The annual National Civil Engineering Summit (NCES) is once again returning in action as it marks its 20th anniversary this coming September 13 to 14, and September 19 to 21 at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Organized by the University of the Philippines Association of Civil Engineering Students (UP ACES), the largest student-held civil engineering summit in the country aims to gather the civil engineering community across different parts of the nation, with the goal of celebrating the feats of the industry’s excellence and providing its members with the necessary skills to propel them to be future leaders and nation-builders of the country.
With the theme “Elevating Structures: Empowering the Nation Through Modernizing Engineering Solutions,” NCES is back to break boundaries and advance beyond limits, holding a total of seven simultaneous events in the span of five days, ranging from various competitions, talks from prominent speakers, and simulations with the top companies of the field, all with the purpose of nurturing growth to its attendees and to the engineering community of the country.
The most-awaited summit begins with Jumpstart, the official opening ceremony of NCES. With the aim of recognizing and acknowledging the efforts of the people behind NCES and the UP Institute of Civil Engineering (UP ICE), Jumpstart features a grand feast open to the members of UP ACES and to the faculty and staff of UP ICE. Along with a summit blessing, this event also highlights a ribbon-cutting ceremony to kickstart the launch of the Civil Engineering Exhibit.
Upon its opening, the Civil Engineering Exhibit would be welcome to receive visitors throughout the span of the whole summit. Showcasing the various achievements and innovative breakthroughs in different fields of civil engineering, the exhibit features various artistic pieces and interactive displays, with the purpose of fostering greater appreciation to the civil engineering industry and its modern way of tackling problems in today’s society. The exhibit also showcases different accomplishments made by UP ACES.
The second day of the summit features InCEthink, dedicated to high school students with interest in the civil engineering industry. It features the Bridge Building Competition, where participants battle each other in constructing the sturdiest and most cost-efficient miniature bridge out of barbeque sticks. The competition is open for all high school students nationwide and participating teams earn a chance to bag at most Php 15,000.
In addition, InCEthink also includes the Civil Engineering Laboratory Tour, where high school students discover their potential in an intensive tour around the laboratories and equipment used in the different civil engineering fields. High school students also get to listen to career talks from some of the most prominent names in the industry, such as Engr. Karlo Daniel Colegio, Assistant Professor from the UP Institute of Civil Engineering, and Engr. Jaydee Lucero, 2018 Civil Engineering Licensure Examination Topnotcher.
After a few days, NCES returns with ImmerCE, a day dedicated to college students hoping to widen their range of career opportunities in the industry. During this day of the summit, the Civil Engineering Laboratory Tour is made available for undergraduate students of civil engineering to explore the laboratories and equipment of UP ICE. Company talks from the top civil engineering companies of the country, such as the XStructures Engineering Consultants and First Balfour, Inc., would also commence.
ImmerCE also gives the attendees an opportunity to foster connections with different companies through the Civil Engineering Career Fair. Inviting prominent companies in the industry, this event features a physical job fair that could leverage jobseekers into finding the company best fit for their careers. Attendees also get to listen to career talks from some of the biggest names in the field, such as Engr. Jose Mari Victor Cruz of the Robinson’s Land Corporation and Engr. Ramon Allado of the Allado Construction Company, Inc. Moreover, the career fair also gives the fairgoers an opportunity to transform their resume and sharpen their interview skills through Gear UP, inviting consultants across the top-performing companies and human resources specialists across the nation.
The fourth day of NCES features the National Civil Engineering Symposium, arguably the most-anticipated event of the thousands of attendees of the summit annually. Centralized on modern solutions, this year’s summit features major talks discussing how artificial intelligence affects the construction industry while also delving into the topic of sustainability in this modern age. The symposium also features an advocacy panel discussion on different narratives concerning people-centric transportation, as well as an inspirational talk of empowerment for the future nation-builders of the country. Attendees enjoy the privilege of listening to highly-esteemed names in the country, like Engr. Mark Vincent Yap Nodado, National Director of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Ar. Joan De Leon-Tabinas, Executive Director of the Professional Development Commision United Architects of the Philippines, and Former Rep. Sarah Elago, one of the country’s most prominent advocates for youth and women’s empowerment and welfare.
The summit concludes with the National Civil Engineering Quiz, where teams of two undergraduate civil engineering students from colleges and universities all across the nation battle it out in the largest civil engineering quiz bee in the country. The quiz includes a wide range of questions all revolving around civil engineering topics, and participants all enjoy discount vouchers from Review Innovations, the main partner of NCES, along with getting a chance to win up to Php 60,000 worth of cash prizes.
This year, the 20th National Civil Engineering Summit goes beyond limits and breaks the glass boundaries of civil engineering, equipping the nation with innovation, efficiency, and resilience against this evolving fast-paced world. As it continues to empower and inspire the future nation-builders of this generation, it also delivers the message of serving the nation. In an industry deeply rooted in improving the quality of life of society, the National Civil Engineering Summit reminds its attendees of their duty to be in service to the Filipino people, now with modern engineering solutions at hand.
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This event is made possible by UP ACES.