The University of Northern Philippines (UNP) united architecture and engineering students at the UNP Gymnasium in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, on January 23, 2026, for the inaugural International Engineering and Architecture Students’ Congress. This event championed interdisciplinary training for an integrated built environment.
Leaders opened with inspiring messages: Dr. Rolando Navarro, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Winnie Caliboso, Internationalization Office; Engr. Nestor Pajaro, Federated Alumni Association president; Dr. Nelia Verzosa, College of Engineering dean; Dr. Fatima Nicetas Alonzo, College of Architecture and Built Environment dean; and Architect Mon-Cres A. Toje, assistant dean, who underscored collaboration’s value.
International speakers shone, Dr. Abd Muluk Abd Manan, Malaysian architect excelling in practice, leadership, and academia, and Engr. Erwin Cruz Rallojay, with 20+ years on UAE LNG/oil-gas projects, shared innovation and decision-making insights shaping complex designs.
Students applied lessons in a Bridge Building Competition. Fourteen mixed teams had two hours to design and build models, testing fundamentals, logic, and teamwork—negotiating constraints, sharing roles, and realizing concepts as sturdy structures.
Article by Charles Andrada.
