The generosity of Dr. Magdaleno B. Albarracin, Jr. and the swift collaboration between UPERDFI and the UP Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute (EEEI) resulted in the conveyance of the equipment to the University of the Philippines on December 4, 2023, four months after the project started.
UPERDFI Chairman Engr. Alex Sy Sun Eng signed the Deed of Donation turning over the mobile workstations and modern testing and measurement equipment to UP, represented by UP Diliman Chancellor Atty. Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II. Witnesses included former UP Regent and PHINMA Vice Chairman Dr. Magdaleno B. Albarracin, Jr. (EE ‘56), UP President Atty. Angelo A. Jimenez, UPD College of Engineering Dean Dr. Maria Antonia N. Tanchuling, UPERDFI Project Representative Engr. Rafael Nestor V. Mantaring, UP EEEI Director Dr. Lew Andrew R. Tria and UP Vice President for Development Dr. Ferdinand A. Pecson.
Also in attendance were UPERDFI Advisers Dr. Francisco L. Viray and Rogelio M. Murga; Trustees Guillermo Q. Tabios III, Jose Jesus R. Gomez, Valentin A. Reyes and Frederick D. Chua; and members Edgardo Paynor, Robert O. Minguez II and Abdon Laigo, together with the EEEI faculty and student representatives.
On hand also was Genesis Orozco, CoE ‘04, CEO of Advanced Computing Solutions, the company that supplied 160 mobile workstations. Ace Electronic Technologies supplied the auxiliary equipment. These are spread in 4 workrooms in the EEEI Building.
ED Tito Aliga and Deputy Nori Ishikawa were also present. Unable to join due to another event was DOE USec Dr. Rowena Guevara, EEEI faculty, who was responsible for sparking the donation.
To ensure that UP is in the forefront of engineering education, Dr. Albarracin asked that we in UP and UPERDFI actively engage alumni to give back, and our friends to invest in UP, He also reiterated his matching challenge, where he will donate 50% (up to 25M) of the contributions to the Engineering a Better Philippines Fund for projects that harness engineering for societal impact up to September 30, 2025.
