to Conventional PlasticFoodwareDATEM & ACES Professorial Chair in EngineeringSonday, Carlo Angelo A.Image Recognition and Classification of Disaster Risk and Reduction Management(DRRM) Critical Facilities in the Philippines for Geospatial Data MaintenanceUP Industrial Engineering Alumni Association Professorial Chair in Industrial EngineeringSoriano, Roberto S.Revisiting Flood Management Master Planning in the PhilippinesDr. Leonardo Q. Liongson Professorial Chair in Hydro EngineeringTan, Liezl Raissa E.Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Assessment in the Philippines: Evaluating AggregationApproaches and Identifying Future DirectionsCiriaco Corporation Professorial Chair in Civil EngineeringTanchuling, Maria AntoniaTechnical Evaluation of Seven Pilot Programs to Address Plastic Waste Leakage inManila CityAlejandro Melchor Professorial Chair in EngineeringTingatinga, Eric Augustus J.Advances in Machine Learning Applications in Structural EngineeringDMCI Project Developers Professorial Chair in Engineering (2)Tupas, Mark Edwin A.Evaluating the robustness of Bayesian flood mapping with Sentinel-1 data: A multi-eventvalidation studyArt and Esmyrna Jorge Professorial Chair in Engineering7677787980818283848586

14Valdez, Adrian Roy L.Prime OD-Networks Underlying Optimal Traffic AssignmentStephen D. Sy Professorial Chair in EngineeringValdez, Justin JosephRapid Field Survey Damage Assessment of the 2024 Typhoon Man-yi (Pepito) in Aurora,PhilippinesFelix M. Gonzalez Prof Chair in EngineeringVergara, Karl Adrian P.Analyzing Urban Visual Environments through Spatial Patterns of Color from Street ViewImageryDomingo Toledo Professorial Chair in Engineering878889THEME 3: IMPROVING WATER, HEALTH, AND FOODAbuan, Binoe E.CFD Analysis on the Dispersion of Volatile Organic Compounds in Small-Scale ShoeProduction Towards Improvement of Indoor Air QualityH.B. Reyes Mechanical Engineering Centennial Professorial ChairAdolacion, Jay R T.Compositional Data Analysis Based on Unsupervised Clustering of FunctionalRedundancy of Epitope Data to Enhance Discoverability of Target-Binding Peptide Motifsfrom High-Throughput Sequencing of Panned Phage Display LibrariesLeopoldo de Ocampo Professorial Chair in EngineeringBaynosa, Marjorie L.Synthesis of Co Zn Fe O @Faujasite by Incipient Wetness Impregnation forMetronidazole Degradation in Aqueous Solutions via Heterogeneous Activation ofPeroxymonosulfatex 1-x 2 4Chua Liong and Loreta Dy Chua Professorial Chair in EngineeringButalid, Rogel Jan B.Development of Thyme Oil-Based Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Encapsulation ofCapsicum OleoresinBenguet Corporation Professorial Chair in EngineeringCustodio, Benette P.Analysis of Standing vs. Seated Work Set-Up and effect of Work Surface Height in aLight Assembly TaskDr. Maria Aura Teodora C. Matias DIEOR Golden Jubilee Professorial Chair in HumanFactors and ErgonomicsDela Cruz, Isaac Jerome C.Cross Solvent–Antisolvent Co-crystallization of Acetaminophen and Zinc Sulfate towardDirect Compression Suitability.Marithe Girbaud Professorial Chair in Engineering919293949596

15Futalan, Cybelle Concepcion M.Photodegradation of Methylene Blue Dye from Synthetic Wastewater using NaturalHematite as a CatalystMaynilad Professorial Chair in Engineering (2)Gonzales. Arthur Are III A.Using Multiscale Molecular Modeling to Analyze Possible NS2b-NS3 Protease Inhibitorsfrom Philippine Medicinal PlantsEdgardo S. Pacheco Professorial Chair in EngineeringGrepo-Jalao, Lorelie C.How much engagement with a mental well-being app is enough? Examining theacademic community’s use of the SAGIP appRenato Bernales Matias Professorial Chair in Human Factors and ErgonomicsJeremias, Jayson Sime D.Simultaneous Nitrate Removal and Copper Recovery from Simulated Copper-NitrateWastewater Using a Fluidized-Bed Homogeneous Crystallization ReactorPablito R. Hao Chua Professorial Chair in Chemical EngineeringLagria, Raymond Freth A.Understanding Student Experiences in Remote Learning Setup: Qualitative Analysis ofCauses and Coping Mechanisms for Workload, Stress, and FatigueAntonio and Leticia R. Bello Professorial Chair in Industrial EngineeringMontealegre, Charlimagne M.Bacteriophage T4 Thermal Inactivation KineticsFiladelfo Panlilio Professorial Chair in EngineeringOyales, Mitch-Irene Kate G.Sodium Alginate/ -Carrageenan Blends as Potential Film Carriers for Transdermal DrugDeliveryKPhilex Professorial Chair (1)Pedrasa, Jhoanna Rhodette I.Mobile Detection of Macronutrient Deficiencies in Lettuce Plants Using ConvolutionalNeural NetworkCesar E.A. Virata - Daikin Industries, Ltd. UP Centennial Professorial ChairPerez, Jem Valerie D.Kinetics and Isotherm Studies of Methyl Orange Adsorption using Metal OrganicFramework-based Composite Beads Functionalized with PolyethyleneimineFederico E. Puno Professorial Chair in Engineering (B)979899100101102103104105

16Resurreccion, Augustus C.Evaluation of Wastewater Management Practices, Infrastructure, and Policies in theBatanes Tourism SectorMaynilad Professorial Chair in Engineering (3)Rollon, Analiza P.Treatment of Poultry Processing Wastewater containing 17-?? estradiol via anaerobic,aerobic and anoxic bioprocesses using carbonized materials as microbial immobilizationmatrixOscar M. Lopez Professorial Chair in Environmental EngineeringSison, Luis G.Industry Transformation Map for the Biomedical Device SectorReciñas-Simon Professorial Chair in EngineeringSoriano, Jaymar B.From Alzheimer's Disease to Frontotemporal Dementia: Transfer Learning in EEG-basedDiagnosis of DementiaJardiolin Family Professorial Chair in Engineering (2)Soriano, Virginia J.Exploring the Importance of Engineering Ethics in Healthcare Facilities ManagementJose Edgar Manrique Professorial Chair in Industrial EngineeringTaaca, Kathrina Lois M.Plasma-functionalized copper-based organic framework for electrochemical detection ofciprofloxacin in aqueous mediaApex Mining Professorial Chair in Metallurgical EngineeringTamondong, Ayin M.Aboveground Biomass Estimation of Rice Crops (Oryza sativa L.) Utilizing ParametersDerived From UAV-Based LiDAR And Multispectral Satellite SensorsDominador Ilio Engineering Centennial Professorial ChairTumolva, Terence P.Blend Optimization of Gum Arabic/Citric Acid Bioadhesive for Wound DressingApplicationsDr. Magdaleno B. Albarracin Jr. UP Centennial Professorial Chair in EngineeringVasquez, Magdaleno Jr. R.Fabrication of Plasma-reduced Silver on Laser-induced Graphene for ContaminantDetection via Surface-Enhanced Raman SpectroscopyDado and Maria Banatao Professorial Chair in Engineering (3)106107108109110111112113114

17THEME 4: ADVANCING EDUCATION, INNOVATION, AND ENGINEERINGAdorna, Henry N.Computations on Spiking Neural P Systems with MatricesRobert Cheng - Uratex Professorial Chair in Engineering (3)Alamani, Bryan G.Bio-inspired multifunctional disruptors of calcium oxalate crystallizationCezar M. Azurin, Jr. Professorial Chair in EngineeringAlarcon, Louis P.Delay Mismatch Optimization in Routing Dominated Multi-Path Systems: A Case Studyon an IR-UWB Edge-Combiner Transmitter Front EndAnalog Devices, Inc. Professorial Chair in EngineeringAlvarez, Anastacia B.An Energy-Aware Q-Learning for Cluster-Based WSNs Routing in WSNsMacArthur and Josefina de los Reyes Engineering Centennial Professorial Chair inElectrical EngineeringAmbatali, Charleston Dale M.Controlling the Wireless Power Transfer Mechanism of the Both-Sides RetrodirectiveSystemEdison Coseteng Professorial Chair in Electrical EngineeringArranz, Christian G.Evaluating ChatGPT-Generated Compared with Human-Written Multiple Choice QuestionAssessments (MCQs) in Mining EngineeringSemirara Mining Corporation Professorial Chair in Mining EngineeringAtienza, Rowel O.On-it: A Portable, Modular, Scalable, Distributed and Easy to Deploy Embodied AI AgentFrameworkSy Ling Chat Professorial Chair in EngineeringBalbarona, Juvy A.Investigating the Effect of Surface Roughness on the Solar Absorptivity andThermal Performance of Thermally Oxidized CopperUP ME Class 1980 Professorial Chair in Mechanical EngineeringBalbin, Ernest Wendell L.Development of a Design Procedure for a Constant-Force Compliant Mechanism withNon-Guided Cantilevered Members Using a Chained Algorithm ApproachTomas Padilla Abello Professorial Chair in Mechanical EngineeringBernardo, Neil Irwin M.Modulo Sampling: Performance Guarantees in The Presence of QuantizationRobert Cheng - Uratex Professorial Chair in Engineering (1)Bronuela-Ambrocio, Lea B.Enhancing the Philippine Pavement Management System: A Structural Assessment ofRoxas Boulevard Using Falling Weight Deflectometer and Backcalculation MethodProfessor Alfredo B. Juinio, Jr. Professorial Chair in Civil Engineering116117118119120121122123124125126

18Cabarle, Francis George C.Interaction and persistence in spiking neural P systemsUPAA San Francisco and Mely and Rick Rey Foundation Professorial ChairCajote, Rhandley D.Real-time Hand Gesture Recognition for Computer InteractionsConcepcion Hidalgo Sandoval Memorial Foundation Professorial Chair in EngineeringCaro, Jaime D.L.Virtual Field Trips: Enhancing Learning Access and Engagement through ImmersiveTechnologiesUPAE Engineering Centennial Professorial ChairChua, Adelson N.Design Space Exploration of Precision- Scalable Convolutional Neural NetworksAccelerator for Edge Device InferenceVea Technology for All Centennial Professorial ChairClemente, Jhoirene B.Empirical Competitive Analysis of Online Algorithms with Advice for the Online FacilityLocation ProblemJuan Jr. and Rosario Halili-Quintos Professorial Chair in EngineeringCo, Paul Jason R.Beamforming-based Conformal Patch Antenna Array Design for Enhanced CommunityCellular CoverageGlobe Telecom Inc. Professorial Chair in Electronics and Communications EngineeringDalisay, Jon Dewitt E.Steady-state Thermal Analyses of Battery Thermal Management System’s Cold Plate fora Two-row Prismatic LiFePO4 BatteryToyota Motor Philippines Foundation Professorial Chair in Mechanical EngineeringDe Guzman, Jaybie A.Smart i-LAB: A Green and Hybrid-Ready Instructional Laboratory and IoT TestbedAmbrosio Magsaysay Professorial Chair in EngineeringDe Leon, Maria Theresa A.A Dual-Mode AZO-Based Surface Acoustic Wave Temperature Sensor in Single-PhaseUnidirectional Transducer ConfigurationMantaring-Gervasio Professorial Chair in EngineeringDe Leon, Mark Jeffry D.Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Materials Selection & Design Course:An Undergraduate Faculty PerspectiveApolonio P. and Lorna L. Yson Professorial Chair in Chemical EngineeringDela Peña, Eden May B.Moisture Sensitivity of Choline Chloride–Ethylene Glycol DES: A Challenge inElectroplating ApplicationsPhilex Professorial Chair (2)127128129130131132133134135136137

19Ejera, Stan Kristian G.Synthesis and Characterization of Low-Melting Sn-Bi-In-Zn AlloysDon Benito Yao Metallurgical Engineering Centennial Professorial ChairElazegui, Erica Erin E.A Framework for the Development of Digital Spatial Weights using Social Media Data:Methodological Foundation and Initial AnalysisPHINMA Foundation Professorial Chair in EngineeringEspenilla, Leonardo NestorOptimizing University Course Scheduling through a Student-Centered Mixed IntegerProgramming ModelJesus Ferrer Professorial Chair in EngineeringGaleon, Florence A.Analyzing Fluctuations and Sustained Interest in the BS Geodetic Engineering Programat UP DilimanCristy R. Hernandez Professorial Chair in EngineeringGarcia, John Carlo S.Thermodynamic Optimization of Heat Exchanger Circuitry via Genetic ProgrammingCesar A. Buenaventura UP Centennial Professorial Chair in EngineeringJalao, Eugene Rex L.Supermarket Shelves Measurement using AIDiliman Integrative Technical Consultancy, Inc. (DITCI) Professorial Chair in EngineeringJuayong, Richelle Ann B.InsightLab: A Lower-Barrier EDA Workflow using LLMs for Insight DiscoveryRobert Cheng - Uratex Professorial Chair in Engineering (2)Labao, Alfonso B.Undefinability of Paths under Infinitary LogicBenguet Management Corporation Professorial Chair in EngineeringMartinez, Iris Ann G.Smart Inventory for Small Parts: Advancing SME Production with Intuitive Weight-basedAutomationCesar E. A. Virata Professorial Chair in Industrial EngineeringMercado, Candy C.Simulation of the Radiation Shielding Property of Mine Tailings using P-TReCK SoftwareProf. Emmanuel U. Pornillos Professorial Chair in Mining EngineeringNaval, Prospero Jr. C.Using Artificial Neural Networks for Automated Lithologic Mapping and MineralExploration in Mayantoc, Tarlac, and San Juan, BatangasSemirara Mining Corporation Professorial Chair in Computer ScienceOrdanel, Ivy D.Augmenting the Force-directed Layout Algorithms in Drawing Adjacent TranspositionGraphDean Marino Mena Professorial Chair in Engineering138139140141142143144145146147148149

20Paraggua, Julie Anne D.R.Synthesis and Evaluation of Self–Supporting Graphitic Carbon Nitride/Carbon Nanotube(GCN/CNT) ORR/OER Electrodes in Aqueous and Non–Aqueous MediaJerome and Mary Iralyn Cainglet Professorial Chair in Chemical EngineeringRaguindin, Ricky Kristan M.Dental Restorative Viability of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle-Reinforced Zirconia andBaghdadite Ceramic CompositesSR Metals, Inc. Professorial Chair in EngineeringRamos, Manuel Jr. C.Three-Finger Chambered Pneumatic Gripper for Grasping and RotationAlexan Professorial Chair in EngineeringRaquel, Carlo R.Meta-Learning Framework for Sparse Multi-Objective OptimizationDr. Rodolfo B. Herrera Professorial ChairRegonia, Paul Rossener R.POMI: A Corpus to Support a Natural Language Inference-based Approach for DetectingMisinformation in Philippine Online NewsErnest and Evelyn Cua Professorial Chair in Computer Science, Data Science andArtificial IntelligenceRemolona, Miguel Francisco M.UVLeBot: A Retrieval-Augmented Generation Chatbot for Enhanced Course Delivery inUP Diliman’s Learning Management SystemUP KEM Global - Dr. Luz Salonga Professorial Chair in Chemical EngineeringRosales, Marc D.An Indoor Low-Power Hydroponics Systems For Urban SpacesManuel M. Lopez UP Centennial Professorial Chair in EngineeringRosete, Maricar M.Effect of Cold-bath Quenching on Electrophoretically Deposited Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 Filmswith Various Supporting ElectrolytesPablito R. Hao Chua Professorial Chair in Materials EngineeringRoxas, Ricardo II M.Design and fabrication of an Arduino-based residence time distribution (RTD)experimental setup for a chemical engineering instructional laboratory courseBenjamin Chua Professorial ChairSolamo, Ma. Rowena C.From Classroom Exercise to Campus Solution: A Framework for Sustainable StudentDriven SoftwareArmena-Estuar Professorial Chair in EngineeringTria, Lew Andrew R.Optimizing Hull Design for a Battery-Electric Inland Waterway CatamaranDean Francisco L. Viray Professorial Chair in Engineering150151152153154155156157158159160

21Villar, John Justine S.Weather-based Safety Assessment and Optimization of Passenger Ship Routes in thePhilippinesDean Reynaldo B. Vea Professorial Chair in EngineeringVillena, Pierre Allan C.A Simulation-Optimization Approach for Optimizing Service Provision of Multi-ServiceQueuesJardiolin Family Professorial Chair in Engineering (1)Yap, Jan Michael C.Evaluating Branch Swapping Methods for Topology Search in Machine LearningAugmented Phylogenetic Tree InferenceEnrique Lee Laguinia Professorial Chair in Engineering161162163THEME 5: STRENGTHENING POLICY, GOVERNANCE, AND DIGITAL SYSTEMSAng Dy Pay, Georgiana L.An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Philippine Government ElectronicProcurement System (PhilGEPS) in Promoting Good GovernanceFortunato T. de la Peña Professorial Chair for Productivity EngineeringFeria, Rommel P.FixAble: Creating An Automated Scanning and Fixing Tool for Web AccessibilityComplianceDean Juan L. Tiongson Professorial Chair in EngineeringFestin, Susan P.Comparison of Deepfake Detection Transformer Models Against Adversarial AttacksFilemon Rodriguez Professorial Chair in EngineeringGaspay, Sandy Mae A.Driving change: Lessons on electrification within the modernization of jeepneys in thePhilippinesFelicisimo V. Ople and Felicisimo S. Ople, Jr. Professorial Chair in EngineeringMacapinlac, Oliver T.A LADM-Based Digital Platform for Spatially Enabled Land Administration in LocalGovernmentDavid M. Consunji Professorial Chair in EngineeringOrillaza, Jordan Rel C.Is the Must-Offer Rule a Must? Analyzing the Effect of Removing the Offered CapacityCompliance in the Philippine Wholesale Electricity MarketPetroEnergy Resources Prof Chair in Energy EngineeringRegidor, Jose Regin F.Integrating Evidence-Based Tools for Safer School Environments: SR4S and WalkabilityInsights from Naga City, PhilippinesSMC Infrastructure Professorial Chair in Transportation Engineering165166167168169170171

22Resurreccion, Joanna Z.A Public Policy-Enhanced Multi-Objective Optimization Of Philippine EnergyInfrastructure: A 2040 OutlookHydro Resources Contractors Corporation Professorial Chair in EngineeringSarmiento, Czar Jakiri S.Advancing Philippine Local Governance through Geospatial Artificial IntelligenceAriston I. de los Reyes Engineering Centennial Professorial ChairTan, Wilson M.MasquerAge: Anonymous Age Verification Using the Modular Open Source IdentityPlatformFocus Global Inc. Professorial Chair in EngineeringZarco, Mark Albert H.Ethical Conundrums in Geotechnical EngineeringDavid Y. Tan Professorial Chair in Geotechnical EngineeringZuñiga, Philip Christian C.Using an Agent – based Model in Simulating the Results of the 2028 PresidentialElections based on the results of the 2025 Senatorial ElectionsUP Alumni Engineers Professorial Chair in Engineering172173174175176

Advancing Clean Energyand Climate Solutions and Climate SolutionsTHEMEº0123

Locating Biomass Collection Points (BCP) For Optimal Siting ofCoconut Biomass Energy Facilities in Palawan Province UsingGISPower distribution inefficiencies and heavy reliance on diesel generators remain key challengesin Palawan. As one of the major coconut producers in the Philippines, Palawan’s coconutresidues present significant biomass energy potential to address energy issues while promotingclean energy production. This study evaluates the theoretical and available energy potential ofcoconut residues in Palawan and identifies biomass collection points (BCPs) based on theirbiomass collection capacity within a 0.7-km radius and proximity to the road network. Thesepoints are used as supply sources, with candidate sites as demand points, and the road networkis incorporated to optimally locate biomass conversion facilities using Geographic InformationSystem (GIS) and spatial analysis. Results indicate an estimated theoretical potential of15465.919 metric tons and an available potential of 85.173 MJ/ha, sufficient to supply onebiomass energy facility with an approximate capacity of 1.5 MW. Twelve BCPs were identified inSouthern Palawan: two in Sofronio Espanola, three in Rizal and Brooke’s Point, and four inQuezon. Additionally, eight BCPs were identified in Cuyo Island: three in Cuyo and five inMagsaysay. There are 96 candidate sites determined as potential locations for biomassconversion facilities. The optimal site for a biomass conversion facility was identified in Quezon,Palawan. In conclusion, this research effectively employed GIS and the BCP framework to locatebiomass collection points and strategically determine the optimal site for a biomass conversionfacility.ANG, MA. ROSARIO CONCEPCION O.SEMIRARA MINING CORPORATION PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGMa. Rosario Concepcion O. Ang is an Assistant Professor at the UP Department of Geodetic Engineering.She handles courses on remote sensing and geographic information systems both at the undergraduateand graduate levels. She is also an affiliate faculty of the Energy Engineering program of the UP Collegeof Engineering. She has been with the Department for 10 years now.Her research interests are on the applications of geomatics in climate change studies and atmosphericscience such as rainfall estimation and extreme wind risk assessment and in renewable energy resourceassessment. She has led several research projects funded by the Department of Science and Technologyon Lidar mapping and renewable energy resource assessment.Engr. Ang obtained her BS in Geodetic Engineering and MS in Remote Sensing degrees at the Universityof the Philippines Diliman. At present, she is finishing her PhD degree at the University College Londonin the United Kingdom.24

A Geo-AI-based ensemble mixed spatial prediction model withfine spatial-temporal resolution for estimatingdaytime/nighttime/daily average ozone concentrationsvariations in TaiwanHigh levels of ground level ozone (O3) are associated with detrimental health concerns. Most ofthe studies only focused on daily average and daytime trends due to the presence of sunlightthat initiates its formation. However, atmospheric chemical reactions occur all day, thus,nighttime concentrations should be given equal importance. In this study, geospatial-artificialintelligence (Geo-AI) which combined kriging, land use regression (LUR), machine learning, anensemble learning, was applied to develop ensemble mixed spatial models (EMSMs) for daily,daytime, and nighttime periods. These models were used to estimate the long-term O3spatiotemporal variations using a two-decade worth of in-situ measurements, meteorologicalparameters, geospatial predictors, and social and season-dependent factors. From thetraditional LUR approach, the performance of EMSMs improved by 60% (daytime), 49%(nighttime), and 57% (daily). The resulting daily, daytime, and nighttime EMSMs had a highexplanatory power with and adjusted R2 of 0.91, 0.91, and 0.88, respectively. Estimation mapswere produced to examine the changes before and during the implementation of nationwideCOVID-19 restrictions. These results provide accurate estimates and its diurnal variation thatwill support pollution control measure and epidemiological studies.BABAAN, JENNIEVEIVE B.MIESCOR - CESAR NUGUID PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGJennieveive B. Babaan-Mabaquiao is an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman,Department of Geodetic Engineering, where she also heads the Undergraduate Academic ProgramsCommittee. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geodetic Engineering from UP Diliman and a Master’sdegree in Geomatics from National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. Her expertise lies in GeographicInformation Systems (GIS) and remote sensing applications for environmental and public health. Herresearch focuses on environmental and geospatial modelling, with published work on air quality exposureassessment and modelling, microclimate and urban heat island analysis, spatial analysis of environmentalhealth risks, and geospatial modelling of mangrove loss and coastal ecosystems. She aims to improveunderstanding of the relationship between environmental factors and public health using geospatialtechnologies. Her work supports evidence-based decision-making in urban planning, climate adaptation,and public health, offering valuable insights for addressing environmental challenges.25

Enhancing the physicochemical properties of nickel cobaltitecatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction in anion exchangemembrane water electrolyzersHierarchical hollow urchin-like nickel cobaltite (NiCo O ) was synthesized using a two-stephydrothermal method. The effects of metal composition and surfactant addition on themorphology, structure, and electrochemical performance toward oxygen evolution reaction(OER) were investigated. The addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) reducedparticle aggregation, resulting in a higher electrochemical active surface area and electricalconductivity. Lowering the Ni content from 1.0 to 0.25 did not alter the morphology andstructure of the product to any extent. However, the crystallite size slightly increased. Among thespinels with different Ni and Co compositions, NiCo O exhibited a superior OER electrocatalyticactivity, achieving a 380 mV overpotential at 10 mA/cm2 current density. It also delivered agood performance in an anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE) using 1 MNaOH at 60 °C, reaching a current density of about 420 mA/cm2 at a cell voltage of 1.95 V.2 42 4BALELA, MARY DONNABELLE L.DADO AND MARIA BANATAO PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERING (2)Dr. Mary Donnabelle Balela is a Full Professor at the Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering(DMMME), University of the Philippines (UP). She is a graduate of BS Metallurgical Engineering from UP in 2004,MS Materials Engineering from the Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2008, and Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineeringfrom Kyoto University in 2011. She leads the Sustainable Electronic Materials Group, which develops low-costadvanced functional materials for electronic, environmental, and energy applications. Currently, Dr. Balela is aFulbright Visiting Scholar at North Dakota State University, working on electrocatalytic materials. She received the2020 Encouragement Award from the Hitachi Global Foundation Asia Innovation Award for her work on developingcustomizable sorbents based on kapok fibers. She is the runner-up in the 2019 ASEAN-US Science Prize forWomen, 2019 Department of Science Outstanding Research and Development Awardee for Applied Research for herwork on silver (Ag) NW-based flexible electronic devices, 2021 and 2018 University of the Philippines OutstandingEngineering Researcher and the 2016 National Academy of Science and Technology (Philippines) Outstanding YoungScientist for Materials Science and Engineering.26

Development of a Standardized Greenhouse GasQuantification Template for the Philippine aviation industryInternational aviation contributes 2.1% of global carbon emissions, with Philippine air transportemitting 0.712 million metric tonnes of CO₂e. In response, a greenhouse gas quantificationtemplate (GHGQT) was developed to enhance industry-wide emissions monitoring, usingestablished methodologies from IPCC, WRI, and WBCSD, and other organizations. A readinessassessment identified regulatory gaps, inadequate data collection, and limited sustainabilitytraining. The GHGQT was applied to selected aviation companies to analyze Scope 1, 2, and 3emissions. Results showed that Airline 1 had the highest emissions due to large scaleoperations, while Airline 2 led in Scope 3 emissions from wastewater discharge. The COVID-19pandemic caused temporary reductions, reinforcing the importance of assessing GHG intensityrather than absolute emissions during disruptions. By providing a standardized approach, theGHGQT aims to improve emissions tracking, regulatory compliance, and sustainability effortswithin the Philippine aviation industry.BALLESTEROS, FLORENCIO JR. C.DON FELIPE SAY AND THERESA CHUA SAY PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGProf. Ballesteros has extensive experience in regulatory and academic work, specializing in air and waterquality management, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), waste electrical and electronic equipment(WEEE), and climate change mitigation and adaptation. He teaches hazardous waste management andwastewater treatment design at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He holds a BS in ChemicalEngineering (Saint Louis University), an MS in Environmental Engineering (UP Diliman), an MS inEnvironmental Engineering and Science (University of Illinois Urbana), and a PhD in EnvironmentalScience (New Jersey Institute of Technology).His air quality work centers on maritime emissions as co-investigator for the Philippines in the Portal AirQuality Management System with Incheon National University. He has served as consultant to UNIDO andUNDP on POPs and WEEE, contributing to policy reviews and project development. He has alsosupported local governments on climate resilience planning and has delivered invited lectures in Asia,Europe, and Africa.27

Wave Energy Resource Assessment Off the Coast of MiligaBiga Beach, Bulusan, Sorsogon by Prevailing Wave ModellingIn the Philippines’ pursuit to shift to renewable energy and the impending problem of powerinterruptions, coastal locations such as off the coast of Miliga-biga beach in Bulusan, Sorsogon,present potential for wave energy generation due to perceived high waves in the site. This studyaims to assess if the waves in the study area are sufficient for wave energy generationconsidering three different wave energy converters (WEC). A Delft3D-WAVE model was createdoff the coast of Sorsogon and ran under prevailing wind and wave conditions from January 1,2018 to December 31, 2018. Validation with WaveWatch III model wave heights at an offshorepoint located at 13o N 125o E resulted with a root-mean-square-error of 0.205 m with modelresults suggesting acceptable model accuracy. The prevailing wave direction in the study area isnorth-north-east with wave heights that reach up to 5 m and period of 10 s during Amihanseason. Annual average wave power density was found to be 11.15 kW/m, which is sufficientfor wave energy generation based on minimum threshold value from literature. The total annualharvestable energy was computed based on the wave resource matrix of the site and thespecific power matrix of each WEC. It was found that one unit of F2-HB WEC can supply960.706 MWh per year, enough to power approximately 1552 households in Bulusan.BAUTISTA, DOMINIC M.SEMIRARA MINING CORPORATION PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN HYDRAULICSDominic M. Bautista is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Civil Engineering, University of thePhilippines Diliman. He holds a Master's degree in Civil Engineering major in Water ResourcesEngineering, and a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the same university. His research interest ismainly on the field of coastal engineering, specifically on numerical modelling of coastal hydrodynamics,sediment transport, costal structures, coastal hazards, and experimental techniques in coastal analysis.He has been involved in the NEC-DPWH CamSur Seawall project where his team conducted scaledmodel experiments using the newly retrofitted NHRC wave flume. He also worked on a SATREPS project,BlueCARES, where they conducted field surveys to assess blue carbon ecosystems across the country.They collaborated with different departments in the university and local colleges nationwide to providecomprehensive recommendations on how to conserve these coastal ecosystems.28

Performance Analysis of Cement Plant Waste-Heat Recoveryfor Power Generation Based on Partial Evaporating Cycle withEjectorIn the cement industry, much waste heat is released into the environment. The organic Rankinecycle is widely utilized to harness waste heat for power generation. However, significant energyis lost in the heat recovery process due to the finite temperature difference between the heatsource and working fluid, resulting in low power output and efficiency. To enhance the heatrecovery from the cement flue gas and increase power output and overall efficiency, a novelpartial evaporating cycle with ejector is proposed and investigated in this study. Pinch pointanalysis is performed to characterize the heat recovery process in the evaporator. The effects ofthe evaporating temperature, outlet quality of the evaporator, and exit pressure of the primaryexpander on system performance are also investigated. Results show that partially evaporatingthe fluid improves heat matching and reduces the irreversibilities in the evaporator by up to18.1% when the outlet quality of the fluid is 0.33. Maximum net power of 803.15 kW can begenerated with an evaporating temperature of 130 °C, outlet quality of 0.33, and expander exitpressure of 1054.9 kPa. Additionally, the inclusion of the ejector increases the net powerproduced by up to 76.07 kW.BERANA MENANDRO S.JESUS FRANCISCO PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENERGY AND RAILWAYSDr. Menandro S. Berana is a professor of the UP Diliman Department of Mechanical Engineering at UPDiliman. He obtained his Doctor and Master of Engineering degrees, both major in MechanicalEngineering, from Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan, and his Master of Science, major inMachine Design, and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UP Diliman. He is currentlythe Associate Dean for Administration of the UPD College of Engineering and a laboratory co-head of theHVACR Laboratory of the UPD Department of Mechanical Engineering. Among his previously handledadministrative positions are associate deanship for instructions and research in the UPD College ofEngineering (COE), project leader for the UPD COE in the Engineering Research and Development forTechnology Program, and chairmanship of the UPD Department of Mechanical Engineering. His researchinterests include HVACR, thermal power generation, heating and drying systems, policies, engineeringeducation and humanitarian engineering.29

Direct Regeneration of LFP Cathode Material from Spent Li-ionBatteries via Aqueous RelithiationLithium iron phosphate (LFP) is a commonly used cathode material in lithium-ion batteries,particularly for electric vehicle (EV) battery energy storage systems. To support sustainabilityand the principles of a circular economy, recycling spent LFP batteries is essential. This studyfocuses on the direct regeneration of spent LFP cathode material using an aqueous relithiationmethod. The waste precursors and regenerated LFP were fully characterized for its structural,morphological, and compositional properties. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysisconfirmed the presence of additive carbon and electrolyte residues in the spent LFP. XRDanalysis revealed that certain components of the LFP structure in the as received spent cathodematerial decomposed, as evidenced by the presence of impurity peaks due to FePO4 and P2O5,which disappeared after relithiation. The lattice parameter values (a=4.6897 Å and c=10.3211 Å)of the regenerated LFP were also found to be close to the theoretical (a=4.6925 Å andc=10.3253 Å ), suggesting successful structure repair after regeneration. SEM indicated thatregenerated LFP particles appeared to be more well-dispersed and finer than spent LFPparticles. EDS mapping revealed a relatively homogeneous elemental distrbution of the majoridentified elements. ICP analysis further confirmed the successful restoration of Li content. Thecomposition of the spent cathode, initially Li0.85FePO4, transformed to Li1.03FePO4 afterregeneration, corresponding to an increase in Li content from the as-received 3.75 to 4.53 wt%Li after relithiation. Furthermore, the initial electrochemical performance of the synthesizedsample as a cathode in Li-ion battery cells will be presented to demonstrate its potentialapplicability in advancing circular-battery technologiesCERVERA, RINLEE BUTCH M.DADO AND MARIA BANATAO PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERING (1)Dr. Rinlee Butch Cervera is a Full Professor and Head of the Energy Storage & Conversion MaterialsResearch Laboratory at the Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering of UPDiliman, and currently serves as Program Coordinator of the Energy Engineering Graduate Program. Hisresearch spans advanced energy storage systems, lithium-ion batteries, battery recycling and mate-rialsrecovery, hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, nuclear reactor technology assessment (RTA), and wasteto-energy processes. He also conducts techno-economic analyses, multi-criteria decision anal-yses, andenergy technology assessments that support national policy development and industry needs. Dr.Cervera earned his degrees from UP Diliman, Universiti Sains Malaysia, and the University of Tokyo, andcompleted postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Tokyo and the National Institute for MaterialsScience in Japan. His awards include the DOST Balik Scientist Award, NAST Outstanding Young ScientistAward, TWAS Young Affiliate recognition, and the David M. Consunji Award. He is currently the Editor-inChief of the Philippine Engineering Journal and holds the Dado and Maria Banatao Professorial ChairAward.30

Minimizing Levelized Cost of Energy in Philippine OWESCBased Offshore Wind Farms using Particle Swarm OptimizationIn efforts to reduce carbon emissions and meet rising energy demand, there has been a shifttoward extensive renewable energy development. And with the Philippines’ archipelagic nature,offshore wind is a viable addition to its energy mix. However, there remains a gap in localoffshore wind farm (OWF) studies that aim to improve energy yield and cost, both critical forsustainable development. This study aims to minimize the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) ofPhilippine OWESC-based OWFs by optimizing turbine placement through Particle SwarmOptimization (PSO). The study focuses on two offshore sites, Mariveles and Dumaguete. Thegeneralized wind climate was processed, along with site-specific topographical inputs, using theWind Atlas Analysis and Application Program. PSO was employed via MATLAB to generatelayouts with the objective of minimizing LCOE. Results show that the Mariveles and DumaguetePSO-optimized layouts reduced LCOE against the arbitrary baseline layouts by 28.83% and23.1%, respectively. Multivariable sensitivity analysis revealed that net AEP, proportional wakeloss, and mean wind speed are the most influential factors on LCOE, with cost variables playingsecondary roles. Moreover, considering grid energy requirements, turbine count reductionfurther minimized wind farm LCOEs. When benchmarked against local OWF zones and otheremerging energy sources, both sites achieved competitive LCOEs. These findings confirm theeffectiveness of PSO in offshore wind optimization and its potential to enhance the economicviability of offshore wind in the Philippines.DANAO, LOUIS ANGELO M.THE ABBA'S ORCHARD PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERINGLouis Angelo M. Danao is presently a Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of thePhilippines Diliman (UPD). He is also a holder of the Scientist 3 Rank of the University of the Philippines and TheAbba's Orchard Professor in Mechanical Engineering. He is the head of the Fluid Mechanics Research Group of theDepartment of Mechanical Engineering at UPD. He obtained his PhD in 2012 from the University of Sheffield,Sheffield, UK, where he conducted experimental and numerical work related to the performance and aerodynamics ofvertical axis wind turbines. Prior to this, he was involved in several solid mechanics research including the numericalanalysis of abdominal aortic aneurysms and the deformation of external fixators for tibial fractures using finiteelement analysis. He also developed mathematical models for torsion of solid and hollow rectangular sections usinganalytical and FEA approach. Presently, he is carrying out work on design and performance analysis of horizontal axistidal turbines using computational fluid dynamics. He has also extended his studies to offshore wind systems,techno-economic assessment of renewable energy systems including offshore wind and floating solar PV, suitabilityanalysis of RE systems including concentrated solar and floating solar PV using GIS-MCDA, as well as design ofsteel and composite structures using finite element analysis.31

Renewable energy-powered methane production using LCES inLuzon, Philippines: A techno-economic studyA renewable energy-powered chemical plant was designed that is capable of taking in CO2feedstock to produce quality grade natural gas for energy usage, thereby reducing carbonfootprint while operating in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. A representative natural gaspower plant in Batangas was used as source of CO2. Key assumptions made were: (1) 360-day,24-hour operation, (2) steady-state assumption for kinetics, (3) for insulation: the ambient dewtemperature was 18 degrees Celsius, and (4) constant selectivities sourced from case study andASPEN simulations. The methodology produced 5 PFDs (Liquid Carbon Dioxide Energy Storageor LCES, Methanation, Electrolysis, H2 Compression, & Upgrading), 36 detailed P&IDs withpressure relief valves and equipment redundancies from hazard and operability studies, detailedpiping layouts, plot plans, and equipment layouts. Results indicate technological feasibility andeconomic viability, with a projected IRR of 21.22%, a payback period of 8.21 years, and anexpected output of 567 kg/h of methane along with 2211.8 kg/h of oxygen. While the projectdemonstrates promise, further optimization of the LCES system and increased methaneproduction yield are recommended to enhance profitability.DE LEON, RIZALINDA L.BETA EPSILON PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGRizalinda L. de Leon, Ph.D., FAAET, is professor at the UP Diliman Department of Chemical Engineering(DChE), and is the holder of the Apolonio and Lorna Yson Professorial Chair in ChE. She is a member ofthe Board of Directors or Independent Electricity Market Operators of the Philippines, where she helpssteer the company its pursuit of the WESM objectives. She currently heads the Fuels, Energy, andThermal Systems research laboratory at the DChE. She is Project Director of the Gas Policy DevelopmentProject – Phase 3 (GPDP 3) that provides technical assistance to the DOE. GPDP3 is implemented by theUP Statistics Center for Research Foundation, Inc., funded by the Economic Research Institute for ASEANand East Asia. Lastly, she serves as Project Leader of the RENetZero project funded by the DOST underthe Philippine-Korea Joint Science & Technology Research Program in collaboration with HanyangUniversity in Seoul, South Korea.32

Reliability Evaluation Power Grid with High Penetration ofVariable Renewable EnergyIncreasing penetration of variable renewable energy poses reliability issues in power grids dueto intermittency of power supply. The traditional methodology of assessing system reliability bythe determining the expected number of days of per year of loss of-load is also not anymoreadequate and responsive. This study proposes a new methodology of evaluating the reliability ofpower grid with high penetration of VRE in terms of expected number of hours of loss of loadby considering the VRE as a negative load with a seven-step normal probability distribution.The methodology was applied to the Philippines’ Luzon Grid for the year 2050 which is plannedby the Philippines Department of Energy (DOE) to have 50% RE in the generation mix. TheLoss-of-load expectation at VRE penetration from 0 to 40 % was found to be acceptable. Butstarting 42.5% penetration level the LOLE risk was found to be dramatically increasing from3.38 hours per year to 806.94 hours per year for 50% penetration. The increasing penetrationof VRE, therefore worsens the risk of loss of load which must be addressed by increasing thereserve margins and by new power system control technologies.DEL MUNDO, ROWALDO D.DEAN ROWENA CRISTINA L. GUEVARA PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGProf. Rowaldo del Mundo is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering andconcurrently serving as Associate Dean for Public Engagement of the University of the Philippines -College of Engineering. Prof. del Mundo’s Professor del Mundo’s fields of expertise include energy andpower system engineering, electricity market and regulation, rural electrification and renewable energy.Upon the passage of Philippine Congress of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (R.A. 9136) in 2001,Prof. del Mundo wrote the Philippine Grid Code and the Philippine Distribution Code that werepromulgated by the Energy Regulatory Commission as technical implementing rules and regulations ofthe EPIRA Law to govern the restructured Philippine power industry. He has been working on powersystem reliability and renewable energy issues since 1990s and contributed to major policies andpractices in the power sector not only in the Philippines but also in other countries where he served astechnical advisor to government energy regulators.33

Product Circularity Assessment of Upcycled Plastic Products inthe PhilippinesAssessment of the extent of useful life extension of plastics through upcycling, which involvesthe utilization of plastics as feedstock materials in making secondary products of greater value,has still yet to be extensively conducted in the Philippines. This results in uncertainty amongmanufacturers about which product applications can use plastics for a longer period or inmultiple product life cycles, i.e., having a high potential product circularity. The absence of acomprehensive assessment tool focusing on the design phase of the product life cycle widensthis research gap. Highly circular products from plastic wastes in the Philippines weredetermined through product potential circularity assessment based on the Concept CircularityEvaluation Tool, a subjective evaluation of product parameters from the design guidelinesdeveloped by Kamp Albæk et al. in 2020, presenting a circularity score reflecting the level ofpotential product circularity. A higher circularity score means that the product has a relativelylonger useful life and can be used for more than one useful life among the products considered.Among the household furniture plastic products, compression-molded school chairs got thehighest potential circularity score of 43.57. For the products used in the construction industry,eco-pavers obtained the highest circularity score of 32.95. The household furniture plasticproducts having a longer and can have multiple useful life are more circular compared toconstruction industry products. The results aid decision-making during product design anddevelopment and provide a foundation for technical and data-driven product circularityassessment tools for products from plastic waste.DIAZ, LESLIE JOY L.INTEGRATED MICROELECTRONICS INC. PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGProf. Leslie Joy L. Diaz is a faculty member of the Mining Metallurgical and Materials EngineeringDepartment (DMMME) and an affiliate faculty member of the Environmental Engineering (EnE) Program.Her research work in environmental engineering particularly revolved in diversion measures – specificallyin upcycling – of solid waste to other industrial applications such as construction materials. She alsoengages in research and extension work related to development of environmentally-friendly materials,a.k.a. green materials, materials for biomedical applications, a.k.a. biomaterials, and materials withenhanced properties particularly composite materials. In all these efforts, Prof. Diaz endeavors to workwith locally-available materials such as rubber and natural fibers like abaca as these, not only putspremium to our locally-available resources but also supports the goal of developing downstreammanufacturing industries that will make available employment opportunities for many Filipinos who canalready choose to work in a place where their families are.34

Facile synthesis of cellulose acetate and cross-linkedpoly(epichlorohydrin) polymer blend as fuel cell anionexchange membraneThis study explores the development of an effective cellulose acetate (CA)-based material foruse as anion exchange membrane (AEM) in fuel cell applications. The combination of CA andpolyepichlorohydrin (PECH) crosslinked with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) wasinvestigated with factors varied, namely, CA-PECH blend ratios, DABCO crosslinking mole ratio(R ), and trimethylamine (TMA) functionalization time. Increasing the CA content improvedtensile strength (TS), while higher PECH content raised the ion exchange capacity (IEC), wateruptake (WU), average degree of swelling (DS ), and strain rate. Setting R = 0.5 enhancedTS, elongation at break (E ), WU, and DS , exhibited by improved stress-strain values andreduced hydrophysical properties in the 50:50 blend, which are attributed to successfulcrosslinking. The measured ionic conductivity was 32.7 mS cm at 30 °C and peaked at 60 °Cwith a value of 51.1 mS cm . Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the AEM remainedthermally stable under typical operating conditions. Accelerated stability test of AEM in 1MKOH/D O at 60 °C showed insignificant degradation, indicating superb chemical stability. Lastly,fuel cell test at 30 ⁰C measured peak power density of 13.3 mW cm at a current density of24.7 mA cm . A high open circuit potential (OCP) value of 1.02 V was recorded, suggestingthat the voltage loss due to gas crossover is negligible. These findings indicate that thefabricated CA-PECH membranes have promising potential applications in AEM fuel cells(AEMFCs).D/PAve D/Pb Ave-1-12-2-2ESPIRITU, RICHARD DV.GE PHILIPPINES METER AND INSTRUMENT CO. PROFESSORIAL CHAIRIN ENGINEERINGDr. Richard Espiritu is a Professor in the Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineeringand has obtained his PhD degree from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom with researchfocusing on polymer membrane fabrication and characterization for fuel cell and electrolyzer application.Upon return to the Philippines as a recipient of ERDT Doctorate Scholarship, Dr. Espiritu has establishedthe Polymer Materials for Energy Research Laboratory. He has handled several UP-funded projects andDOST-funded joint collaborations involving experimental and computational research on sustainablepolymer materials for hydrogen production and electrochemical energy systems. Dr. Espiritu has honedhis expertise in ion exchange membrane fabrication and synthesis of adsorbents for carbon capturethrough additive manufacturing technology. Lastly, he has published more than 20 Web of Science highimpact papers to date.35

Flows for Power and Play: Harmonizing HydropowerDevelopment with River RecreationRenewable energy development, particularly run-of-river hydropower, increasingly intersectswith other critical societal priorities such as eco-tourism and recreation. This study examinesthe hydraulic implications of a proposed hydropower project on downstream river-basedactivities, with a focus on reconciling energy generation and recreational viability. Hydrologicand hydraulic modeling were applied to simulate discharges, sediment transport, and hydraulicconditions across baseline, seasonal, extreme weather, and environmental flow scenarios. Longterm datasets were used for calibration and validation, ensuring reliable representation of riverbehavior. Parameters relevant to rafting—specifically draft depth and flow velocity—wereevaluated under various operating conditions to determine implications for navigability andrapid formation. Results indicate that under a regulated environmental flow, approximately 87%of the assessed river reach maintains draft depths exceeding 0.25 m, a threshold consideredsufficient for rafting passage. However, rafting velocity conditions are reduced, affecting theformation of natural rapids. At a slightly higher operational discharge of 10 cubic meters persecond, hydraulic conditions improve markedly: nearly all depth requirements are satisfied,while around 13% of rapid-forming velocities are sustained compared to natural dry-seasonflows. These findings suggest that rafting activities remain feasible under regulated flowreleases, though with altered rapid characteristics. Adaptive strategies such as minor channeladjustments or rafting capacity management were also identified as practical mitigationmeasures. The study underscores the importance of integrated river management to supportcoexistence between hydropower operations and recreational use. Recommended operationalguidelines include scheduling hydropower releases to align with off-peak tourism hours andadopting adaptive management frameworks that involve continuous monitoring and stakeholderparticipation. Overall, the research demonstrates that hydropower development and river-basedeco-tourism are not mutually exclusive. Through scientifically guided flow regulation,collaborative governance, and adaptive strategies, it is possible to harmonize renewable energygeneration with the preservation of recreational opportunities and ecosystem services.HERRERA, EUGENE C.MAYNILAD UP CENTENNIAL PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGDr. Eugene C. Herrera is a Professor at the UP Diliman Institute of Civil Engineering. He earned his BSCEand MSCE from UP Diliman and his Doctor of Engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology,specializing in Environmental Informatics with emphasis on inland and coastal hydrodynamics, ecology,and limnology.He currently serves as Director of the National Hydraulic Research Center and has been involved innumerous projects on flood studies, water-resource investigation, environmental assessment, andintegrated decision-support systems in hydrologic and hydraulic engineering.Dr. Herrera is also the local counterpart for hydrologic and hydrodynamic modeling under the JICA–JSTfunded HyDEPP Project, which develops hybrid water-related disaster risk assessment models thatintegrate climate, hydrological, agricultural, and economic components. The project evaluates theeffectiveness of disaster-prevention measures in the Pampanga River basin and the Pasig–Marikina Riverand Laguna Lake basins. 36

Flotation of Fine Activated Carbon using Emulsified DieselCollector and Pine Oil FrotherLoaded fine activated carbon, which retains significant amounts of gold, is often discarded withcyanidation tailings due to attrition during CIL and CIP, resulting in economic loss. Flotationoffers a viable method for recovering these particles, which are positively charged under thealkaline conditions typical of cyanidation processes. While emulsified diesel oil has proveneffective as a collector, the interactions of frother to the flotation system is only limited to MIBCwhich poses safety concerns in the Philippine setting due to its low flash point (39°C). Noprevious interactions with other frother were reported, creating a gap to the effectivity of theflotation system to its frother. This study investigates the substitution of pine oil, with a higherflash point (60°C), as a safer alternative frother. Using SPAN 20 and TWEEN 20 emulsifiers,diesel oil was emulsified and tested with varying dosages of pine oil (0.3–0.7 kg/ton) to assessflotation performance. The most stable flotation system was achieved at 1300 RPM agitation and10 LPM airflow, enhancing bubble surface area and frother interaction. Results indicate that 0.6kg/ton pine oil is the most effective frother dosage for recovering gold-loaded fine activatedcarbon in from cyanidation tailings, attributed to froth stability governed by the GibbsMarangoni effect. Additionally, the presence of cyanide ions improved recovery by increasingsurface tension and promoting finer bubble formation.LUISTRO, FRANCO DANILO C.APEX MINING PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN MINING ENGINEERINGFranco Danilo Luistro is an assistant professor at the Department of Mining, Metallurgical and MaterialsEngineering since 2019. He obtained both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees inMetallurgical Engineering from the University of the Philippines – Diliman with research interests in thefields of mineral processing and metals extraction.Prior to teaching in UP, he has worked in the nickel mining and gold processing industry. He was alsopart of the DOST research program that aims to provide an alternative method of gold processing to thesmall-scale mining industry in the Philippines.37

Pulverized Water Hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) ReinforcedPLA for FDM: An Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of theComposite3D printing is gaining popularity because of its versatility and cost-effectiveness. With itsprevalent use, there is also an increase in the use of plastics as its filament. Water Hyacinth(WH), an aquatic plant found in the Philippines, has been deemed a nuisance because it causesfloods and disturbs aquatic ecosystems. WH can potentially be repurposed as an additive toFDM filaments to improve print properties. This study was done to assess if making acomposite filament with WH and PLA is feasible. The WH composite filament was fabricated andevaluated for its flexural strength and compressive strength with the WH weight percentagesvaried. In turn, it allowed for the exploration of the potential application of the composite indifferent industries. Statistics were used on the results to determine if the composite had bettermechanical properties than the pure PLA filament. The results showed that averagecompressive strength of the prints of the composite filaments, regardless of the weightpercentage, increased compared to the Pure PLA prints. Inversely, the average flexural strengthsof the prints of composite filaments decreased compared to the Pure PLA prints. The 1% WHcomposite filament and the Pure PLA filament provided the best result for compressive strengthand flexural strength, respectively.MACASPAC, HANNAH ERIKA D.DAVID B. SYCIP PROFESSORIAL CHAIR MECHANICAL ENGINEERINGHannah Erika D. Macaspac serves as Co-Head of the Manufacturing, Innovative Design, and SmartMaterials Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Her research focuses on advancingboth additive and traditional manufacturing methods. She works on non-planar 3D printing, nonconventional printing settings, composite and recycled filaments, and the improvement of essentialprinting parameters. She also conducts research in CNC machining and related fabrication processes tosupport accurate, efficient, and high-quality product development. Her research integrate designinnovation and manufacturing technologies to develop practical and sustainable solutions for industry andacademic applications.38

Preparation and characterization of nanocellulose crystal/zincoxide/titanium dioxide (NCC/ZnO/TiO2) micro/nanocompositeThe increasing need for high-performance UV-stabilizing materials has driven research intohybrid systems that combine renewable biopolymers with inorganic oxides. However, achievingstrong interfacial compatibility and durable dispersion between organic and inorganic phasesremains a critical challenge that limits efficiency and long-term stability. In this study, ananocellulose crystal/zinc oxide/titanium dioxide (NCC/ZnO/TiO₂) micro/nanocomposite wassynthesized via a simple wet-chemical route. Zinc acetate served as the ZnO precursor, reactingwith TiO₂ to form ZnO/TiO₂ micro/nanoparticles, which were subsequently integrated withnanocellulose crystals. Structural and phase analysis of the synthesized NCC/ZnO/TiO₂composite, prepared by calcining ZnO/TiO₂ at 900°C for 12 hours and integrated with NCC,exhibited a combination of zinc titanate phases, along with anatase and rutile phases of TiO₂,and the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO. A distinct diffraction peak corresponding tonanocellulose was also identified. Surface morphology analysis showed a mixture of sphericalparticles and irregular shapes, with average particle sizes of 0.58 ± 0.15 µm for spherical TiO₂and 1.19 ± 0.54 µm for rod-like ZnO. High-resolution TEM revealed spherical nanoparticlesranging from 27 nm to 46 nm, along with lattice fringes associated with four diffracted planes:anatase (d-spacing = 0.375 nm; (101) plane), ZnO wurtzite (d-spacing = 0.264 nm; (002)plane), zinc titanate (d-spacing = 0.305 nm; (220) plane), and nanocellulose crystal (d-spacing= 0.397 nm; (002) plane). Infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of functionalgroups such as C–H, C=C, and C–O–C, indicating successful functionalization of the ZnO/TiO₂nanoparticles with nanocellulose crystals. Zeta potential measurements showed a negativesurface charge of -16.32 ± 4.57 mV, suggesting moderate stability and ionic strength insuspension. The UV-vis absorbance spectrum exhibited a peak at 332 nm, with an estimatedband gap of 3.09 eV, attributed to the combined electronic transitions of ZnO, TiO₂, and zinctitanate. These results confirm the NCC/ZnO/TiO₂ composite's potential as a novel, biointegrated UV-stabilizing material with a favorable band gap and surface properties.MAGDALUYO, EDUARDO JR. R.DR. MARIANO P. RAMIRO PROFESSORIAL CHAIR FOR MATERIALS ENGINEERINGEduardo Magdaluyo, Jr. is an Associate Professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman, specializingin materials development and sustainable engineering solutions at the Department of Mining,Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering. His work covers materials synthesis, characterization, andproduct development for biomedical, energy, construction, and environmental applications. Withextensive experience in applied research, he is committed to creating science-based solutions thataddress both industrial needs and community challenges. His roles in research, extension service, andprofessional certification reflect his dedication to advancing responsible and impactful engineeringpractices.39

DPSIR Framework for Sustainable Fly Ash Utilization inConcrete: Policy and Practice Insights from the Philippines andThailandThe incorporation of fly ash as a supplementary cementitious material offers significant potentialto reduce the environmental footprint of the concrete industry. However, its utilization in thePhilippines remains limited to 10–20% replacement levels, compared to Thailand’s 25–50%,due to institutional, economic, social, and technical barriers. This study applies the Drivers–Pressures–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework to examine the enabling andconstraining factors shaping fly ash adoption in Philippine mass concrete production. Driverssuch as growing demand for sustainable infrastructure and global climate commitments arecountered by pressures including inconsistent fly ash supply, lack of local standards, andstakeholder uncertainty over long-term performance. The state of current practice revealsfragmented regulations and heavy reliance on imported codes, resulting in underutilizationdespite the absence of prohibitive laws. Impacts are measured in terms of reduced greenhousegas emissions (40% in Thailand), resource conservation, and potential cost savings. Responsesare proposed at the policy, industry, and research levels, including the establishment of anational manual of practice, incentive schemes for government funded projects, andperformance-based procurement policies. A comparative analysis with Thailand underscores thecritical role of local standards, extended curing protocols, and targeted awareness programs inbuilding industry confidence. The study demonstrates how DPSIR framework enables a holisticpolicy roadmap for enhancing fly ash utilization, thereby advancing the decarbonization of thePhilippine construction sector.OROZCO, CHRISTIAN R.HOLCIM PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGChristian Orozco is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Civil Engineering. He is the Vice President ofthe American Concrete Institute Philippines Chapter and a recognized Specialist on Environmental andEnergy Engineering by the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers. Christian has over 15 years ofexperience in civil and environmental engineering and has contributed as technical expert to more than30 government and private projects in the Philippines and abroad. His work spans life cycle assessmentof concrete, sustainable construction materials, water and wastewater treatment, infrastructure planning,and environmental impact assessment among others. He has authored over 50 technical reports, journalarticles, and a book chapter. Christian is recipient of the prestigious American Concrete Institute YoungMember Award for Professional Achievement for his “contributions to advancing concrete technology andsustainability in the construction industry”. Christian obtained his PhDs from Thammasat University inThailand and Hokkaido University in Japan.40

Effects of Forecast Uncertainties on the Energy ManagementOptimization for Retail Electricity Customers Under CUF-BasedContractsIn a capacity utilization factor (CUF)-based contract, the higher the volume of energy procuredfrom the retailer, the lower the retail electricity price. With this CUF-based tariff, the challengefor a retail electricity consumer is scheduling all available energy resources while targeting anoptimal CUF, to minimize the energy costs. Given that some of the parameters that affect theenergy management cannot be forecasted accurately, the effects of forecast uncertainties on theenergy management optimization were investigated, to avoid underestimating the energy costsand provide stable power for retail electricity customers with CUF-based contracts. When theuncertainties in the load, solar PV generation, retail electricity price, and wholesale electricityprice forecasts were taken into consideration, the simulation results from the implementation inMATLAB and Gurobi Optimizer showed that the uncertainties in the wholesale electricity priceforecast have the most significant impact on the optimal CUF, energy cost, and energy costsavings.PEDRASA, MICHAEL ANGELO A.MERALCO PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGMichael Angelo A. Pedrasa, PhD is a Professor at the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute. Heearned his BS and MS in Electrical Engineering at UP Diliman, and his PhD in Electrical Engineering fromthe University of New South Wales. His research interests are energy systems modeling, electricitygeneration and transmission planning, power system operation and control, microgrid systems and activedistribution networks, and integration of distributed energy resources to electric power systems. He wasthe project leader of several DOST-funded research projects, and the most recent was entitledDevelopment of an Energy Model for the Philippines for Integrated Energy Planning under the UP SystemEnergy Research Fund. At the UP College of Engineering, he served as the Coordinator of the EnergyEngineering Graduate Program from 2015 to 2019, and Director of the Electrical and ElectronicsEngineering Institute from 2019 to 2022.41

Assessment of Optimal Sites for Solar-Power IrrigationSystems Using Remote Sensing and GIS:Case of the PhilippinesA sustainable agricultural system can be supported using renewable sources of energy withsolar-powered irrigation gaining global adoption. This study assesses the feasibility of deployingsolar irrigation in the Philippines by examining groundwater storage anomalies (GWSA),drought intensity, and solar photovoltaic (PV) potential. GWSA was estimated usingGRACE/GRACE-FO and GLDAS data, while drought intensity was assessed via the KeetchByram Drought Index (KBDI). Cropland areas were extracted from ESA WorldCover, and solarPV potential was evaluated using Himawari-8/9 shortwave radiation (SWR). Data processingwas conducted in Google Earth Engine and ArcGIS Pro. Results show that 6 of 17 regionsexperienced a decline in groundwater storage (-14.178 cm to <0 cm) with Northern Mindanaohaving the highest decrease (-12.441 cm). Meanwhile, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region inMuslim Mindanao (BARMM) showed the highest increase (6.525 cm). Four regions—Ilocos,Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)—experiencedlow GWS increase (0 to <1.648 cm), presenting an opportunity for solar-powered irrigation asgroundwater remains available for extraction. Notably, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon, majorcrop-producing regions, exhibited relatively high SWR (262–275 W/m²) supporting solar PVfeasibility over approximately 1.6 million hectares of cropland. In terms of KBDI, only the IlocosRegion experienced moderate drought (KBDI_mean=322), while others showed low moisturedeficits. A test site in Central Luzon revealed seasonal drought trends, with high KBDI in drymonths and low during the rainy season. Given its manageable GWSA and high solar radiation(204–286 W/m²), Central Luzon becomes a prime candidate for solar-powered irrigation. Thisstudy provides insights for prioritizing solar irrigation in the Philippines. Future research shouldvalidate satellite-derived GWS estimates, cross-reference findings with existing solar irrigationprojects, integrate geomorphological and socioeconomic factors, and expand the study area. PRINCIPE, JEARK A.FF CRUZ PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN GEODETIC ENGINEERINGDr. Jeark Principe is a Professor at the Department of Geodetic Engineering (DGE), University of thePhilippines Diliman, and a Faculty Affiliate at the Energy and Environmental Engineering Programs,National Graduate School of Engineering. He is currently the head of the Geomatics for Sustainability andRenewable Energy (SuRE) Laboratory, one of DGE’s R&D labs. He teaches undergraduate, graduate, andtraining courses on remote sensing (RS), photogrammetry, surveying, geographic information system(GIS), and energy resource assessment. Dr. Principe earned his BS Geodetic Engineering and MSRemote Sensing from UP Diliman, and PhD Civil Engineering from the University of Tokyo (UTokyo).From April to October 2025, he served as a JSPS Research Fellow at the Institute of Industrial Science(IIS), UTokyo, under the FY2025 JSPS Invitational Fellowships for Research in Japan (Long-term). Hiscurrent research focuses on applications of remote sensing (RS) and GIS, assessment of renewableenergy resource potential, and surveying.42

Utilization of Waste Glass as Partial Replacement for FineAggregates in Concrete Pavement BlocksThis study explores the use of post-consumer soda-lime glass as a partial replacement for fineaggregates in concrete pavement blocks, with the aim of addressing excessive sand extractionand low glass recycling rates. Waste glass cullet—clear, green, brown, and mixed-color—replaced 20% by weight of fine aggregates in concrete mixes designed for light-trafficapplications. Specimens were tested for absorption, compressive strength, and abrasion indexfollowing ASTM C902. All glass-modified mixes satisfied the performance requirements:absorption remained below 14%, compressive strength exceeded 20.7 MPa, and abrasion indexremained under 0.11. Moreover, all mixes incorporating glass exhibited slightly lowerabsorption than the control mix without glass. Clear and green glass variations performedslightly better strength and abrasion resistance than the control specimens. The results suggestthat glass color, related to chemical composition, influences the performance of pavementblocks, as confirmed by one-way ANOVA.SADIE, HOMER T.LONGRIDGE CONSTRUCTION, INC. PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN CIVIL ENGINEERINGHomer T. Sadie is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Civil Engineering of the University of thePhilippines-Diliman and is affiliated with the Construction Engineering and Management Group.He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and Master of Science degree inStructural Engineering from the University of the Philippines.His areas of interest include structural assessment and retrofit works, construction materials andinnovations, as well as construction costing and construction management43

Cu/Mn Oxidation Catalyst Integration into Recycled CarbonFiber-based Filter for Diesel Soot Emission ControlDiesel vehicle emissions containing nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and sootpose significant health and environmental risks. Diesel particulate filters (DPFs) reduce sootemissions by capturing particulate matter through their porous structure, but are often madefrom costly materials like silicon carbide and cordierite. This study addresses this gap bydeveloping a DPF using recycled carbon fibers (CF) coupled with bentonite-supported coppermanganese (Cu/Mn) catalysts. CFs were recovered from polymer composite wastes using twodistinct approaches: a two-step pyrolysis involving thermal decomposition and oxidation ofresin, and a chemical treatment via acid stratification and catalyzed separation. These processesyielded clean, structurally intact fibers suitable for filter fabrication. Sintering the filter produceda composite with enhanced structural cohesion, porosity, and thermal stability, which makes itsuitable for particulate entrapment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed thatsintered filters exhibit dispersed bentonite and carbon fibers, with pyrolyzed fibers providing amore compact structure. The resulting filter exhibited a specific surface area of 56.58 m2/g andan average pore size of 3.36 nm, while analyses confirmed the presence of Cu and Mn oxideswithin the bentonite matrix with synergistic interactions between catalysts. Thermogravimetricanalysis (TGA) showed that Cu/Mn-bentonite catalysts reduced soot oxidation onsettemperatures to approximately 245.26°C and 471.89°C, providing efficient catalyticperformance at lower temperatures while maintaining stability. These results effectivelyshowcased the potential of recycled carbon fibers for integration with Cu/Mn catalysts todevelop DPFs.TAMARGO, RAMUEL JOHN I.CESAR A. BUENAVENTURA PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGDr. Ramuel John I. Tamargo is an Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering,University of the Philippines Diliman, where he joined as a long-term DOST-PCIEERD Balik ScientistAwardee. He holds a joint MS-PhD in Chemical Engineering from Yeungnam University in South Korea,specializing in organic synthesis, nanotechnology, and environmentally friendly materials. With overeleven years of research experience, Dr. Tamargo has led multiple nationally funded projects, includinginnovations in air purification, green organic synthesis, and functional materials development. He headsthe Advanced Materials and Organic Synthesis Laboratory, producing impactful work on nanosensors,biopolymers, and sustainable chemical processes. His contributions include publications in high-impactjournals, invited presentations in international conferences, and authorship of book chapters on greenchemistry. Recognized with several awards—most recently the Balik Scientist Achievement Award (2024)—Dr. Tamargo continues to advance research focused on sustainable technologies, environmentalremediation, and advanced functional materials.44

Identifying Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) in thePhilippines Using GIS-AHP ApproachThe Department of Energy (DOE) established Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) toidentify optimal sites for renewable energy (RE) development and guide transmission planning.However, its current framework relies mainly on solar irradiance, wind speed, and existing REcontracts – limiting use in off-grid islands. This study proposes a methodology using MultiCriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), particularly the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), combinedwith local data and economic factors for solar PV and wind. Suitability maps were generatedusing QGIS, and optimal zones were identified through clustering – DBSCAN or K-meansapproach. Technical potential was computed, and clusters below grid capacity thresholds (62MW for 69 kV; 208 MW for 230 kV) or with high LCOE (118 $/MWh for solar and 126 $/MWhfor wind) were excluded. Applied to Mindoro, Palawan, and Catanduanes, this approach aims tosupport decision making for the co-development of RE resources and transmission networksespecially in Philippine grid islands.TIO, ADONIS EMMANUEL D.C.TEAM ENERGY PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENERGY ENGINEERINGAdonis is an Associate Professor at the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, University of thePhilippines Diliman. He received his BS Electrical Engineering (2011) and MS Electrical Engineering(2013) degrees from the University of the Philippines Diliman for his work on distribution systemreliability optimization and his PhD degree (2020) from the University of Sydney for his work ontransmission network planning under diverse power exchanges. His projects include USAID-, ADB-, andDOST-funded projects on low-carbon development pathways for the Philippines, microgrid planning of alocal electric cooperative, and transmission planning of the Philippine grid. He also mentorsundergraduate and graduate students on power and energy systems research.45

Atomic Adsorption Energies Prediction on Bimetallic TransitionMetal Surfaces Using an Interpretable Machine LearningAccelerated Density Functional Theory ApproachIn this study, we identified features with the largest contributions and property trends inpredicting the adsorption energies of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen adsorbates on transitionmetal (TM) surfaces by performing Density Functional Theory (DFT)-based calculations andMachine Learning (ML) regression models. From 26 monometallic and 400 bimetallic fcc(111)TM surfaces obtained from Catalysis-hub.org, three datasets consisting of fourteen elemental,electronic, and structural properties were generated using DFT calculations, site calculations,and online databases. The number of features was reduced using feature selection and thenfinely-tuned random forest regression (RFR), gaussian process regression (GPR), and artificialneural network (ANN) algorithms were implemented for adsorption energy prediction. Finally,model-agnostic interpretation methods such as permutation feature importance (PFI) andshapely additive explanations (SHAP) provided rankings of feature contributions and directionaltrends. For all datasets, RFR and GPR demonstrated the highest prediction accuracies. Inaddition, interpretation methods demonstrated that the largest contributing features anddirectional trends in the regression models were consistent with structure-property performancerelationships of TMs like the d-band model, the Friedel model, and higher-fold adsorption sites.Overall, this interpretable ML–DFT approach can be applied to TMs and their derivatives foratomic adsorption energy prediction and model explainability.TOMACRUZ, JAN GORAN T.FEDERICO E. PUNO PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERING (A)Jan Goran Tomacruz is a faculty member in Chemical Engineering and Laboratory of ElectrochemicalEngineering at the University of the Philippines Diliman and currently a PhD Chemistry Student under theCenter for High Entropy Alloy Catalysis in the University of Copenhagen (UCPH). His work bridgestheoretical catalyst screening, machine learning techniques, and experimental validation in energyconversion and storage technologies.Through his PhD studies at the University of Copenhagen, he seeks to deepen his expertise in chemicalreaction mechanisms through making low-cost electrolyzer catalysts. In his free time, he leads theapprenticeship program in the laboratory, where he mentors undergraduate students in research culturestarting in their sophomore year.46

Dissolution of copper from mine tailings using citric acidMine tailings are the waste generated after mineral processing which may still contain valuableminerals and metals. The concentration of these minerals and metals may still be significant towarrant reprocessing of the mine tailings. Particularly now that there is continued globaldemand for metals. The conventional techniques for recovering metals rely on pyrometallurgicalprocesses which consume huge amount of energy or hydrometallurgical processes which usestrong acids as lixiviants. All these pose environmental concerns. Thus, the need for greeneralternatives. This study investigates the feasibility of citric acid, a weak organic acid, asalternative lixiviant for extracting copper from mine tailings under column leaching conditions tomimic the application of in-situ leaching. Various citric acid concentrations were evaluated overa 120-day period. Copper extraction trials incorporated hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant andresults yielded optimal copper dissolution (72.32%) at 0.5 M citric acid. However, thepreferential dissolution of copper over iron was achieved at a much lower concentration (0.1 Mcitric acid). The findings of this study demonstrate the potential of citric acid as an environmentfriendly lixiviant for the recovery of copper from mine tailings. This study provides not only analternative eco-friendly lixiviant, but also an opportunity to recover copper from the tailings aswell as a means of mine rehabilitation.TUNGPALAN, DJOANE KATE T.ATTY. RAUL C. VILLANUEVA PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGDr. Djoan Kate Tungpalan is a metallurgical engineer and Professor at the University of the PhilippinesDepartment of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. Her research areas include orecharacterization, process mineralogy, geometallurgy, mineral processing and metal extraction. She isinvolved in various research projects on environment-friendly techniques of metal extraction particularlycopper, gold, nickel, arsenic and uranium. She was part of the CLINN-GEM team, which developed anon-cyanide, non-mercury technology of recovering gold applicable to small-scale mining operations.She is currently the Associate Dean for Student Affairs of the College of Engineering, UP Diliman.47

Energy Demand and Emissions of Domestic MaritimeTransportation in the Philippines in 2022This study attempts to estimate the energy consumption and emissions from the Philippinedomestic maritime transportation using a bottom-up approach that considers maritimetransportation activity, engine, operation phase and fuel information. Annual shipping movementdata from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and Cebu Port Authority (CPA) for the year 2022containing more than 600 thousand entries had undergone cleaning and processing where theorigin and destination ports and their locations had been identified. The port-to-port distanceswere estimated using geographic information system software. Energy and emissions areestimated by operation phase such as cruising, maneuvering and hoteling as each phase isassociated with a specific engine load. The gross tonnage (GT) for each ship was derived usingthe GRT information in each ship call entry. The ships are classified into nine types based onEMEP/EEA (2019), EPA (2009) and Trozzi (2010). Disaggregating ships into these nine typesdetermines installed engine power. Due to lack the engine and fuel information for domesticshipping, approximate values for installed engine power were used from the nine types frominternational fleet. The average cruising speed for each type was derived from Entec UK Limited(2002). The cruising travel time was determined by dividing the port-to-port distance by theaverage cruising speed. After calculation of energy consumption, emissions are estimated usingemission factors specific to fuel types. The total estimated energy demand is 1,172.33 kTOE.Annual emissions of NOx, CO, NMVOC, SOx and TSP were also calculated.VERGEL, KARL B N.LEVY ESPIRITU PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN CIVIL ENGINEERINGKarl B. N. Vergel is a Professor of Transportation Engineering of the Institute of Civil Engineering, Collegeof Engineering of the University of the Philippines Diliman, and a Research and Extension Fellow of theNational Center for Transportation Studies. He graduated B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University ofthe Philippines Diliman in 1993 and obtained Doctor of Engineering in Civil Engineering degree fromTokyo Institute of Technology in 1999. His research and extension work focuses on environmentallysustainable transport, transportation emissions, on-road testing of alternative fuels and biofuels, fuelefficiency, road vehicle standards development and transportation energy. He has published papers ontransportation engineering, transportation and environment and transportation energy. He has beenhandling undergraduate and graduate courses in transportation engineering and served as adviser ofundergraduate research projects and graduate research of students.48

Parametric Investigation on the Hydrothermal Liquefaction ofAlkali-Pretreated Citrus microcarpa (Calamansi) WasteThe country’s excessive production of daily food waste requires sustainable solutions such aswaste-to-energy valorization. Citrus waste, rich in cellulose and hemicellulose, is ideal for biooil production. This study investigates the production of bio-oil from calamansi fruit wastethrough the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of biomass pretreated with a 5% (w/v) Na₂CO₃solution at 90°C for 60 minutes. HTL was performed in a 50-mL autoclave reactor usingpretreated samples (6 g) and deionized water (20 mL) at varying temperatures (250°C, 260°C,270°C) and reaction times (35, 45, 55 minutes). Proximate analysis of biomass samples beforeand after pretreatment showed a significant increase in proportion of retained crude fiber and adecrease in carbohydrates content, indicating effective removal of soluble hemicellulosic sugars,while retaining cellulose. Pretreatment successfully increased the bio-oil yield with the highestyield (62.04%) achieved at 270°C and 45 minutes. UV-Vis spectroscopy and FTIR analysisconfirmed the presence of aromatics and hydrocarbons, suggesting good bio-oil stability andcalorific value. However, the detection of oxygenated compounds highlights the need forupgrading of bio-oil to enhance fuel quality and stability. Overall, calamansi fruit waste provedto be a promising biomass for bio-oil synthesis, producing high yields of crude bio-oil. Toimprove yield and quality, it is recommended to explore higher reaction temperatures andintegrate catalytic techniques such as hydrodeoxygenation to remove undesirable compoundsand optimize fuel properties.YAP, KRISTIAN JULY R.CERLITO SAN JUAN AND FAMILY PROFESSORIAL CHAIR IN ENGINEERINGKristian July R. Yap is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University ofthe Philippines (UP) Diliman. He obtained his MS Chemical Engineering degree last 2014 and graduatedmagna cum laude when he finished BS Chemical Engineering last 2009, both degrees from UP Diliman.He is affiliated with the Fuels, Energy and Thermal Systems (FETS) Laboratory and has been working onthe fields of microfluidics, biomass conversion, and energy engineering. He is also the current DeputyDirector of UP Diliman Human Resource Development Office (HRDO).49

Building Sustainable Cities Building Sustainable Citiesand EnvironmentsTHEME 0250