The Fuel That Keeps PUP’s Mechanical Engineers on Top- Marc Ace Palaganas and Kevin Carino

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ Department of Mechanical Engineering proved its magnanimity once more, as Marvin Bas and Renan Cauilan got the Sixth and Seventh places garnering 93.75% and 93.70% respectively in the recent Professional Regulation Commission Mechanical Engineering Licensure Examination held last September 2013.

After being the second top performing school last year, PUP-ME may have not kept the title after they failed to be on the list but have its name on the top ten examinees this year. This consistent performance of the department can be rooted way back 2006 under the term of      Engineer Edwin C. Esperanza.

That is why it is such a great challenge for Engineer Jesus Callanta in his second term as the chairperson of the department. Sir Jess was the former area chairman for students and was first appointed chairperson back in 1995.

“Before thinking of new plans for the department my term will focus first on some serious problems handed down to me by the previous administration like the Accreditation, 2011 Syllabus revision, and teaching assignments and fixed them first” the engineer stressed.

The chairperson also emphasized that the success of PUPian Engineers is not merely based on the efficiency of the machines and equipment but rather on the determination and perseverance of every students with the efforts of the highly trained faculty.

“Lack of facilities helps the students build their perseverance. Just like in board exams, in terms of the percentage of the passers, oftentimes we get 90% or above, in fact, last year, we got 98%. Why? Because we experience the lack of machines and equipment, that why we are adapting ourselves and strive to learn further”, Concepcion and Orica added.

The continuous success of the PUP-Mechanical Engineering Department is a proof that the courage to face difficulties, the passion to love what you’re doing and the fortitude to step forward despite of hindrances are the main qualities of a real PUPian M.E. student.

The students also proved that with the power of the heart, the mind, and the soul, nothing is impossible. The determination of the students serves as the fuel that drives them in the road of success.

II. Interview transcription [translated]

Interview with Chairperson Jesus Callanta, over-all coordinator, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Q: What set your department apart from other department?

A: There is actually no difference but Mechanical Engineering, as a department, achieved its main goal and it is to see our graduates having their name at the top. Last year, we got the 2^nd top performance and just released is the result of September 2013 licensure exam, we have two graduates who made it to the top 6^th and 7^th place respectively.

Q: What set your department apart from other universities?

A: Again, there is actually no difference; the only goal of our department is to meet the admired passing rate of ours. The fact that other universities though lacking of equipment obtain high passing rate means that it only depends on what kind of student we produce and here in PUP, we have these set of student overflowing with determination.

Q: What are the edges of the students under your program?

A: Just like of what I have said, it is all about their determination and passion as students.

Q: Are you confident that next year your department will top the licensure exam?

A:Definitely yes, now that we have seen the problem why we fail to have our goals this year and it is because of the division of students to 3 review centers, now we are planning to send them to only 2 centers so that the instructions that will be given will   be  just right and equal for every examinees.

Q: Are you satisfied with your student’s performance?

A: Yes

Q: As the newly-designated chairperson, what are your plans in the nearest future?

A: Actually, I have no plans right now, I believe, that there are more things to focus on, and before make plans, I prefer to face first the problem handed down by the former term before proceeding to those plans.

Here,(show a piece of paper) we have to focus on the next round of AACUP Accreditation, 2011 syllabus revision and teaching assignments for my instructors. As the new chair, I better focus on solution, I just don’t think if my co-newly-designated chairpersons do the same.

Q: Why do you think incoming freshmen students should choose Mechanical Engineering?

A: it is in their decision

Interview with Apple Concepcion, fourth year student and JC Orrica, staff of Mech. Engineering official publication

Q: What makes mechanical engineering student of PUP apart from other universities?

Apple: Because of lack in facilities, it helps a lot in building the perseverance of our students. Just like the result of our board exam, the percentage of passers hit up to 98%, why? Because we are the ones that experiences lack (in facilities), we are the ones that most of the times have none. That is why we strive harder and thus persisting more to learn more, as well.

JC: lack of facilities set us apart from them, lacking of those stuffs serve as strength to strive harder. That may serve as a weakness, but we found strength behind it.

Q: what set ME apart from other engineering courses?

Apple: rumor says ME is the heaviest, ME is the most difficult, maybe, because it has something to do with machines. I can agree with them. In fact, out of the total number of our enrollees, we also have the most number of drop-outs; indeed, it is survival of the fittest.

JC: I think, discipline, our department is actually the first one that initiated cleanliness within CEA.

Q: is excellence in math a pre-requisite in taking up an engineering course?

Apple: No, even masters in math may fail in this course. Personally me, I’m not really good in math. I believe that one just needs persistence. Everyday you’ll come to school and everyday there’s math, you will actually get used to it.