ROGER ROUND-UP: Flip vs. The Cool Bicol

For the second round of site survey trips, the ROGER deployment team roamed around the Bicol Region, from Sorsogon up to Camarines Norte, in search of sites.

#ParaSaBayan (Photo courtesy of Thessa Cunanan)

 Aboard our trusty van with Kuya Dong at the helm, we then set forth to a lengthy roooooad triiiiiip.

Attendance: Ate G, Flip, Ronel, IZ, Thessa, Mia

Me and the Magayong Mayon

Spectrum Analysis

IZ getting somne sample dimensions

With the wonderful and helpful personnel of Prieto Diaz MDRRMO

PhotoOps at Barcelona, Sorsogon

Sometimes, you run out of luck and will have to work

At Paracale, Camarines Norte MDDRMO Officials

After work selfie time! Good job Team!

ROGER Round-up: What's up with Flip and Manabayukan Site Visit

I am often asked this specific question:

Flip! Balita? musta na?!

Well, after I got my Master's degree in Electrical Engineering (yey!), I endeavored myself into a string of DOST-funded UP-implemented projects, the latest of which is dubbed ROGER.

ROGER aims to develop, test, and deploy a reliable communications platform that will enable efficient communications between emergency responders in times of disaster. Basically, it is a system that will be rapidly deployed AFTER a disaster, when power and commercial GSM lines are down. ROGER will link a disaster-stricken area to a command center to expedite the rescue and disaster response efforts. Once power and communication lines are restored, ROGER will then be dismantled.

The project is working with parallel timelines - developing setup protocols and user-case scenarios at homebase EEE, and looking out for pilot test sites out in the field. Joining me in this journey is a formidable team composed of young and energetic engineers; namely, Ronel, Mia, Thessa, Giselle, and IZ.

One of the sites that we visited is Sitio Manabayukan in Capas, Tarlac. It is an isolated Aeta community of around 100 households. It has been a beneficiary site for an earlier project, CloudTop. 

Meeting with the Captain of Brgy. O' Donnell. L to R: Ronel, Kap, Flip, Ate G, Mia

Alta posse at Capas Municipal Hall

First official group picture of the ROGER deployment team (minus IZ)

To better assess how the system will be deployed, we headed out for Manabayukan. To get there, we have to rent a 4x4 to conquer the terrain. We were all smiles at first, but as the ride got nasty, expletives are thrown all over the place.

All smiles before the bumpy ride

Smiles starting to fade

But at the sight of this view, all our pain started to vanish.

After spectrum analysis, its selfie time!

The site visit got me thinking of other isolated communities in the Philippines, where access to social services is poor. I hope that in the future, we can help empower these communities through technology. For me, this is what a UP-educated engineer should strive for.

UP College of Engineering Recognition Rites 2009

April 24, 2009 (Friday)

Epic fail dahil magalaw ang kamay ko. :)

How I Spent my first day as a College Graduate

obviously not bumming around.

I, together with some WCEL RFID peeps, went with Doc M to San Miguel Packaging Plant in Pandacan, Manila.

Mission: to see how we can help them.

For 198ers, sabi nga ni Doc M, kung hindi immediate need ang research project ninyo, mapapaisip ka nang "Sino naman ang gagamit nito?", "To what end?", "Para san tong pag improve/pag explore ng RFID applications"

Ang tanong naman ng San Mig sa amin, "RFID has been around for more than 10 years now, why has it not been implemented on a wide-scale basis here in the Philippines?"

This is where we come in.

San Mig and hopefully, the UP team, is brewing up something: to develop an RFID framework for tracking San Mig's pallets on a nationwide and archipelagic basis.

Win - Win situation: they get improved chain supply management system, we get a chance to apply the skills we learned in the industry.

Ang sarap ng feeling na at long last, may mapag-aaplayan ka na ng skills mo na natutunan mo sa 198.

We visited their plant, talked to San Mig personnel, heard what their problem is, and met halfway to see how we can help them through RFID.

Doc M introduced us - one by one - proud na proud sa mga dinala nyang tauhan, tulad ng incoming faculty na sina Iris at Sieg. prinesent nya rin ang current and past researches ng lab on RFID. angsarap din nang feeling na binibida ng adviser mo sa audience yung research project mo. Nagpresent na kami sa San Mig before, pero iba kasi pag si Doc M ang nagpresent, napapatango nalang ang taga san mig.

grabe ang planta ng pallets (pallets - yung pinapatunan ng cases ng beer, etc, yung finoforklift, in fairness, kumikitang kabuhayan ang san mig sa pagpaparent dito tsaka mahal ang isang pallet kaya gusto nilang i-track kung nasaan lahat), parang unsafe for workers. ang saya pag marami ang nag-iisip kanina kung anong flavor ng RFID ang gagamitin at kung san ilalagay ang tag sa pallet, pano babasahin, etc.

nakabalik kami ng EEE ng mga 5. tapos umuulan, tapos wala akong kasabay sa venue ng gradbash, tapos tinopak ng pagka anti social == di na pumunta ng grad bash.

marami naman akong natutunan sa aking unang araw bilang graduate. :)
 

Current Status Update 3 (because my career is an open book)

declined the sun cellular job offer. 'rejected' is the more appropriate word. nauna ang HR sa paggamit ng term. umoo lang ako.

tinawagan ng Shell, pinalagay ko nalang ang resume ko sa pool. :)

currently working on the requirements for masters and scholarships. hindi alam kung pano sisimulan ang CV at narrative

may hit sa nbi. papatayin ko tlaga si philip aguila martinez.

ang pinakahihintay kong email. teaching demo sa tuesday.kung kelan inclined na talaga akong mag ERDT (hindi pwede ERDT kung lecturer eh)