DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 11, 2012) – The Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) celebrates the month of November as Civil Engineering Month which also coincided with the 75th year anniversary of PICE.
“The chapter will conduct various activities and shall also look back on its humble achievements during the year and the past years,” Engr. Erdsan Rene Suero, local chapter president, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
He said the month-long activities will include a thanksgiving mass, motorcade around the city, courtesy calls, site visits to various projects, visit to homes for the aged and orphanage, tree planting, mathematics quiz, essay writing contest of civil engineering students, sports and games, exhibits and the conduct of the 8th PICE PGEP – Greening existing school or the giving of one rainwater tank and ten trash bins to a recipient school in Davao.
“The past ten months of the year for the chapter has really gone very inspiring beyond expectations. PICE Davao City is humbly proud to have some milestones for being first,” Suero said.
He said PICE Davao City is the first accredited professional organization in the country to forge a memorandum of agreement with the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines through one of its implementing boards, the Philippine Domestic Construction Board to jointly implement the Construction Performance Evaluation System.
“PICE Davao City is one of the first accredited professional organizations to be a founding member of the Construction Industry Tripartite Council in Davao Region and has signed a social accord for Industrial Peace and Stability and a Regional Inter-Agency MOA on Strengthening Coordination and Linkages to promote the Welfare of the Construction Workers and the Growth of the Construction Industry in the region.”
“PICE Davao City emerged as first place in the Green Engineered School Building Design Competition – PICE Mindanao Chapters under the auspices of the PICE’s Project Green Engineering Philippines,” he said.
Suero said PICE Davao City is the first chapter to launch the construction of a PICE Training Center to cater to its expanding services in the conduct of seminars, workshops and technical programs for its members. It is also the first PICE chapter in the country to conduct 7 “PGEP Greening Existing School” project or the giving of one rainwater collector tank and ten garbage bins to various recipient schools in seven consecutive months from April – October.
PICE Davao City is the first chapter in Mindanao to conduct the ground breaking of the PICE PhilGreen School at New Carmen Elementary School on July 20, 2012, now on its construction stage. It conducted successfully its first “Mindanao Construction Show and Conference.”
The chapter is in the forefront of various initiatives, programs and projects of the government in Davao City and Davao Region. It actively commits itself to the Regional Development Council – Infrastructure Development Committee, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Construction Industry Tripartite Council, the Davao City Task Force Drainage and the Local Housing Board.
PICE is in working partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, Construction Manpower Development Foundation, Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Professional Regulation Commission, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the City Government of Davao – Office of the Building Official on various construction safety and health, industrial peace and development of construction industry initiatives and advocacy in Davao region.
It has regularly conducting the Course on Construction Safety and Health for Site Safety Officers.
Recently, it forged a memorandum of agreement with Davao City Water District for the “adopt a site” project in Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watershed in support to its rehabilitation to ensure continuous water supply in the city for present and future generations.
“And the PICE Davao City has a lot more to do for its members, the city and the country.
“As it is said, far and away, the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing,” Suero said.
The Civil Engineering Month also timed with the 38th National Convention on November 22-24 at the Cebu International Center in Mandaue City. Public works Undersecretary Romeo Momo is currently the PICE national president.
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