UP COE Technical Bulletin 2020: PCA and TRA Book of Abstracts

INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 33

TIMOTHY JOHN S. ACOSTA
AMH Professorial Chair Award

Timothy John S. Acosta is an Assistant Professor of the Institute of Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines
Diliman. He is also an associate member of the Association of Structural engineers of the Philippines. He completed his
B.S and M.S degree in Civil Engineering from the University of the Philippines Diliman. His research interest is in the field
of structural wind engineering and in disaster risk assessment.

RISK ASSESSMENT OF LOW-RISE EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS WITH WOODEN
ROOF STRUCTURES AGAINST SEVERE WIND LOADINGS

This paper presents a risk assessment of low-rise public-school buildings with wooden roof truss systems
against severe wind loadings. These kinds of buildings are majorly constructed in the provinces wherein the
availability of construction material is wood rather than steel. Wood, as a construction material for roof
systems, has a high variability in terms of the resistance to different failure modes. The variation of
construction practice of nail scheduling of the roofing fasteners and density of the wood material are observed
in field surveys. These factors lead to the vulnerability of these types of structures in typhoon prone regions in
the Philippines. Aside as serving as educational facilities, these structures are used as emergency shelters in
post disaster relief strategies. Thus, the risk assessment of public-school buildings in the provinces are
important. The paper investigates the prominent failure modes of these structures by field observations from
the damage caused by typhoon Nina (Nock-ten) 2016. Specifically, damage to the roof covering, roof
structure and exterior windows were observed and quantified. An archetype structure consisting of the most
dominant configurations observed in the field are modeled in a Monte Carlo Simulation wherein the
probabilistic resistance capacities of the different building envelope components are compared to their
corresponding probabilistic wind loads. The model makes use of a combination of the local design code,
empirical and experimental data for the different capacities. The probability of exceedance is then evaluated at
three levels of damage state per 3-s gust wind speeds. The results of the model are then evaluated through a
case study of the damage of Typhoon Nina on Region V. The reported damage by the respective government
authorities were aggregated on a municipality level and compared to the performance of the model. The mean
number of damaged schools were then plotted per municipality using an open-source GIS software. A
statistical analysis between the reported damage and mean predicted damage was also done by using the
spearman rank correlation coefficient and the results yielded a positive correlation of 0.856. The model can aid
in providing respective government authorities information for disaster risk reduction strategies.

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34 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

ERIC AUGUSTUS J. TINGATINGA, PhD.
DMCI Project Developers Professorial Chair 1

Eric Augustus J. Tingatinga is a Professor of the Institute of Civil Engineering (UP- ICE) in UP Diliman. His research
interests include structural dynamics, vulnerability assessment of buildings, and nonlinear analysis and simulation of
buildings (and its non-structural components) subjected to extreme loads such as due to strong earthquakes or blast
loads. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on Structural Analysis, Structural Dynamics, Engineering
Mechanics and Numerical Methods.
He was a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) visiting researcher at Utsunomiya University in 2004 and an
Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) Post- Doctorate fellow at Saitama University in 2010 and
2014.
Dr. Tingatinga obtained his MS and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering from Saitama University, Japan under
scholarships from ADB-JSP and the Japanese government, respectively. He earned his BS Geodetic Engineering degree
from UP Diliman.

SAP15X: STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS PACKAGE FOR INSTRUCTION AND
RESEARCH

This paper presents SAP15x - a structural analysis software package designed to supplement
structural analysis courses offered at the UP Institute of Civil Engineering. Unlike conventional
commercial software, this software is designed so students gain confidence in performing matrix
structural analysis and gain better understanding of the direct stiffness method. It provides utility to
view quantities such as, element rotation matrices or stiffness matrices in local and global
coordinates, structure’s global stiffness matrix, or equivalent nodal forces of element loads, etc. This
software also aims to provide opportunities for researchers and structural engineers to solve
problems that are otherwise difficult to solve using conventional software.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 35

PHER ERROL B. QUINAY, PhD.
Beatriz Basa-Altura Professorial Chair in Civil
Engineering

Pher Errol B. Quinay is an Associate Professor in UP Institute of Civil Engineering and the Head of Structural Engineering
Group. He obtained his B.S. Civil Engineering degree from UP Diliman in 2005, M.Eng in Civil Engineering degree from
Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2009, and D.Eng in Civil Engineering degree from The University of Tokyo in 2012. He
was a Fellow of Advanced Science in Japan Atomic Energy Agency's Center for Computational Science and e-Systems
from 2010 to 2012, and an Assistant Professor in Niigata University's Research Institute for Natural Hazards and
Disaster Recovery from 2012-2016. In 2016, he returned to the Philippines as a DOST-Balik Scientist awardee and was
hosted by DOST-PHIVOLCS and Batangas State University. He is a software developer and consultant to the DOST-
PHIVOLCS project, FEATURE: Feature-based Earthquake Analysis Toolset for Urban Area Response Estimation. His
research is focused on combining numerical modeling and high performance computing techniques to solve high fidelity
models in structural and earthquake engineering problems.

DEVELOPMENT OF SIMULATION-BASED APPROACH USING FRAME MODELS
GENERATED FROM GIS FEATURES AND BIM DATA FOR APPLICATION TO CITY

SEISMIC RESPONSE ANALYSIS OF LOW-TO MID-RISE RC STRUCTURES IN
METRO MANILA

Many cities in the Philippines are situated near fault systems that can generate large magnitude
earthquakes. This paper describes the development of a city seismic response analysis approach for
Metro Manila's low- to mid-rise RC structures using frame models which are generated from GIS
feature or BIM data. To create the three-dimensional models, features and structural details from BIM
are used. Finite element method was used to discretize the models with mesh of line elements.
Validations of generated models were conducted by comparing the results with those obtained using
solid finite element model, commercial software, and experimental test. The developed approach was
applied to a scenario earthquake analysis wherein the causative fault is the West Valley Fault. Two
cities within Metro Manila, that vary in distribution of low- and mid-rise building and site condition,
were analyzed. The results of statistical analysis show that the variations in distribution of maximum
interstory drift between cities and between floor levels, are influenced by the height and floor plan
area of the structures. Visualizations in both city-level and building-level reveal the areas that are
critical for the considered scenario earthquake. Analysis of the computation costs shows that using
frame models for response analysis of each city in Metro Manila leads to million-order degrees-of-
freedom to solve, and necessitates the implementation of data partitioning and high performance
computing techniques.

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36 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

ALEXIS PHILIP A. ACACIO, PhD.
Beta Epsilon Professorial Chair

*with co-authors Trishia Liezl M. Dela Cruz, Monica M. Ledesma

Dr. Alexis A. Acacio is a Professor of civil engineering at the University of the Philippines. His research interest involves
site specific geotechnical investigation, laboratory testing and geotechnical analysis for various infrastructure projects.
He is also involved as a geotechnical consultant to various civil infrastructure projects throughout the Philippines and
also serves as the president of the Philippine Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (PSSMGE).

SUBDIVISION DEVELOPMENT OF LIQUEFIABLE DEPOSITS: ANALYSIS AND
MITIGATION MEASURES

In this paper, the study area planned for subdivision development is located in the City of Dagupan
which was affected by liquefaction during the 1990 Luzon Earthquake. Liquefaction analysis was
done by using the SPT (Standard Penetration Test) data at an earthquake magnitude of 7.2 with a
peak ground acceleration of 0.4g using the liquefaction software, Liquefy Pro V.5. The study area is
approximately 56-km from the Digdig Fault which is a segment of the Philippine Fault System, the
seismic source of the 1990 Luzon Earthquake. Considering the proximity of a seismic source capable
of generating high – magnitude earthquakes, effects of pore water pressure, and the presence of
loose deposits of silts and sands, the respective region is susceptible to liquefaction. The submerged
area, based on the analysis, is generally liquefiable up to a depth of 5.3 to 6.7 meters. Aside from the
presence of loose to medium dense sands, the said area also consists of relatively thin clay and silt
layers. The risk of lateral spreading in the study area is apparent due to its location near streams,
subsurface condition, and liquefaction history. Various liquefaction mitigation measures are currently
available, however, there are only limited options due to economic and time constraints for
subdivision development in an area susceptible for both liquefaction and lateral spread. Mitigation
measures viable for the study area are presented. All mitigation measures require proper planning,
environmental considerations, monitoring, quality control, and verification.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 37

KRISTIAN AZUL
Salvador F. Reyes Professorial Chair in
Geotechnical Engineering

*with co-author Dr. Mark Albert Zarco

Kristian Azul has been part of the UP Institute of Civil Engineering since 2012, starting out as an instructor, and is
currently an Assistant Professor. He finished his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering in 2012 and his Master’s Degree
in Civil Engineering (Geotechnical) in 2017, both from the Institute of Civil Engineering of the University of the
Philippines Diliman.

His field of research is Geotechnical Engineering, more specifically, Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, Earthquake
Simulation and Sensitivity Analysis, as well as Soil Improvement Studies. His most recent works include simulation and
validation of earthquake simulations like the 2013 Bohol Earthquake and the simulation of the possible Mw7.2 West
Valley Fault earthquake as well as studies involving sensitivity analysis of earthquake input parameters from source,
path, and local soil effects.

STOCHASTIC FINITE-FAULT MODELLING OF MW7.2 2013 BOHOL EARTHQUAKE
WITH IMPROVEMENTS VIA LOW-FREQUENCY SCALING FOCUSING ON TIME-
AND FREQUENCY-DOMAIN CHARACTERISTICS

The deleterious effects of strong ground motions of earthquakes on structures are dependent on a
number of factors which include the source, path, site, and as well as the dynamic characteristics of
the structure. Simulations of the strong motions corresponding to the October 15, 2013 Bohol
earthquake were performed using a stochastic finite-fault modelling method, while exploring the
effect low-frequency scaling. The simulated motion was then compared to the actual recorded
ground motions using the peak ground acceleration, arias intensity, cumulative acceleration plots,
Fourier amplitude spectrum, and predominant frequencies. Base simulations showed great similarity
in overall envelope shape and PGA value. However, it was shown that simulations needed
modification in the low-frequency range to better match the actual recorded motions. Improvement in
the agreement between the simulated and recorded motions was achieved in both frequency domain
and time domain characteristics after low-frequency scaling was applied. Although low-frequency
scaling resulted in an accelerogram whose certain characteristics are closer to that of the recorded
ground motions, it also resulted in an overestimated PGA value.

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38 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

MA. BRIDA LEA D. DIOLA
Levy V. Espiritu Professorial Chair in Civil
Engineering

*with co-authors Angelica Joy A. Dameg, Allyssa Mae A. Suallo, Ma. Lucila
V. Badiola, and Kathleen C. Lim

Ma. Brida Lea D. Diola is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines
Diliman. She teaches Engineering Sciences, Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering undergraduate courses.
She graduated from UP Diliman with a degree of MS Environmental Engineering and BS Civil Engineering. She is active
in doing extension and research work, and she has been involved in several industry and government-funded civil and
environmental engineering projects specifically on municipal solid waste & disaster waste management, waste-to-
energy, disaster risk reduction and management, water quality monitoring and modeling, sustainable construction
materials, Environmental Impact Assessment, and human and ecological risk assessment.

ASSESSMENT OF INCORPORATING PLASTICS WASTES IN BRICKS AND
CONCRETE IN THE PHILIPPINES

Solid waste, particularly plastics, is one of the major environmental problems in the world, especially
in developing countries like the Philippines. With the continuous rising of plastic wastes generated
and disposed every day, measures have been taken to utilize these wastes such as using them as
alternative material in construction. One of these methods is the utilization of Ecobricks or
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles filled with non-biodegradable waste materials as alternative
to concrete hollow blocks. Another method is using metalized plastic wastes (MPW) as partial
substitute to fine aggregates in concrete. They are already being practiced in the Philippines, but
investigations and information on their performance and feasibility are still not adequate. To address
this issue and to determine the benefits of the two methods, mechanical performance tests, cost and
waste diversion analysis were conducted. Results showed that the compressive strength of the
ecobrick wall is directly proportional to the density of ecobricks used. The low-density and high-
density ecobrick blocks have an average compressive strength of 196.29 psi and 380.04 psi,
respectively. Ecobricks also reduce the materials cost by 72% and have a potential in solving the
problem in plastic waste disposal and management. The inclusion of MPW in concrete causes a
decrease in the compressive strength but offers a considerable decrease in material cost.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 39

MARIA ANTONIA N. TANCHULING, PhD.
Maynilad Professorial Chair

*with co-author Ezra Osorio

Dr. Maria Antonia N. Tanchuling is a Professor of the UP College of Engineering and is the Director of the Institute of Civil
Engineering since 2017. She is the former Coordinator of the Environmental Engineering Graduate Program from 2010 - 2016.
She was also the former Associate Dean for Student and Industry Linkage of the UP College of Engineering.

She earned her BS in Civil Engineering and MS in Environmental Engineering degrees from the University of the Philippines
Diliman, and her PhD in Civil Engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology. Her research interests include Solid Waste
Management, Environmental Impact Assessment, Water Quality Management, Water and Sanitation, and Microplastic
Characterization.

She is the Chairperson of the Philippine Association of Tertiary Level Educational Institutions in Environmental Protection and
Management (PATLEPAM). She also sits as a Vice-chairperson of TAO-Pilipinas, an NGO which assists urban poor
communities plan its settlements. She is also a founding partner of AMH Philippines, an engineering consultancy firm. She is
the Vice-Chair of the Environmental and Energy Engineering Specialty Group of Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE)
and also the Adviser of its Student Affairs Committee.

UBIQUITY OF MICROPLASTICS IN SURFACE WATERS AND SEDIMENTS IN FIVE
RIVER MOUTHS OF MANILA BAY

Microplastics have been increasingly documented globally in numerous environmental
compartments. However, little information exists in the Philippines despite the fact that the country is
considered to be the third largest contributor of plastics in oceans. This study, considered as one of
the pioneering microplastic research, evaluated the abundance, distribution, and composition of
microplastic pollution in the mouths of five rivers, namely Cañas, Meycauayan, Parañaque, Pasig and
Tullahan, draining to Manila Bay. Surface water and sediments samples were collected, then passed
through a stack of sieves with sizes from 2.36 mm at the top to 0.075 mm at the bottom. These
samples were digested to remove organic matter, and salt solutions were added to allow the
microplastics to float. Particles that were extracted were examined under a 40x magnification stereo
microscope, and quantified and categorized into size, colour, and type. Results show that
microplastics were present ubiquitously at all river mouths but with concentrations varying from
1,580 to 57,665 particles/m3 (surface water) and 386 to 1,357 particles/kg (dry sediment). Fragment
was the most abundant shape, while white, blue and transparent were the most prevalent colours.
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed that polypropylene (PP), high and
low-density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE) and polystyrene (PS) were the main types of
microplastics present in the river mouths.

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40 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

EUGENE C. HERRERA, PhD.
Maynilad UP Centennial Professorial Chair

Dr. Eugene C. Herrera is an Associate Professor of the Institute of Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines-Diliman.
He obtained his BSCE and MSCE from UP Diliman, and his Doctor of Engineering degree from Tokyo Institute of
Technology (Japan) with major in Environmental Informatics of water resource systems, and specialization in
hydrodynamics, ecology, and limnology. He has been involved in various research and engineering design projects with
the National Hydraulic Research Center on flood and sediment management, decision-support system analysis, water
availability studies, environmental assessment, and many others utilizing physical and mathematical modeling
methods. He is also the local project counterpart on environmental systems modeling of the JICA-funded BlueCARES
Project (Comprehensive Assessment and Conservation of Blue Carbon Ecosystems and their Services in the Coral
Triangle). Currently, he heads the Eco-System Modeling and Material Transport Analysis for the Rehabilitation of Manila
Bay (Project e-SMART), a DOST-PCIEERD funded project under the IM4ManilaBay Program.

INTEGRATED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR WATER RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM LAGUNA LAKE

EXPERIENCE

Laguna Lake with its competing and conflicting water-users and continued environmental degradation from
anthropogenic-based stressors may be considered the most stressed inland water body in the Philippines.
Aside from the pressure of environmental degradation, user and institutional conflicts compound the problem
of sustainably managing the lake resources with consideration to environmental conservation. A Decision
Support System (DSS) is an integrated set of mathematical models and supporting software, which provides a
comprehensive scientific description of environmental systems for the comparison of different strategies and
measures for resource-use and conservation. The existing Decision Support System for Laguna Lake was
designed to simulate and explain a range of scientific problems and processes within the lake and its
watershed in aid of management. The set-up is predominantly field-oriented, with a secondary emphasis on
model development. Field surveys on the lake are regularly conducted, both intensive and extensive in scale.
A monitoring platform was constructed in the west lobe of the lake where hydrodynamic and water quality
data-logging sensors were installed for long-term continuous monitoring. Numerical models for describing
watershed hydrology, lake hydrodynamics, sediment transport, waste load, water quality and ecology, among
others were set-up in a GIS platform interface to provide a deeper understanding of Laguna Lake ecosystem
dynamics. The field monitoring and numerical modelling information provide scientific basis for developing
policies and strategies for integrated lake management planning as well as to assess the consequences,
effects or impacts of possible actions and alternative management schemes imposed on Laguna Lake through
model simulation studies. The modeling results are used interactively during workshops and discussions with
key stakeholders (government agencies, civil society, NGO’s and PO’s) to develop policies and management
schemes of the lake system so that decisions or actions taken can be evaluated and tested at reasonable time
through model simulation.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 41

GUILLERMO Q. TABIOS III, PhD.
Angel Alejandrino Professorial Chair

Guillermo Tabios III is a Professor Emeritus of the Institute of Civil Engineering and Research Fellow of the National
Hydraulic Research Center, University of the Philippines at Diliman, Quezon City. He is also an Academician of the
National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines. He holds Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Colorado State
University, Fort Collins with B.S. and M.S. degrees in Agricultural Engineering from the University of the Philippines at
Los Baños. His expertise is in stochastic and computational hydrology and hydraulics as well as water resources systems
engineering. He authored the book “Water Resources Systems of the Philippines: Modeling Studies” published by
Springer International.

NONSTATIONARY EXTREME VALUE ANALYSIS OF ANNUAL RAINFALL MAXIMA
UNDER CHANGING CLIMATE FOR CAGAYAN DE ORO RIVER BASIN

Typically, the design storm is based on extreme value probability analysis, using historical data and
that their associated return period is assumed to be stationary, long-term into the future. However,
with changing climate regimes and low-frequency interdecadal climate variability, the design storm
and associated return period should be based on nonstationary extreme value analysis to reflect the
changing climate risks over time. This paper illustrates a nonstationary analysis of design storms
under changing climate based on observed, increasing trend of rainfall regimes in the Cagayan de
Oro River Basin. As a policy flood risk management, the design storm parameters should be defined
under nonstationary conditions considering the evolutionary nature of climate regimes including
climate variability.

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42 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

IMEE BREN O. VILLALBA
Federico E. Puno Professorial Chair A

Imee Bren Villalba is an Assistant Professor of the Institute of Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman,
Quezon City where she teaches courses on Fluid Mechanics, Hydraulic Engineering, and Engineering Meteorology. She
also advices senior civil engineering students who are taking research topics in water resources and coastal engineering.
Her research interests include water resources engineering, coastal engineering, hydrologic engineering, flood
modelling and storm surge modelling. In addition, Prof. Villalba has made several presentations of studies in storm
surge modelling applied in Philippine coastal areas in national and international conferences.
Asst. Prof. Villalba graduated Cum laude in B.S. Civil Engineering and earned her degree in M.S. Civil Engineering major
in Water Resources from the Institute of Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman.

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF STORM TIDES ALONG THE NORTHERN COAST OF
CAGAYAN, PHILIPPINES

The northern coast of Cagayan in the Philippines is considered prone to storm surges because it
receives the highest frequency of typhoons traversing the country and has a gentle sloping
nearshore bathymetry. This study aims to simulate the storm tides produced by historical typhoons
along the northern coast of Cagayan in order to assess and describe the water levels during the
passage of strong typhoons. Four (4) recent strong historical typhoons are selected and simulated in
this study, namely, Typhoon Nuri 2008, Typhoon Nanmadol 2011, Typhoon Noul 2015, and Typhoon
Mangkhut 2018. The Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) model is used to numerically simulate the
historical storm tides along the northern coast of Cagayan and the typhoon wind and pressure fields
are simulated using the Holland 1980 Typhoon Model. The hydrodynamic model is calibrated using
the water level data from NAMRIA station at Port Irene, Cagayan. Results show that the maximum
simulated storm tide level is below 2 meters along the northern coast of Cagayan with the maximum
storm tide height occurring at the towns of Buguey and Gonzaga. The results of this study will be
helpful in storm surge awareness and in the preliminary design of storm surge disaster prevention
and mitigating measures in Cagayan, Philippines.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 43

ROBERTO SORIANO, PhD.
Dr. Leonardo Q. Liongson Professorial Chair

Roberto Soriano is an Associate Professor of the Institute of Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman. He is
also the group head of the Water Resources and Coastal Engineering Group of the Institute and concurrently the
Director of the National Hydraulic Research Center and member of the National Water Resources Board. He holds a PhD
in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia, Master of
Engineering from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand and BS Agricultural Engineering from the
University of the Philippines at Los Banos (UPLB), Laguna. His practice and research interests are applied hydrology,
water resources engineering, surface and groundwater modeling and management.

MODEL DEVELOPMENT FOR EVALUATING URBAN FLOOD MITIGATION
STRATEGIES: THE CASE OF SAN JUAN RIVER, QUEZON CITY PHILIPPINES

The San Juan River basin is a sub-catchment of the Pasig-Marikina River Basin. It is located on the
central part of Quezon City and occupies around 70% of the land area of the city. The Quezon City
government realized the need for understanding the flood occurrences in the basin and its causes
and find ways to assess the effectiveness of various mitigation initiatives planned and implemented
by the local and other national government agencies. The Quezon City government commissioned
the University of the Philippines through its centers to conduct the study “Flood Study of the San
Juan River and its Tributaries” in 2017 to develop a numerical flood model as a tool for simulating
flood events and its impacts. This paper presents some of the useful findings from the study but also
discusses the experience of the study team in dealing with the major stakeholders – the local
government as the project proponent and the communities in the city during the conduct of the
study. It was observed that the active role and participation of the local government unit, the officials
and its agencies are significant contributors towards the successful implementation of the project
which was carried out as planned, both as far schedule and fund management is concerned. The
partnership between the academe and the city government is presented as a model of government-
to-government linkage in comprehensively dealing with flood mitigation through the development of
knowledge products that can be used for flood simulation and assessment of flood mitigation
alternatives.

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44 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

MARJORIE T. DAVID
DMCI Project Developers Professorial Chair 2

*with co-authors April Joyce B. Dulay and Imee Bren Villalba

Asst. Prof. Marjorie T. David is a member of the faculty of the Institute of Civil Engineering since 2017. She is the holder
of the DMCI Project Developers Professorial Chair 2. She obtained her Bachelors Degree and Masters Degree in Civil
Engineering from the University of the Philippines Diliman. As a member of the Water Resources and Coastal
Engineering Group of the institute, her research interests include numerical modeling of water related hazards
particularly in the coastal environment such as storm surges and tsunamis. Her other fields of expertise include
hydrologic and hydraulic studies, drainage system design, and water supply distribution system design.

FLOOD MAPPING OF HISTORICAL FLOOD AND DAM BREAK SIMULATION OF
MAGAT DAM

Magat dam is located in the boundary of Ramon, Isabela and Alfonso Lista, Ifugao. It is located
upstream of Magat River, one of the major tributaries of Cagayan River. It is mainly used for power
generation and irrigation and currently it is also used for fish production. The dam is part of the
Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (MARIIS) that irrigates 80,847 hectares of land. This paper
aims to determine the extent of possible flood inundation downstream of Magat dam when it fails and
to generate a flood map of the municipality of Aurora, Isabela. In order to achieve the objectives, HEC
-RAS 5.0.4 was used as the main application for the dam break simulation. In this study, the dam
discharges at Magat Dam and water level at Aurora bridge recorded during Typhoon Emong on May
2009 were used to calibrate the model. During calibration, the value of the Manning’s roughness was
adjusted to obtain a set of simulated data close to the observed values. The study focuses in the
simulation of 2 dam break scenarios (overtopping and piping) with the historical dam discharge of
2009 Typhoon Emong. The resulting depth of flood water from the overtopping and piping are
recorded and the results are similar. The arrival time of the flood depths during piping is slower than
during overtopping by 30 seconds. The discharge during overtopping rapidly increases after the
breaching. It was identified that 29 out of the 33 barangays of the Municipality of Aurora are flooded.
Out of the 29 barangays, 17 barangays are totally flooded while 12 barangays are partially flooded.
Evacuation centers are advised to be placed in the non-flooded areas, north of the Alfonso Lista-
Aurora Boundary Road. The arrival time of the maximum flood depths ranges from 3 to 7 hours from
the start of dam break.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 45

JAIME Y. HERNANDEZ, JR., PhD.
Antonio G. Tan Giok Kun Professorial Chair in
Civil Engineering

Jaime Y. Hernandez Jr. is a Professor of the Institute of Civil Engineering at the University of the Philippines, Diliman,
Quezon City. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Tokyo, Japan with MSCE from Saitama
University, Japan and a BSCE from UP Diliman. His PhD dissertation is under Structural Health Monitoring and his
research interests include Structural Health Monitoring, Structural Analysis and Design, Wind Engineering, and
Vulnerability of Structures to natural hazards under DRRM.

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS ON WIND ENGINEERING AT THE INSTITUTE OF
CIVIL ENGINEERING IN UP DILIMAN

The Institute of Civil Engineering (ICE) in UP Diliman is currently building its capability in research on
the specialized field of Wind Engineering. Different researches had been conducted along the lines of
experimental and numerical modeling and simulations. A research project collaboration with
PAGASA and PHIVOLCS, funded by DOST-PCIEERD, entitled “Enhanced Severe Wind Vulnerability
Curves of Key Building Types in the Philippines” is ongoing. This paper highlights some of the work
that has already been made and the long-term plans as a glimpse in the direction the Institute is
taking in developing expertise on the field of Wind Engineering

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46 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

OSCAR VICTOR M. ANTONIO JR., PhD.
Alfredo L. Juinio Professorial Chair

*with co-authors Reina Nette R. Daguio, and Lyndon M. Domantay

Dr. Oscar Victor M. Antonio, Jr. is a Professor at the Institute of Civil Engineering and a Research Fellow of the Building
Research Service (BRS) of the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City. He has been teaching courses for both
undergraduate and graduate students. These courses include statics of rigid bodies, mechanics of deformable bodies,
mathematical methods, geotechnical engineering, structural analysis, structural design (steel and reinforced concrete),
and nondestructive testing. Dr. Antonio also served as an Associated Dean under the administrations of Dean Guevarra
and Dean Matias.
His field of specialization are structural engineering and geotechnical engineering. His research area covers
nondestructive testing and evaluation, structural integrity evaluation of new and existing structures, structural health
monitoring, concrete imaging (superstructure and substructure), ultrasonic wave simulation, nano-engineered concrete,
smart building, ground improvement, and unmanned aerial vehicle and artificial neural network applications for
structure evaluation.
Dr. Antonio graduated with a Doctor of Engineering degree from Tokyo Institute of Technology. He obtained his Master
of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF THE STRENGTH, IMPERMEABILITY AND
PIEZORESISTIVITY OF GRAPHENE NANOPLATELET-MODIFIED CONCRETE

The improvements brought about by engineering concrete at the nanoscopic scale can pave the way
to a more sustainable construction industry. In this study, the effects of graphene nanoplatelets
(GNP) on the compressive and flexural strengths of concrete were investigated. Water permeability
and chloride ingress tests were also performed to assess the performance of the GNP-modified
concrete when exposed to environments with aggressive agents like water and chloride.
Furthermore, the piezoresistive behavior of GNP-modified concrete under flexural loading was also
investigated in order to assess its potential for structural health monitoring. Improvements in the
results of the compressive strength, water permeability, and chloride ingress tests were observed at
a 0.41 water to cement ratio while the flexural strength of the GNP-modified beams increased when
around 0.05% GNP by weight of cement was added. The plots of resistance along the length of the
beams show that GNP-modified concrete exhibits damage-sensing capabilities.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 47

DIOCEL HAROLD M. AQUINO, PhD.
Engr. Ronaldo S. Ison Professorial Chair in
Structural Engineering

Diocel Harold Aquino is an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of the Philippines Diliman. His work
is centered around resilience engineering for structures and communities. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s
degree at the University of the Philippines Diliman and his Ph.D. at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Beyond
his research endeavors, he is extensively immersed in the practice of DRRM planning and humanitarian disaster
response both locally and internationally. He is a fellow of the UP Resilience Institute and the UP NEC Building Research
Service. In 2018, he has also been inducted into the Young Scientist Programme of the Integrated Research for Disaster
Risk of the International Science Council. Among his notable involvements include the development of the proposed
Philippine Building Act to mainstream disaster resilience.

BUILDING BACK TOWARDS STORM-RESILIENT HOUSING

Tropical cyclone Haiyan brought about record high wind speeds that destroyed over half a million
houses and severely damaged over half a million others in the Philippines. With the ongoing recovery
and rehabilitation comes the reconstruction of damaged residences. This paper investigates the post-
disaster reconstruction of houses in the area, whether or not the concept of building back better was
considered, and what factors affect the people’s decision to do so. One hundred six households were
surveyed. Results show that building back better is not widely practiced in the area. Higher income
groups have more propensity to reconstruction their houses better while lower income groups are
limited to do so because of cost implications and because of lack of access to the know-hows of
reconstruction. Interventions could be done by providing aid in the procurement of materials and
training in how to make buildings resilient for lower to lower-middle income households.

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48 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

RICHMARK N. MACUHA
Federico E. Puno Professorial Chair B

Assistant Professor Richmark N. Macuha has been serving as a full-time faculty member from the Institute of Civil
Engineering since 2010. His expertise is in the field of numerical modeling applied to water resources engineering
applications. He had conducted hydrological investigations, flood studies and water resources assessments of various
watersheds in the Philippines as part of his involvements in some past research projects. He has also industry-related
experiences in hydraulic engineering applications such as in the design of surface water intakes, water supply systems
and hydropower components. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Science in Civil
Engineering (Water Resources) from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

SIMULATION MODELING OF ENGINEERING INTERVENTIONS AS TOOL FOR
FLOOD CONTROL PLANNING IN SAN JUAN RIVER

To effectively assess the feasibility of common engineering interventions such as dredging and river
widening to resolve the flooding problem along San Juan River, a numerical model was set-up and
utilized. Numerical models serve as effective decision-support tools for assessing quantitatively the
dynamics of water movement and simulating interventions for water resource-use, conservation and
risk-reduction management. For this study, the SOBEK™ 2D hydrodynamic modeling software was
used. SOBEK™ simulates the flood flows along a river, its tributaries and floodplain areas. The model
combines the Saint-Venant equations for channel flow with the Shallow-Water equations. A segment
of San Juan River was modeled and analyzed using a geospatial dataset taken from river topographic
field works conducted in 2017. Aside from the baseline condition, scenarios reflecting dredging and
river widening was setup. All scenarios were subjected to the same hydrologic condition, primarily to
see the potential benefits of the engineering interventions. Model results indicated that the proposed
dredging and widening activities significantly reduce the flood depth along the river and also reduces
the flood extent for extreme rainfall events. However, descriptions remain to be qualitative and within
limits of acceptable accuracy as the model is limited by insufficient hydraulic data for calibration/
validation to predict detailed hydraulic conditions at any location at any given time. Nevertheless, it
was demonstrated that with the use of hydraulic modeling analysis, a historic hydraulic
representation of the study area was recreated and different geospatial configurations were explored
for analyzing the flooding dynamics of San Juan River in aid of flood management decision-making.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 49

ERIC C. CRUZ, Dr.Eng.
Semirara Professorial Chair in Hydraulics

BSCE (cum laude) from the University of the Philippines Diliman; Master’s and Doctorate Degrees in Coastal Engineering from
the University of Tokyo, Japan; Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of South Alabama’s Coastal Transportation
Engineering Research and Education Center, USA; more than twenty five (25) years of experience in engineering research,
hydrodynamics and wave-related numerical modeling and studies, and engineering and design engagement for coastal resort
areas, marinas, ports, coastal protection, beach development, harbors, land reclamations, coastal power plants, offshore
anchorages, and marine infrastructures in the Philippines, Japan and the United States; has published more than 159
scientific papers in national and international conference proceedings and journals; full Professor at the University of the
Philippines Institute of Civil Engineering; Research Affiliate at the U National Hydraulic Research Center; accredited Specialist
in Water Engineering and Specialist in Energy and Environmental Engineering by the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers
(PICE); member of the Association of Coastal Engineers based in Florida, U.S.; founding Principal Engineer of AMH.

Dr. Cruz is involved in research on coastal oceanography, nearshore hydrodynamics and wave mechanics, numerical modeling
of coastal processes, coastal structures, coastal hazards and protection, beach engineering, port engineering.

HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS OF WAVE PENETRATION INTO A MARINA HARBOR WITH
VERTICAL-WALL BREAKWATERS UNDER A HISTORICAL TYPHOON

A vertical-wall breakwater is a preferred coastal protection structure in severe wave environments
with water depths exceeding about 8 meters. One such type is a caisson breakwater which was used
in the preliminary engineering of a marina that will be exposed to strong typhoons. To assess the
effectiveness of the coastal protection afforded by the breakwater for the marina infrastructures
against storm waves, a hydraulic analysis of wave penetration into the marina was undertaken using
a numerical model of wave overtopping of the caissons. The wave overtopping model was coupled
into a storm surge numerical model based on the nonlinear shallow water equations. A local mesh
representing the plan layout of the caisson breakwater and the high resolution bathymetric data was
incorporated into the unstructured finite element regional model to determine the wave overtopping
rate and the wave field behind the structure into the marina interior. Wave overtopping was simulated
under typhoon Haiyan 2013, the critical storm loading for the breakwater. The paper introduces
numerical modeling of wave overtopping to quantify the wave protection provided by caisson
breakwaters in the preliminary engineering of enclosed marinas that are traversed by typhoons.

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50 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

HILARIO SEAN O. PALMIANO, Dr.Eng.
David M. Consunji Professorial Chair in
Engineering

*with co-author Eugene T. Dimayacyac

Dr. Hilario Sean O. Palmiano specializes in Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering and is currently the Group
Head of the Transportation Engineering Group under the Institute of Civil Engineering. Many of his research and
extension activities are affiliated with the National Center for Transportation Studies, wherein he was former Director
and currently a Research and Extension Fellow. His field of study includes traffic simulation, intelligent transportation
systems, traffic flow analysis, sustainable transportation, road safety, traffic management, and traffic engineering. He
obtained his master’s and doctoral degrees from Tokyo Institute of Technology.

CALIBRATING RELATIVE VELOCITY AND LATERAL CLEARANCE PARAMETERS
OF A LANE CHANGING MODEL FOR TRAFFIC MICROSIMULATION

Understanding and quantifying driver behavior is essential in traffic simulation, which is considered
as an effective analytical tool in traffic flow analysis and traffic management. This study focuses on
the lane-changing behavior of drivers. The objective is to measure speed and lateral clearance
maintained by vehicles performing lane change, and to model the relationship between them.
Measurements were made from video footage of vehicular flow along a major highway, and a data
set consisting of about 300 lane changing vehicles were obtained. From statistical analysis, a direct
linear relationship is established showing that lane changing vehicles maintain larger side distances
with neighboring vehicles at higher speeds. It was determined that lane changing vehicles tend to
increase side clearances by 0.06m per 1 m/s increase in forward speed. Comparison with similar
analysis performed in other countries revealed that Filipino drivers tended to be riskier in performing
lane changes. The output of this study contributed to a current local research on development of a
microscopic traffic simulation with DOST funding.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 51

JOSE REGIN F. REGIDOR, PhD.
Ambrosio Magsaysay Professorial Chair in
Engineering

Dr. Jose Regin F. Regidor graduated with a degree in BS and MS in Civil Engineering at the University of the Philippines
Diliman in 1993 and 1995. He holds a Doctor of Engineering degree from Yokohama National University, Japan (1999).
Dr. Regidor was Visiting Scientist at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (1996) and Saitama University (2001 and 2008).
He is currently a Research and Extension Fellow at the National Center for Transportation Studies where he was Director
from 2006 to 2012. He is currently involved in a project on Child Road Traffic Injury Prevention (CRTIP) for UNICEF. He
was a Project Leader under the Emerging Inter-Disciplinary Research (EIDR) Program on “The Mass Transit in Metro
Manila: From Tranvia to MRT, 1879 – 2014.” He led the study team that formulated the “National EST Strategy for the
Philippines” that (UNCRD, 2008–2011). He has contributed to the formulation of a “Transport Infrastructure Framework
Plan and Roadmap for the Philippines,” and a working paper on “Politics of Transport Reform in Metro Manila” for the
World Bank, and “A Study of Long-Term Transport Action Plan for ASEAN” for the Clean Air Asia (CAA) and the
Institution for Transport Policy Studies (ITPS) of Japan.

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS FOR THE NEW NORMAL: TOWARDS A BETTER
NORMAL

Before the lockdown, transportation and traffic in urban areas were largely inefficient, unsafe and
unsustainable. These were associated with traffic congestion, unsafe roads, rising emission levels,
and a dependency on fossil fuels that run most of land-based transport. During the lockdown, traffic
congestion largely disappeared, air quality improved, and road crash incidence was reduced with
significantly fewer vehicles on the roads. Prior to the transition to General Community Quarantine
(GCQ), various groups have called for reforms in transportation towards achieving a new normal.
These mostly focused on active transportation such as walking and cycling, which are modes that
have often been neglected in planning and implementation of programs and projects that are
supposed to improve the way people moved about (i.e., commuting). In addition, safety or risk
assessments were undertaken for various transport modes. This paper discusses the conditions
before, during and after the lockdown. Assessments are made towards enabling a new normal where
the transportation system is people-oriented rather than car-oriented. The conclusion is that we can
have a “better normal” that involves a mass transit system backbone complemented by conventional
public transport as feeders, and active transport as a major mode for enhanced mobility.

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52 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

JAIME ANGELO VICTOR
Ciriaco Professorial Chair in Engineering

*with co-author Mark Albert Zarco

Jaime Angelo S. Victor is an Assistant Professor at the UP Institute of Civil Engineering. He obtained his B.S. Civil
Engineering Degree in 2010 and his M.S. Civil Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering) in 2015. He is a member of the
Geotechnical Engineering Group and Environmental & Energy Engineering Group of UP ICE. His research works are
focused on geohazard and geo-risk assessment, reduction and mitigation. He is an active member of the Philippine
Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers. Currently, he
serves as the Deputy Director for Students and Alumni of the Institute.

MULTI-METHOD LANDSLIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY AND HAZARD ASSESSMENT

The determination of probability of landslide occurrence is the first step in landslide risk assessment.
Landslide susceptibility assessment of Antipolo City, Rizal was performed using two approaches:
statistical and deterministic. This study aims to evaluate, compare and cross validate these methods
and generate a landslide susceptibility map of Antipolo, Rizal. This study also analyzes the potential
of using geoinformatics methods with classical geotechnical theories in providing reliable
susceptibility assessment results, considering both morphometric and non-morphometric factors.
The logistic regression modeling implements a statistical approach based on maximum likelihood of
landslide occurrence based on combinations of identified causative factors. Among the five models
developed using logistic regression, designated Model 1 was chosen as the best predictor model,
with corresponding success rate of 90.7%, 91.66% over-all accuracy, AUROC of 0.908, and lowest
root mean square error of 0.2478. The deterministic modeling that combines the infinite slope
stability model and a steady state hydrological model. This method concludes that 41.56% and
22.26% of Antipolo lie on areas of low and moderate susceptibility to landslide occurrence. The
remaining area is identified to have high (13.35%) and very high (22.44%) likelihood of landslide
occurrence. To compare the maps generated from these models, overlay analysis of the landslide
inventory was performed. It was found out that the statistical model was superior in classifying the
landslides with a success rate of 88.8%, followed by SINMAP model with success rate of 80.4%. The
agreement of the models with respect to the total area covered and landslide events were computed
to be 54.1% and 58.36%, respectively. The results were also used to develop an initial landslide
hazard map of the area.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 53

GIANCARLO P. VENTURA
Longridge Construction, Inc. Professorial Chair

*with co-authors Philip Andrew R. Lu, Mark Albert H. Zarco

Giancarlo P. Ventura is a licensed civil engineer and an Assistant Professor under the Geotechnical Engineering Group of
the Institute of Civil Engineering at the University of the Philippines Diliman where he obtained both his MS degree and
undergraduate degree. Back in 2018, he has been awarded with the Limcaoco Young Instructor Award for Teaching
Excellence. He is currently the Engineering Sciences Coordinator of the College of Engineering. He is also affiliated with
the Philippine Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering.

He teaches courses on Geotechnical Engineering, Foundation Engineering, Analytical and Computational Methods in
Civil Engineering, Statics and Dynamics of Particles and Rigid Bodies, and Mechanics of Deformable Bodies.

His research interests lie in the fields of Computational Geomechanics, Soil-Structure Interaction, Rainfall-Induced
Landslide Risk Assessment, Mitigation and Prediction, and Indigenous Geomaterials and Waste Materials for Soil
Stabilization and Ground Improvement.

THERMAL EFFECTS OF GROUND SOURCE COOLING BORED PILES ON SAND IN
THE PHILIPPINES

Ground source cooling bored piles or energy piles are widely used in order to utilize the thermal
difference between the soil subsurface and the above ground ambient temperature for indoor
heating or cooling. The application of this structure is not prevalent in tropical countries like the
Philippines, and research shows that energy piles are cost effective alternatives. This research
focuses on the thermal effects that an energy pile has on the soil surrounding it if it were sand. The
study aims to construct a small-scale energy pile experimental set-up, develop analytical models of a
small-scale and full-scale energy pile, and numerically model the thermal effects of the energy pile on
the sand. Analytical models are developed based on the makeshift experimental set-up results using
GEOSTUDIO TEMP W/ software. A simple function to predict the inlet and outlet fluid temperature
difference is also derived to predict thermal fluid gradient. The study shows all models having
decreasing temperature increase at increasing radial distances from the energy pile, that can be
numerically modeled in an exponential function, based from the full-scale analytical model. The
simple function predicted that the thermal fluid gradient for the experimental and small-scale model
is around 0.1oC, while experimentally showed a result of 0.4oC, and a 2.8oC gradient for a full-scale
energy pile. In conclusion, the energy pile system can use sand as a possible heat sink for indoor
cooling, from thermal changes around the pile and thermal fluid gradient.

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54 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

LESTELLE V. TORIO-KAIMO
DMCI Project Developers Professorial Chair 3

Lestelle V. Torio-Kaimo is an assistant professor at the Institute of Civil Engineering of the University of the Philippines,
Diliman, teaching undergraduate subjects in Geotechnical Engineering, and Engineering Sciences. She obtained her
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree and her MS degree in Civil Engineering specializing in Geotechnical
Engineering from the University of the Philippines.
Her research interests include materials testing, geosynthetics and geofibers, use of indigenous materials in
construction, pavement engineering, ground improvement, and geohazard assessment and mitigation.

RECYCLED PLASTIC COMPOSITES IMPREGNATED WITH ORGANOCLAY AS
POTENTIAL GEOGRID REINFORCEMENT MATERIAL FOR PAVEMENT
APPLICATION

Geogrid in pavement application is widely used today, as it mainly functions as soil reinforcement or
as a separator. Geogrid is made up of polymers which makes it resistant to degradation. There are
different kinds of polymers which are widely used today in a familiar term called plastics. For the past
years, plastic aluminum laminates (PAL) and HDPE plastic bags were used as packaging materials or
containers. However, the use of these plastics generates a huge amount of waste, consuming a lot
of space and damaging the natural state of the earth. This research aims to utilize these wastes to
form geogrid, which, in particular, be applied in pavement design. The recycled plastics undergo the
melting process, with the aid of the two-roll mill and the compression molding. Then apertures are
carved in order to form it into a grid-like structure. Total of nine mixtures of geogrids are produced.
Each mixture has a different composition of HDPE, PAL, and organoclay. Tensile test for geogrids by
Multi-rib Tensile Method (ASTM 6637) and tensile test for plastics (ASTM D638) are followed to test
the geogrids. Based on the data obtained, the general trend is that the higher the HDPE composition
of the material the higher the tensile strength achieved. In terms of the addition of organoclay, the
mixture with 98% HDPE and 2% organoclay produce the material with the highest tensile strength.
The produced output with the highest strength was classified as either class 2 or class 3 geogrid.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 55

JUSTIN JESSE L. SERANILLA
Vicente & Juanita Hao Chin Professorial Chair

*with co-authors Alexis B. Declaro, Angelica Anne M. Munar, Christian R.
Orozco, Ryan Christopher L. Ramelo, and Paulo M. Santos

Asst. Prof. Justin Jesse Seranilla finished his degrees of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2015 and Master of
Science in Energy Engineering in 2017, both from UP Diliman. He was a recipient of the Engineering Research and
Development for Technology (ERDT) scholarship for his graduate studies. He currently teaches undergraduate courses
on engineering mechanics, engineering mathematics, and engineering drawing and one graduate course on energy
conservation. His current field of interest is the study of energy-efficient building envelope design. His other research
involvements in the past include studies on life cycle assessment of construction materials, solid waste management,
and assessment of mini-hydropower potential. He also mentored several teams competing in local and international
student competitions, including the team who won the first place in the American Concrete Institute – EcoConcrete
Competition held in Quebec, Canada on March 2019.

LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS OF ECO-CONCRETE: QUANTIFYING ENVIRONMENTAL
BENEFITS OF PARTIAL MATERIAL SUBSTITUTION

Concrete remains as the most popular construction material and its use is expected to continue in
the years to come. Previous studies have proven the environmental impacts related to the extraction
and production of raw materials for concrete. Among these components, cement has the largest
embodied energy due to the intermediate processes needed to produce it. Still, a primary
consideration for the use of concrete is its good physical and mechanical characteristics needed to
support structures. In this study, a life cycle analysis of concrete using alternative aggregates (waste
glass) and cementitious materials (fly ash and Diliman tuff) was used to compare the environmental
benefits versus a traditional concrete mix with similar physical properties. The compressive strength
and electrical resistivity were used as benchmarks by which tradeoffs on environmental improvement
can be made. The study have found that an optimal alternative mix could yield up to 23.92% relative
environmental improvement in five key areas: global warming, carcinogenic, ozone depletion,
ecotoxicity, and fossil fuel depletion. In comparison, concrete testing after 14 days of curing showed
a compressive strength equal to 41.30 and 32.40 MPa for the conventional and alternative concrete
mix, respectively. respectively. In terms of electrical resistivity, the conventional and alternative mixes
were measured at 3.52 and 18.41 kΩ-cm, respectively, suggesting a more compact internal structure
for the latter. This study shows that an environmentally friendly, yet strong and durable concrete can
be produced using alternative materials.

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56 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

NORIZA T. SADIE
Honorio and Elisa Allado Professorial Chair in
Civil Engineering

*with co-authors Pauline Rose J. Quiatchon and Maria Antonia N.
Tanchuling

Noriza T. Sadie is an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Civil Engineering under the Environmental and Energy
Engineering Group at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil
Engineering and Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from the same university. Asst. Prof. Sadie has
actively carried out research and consulting activities in the areas of solid waste management, rainwater harvesting,
mapping, and disaster risk reduction and management.

DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF DREDGED
MATERIALS IN THE ESTEROS OF METRO MANILA

The esteros of Manila are currently facing several problems that lead to their environmental
degradation. The accumulation of sludge at the bottom is one such problem and has been previously
addressed through dredging operations by pertinent government agencies. However, there are no
plans or guidelines when it comes to the management of dredged materials in the Philippines. In this
study, a guide has been prepared to be used as a reference by LGUs, NGOs, government agencies,
and private corporations which plan to undertake dredging operations in esteros. Since dredging
projects are done on public properties, a permit from the national, local, or regional government or
from pertinent government agencies has to be secured first. The permit requires the submission of a
pre-dredge survey report. The result of the pre-dredge survey can serve as a guide on the type of
equipment, logistics, and the method of disposal of dredged materials. One of the challenges of
dredging in the Philippines is the management of dredged spoils. The traditional method of disposal
is through landfilling. However, this may not be sustainable in the long run as landfills in Metro Manila
and nearby areas are nearing their capacity. This paper also presents alternatives for recycling of
dredged sediments based on published studies conducted in other countries. The primary basis of
determining the suitability of sediments for beneficial use is their physical and chemical properties.
Appropriate standards, specifications, and relevant department orders are taken into account in the
assessment of the final product. The dredged sediments can be recycled into raw materials for
concrete manufacture, brick production, road construction, landfill cover, manufactured topsoil, and
fertilizer for agricultural purposes.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 57

REYGIE Q. MACASIEB
Quintin and Norma Calderon Professorial Chair

Asst. Prof. Reygie Q. Macasieb earned his BS Civil Engineering degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in
2014. He pursued MS in Environmental Engineering (EnE), specializing in Water Quality Management, where he studied
the fate and transport of heavy metals in Agno River surface water and sediments. He earned his MS EnE degree from
UPD in 2016. In that same year, he joined the Institute of Civil Engineering (ICE) faculty and became part of the
Environmental and Energy Engineering academic group. He has been the holder of the Quintin and Normal Calderon
Professorial Chair since 2017.

His research revolved around water quality management, including surface water and groundwater, water quality
modeling, GIS applications in environmental management, and soil and sediment quality assessment. Besides teaching
and research, he was involved in other projects that included designing a small-scale wastewater treatment facility,
comprehensive groundwater study, developing a groundwater management plan for highly-urbanized cities, assessing
alternative water sources for rapidly urbanizing cities, and environmental impact assessment for various engineering
projects.

SPATIOTEMPORAL VARIATION OF GROUNDWATER ARSENIC IN PAMPANGA,
PHILIPPINES

Several confirmed cases of arsenic (As) poisoning have been reported in Central Luzon, the
Philippines, in recent years. There is a growing interest in As research in the Philippines due to the
reported As poisoning cases. However, an extensive spatiotemporal As study has not been
conducted. In this work, As concentration measurements were conducted in 101 wells in Guagua,
Pampanga, in Central Luzon, the Philippines, from November 2018 to November 2019. The wells
included 86 public hand pumps, 10 pumping stations, and 5 private, jet-powered pumps. Using
hydride generation—inductively coupled plasma—optical emission spectroscopy (HG-ICP-OES),
analysis of the wells in 12 barangays in Guagua revealed that 38.7% had average As concentrations
beyond the 10 ppb limit with some wells having high Mn (4.0 ppm) and Fe (2.0 ppm) content as well.
The high pH and reducing conditions in the wells in Guagua may have contributed to the persistence
of As in the groundwater. The mean difference in wet season versus dry season As measurements
were ∞4.4 (As <10 ppb), ∞13.2 (10 to 50 ppb As), and ∞27.4 (As >50 ppb). Eighty-three wells (82.2%)
had higher As concentrations in the dry season, 8 wells (7.92%) had higher As concentrations in the
wet season, 7 wells (6.93%) had no significant difference between the wet and dry season, and 3
wells had been decommissioned. These results indicate that there is a significant difference in As
concentrations in the wet and dry seasons, and this could have implications in water treatment
technology and policy implementation. The work resulted in the first year-long characterization of
groundwater As in the Philippines.

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58 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

AUGUSTUS C. RESURRECCION, PhD
Holcim Professorial Chair

*with co-authors Reygie Q. Macasieb and Christian R. Orozco

Augustus C. Resurreccion is a Professor at the UP Diliman Institute of Civil Engineering. He graduated with a degree in
PhD in Biological and Environmental Sciences at Saitama University, Japan. He is the current Director of the Human
Resource Development Office of UP Diliman and was the Project Leader of Water Quality Monitoring and Modeling of
Surface Waters nearby Mining Sites in Itogon Benguet. His interests include Soil Physics and GeoEnvironmental
Engineering, Water Quality Modeling, Greenhouse Gas Emission Studies, Solid Waste Management, Constructed
Wetlands among others.

DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF DREDGED
MATERIALS IN THE ESTEROS OF METRO MANILA

This study provides a simulation of the transport of mercury (Hg) in water and sediments in mining-
impacted Ambalanga River located in Upper Agno Subbasin in the Philippines. The Hydrologic
Engineering Center - Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) and Water Quality Analysis
Simulation Program (WASP) of US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were coupled to handle
both hydrologic modelling and Hg transport processes for the period of 12 months in the year 2014.
Hydrological and meteorological data were obtained from the national weather bureau; and water
and sediment quality data were collected in 2014-2015 on concentration levels of Hg in water and
sediments at 5 sampling locations along the Ambalanga River and at 2 sampling locations along the
Upper Agno River, in addition to the collected data from the local environmental bureau. The
hydrological model satisfactorily simulated the flow in the river and its tributaries while validation of
the WASP model shows that it was able to reasonably simulate the Hg fate and transport. Simulation
results showed a downward trend in Hg concentration in surface water and sediments from upstream
to downstream while Hg in sediments was observed to stabilize over time. The model was further
utilized to come up with exceedance curves of Hg in water and sediments as a result of the river’s
response to different Hg loading from known point sources. The exceedance curves derived from the
model was used to determine the maximum permissible Hg loading to the river and identify pollution
load reduction measures for river rehabilitation.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 59

MAXELL P. LUMBERA
Jorge M. Consunji Professorial Chair in
Engineering

*with co-authors Jessica M. Junio, and Rochie D. Amolato

Asst. Prof. Maxell P. Lumbera has been with the Institute of Civil Engineering since 2012. He graduated B.S. in Civil
Engineering in 2012 and M.S. in Civil Engineering major in Water Resources Engineering in 2017 from the University of
the Philippines Diliman. His research works include water quality monitoring, urban drainage systems, water audit, and
rainwater harvesting. His first project on rainwater harvesting started in 2014 when he and his team designed and
constructed a pilot rainwater harvesting system in DOST NCR Office in Bicutan, Taguig, Philippines.

DEVELOPMENT OF STORAGE SIZE SIMULATION TOOL FOR RAINWATER
HARVESTING SYSTEM BASED ON THE YIELD-AFTER-SPILL ALGORITHM

As water demand increases in Metro Manila and water supply infrastructures will not be built for the
next years. there will come a point where the total water consumption will exceed the available water
supply. Metro Manila and the nearby provinces experienced the consequences of this reality during
the summer months of 2019. This calls for other alternative options such as non-conventional
systems for water supply. A rainwater harvesting (RWH) system is made of a catchment area,
conveyance, and storage. Quezon City building ordinance mandates new buildings to incorporate
water use reduction efforts such as incorporating RWH systems in newly constructed buildings. One
of the key components of this effort is the science-based and data-driven decision for storage size.
This paper illustrates the necessary steps and preparations to determine the appropriate storage size
based on roof characteristics and water consumption rate using the yield-after-spill algorithm in a
spreadsheet. In this paper, the case of the Institute of Civil Engineering Main Building was
considered. It was found out that a 30,000 L elevated steel storage tank can be used to augment the
water supply and serve 75% of the demand with 45% reliability. A detailed schedule was also
recommended to further increase the reliability to 60%.

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60 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

FERNANDO J. GERMAR, PhD.
Felisberto Reyes Professorial Chair

Dr. Fernando Germar is a Professor at the Institute of Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman. Dr. Germar
obtained his PhD in Civil (Structural) Engineering in UPD. He is the current director of UP Building Research Service.
Dr. Germar specializes in Earthquake Engineering, Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Design of Steel Structures
and Construction Management.

TEMPORARY STRUCTURES: EXCAVATION PROTECTION DURING
CONSTRUCTION

Infrastructure and building construction normally start with excavation. In most cases, the structure
or infrastructure cannot be built without first doing the excavation for the foundation. An excavation
support system, particularly for deep excavation, becomes an important consideration for safety,
speed, and profitability of construction projects. Yet, despite its importance, there seems to be
inadequate guidance on the design and construction of these temporary structures available for the
contractors. There is thus a need to define the nature and scope and to identify what technical
guidance is available for the design and erection of excavation support systems. This paper presents
a brief review of the different methods available for supporting excavation during construction and
situations where they could possibly be applicable.

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 61

MARK ALBERT H. ZARCO, PhD.
Prof. Alfredo B. Juinio Jr. Professorial Chair in
Civil Engineering

Dr. Mark Albert H. Zarco obtained his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering) from Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University in 1993.
Dr. Zarco specializes in Landslide Risk Assessment and Mitigation and computational geomechanics.

A J2 PLASTICITY MODEL BASED ON THE MODIFIED RAMBERG-OSGOOD
POWER LAW

Text

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62 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

RICARDO D. SIGUA, PhD.
Dr. Olegario G. Villoria Jr. Professorial Chair on
Transportation/Logistics

Dr. Ricardo G. Sigua is a professor at the College of Engineering of the University of the Philippines Diliman,
teaching transportation engineering subjects in both undergraduate and graduate programs of the Institute of Civil
Engineering. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from UP Diliman. He finished his
master’s and doctor’s degrees from the University of Tokyo. Professor Sigua served as director of the UP National
Center for Transportation Studies for two terms.

MICROCONTROLLERS AND SENSORS FOR TRAFFIC DATA COLLECTION
APPLICATIONS

Text

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INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 63

ICE PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARDS COLLOQUIUM

October 29-30, 2020

Dr. Fernando J. Germar
Felisberto Reyes Professorial Chair
Temporary Structures: Excavation Protection During Construction

Asst. Prof. Rosabelle Louise A. Caram
DCCD Engineering Corporation Professorial Chair
Non-Recyclable Plastic Waste as Partial Bitumen Replacement in Hot-Mix Asphalt

Asst. Prof. Timothy John S. Acosta
AMH Professorial Chair Award

Risk Assessment of Low-rise Educational Buildings with Wooden Roof Structures against Severe Wind Loadings

Dr. Eric Augustus J. Tingatinga
DMCI Project Developers Professorial Chair 1
SAP15x: Structural Analysis Package for Instruction and Research

Dr. Pher Errol B. Quinay
Beatriz Basa-Altura Professorial Chair in Civil Engineering
Development of Simulation-Based Approach using Frame Models Generated from GIS Features and BIM Data for Application to City
Seismic Response Analysis of Low-to Mid-Rise RC Structures in Metro Manila

Dr. Alexis Philip A. Acacio
Beta Epsilon Professorial Chair
Subdivision Development of Liquefiable Deposits: Analysis and Mitigation Measures

Dr. Mark Albert H. Zarco
Prof. Alfredo B. Juinio Jr. Professorial Chair in Civil Engineering
A J2 Plasticity Model based on the Modified Ramberg-Osgood Power Law

Asst. Prof. Kristian Azul
Salvador F. Reyes Professorial Chair in Geotechnical Engineering
Stochastic Finite-Fault Modelling of Mw7.2 2013 Bohol Earthquake with Improvements via Low-Frequency Scaling Focusing on Time

-and Frequency-domain Characteristics

Asst. Prof. Ma. Brida Lea D. Diola
Levy V. Espiritu Professorial Chair in Civil Engineering
Assessment of Incorporating Plastics Wastes in Bricks and Concrete in the Philippines

Dr. Maria Antonia N. Tanchuling
Maynilad Professorial Chair (1)
Ubiquity of Microplastics in Surface Waters and Sediments in Five River Mouths of Manila Bay

Dr. Eugene C. Herrera
Maynilad UP Centennial Professorial Chair
Integrated Decision Support System for Water Resource Management Applications and Lessons Learned from Laguna Lake

Experience

Dr. Guillermo Q. Tabios III
Angel Alejandrino Professorial Chair
Nonstationary Extreme Value Analysis of Annual Rainfall Maxima under Changing Climate for Cagayan de Oro River Basin

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64 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

Asst. Prof. Imee Bren O. Villalba Asst. Prof. Jaime Angelo Victor
Federico E. Puno Professorial Chair A Ciriaco Professorial Chair in Engineering
Numerical Analysis of Storm Tides along the Northern Coast of Multi-Method Landslide Susceptibility and Hazard Assessment

Cagayan, Philippines Asst. Prof. Giancarlo P. Ventura
Longridge Construction, Inc. Professorial Chair
Dr. Roberto Soriano Thermal Effects of Ground Source Cooling Bored Piles on Sand in
Dr. Leonardo Q. Liongson Professorial Chair
Model Development for Evaluating Urban Flood Mitigation the Philippines
Strategies: The Case of San Juan River, Quezon City Philippines
Asst. Prof. Lestelle V. Torio-Kaimo
Asst. Prof. Marjorie T. David DMCI Project Developers Professorial Chair 3
DMCI Project Developers Professorial Chair 2 Recycled Plastic Composites Impregnated with Organoclay as
Flood Mapping of Historical Flood and Dam Break Simulation of Potential Geogrid Reinforcement Material for Pavement

Magat Dam Application

Dr. Jaime Y. Hernandez, Jr. Asst. Prof. Justin Jesse L. Seranilla
Antonio G. Tan Giok Kun Professorial Chair in Civil Engineering Vicente & Juanita Hao Chin Professorial Chair
Research Developments on Wind Engineering at the Institute of Life Cycle Analysis of Eco-Concrete: Quantifying Environmental

Civil Engineering in UP Diliman Benefits of Partial Material Substitution

Dr. Oscar Victor M. Antonio Jr. Asst. Prof. Noriza T. Sadie
Alfredo L. Juinio Professorial Chair Honorio and Elisa Allado Professorial Chair in Civil Engineering
Preliminary Investigation of the Strength, Impermeability and Development of Guidelines for the Management of Dredged
Piezoresistivity of Graphene Nanoplatelet-Modified Concrete
Materials in the Esteros of Metro Manila

Dr. Diocel Harold M. Aquino Asst. Prof. Reygie Q. Macasieb
Engr. Ronaldo S. Ison Professorial Chair in Structural Engineering Quintin and Norma Calderon Professorial Chair
Spatiotemporal Variation of Groundwater Arsenic in Pampanga,
Building Back Towards Storm-Resilient Housing
Philippines
Asst. Prof. Richmark N. Macuha
Federico E. Puno Professorial Chair B Dr. Augustus C. Resurreccion
Simulation Modeling of Engineering Interventions as Tool for Holcim Professorial Chair
Flood Control Planning in San Juan River
Application of Coupled HEC-HMS and US EPA WASP for
Dr. Eric C. Cruz Transport Modelling Of Mercury in Mining-Impacted
Semirara Professorial Chair in Hydraulics
Hydraulic analysis of wave penetration into a marina harbor AmbalangaRiver
with vertical-wall breakwaters under a historical typhoon
Asst. Prof. Maxell P. Lumbera
Dr. Hilario Sean O. Palmiano Jorge M. Consunji Professorial Chair in Engineering
David M. Consunji Professorial Chair in Engineering Development of Storage Size Simulation Tool for Rainwater
Calibrating Relative Velocity and Lateral Clearance Parameters Harvesting System based on the Yield-After-Spill Algorithm
of a Lane Changing Model for Traffic Microsimulation

Dr. Jose Regin F. Regidor
Ambrosio Magsaysay Professorial Chair in Engineering
Transportation Systems for the New Normal: towards a Better

Normal

Dr. Ricardo D. Sigua
Dr. Olegario G. Villoria Jr. Professorial Chair on Transportation/

Logistics
Microcontrollers and Sensors for Traffic Data Collection

Applications

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66 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

MYRON T. ALCANZARE
Don Felipe Say and Theresa Chua Say
Professorial Chair

*with co-authors Michael Castro, Eugene Esparcia, Jr., Joey Ocon

Assistant Professor Myron T. Alcanzare obtained his MS Chemical Engineering degree last 2018 and graduated cum
laude when he finished BS Chemical Engineering last 2012; both degrees from UP Diliman. Assistant Professor
Alcanzare is a member of the Laboratory of Electrochemical Engineering (LEE) of the department. His research interests
include renewable energy systems and chemical etching. Currently, he is the department’s network administrator.

A COMPARATIVE TECHNO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT
DESALINATION TECHNOLOGIES IN OFF-GRID ISLANDS

Freshwater in off-grid islands is sourced from rain, groundwater, or mainland imports, which are
unreliable, limited, and expensive, respectively. Sustainable freshwater generation from desalination
of abundant seawater is another alternative worth exploring. Model-based techno-
economic simulations have focused on reverse osmosis desalination due to its low energy
consumption and decreasing costs. However, reverse osmosis requires frequent and costly
membrane replacement. Other desalination technologies have advantages such as less stringent
feedwater requirements, but detailed studies are yet to be done. In this work, a techno-economic
comparison of multi-effect distillation, multi-stage flash, mechanical vapor compression, and reverse
osmosis coupled with solar photovoltaic-lithium ion-diesel hybrid system was performed by
comparing power flows to study the interaction between energy and desalination components.
Optimization with projected costs were then performed to investigate future trends. Lastly, we used
stochastic generation and demand profiles to infer uncertainties in energy and desalination unit
sizing. Reverse osmosis is favorable due to low energy and water costs, as well as
possible compatibility with renewable energy systems. Multi-effect distillation and multi-stage flash
may also be advantageous for low-risk applications due to system robustness.

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 67

JULIE ANNE DEL ROSARIO, PhD.
Lodevina B. Reyes Professorial Chair

*with co-authors Harold O. Panganoron, Jethro Daniel A. Pascasio, Eugene
A. Esparcia Jr., Joey D. Ocon

Dr. Julie Anne D. del Rosario is the Assistant Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. She obtained her PhD in
Chemical Engineering from UP Diliman last 2018. She took up MS Environmental Science and Engineering in Gwangju
Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea. She also graduated cum laude when she finished BS Chemical
Engineering in UP Diliman last 2010. Dr. del Rosario is the head of Laboratory of Electrochemical Engineering (LEE)
and is currently working on electrochemical, energy, and environmental engineering as well as energy storage
(batteries and fuel cells).

HYDROTHERMALLY CARBONIZED WASTE BIOMASS AS ELECTROCATALYST
SUPPORT FOR α-MnO2 IN OXYGEN REDUCTION REACTION

Sluggish kinetics in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) requires low-cost and highly durable
electrocatalysts ideally produced from facile methods. In this work, we explored the conversion and
utilization of waste biomass as potential carbon support for α-MnO2 catalyst in enhancing its
ORR performance. Carbon supports were derived from different waste biomass via hydrothermal
carbonization (HTC) at different temperature and duration, followed by KOH activation and
subsequent heat treatment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared
spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) were
used for morphological, chemical, and structural characterization, which revealed porous and
amorphous carbon supports for α-MnO2. Electrochemical studies on ORR activity suggest that
carbon-supported α-MnO2 derived from HTC of corncobs at 250 OC for 12 h (CCAC + MnO2 250-
12) gives the highest limiting current density and lowest overpotential among the synthesized
carbon-supported catalysts. Moreover, CCAC + MnO2 250-12 facilitates ORR through a 4-e-
pathway, and exhibits higher stability compared to VC + MnO2 (Vulcan XC-72) and 20% Pt/C. The
synthesis conditions preserve oxygen functional groups and form porous structures in corncobs,
which resulted in a highly stable catalyst. Thus, this work provides a new and cost-effective method
of deriving carbon support from biomass that can enhance the activity of α-MnO2 towards ORR.

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68 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

MARLON L. MOPON, JR.
Cesar Buenaventura Professorial Chair

*with co-author Dr. Joey D. Ocon

Assistant Professor Marlon L. Mopon obtained his MS Chemical Engineering degree last 2019 and graduated cum laude
when he finished BS Chemical Engineering last 2015; both degrees from UP Diliman. Assistant Professor Mopon is a
member of the Laboratory of Electrochemical Engineering (LEE) of the department and is currently doing research on
electrochemical engineering.

DEVELOPMENT OF A CuO-Fe 3O4 BASED ELECTROCHEMICAL SENSOR FOR
MALATHION

A non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor for malathion based on CuO-Fe 3O4 composites deposited
on glassy carbon electrodes and integrated onto a portable electrochemical setup was developed.
Characterization of the metal oxides using x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,
and Raman Spectroscopy confirmed synthesis of the metal oxides while scanning electron
micrographs showed sub-micron morphology. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry
also confirmed the presence of redox peaks associated with Fe and Cu valence changes. A
composite loading of 0.45 μg mm-2 was observed to result to a higher square wave
voltammogram Cu(I) oxidation peak. Meanwhile, exposure to the analyte showed a consequent
reduction on the height of the said peak. Sensor calibration indicated that this decrease linear from 0
ppm to 25 ppm malathion. The corresponding sensitivity and limit of detection were equivalent to -
0.203±0.018 μAppm-1 and 11.506±1.040 ppm, respectively. Evaluation of the sensor output in the
presence of other chemical species and in tap water samples indicate moderate selectivity. Overall,
the results indicate potential of a CuO-Fe 3O4 based sensor for malathion detection, however,
we recommend further studies to improve the selectivity and detection limit.

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 69

JOEY D. OCON , PhD.
Federico Puno 1 Professorial Chair For
Energy

*with co-authors Ashish Gulagi, Myron Alcanzare, Dmitrii Bogdanov, Eugene
Esparcia Jr., Christian Breyer

Dr. Joey D. Ocon is the Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. He obtained his PhD in Environmental Science
and Engineering from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea last 2015. He obtained his MS
Chemical Engineering degree last 2011 and graduated cum laude when he finished BS Chemical Engineering last 2008;
both degrees from UP Diliman.

Dr. Ocon has been a visiting professor/scientist in the following academic institutions: Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering of the University of California Berkeley, USA; Department of Precision Science and
Technology, Osaka University in Osaka, Japan; School of Engineering, Monash University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;
Thermal and Electrochemical Energy Laboratory (TEEL) of the School of Engineering of University of California Merced,
USA; and Reiner Lemoine Institut (RLI) in Berlin, Germany.

He has also received awards commending his valuable contributions to the scientific community. He is the 2020 UP
Outstanding Engineering Researcher and the 2019 NAST TWAS Prize in Chemistry for Young Scientist in the Philippines.
His research interests include batteries and fuel cells, electrochemistry and catalysis, green technologies, energy
engineering, and off-grid systems.

TRANSITION PATHWAY TOWARDS 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY ACROSS THE
SECTORS OF POWER, HEAT, TRANSPORT, AND DESALINATION FOR THE
PHILIPPINES

Transition towards sustainable energy systems is of utmost importance to avert global
consequences of climate change. In line with the Paris Agreement and Marrakech Communique, this
study analyses an energy transition pathway towards a fully sustainable energy system for
the Philippines. The transition study is performed from 2015 to 2050 on a high temporal and spatial
resolution data, using a linear optimisation tool. The results of the study show that a 100% renewable
energy-based system in 2050 is technically feasible, with a cost structure comparable to an
energy system in 2015, while having zero greenhouse gas emissions. Solar PV as generation and
batteries as storage technologies form the backbone of the energy system during the transition.
Direct and indirect electrification across all sectors would result in an efficiency gain of more than
50% in 2050, while keeping the total annual cost of the system in a range of 20 – 55 b€.
Heat pumps, electrical heating, and solar thermal would form the heat sector, whereas, direct
electricity and synthetic fuels would fuel the energy needs of the transport sector. The results of the
study show that, indigenous renewable energy resources in the Philippines could power the demand
from all energy sectors, thereby, bringing various socio-economic benefits. .

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70 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

ANALIZA P. ROLLON, PhD.
Oscar Lopez Professorial Chair

*with co-authors Liza Bautista-Patacsil, Aileen P. Huelgas, Jiangyong Hu

Dr. Analiza P. Rollon is a full professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering. She obtained her PhD in
Environmental Technology from Wageningen University, Netherlands in 1999. She also took up her MS Environmental
Science and Technology in the same university in 1993. On the other hand, she had her MS Chemical Engineering in
1992 and BS Chemical Engineering in 1985, both from UP Diliman. Dr. Rollon is the head of the Environmental Process
and Engineering Laboratory and is currently working on environmental processes, wastewater treatment,
diagnostics, and materials. Currently, she is serving as the Environmental Engineering Program Coordinator of the
College of Engineering in UP Diliman.

BIODEGRADATION AND SORPTION OF 17α –ETHINYLESTRADIOL IN
A SUBMERGED MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR: EFFECT OF INITIAL AMMONIUM

CONCENTRATION

Batch experiments were done to assess the removal of 17α-Ethinylestradiol (EE2) using sludge
acclimated from a laboratory-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR). Though activated
sludge (AS) was found to effectively remove EE2 from wastewater, membrane bio-reactor suggests
a faster rate of removal. Results obtained revealed that EE2 was removed completely in 18 h in
SMBR and 96 h in AS. The removal in the SMBR is ca. 700% faster compared to that using non-
acclimated activated sludge. The rate of removal of EE2 is first-order with a kinetic rate constant, k,
of 0.96 d-1 and 6.96 d-1 for AS and SMBR, respectively. The role of nitrification in enhancing
the removal of EE2 was investigated in terms of the effect of different initial ammonium
concentration on both sorption and biodegradation. As the initial ammonium concentration is
increased, biodegradation of EE2 is enhanced, and sorption of EE2 onto the SMBR biomass is
decreased. Sorption isotherms obtained revealed that only physisorption is occurring. The
partitioning coefficients, K D were 0.31 L/gMLSS and 0.09 L/gMLSS for SMBR and AS, respectively.
These results showed that EE2 adsorbed more to SMBR sludge than to AS. Results of this study
suggest that MBR improves the biological removal of EE2.

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 71

TERENCE P. TUMOLVA, PhD.
Dr. Magdaleno B. Albarracin Jr. UP Centennial
Professorial Chair in Engineering

*with co-authors Michael Sean P. Deang, Ricardo C. Alindayu II, Karl
Vincent H. Escasa, Gabrielle Mae G. Riña

Dr. Terence P. Tumolva is a full professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering. He obtained his DEngg degree in
Chemical Engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan in 2011. He gained his MS Chemical Engineering
degree last 2006 and finished his BS Chemical Engineering last 2003, both degrees from UP Diliman. Dr.Tumolva is the
head of Green Materials Laboratory and is currently working on natural fiber-reinforced polymer (NFRP) composites,
chemical recycling of plastic wastes, bio-adhesives, hydrogel-based medical devices, and agricultural hydrogels.

SOLVENT ABSORPTION AND DISSOLUTION KINETICS MODELLING FOR THE
CHEMICAL RECYCLING OF WASTE PLASTIC LAMINATES

The Philippines is expected to have an increase in consumption of waste plastic laminates known as
sachets, composed of polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and used in various
food and non-food consumer goods. The increase in demand of these sachets has led the country
to become one of the top ocean polluters worldwide. Chemical recycling- specifically selective
dissolution and reprecipitation- is seen as one viable option for the recovery of these polymers. In
this study, the absorption and dissolution kinetics of D-limonene, a potential candidate solvent, in
the two-layer (2LL) and three-layer (3LL) laminates were modelled and analyzed for the design of
separation equipment to recovery PE. The absorption of limonene for both laminates was observed
to initially follow Fickian diffusion, but plateaus when the dissolution rate becomes comparable with
the solvent diffusion rate. The dissolution of the 3LL almost closely follows Fickian behavior, while
2LL initially follows Fickian behavior. Deviations from Fickian dissolution may be attributed to the
difference in swelling behavior between the non-uniform solvent-polymer diffusion layer and the
glassy polymer layer.

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72 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

MARK DANIEL G. DE LUNA, PhD.
UP KEM Global – Dr. Luz Salonga

*with co-authors Anamie Rabongue, Sergi Garcia-Segura, Ming-Chun Lu

Dr. Mark Daniel G. De Luna is a full professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering. He obtained his PhD in
Environmental Engineering from UP Diliman in 2011. He also had his MS Environmental Engineering degree last 2007
and finished his BS Chemical Engineering last 2001, both degrees from UP Diliman. Currently he is under the
Environmental Process Engineering Laboratory.

CARTAP REMOVAL FROM SIMULATED WATER MATRICES BY FLUIDIZED BED
FENTON PROCESS: OPTIMIZATION OF PROCESS PARAMETERS

Cartap is a thiocarbamate pesticide widely-used to protect rice crops, one of the most mass-
produced cereals worldwide. Effluents containing cartap pose serious environment and health risks
due to the acute toxicity of this emerging contaminant. This work evaluates the capabilities of the
Fenton process to efficiently remove cartap from water matrices. Process parameters such as
hydrogen peroxide dosage, ferrous ion concentration and operating pH were optimized using Box-
Behnken design. Results showed complete cartap removal with Fenton oxidation in a fluidized-bed
reactor while eliminating sludge generation during treatment. Fluidized-bed Fenton process had
improved reduction in chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon due to the contribution of
heterogeneous Fenton catalysis to the overall degradation of cartap species compared to
conventional Fenton in a batch reactor. Furthermore, competitive reactions and scavenging effects
in complex natural water matrices were simulated with the use of inorganic ions such as nitrate,
chloride, and phosphate. Results demonstrated the detrimental effect of phosphate ions on Fenton
oxidation due to the precipitation of soluble catalysts as iron phosphates, which stops the catalytic
Fenton cycle and thus the production of oxidants for contaminant degradation.

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 73

JHUD MIKHAIL ABERILLA, PhD.
Benjamin Chua Professorial Chair

*with co-authors Alejandro Gallego-Schmid, Laurence Stamford, Adisa
Azapagic

Dr. Jhud Mikhail Aberilla obtained his PhD in Environment and Sustainable Technology from the University of
Manchester, UK last 2020. He took up MSc Chemical Engineering in the National University of Singapore last 2015
and graduated summa cum laude when he finished BS Chemical Engineering in UP Diliman last 2011. He recently
founded and serves as the head of the Sustainable Production and Responsible Consumption Laboratory. Currently, he
is working on life cycle sustainability assessment, systems modeling and decision analysis, and engineering education
and policy.

DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT OF SMALL-
SCALE OFF-GRID ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR REMOTE RURAL COMMUNITIES

Small-scale off-grid renewable energy systems are being increasingly used for rural electrification,
commonly as stand-alone home systems or community micro-grids. With the variety of technologies
and configurations available, it is not clear which options are sustainable for remote communities.
This study investigates the life cycle environmental sustainability of both home and community
installations, designed as part of this work, which utilise diesel, solar, and wind resources coupled
with battery storage. A total of 21 system configurations (six home systems and 15 micro-grids)
have been designed and optimised for a prototypical rural community in the Philippines, considering
both stand-alone and hybrid systems. Life cycle assessment (LCA) considering 18 potential
impact categories has been carried out to compare the environmental impacts associated with
electricity production of each option. At the household level, hybrid solar photovoltaics (PV)-wind
systems with storage have 17–40% lower impacts than the equivalent stand-alone installations per
kWh generated. Batteries are a major environmental hotspot, causing up to 88% of the life cycle
impacts of a home energy system. Among the community micro-grid options, the PV-wind-lead acid
battery hybrid system has the lowest impacts in many categories, including climate change,
ozone depletion, and acidification. Comparing equivalent architectures for single-household and
community-scale installations, PV systems are environmentally more sustainable if installed
individually in households, while larger turbines in community micro-grids are environmentally better
for wind utilisation. The results suggest that a household-scale PV system integrated within a micro-
grid with community-scale wind turbines and Li-ion batteries is environmentally the most sustainable
configuration.

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74 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

BRYAN G. ALAMANI, PhD.
Lagman Family Professorial Chair in
Engineering

*with co-authors De Leon R.L., Escoto A.D., Lin J.J.

Dr. Bryan G. Alamani obtained his PhD in Chemical Engineering from University of Houston in 2018. He gained his MS
Chemical Engineering degree last 2012 and finished his BS Chemical Engineering last 2008, both degrees from UP
Diliman. Dr. Alamani is the head of Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory and is currently working on crystallization and
bio-inspired engineering, bioengineering, energy and environmental engineering, and engineering education. He is also
the head of the department’s Chemical Engineering Analytical Laboratory (CEAL).

STEP-WISE INTERCALATION FOR ORGANIC INORGANIC HYBRIDS

Phase change composites, a thermal energy storage system has been fabricated. This form-stable
PCN comprising of inorganic smectite clay, polymer and paraffin was prepared by one pot step-wise
intercalation. The resulting nanocomposite was found to confine the paraffin in the interlayer of the
expanded organophilic layered silicate clay as determined by XRD and TEM. XRD results revealed
high basal spacing expansion of the clay from 12 Å to 71-98 Å. Furthermore, some of the
nanocomposites showed expansion beyond the detection limit of XRD and were further evaluated
via TEM. Basal spacing measurements observed from TEM images are consistent with
the prediction of the calculated basal spacing using Bragg’s Law based on the XRD data. In
addition, FTIR has supported the results of XRD and TEM describing the clay morphology as
exfoliated or intercalated.

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 75

FLORENCIO C. BALLESTEROS, JR., PhD.
Maynilad Professorial Chair

*with co-author DMarion Lux Y. Castro

Dr. Florencio C. Ballesteros, Jr. is a full professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering. He obtained his PhD in
Environmental Science from New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA in 2008. He took up his MS Environmental
Engineering in the University of Illinois, USA in 1998 and finished his BS Chemical Engineering degree in 1982 from St.
Louis University. Dr. Ballesteros is a member of the Environmental Process and Engineering Laboratory and is currently
working on hazardous waste management and biological treatment. He is also currently serving as the College of
Engineering Associate Dean for Instruction.

NUTRIENT REMOVAL AND BIOMASS PRODUCTION BY IMMOBILIZED
CHLORELLA VULGARIS

Immobilized cells of Chlorella vulgaris in alginate–chitosan matrix achieved faster growth rates and
produced more biomass than their free cell counterpart in synthetic aquaculture wastewater. Higher
(89.8%) nitrate-N removal was achieved by immobilized cells than by the free cells (45.9%).
Phosphate-P removal was both high at 98.9 and 99.5% by immobilized and free cells, respectively.
The alginate–chitosan matrix was found suitable for growth, nutrient removal, and biomass
production in synthetic aquaculture wastewater.

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76 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

MARJORIE L. BAYNOSA, PhD.
Maynilad Professorial Chair

*with co-authors Amr Hussein Mady, Van Quang Nguyen, Deivasigamani
Ranjith Kumar, Mostafa Saad Sayed, Dirk Tuma, Jae-Jin Shim

Marjorie L. Baynosa obtained her PhD in Chemical Engineering from Yeungnam University, South Korea in 2019. She
had her MS Chemical Engineering degree last 2012 and graduated cum laude, BS Chemical Engineering last 2006, both
degrees from UP Diliman. Baynosa is a member of the Environmental Process Engineering Laboratory and the
Advanced Materials and Organic Synthesis Laboratory. She is currently working on catalysis/photocatalysis, water/
wastewater treatment, and electrochemical sensors.

ECO-FRIENDLY SYNTHESIS OF RECYCLABLE MESOPOROUS ZINC
FERRITE@REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE NANOCOMPOSITE FOR EFFICIENT

PHOTOCATALYTIC DYE DEGRADATION UNDER SOLAR RADIATION

Zinc ferrite and graphene composites have attracted considerable attention in wastewater treatment.
In this work, a magnetically separable mesoporous composite of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and
reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was prepared through a simple and eco-friendly method with pure
water as solvent and without the need for subsequent thermal treatment. Uniformly dispersed
ZnFe2O4 NPs on the surface of rGO sheets exhibited good crystallinity and a large BET specific
surface area. These factors contributed to good photocatalytic performance of the composite for the
degradation of methylene blue (MB) under simulated solar-light radiation, increased adsorptivity,
increased separation efficiency of the photo-excited charges on the surface of the catalyst, and
broadened light-absorption range of the composite. Efficient interfacial interaction between the
ZnFe2O4 NPs and rGO sheets resulted in synergistic effects. The magnetically separable
ZnFe2O4@rGO nanocomposite proved an efficient and stable catalyst in three consecutive
photodegradation cycles for MB dye in aqueous solution under solar radiation. In addition, the
synthesis method proposed in this study could be scaled-up easily due to the simplicity of
the process, the lack of a toxic reagent, and the use of low temperatures.

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 77

RIZALINDA L. DE LEON, PhD.
Apolonio and Lorna Yson Professorial Chair in
Chemical Engineering

*with co-author Dexby de Guzman

Dr. Rizalinda L. De Leon is a full professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering. She obtained her PhD in
Chemical Engineering from UP Diliman last 2006. She had her MS Energy Engineering in 1998 and BS
Chemical Engineering in 1982, both also from UP Diliman. Dr. de Leon is the head of the Fuel, Energy, and Thermal
Systems Laboratory and is currently working on production processes for biorefineries focusing on hydrogen, bio-
oil, bioethanol, platform chemicals, as well as the technical and HSSE aspects of LNG regulations, and tools for energy/
environment technology assessment.

PRELIMINARY OPTIMIZATION AND KINETICS OF SnCl2-HCl
CATALYZED HYDROTHERMAL CONVERSION OF MICROCRYSTALLINE

CELLULOSE TO LEVULINIC ACID

Levulinic acid (LA) is a platform biorefinery chemical from biomass which can be converted to green solvents,
plasticizers, polymer precursors, bio-based cleaning agents, fuels and fuel additives. This study assessed the
potential of SnCl₂-based mixed acid systems as catalyst in the hydrothermal conversion of
microcrystalline cellulose to levulinic acid. Maximum LA yield of 36.2 mol% was achieved using 0.2M SnCl₂
concentration at test conditions of 3 h, 180 °C and 1% w/v cellulose loading. To reduce precipitate formation
and further improve LA yield, the strategy employed was to combine SnCl₂ (a Lewis acid) with
conventional mineral acids (Bronsted acids). Evaluation of the catalytic performance of SnCl₂-HCl, SnCl₂-
H₂SO₂, SnCl₂-HNO₂, and SnCl₂-H₂PO₂ (1:1 molar ratio, 0.2 M total acid concentration) were done with
highest LA yield of 47.0 mol% obtained using the SnCl2-HCl system at same test conditions. Response
surface methodology optimization employing Box-Behnken design generated a quadratic model with a high
coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.964. A maximum LA yield of 63.5 mol% can be achieved at 0.17 M
catalyst concentration, 198 °C, and 5.15-h reaction time. Rate constants were estimated using nonlinear
regression, while activation energies were determined using Arrhenius equation. Cellulose hydrolysis was
determined to be the rate-limiting step in the overall process. Low activation energy of 63.3 kJ/mol for
glucose dehydration to hydroxymethylfurfural supports the action of SnCl2 as Lewis acid in the mixed-acid
system. LA yield simulations for plug flow reactor (PFR) and continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) were
done suggesting a similar PFR-CSTR configuration with the established Biofine process. Lastly, a reaction
scheme was presented to explain the synergy between SnCl₂ and HCl in LA product ion from cellulose.

UP COE TECHNICAL BULLETIN - PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AND TEACHING & RESEARCH GRANTS

78 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

ARTHUR A. GONZALES, III, PhD.
Edgardo Pacheco Professorial Chair

*with co-author Neil Karlo Z. Olegario

Dr. Arthur A. Gonzales III obtained his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Northeastern University, USA in 2018. He
gained his MS Chemical Engineering degree last 2011 and finished his BS Chemical Engineering last 2005, both degrees
from UP Diliman. Dr. Gonzales founded and is the head of Molecular Modelling Laboratory and is currently working on
molecular modeling, nanomaterials design and characterization, structure-based drug discovery and design, and
pollution control and mitigation. He is also the Deputy Director of UPD HRDO.

IN SILICO IDENTIFICATION OF BIOACTIVE GIBBERELLIN LIGANDS FOR GID1,
A SOLUBLE RICE RECEPTOR

Gibberellin is a phytohormone that has the function of aiding plant growth and development. It is
known to improve the resilience of rice crops from drought and high salinity stresses. By binding to
the GID1 receptor of rice, gibberellins will change the structure of GID1 to allow their newly
formed complex to further attach with and degrade or inactivate DELLA (aspartate-glutamate-
leucine-leucine-alanine) proteins that repress the growth of plants. Molecular docking and dynamics
were employed in order to identify possible alternatives among the identified 132 gibberellin ligands
for known bioactive references. Consensus docking experiments with AutoDock 4 and AutoDock
Vina have indicated top-performing ligands that have high affinities to the GID1 receptor of rice.
Molecular dynamics experiments with the top performing ligands using GROMACS, together with
RMSD and RMSF calculations, have shown that possible substitutes for the commercially available
gibberellins are GA30, GA2, GA10, GA82, U2, and GA20. Although they may not have higher
affinities than that of GA3, they may be considered should cost and availability issues are
encountered due to their similar or slightly better complex stabilities. Finally, as part of the scientific
protocol, they are proposed to undergo further in vitro and in vivo experimentations for verification.

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 79

MIGUEL FRANCIS M. REMOLONA, PhD.
Elzar Lorenzana Simon DIEOR Golden Jubilee
Professorial Chair in Arttificial Intelligence

*with co-authors Alexandra Apuya, Angelika Joyce Escobar, Brigette
Elizabeth Fernandez, Isaiah Dale B. Lim, Jose Luis C. Lutao, Errol D. Saluta

Dr. Miguel Francis M. Remolona obtained his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University, USA in 2018. He
gained his MS Chemical Engineering degree last 2011 and finished his BS Chemical Engineering last 2009, both
degrees from UP Diliman. Dr. Remolona founded and is the head of Chemical Engineering Intelligence Laboratory and
currently working on natural language processing, knowledge management focusing on ontology design/use,
ontology population, machine learning, and applications of ML/AI in Chemical Engineering. He is also the Graduate
Program Coordinator of the department.

LABSAFE: AI INFORMATION SYSTEM INTEGRATED SMALL SCALE SAFETY
APPLICATION

Laboratory Accidents are a frequent occurrence in learning environments such as those found in
schools and universities. In fact, these accidents occur more frequently in these settings as
compared to industrial laboratories. When such incidents occur in a chemical laboratory, the first
course of action to take, as recommended by the US Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA), is to consult the safety data sheet of the chemicals involved.
However, the amount of information and the way the safety data sheets are organized makes it
complicated and hard to use for many students, and even some professionals. As such, our goal is
to use information systems used in artificial intelligence and integrate it into a mobile application to
make it more accessible and readable. In scenarios such as accidents and emergencies typical in
the laboratory setting, such accessibility enables quicker response times that can prevent further
injury and minimize damage. As such, we introduce LabSafe, a laboratory safety mobile application
with integrated knowledge management systems in the form of ontologies.

UP COE TECHNICAL BULLETIN - PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AND TEACHING & RESEARCH GRANTS

80 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

KRISTIAN JULY R. YAP
Maynilad Professorial Chair

*with co-authors Janina Erica P. Damian, Neil Jasper M. Agpalza, Raechel
Victoria N. Panerio

Assistant Professor Kristian July R. Yap obtained his MS Chemical Engineering degree last 2014 and graduated magna
cum laude when he finished BS Chemical Engineering last 2009, both degrees from UP Diliman. Assistant Professor Yap
is a member of the Fuels, Energy and Thermal Systems Laboratory and is currently working on microfluidics,
waste management, and pollution control.

FABRICATION AND FIELD TESTING OF A COMPACT BIOREACTOR
FOR HOUSEHOLD WASTE COMPOSTING IN UP DILIMAN

In this study, a compact bioreactor was designed and constructed with a height and diameter of
0.54 and 0.43 meters, respectively. It is equipped with a removable waste shredder and stirrer, outer
layer for insulation and odor masking, natural aeration holes, and a leachate recovery system.
The bioreactor does not need electricity to operate. Bioreactor residence times are five (5) and
fifteen (15) days for composting and curing, respectively. For the local setting, a 1:1 fruit/vegetable is
to garden waste feed ratio is recommended for the dry season, while a 1:1.5 feed ratio is
recommended for the wet season. The compost product is friable, brown to black in color, and has
an earthy odor. Screening analysis reveals that all batches of compost withdrawn from the
bioreactor have proper and uniform particle size distributions. The product has an average
macronutrient (N-P2O5-K2O), organic matter, and moisture content of 2.70%, 34.19%, and
27.87%, respectively, which are compliant with the Philippine National Standard for Organic Soil
Amendments (PNS-OSA). Additionally, the product conforms to the requirements stated in the
Indonesia National Standards and the Thailand Agricultural Commodity and Food Standard.

UP COE TECHNICAL BULLETIN - PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AND TEACHING & RESEARCH GRANTS

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 81

BEMBOY NINO F. SUBOSA
Chua Liong and Loreta Dy Professorial Chair

*with co-author Jose C. Muñoz

Assistant Professor Bemboy Nino F. Subosa obtained his MS Chemical Engineering degree last 2017 and graduated
magna cum laude when he finished BS Chemical Engineering last 2012, both degrees from UP Diliman. Assistant
Professor Subosa is a member of the Process Systems Engineering Laboratory and currently working on process
simulation, process intensification, and engineering education.

REACTOR SIMULATION STUDIES OF BASE-CATALYZED COCONUT OIL
TRANSESTERIFICATION WITH METHANOL

The mandated increase of coconut biodiesel blend to 10% by 2020 by the Biofuels Act of 2006 will
increase the biodiesel demand in the country. Efficient design, control, and optimization of the local
conventional production process is needed to actively supply the necessary biodiesel. This study
investigated different reactor configurations that will increase the conversion of coconut oil to its
methyl esters. Reactor simulations with Aspen HYSYS® revealed a maximum conversion of 36.04%
and 36.86% for base cases of isothermal continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) and plug-flow
reactor (PFR). The conversions increased when multiple uniform-sized reactors were arranged in
series and operated adiabatically with temperature progression. It was shown that adiabatic CSTRs
arranged in series with interstage cooling provide better conversion values than a single, isothermal
case.

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82 PROFESSORIAL CHAIR AWARD

KARL EZRA S. PILARIO, PhD.
Hydro Resources Contractors Professorial
Chair

*with co-authors Janina Erica P. Damian, Neil Jasper M. Agpalza, Raechel
Victoria N. Panerio

Dr. Karl Ezra S. Pilario obtained his PhD in Energy and Power from Cranfield University, United Kingdom in 2020. He
gained his MS Chemical Engineering degree last 2015 and graduated summa cum laude in BS Chemical Engineering
last 2012, both degrees from UP Diliman. Dr. Pilario is the head of Process Systems Engineering Laboratory and
currently working on process data analytics, machine learning, fault detection and diagnosis, and
system identification.

ONLINE FAULT PROGNOSIS IN CHEMICAL PLANTS USING REGULARIZED
RECURSIVE STATE-SPACE DEGRADATION MODELS AND KALMAN FILTERING

Chemical plants are expected to perform at normal operating conditions. But its performance is
bound to degrade near the end of its lifetime. Hence, it is crucial for plant operators to be able to
detect the onset of degradation and predict the remaining useful life of the process. The act of
building predictive models for degradation pertains to fault prognosis. Typically, state-space models
are trained from the measured plant data sets in order to model its general behavior. However, in
order to be useful for prognosis, these models must be updated recursively in light of new incoming
fault samples. In this work, we propose a new fault prognosis method by developing a
regularized recursive state-space model via canonical variate analysis (CVA). Recursive least-
squares estimation and Kalman filtering were used to update the model and track the process
internal states, respectively. Its effectiveness is proven using a continuous stirred tank reactor
(CSTR) benchmark process. The key insight from this work is to reveal the importance of Kalman
filtering as well as ridge regularization in predictive modelling. These aspects were shown
to improve the prognosis accuracy in degrading chemical plants.

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