15th ERDT Conference
15th ENGINEERING RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT FOR TECHNOLOGY
CONFERENCE
The 15th DOST Engineering Research and Development for Technology Conference was held last 27-28 September 2018 at the Manila Hotel. It was co-located with the 11th AUN/SEED-Net Regional Conference on Energy Engineering.
Dr. Rizalinda L. De Leon, Program Leader of ERDT, formally opened the event by welcoming the participants and briefly running through the causes for which the ERDT was founded. She emphasized that as engineers, the participants play pivotal roles in shaping the society and alleviating living conditions.
Accordingly, in her welcome address, Ms. Oshima Ayumu (Senior Representative of JICA Philippines) discussed the importance of interdisciplinary and intercultural collaborations, research and innovations in building a resilient region.
Entitled “Challenges and Opportunities for the Research Professional in a Changing Environment”, Dr. Enrico Paringit’s keynote speech delved on how research engineers can make use of technology to address real-world problems. As a case study, Dr. Paringit discussed the work of Phil LiDAR and the spectrum of applications for its data and information products.
Dr. Francisco Viray, President and Chief Executive Officer of PHINMA Energy Corporation, presented fresh ideas in his plenary talk, “Driving Sustainable Energy and Deregulated Power Industry”.
The plenary speech of Prof. Hideaki Ohgaki soon followed. Prof. Ohgaki approached the thematic of renewable energy on a pragmatic level by discussing in detail the impact of renewable energy on the quality of life in rural communities in ASEAN countries.
Prof. Hideaki Ohgaki from the Institute of Advance Energy of Kyoto University.
Speaking in behalf of the Department of Energy was Atty. Marissa Cerezo. Atty. Cerezo expounded on the “Status of Development of Renewable Energy Resources in the Philippines” by explaining the renewable energy roadmap of DOE and the milestones of RA 9513 (Renewable Energy Act of 2008) to date. She ended her plenary speech by explaining the challenges and steps in moving toward subscribing to green energy options for the country.
Capping off the morning plenary session for the first day of the Conference is Asec. Rafaelita Aldaba. Asec. Aldaba highlighted the role of science and technology in the inclusive, sustainable, and innovation-led industrial policy for poverty alleviation and economic transformation of the Department of Trade and Industry.
Asec. Rafaelita Aldaba explaining the outline of her presentation.
Participants from AUN/SEED-Net member institutions posing for a group photo with Dr. De Leon and Dr. Pedrasa.
Afternoon parallel sessions followed the morning plenary. Different topics ranging from: (1) Energy Audits, Conservation, Efficiency, Technology Assessment and Policy, (2) Materials for Energy, Electronics and Environment, (3) Renewable Energy Conversion Technology, RE Systems, (4) Energy Resource Assessment, Power Systems, Modeling and Planning, and (5) Information and Communications Technology were covered.
Two out of the five breakout rooms during the afternoon parallel sessions.
The first day of the Conference ended with a Welcome Dinner for the participants and a cultural presentation.
The plenary speech of ERDT Visiting Professor, Dr. Mikio Umeda jumpstarted the second day of the Conference. Dr. Umeda started by contextualizing and characterizing farming and agriculture in Asia. He also presented a comparative analysis on the economic impact of the different methods (mechanized and smart) of farming.
Dr. Nobumasa Sekishita, another ERDT Visiting Professor, followed and talked about the “Hydrodynamics Characteristics of Fish Fins and Bodies for Developing a Fish Robot”.
The third speaker for the second day of the Conference was Prof. Jun Tanimoto. Dr. Tanimoto provided a “Statistical Analysis on the Effect of Outdoor Air Temperature History on Occupants” Usage of Air-Conditioners in Dwellings”. He concluded that the weighted mean of outdoor temperature explains air conditioning usage well.
Prof. Jun Tanimoto during his plenary speech.
(L-R) Dr. Menandro Berana, Dr. Mikio Umeda, Dr. Nobumasa Sekishita, Dr. Jun Tanimoto and Dr. Michael Pedrasa during the presentation of certificates and tokens of appreciation.
Consequently, Prof. Keiichi Ishihara explained “The Role of Decentralized Energy Systems” in his plenary speech. Prof. Ishihara grounded his discussion by explaining how FVC is helpful for the purpose of disaster management especially in countries like Japan and the Philippines that are usually frequented by natural calamities.
Prof. Keiichi Ishihara introducing his presentation topic.
Dr. Carlo Arcilla, Director of the Philippine Nuclear Research institute, then captured the interest of the audience by discussing what remains to be a partly controversial topic in the country--- Nuclear Engineering Possibilities in the Philippines. He also addressed the stigma attached to nuclear energy by presenting facts about the subject matter.
The last plenary speaker for the Conference was from Indonesia’s Gadjah Mada University. Dr. Pri Utami talked about Geothermal Energy Development: A Synergy Between Science and Engineering. Dr. Utami’s plenary talk was especially relevant considering that both her country of origin and the Philippines are located around the Pacific Ring of Fire where most geothermal energy can be harnessed.
Dr. Pri Utami during her plenary talk.
Similar to the first day, afternoon parallel sessions followed the morning plenary. The topics covered in the second day are: (1) Energy Resource Assessment, Power Systems, Modeling and Planning, (2) Information and Communications Technology, (3) Materials for Energy, Electronics and Environment, (3) Structural, Agricultural and Environmental Materials, (4) Alternative Fuels/Energy, and (5) Environment, Infrastructure and Agricultural Applications.
The participants convened to the plenary hall once more after the parallel sessions for the announcement of best papers and the closing ceremonies.
Ms. Kanokpan Paladech, JICA Program Officer for AUN/SEED-Net, promoted and presented announcements regarding the fourth phase of AUN/SEED-Net.
In his Closing Address, Engr. Albert Mariňo explained SEI’s desire to continue to empower its scholars through supporting similar activities where they can be exposed to different learning opportunities. Moreover, Engr. Mariňo also encouraged the participants to reflect on the Conference’s theme, “Engineering for Humanity” and to contribute towards the advancement of the country and the Filipino people’s interest.
Dr. Menandro Berana and Dr. Michael Pedrasa announced the “best paper” awardees and formally closed the event by thanking the participants and the organizers.
