MAPUAWORLD 2007 - Manila Philippines

Jan 17, 2007:
Morning - Professional Development Seminar
Afternoon/Evening - Meet and Greet

Jan 18, 2007
Day Tour (any of the following):
Villa Escudero, Corregidor, Subic or Pagsanjan
Sportsfest: Golf or Bowling
Evening: Night Tour at Manila Baywalk

Jan 19, 2007:
Picnic at Ecopark, La Mesa Dam (whole day)

Jan 20, 2007: Gala Night

Office of the President
2nd Floor, Administration Building
Mapúa Institute of Technology
Muralla, Intramuros
1002 Manila, Philippines

Attention: Dr. Reynaldo Vea

Subject: Proposed Malayan University

Dear Dr. Vea,

We have read a lot about the growing protest regarding the proposed change of the name of Mapúa Institute of Technology to Malayan University. I have gathered the consensus of our Executive team, local members and other Alumni groups in North America and we offer our collective position on this matter.

We fully support getting University status for our school. It brings us pride, recognition and credibility in the academic world. For us alumni in North America, it provides the additional recognition of our Engineering degree coming from a University. NAMABC and other North American Mapua Alumni Association have fully supported your position during the last Mapuaworld celebrations when you made a presentation to us in Vancouver, BC, Canada last July 31, 2004.

However, our NAMABC Executive team and local members do not support the proposal to change the name of MIT to Malayan University. We strongly protest this proposal to change the name of our Alma Mater. We know that our local Association, other Mapua alumni association in North America and individual fellow alumni cannot dictate to you and the Yuchengco group, how to run the business of the school. You have been mandated by the Board of the Yuchengco group to run the school in the best interest of the company.

We, therefore, appeal to your heart to reconsider the proposed name change. I would like to compare it to the Philippine government proposing to change the name of the University of the Philippines, from where you graduated. How will you and other alumni from UP feel about the change? If your answer is that you will not support that government proposal, I think you can see what other Mapua alumni have been voicing out and what current students feel in their protest activities. I think that there had been many options provided to you and the Yuchengco group, one of them being to retain the name of our Alma Mater and call it Mapua University.

By retaining the name of our Alma Mater, it provides the following benefits:

1. MIT had been synonymous with excellence in Engineering known within the Philippines and other parts of the world. Mapua University would retain that same recognition. We have many outstanding Alumni who have succeeded in their own field of engineering in the Philippines, North America and other parts of the world.

2. Alumni and current students retain their sense of pride and belonging to the new Mapua University.

3. The Yuchengco group would be seen by the Alumni and current students as a caring company by retaining the name of Mapua as part of the University. It shows the company’s belief in spirited teamwork and its passion for growth, change and initiating new opportunities for the students, alumni and shareholders. A University is composed of different colleges with its own unique character. Since the name of Mapua is synonymous to Engineering, one could argue that retaining the same name will dilute the character of the other colleges within the University. I would disagree, because retaining the existing name, such as Mapua University, will provide instant recognition to the School of Nursing and the School of Business as schools of excellence known within the Philippines and abroad in the same manner that the School of Engineering (MIT) had already provided.

It is very apparent that the collective voices of all alumni are not in favor of the name change. We hope that you and the Board of Yuchengco group have not made up your decisions and that there is still time to reconsider. In addition, Mapuaworld 2007 celebration in Manila would lose its worldwide appeal if we are now Malayan university.

Thank you for your time in considering our strong objection to this proposal.

Respectfully Yours,

Eddie Alfonso P. Eng.
President, NAMABC and on behalf of
our Executive Committee and Members

CC:   NAMA, Philippines
        International Association of Mapua Alumni - Ontario
	Southern California Mapua Alumni Association
	Mapua Alumni Association, Alberta Chapter, Canada
	Texas Association of Mapua Alumni
	Mapua Alumni Association Eastern USA
        Mapua Alumni of Manitoba, Canada
	NAMA Guam, USA Chapter
	Mapua CHE-CHEM Alumni Association,           
            Southern California, USA

And by the way there is a Malaya University in Malaysia.

To Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea Ph.D.
President
Mapua Institute of Technology

What would you feel if your Beloved Alma Mater's name will be change to a totally different name.

Your feeling will the same as ours.

========

10 February 2005

Reynaldo B. Vea, Ph.D.
President
Mapua Institute of Technology
Intramuros, Manila

Dear Sir:

Changing the name of Mapua Institute of Technology to Malayan College is totally appalling. It does not bear the integrity by which I was honed as a student nor does it exude scholastic veracity. As an alumnus, I rather be called be as a Mapuan than a Malayan. For me, Malayan denotes the people Malaysia and the Malay Archipelago. In a modern Filipino context, Malayan may be construed as someone who works for an insurance company. Hence, being a Malayan desecrate the very fiber of my academic being and does not reflect the competence of a full blooded Mapuan. As a Mapuan, I would like to preserve the credence of alma mater and would not want to eradicate our ‘race.’ What would you feel if all of a sudden somebody told you that Filipinos will now be called Marsians or Jupeterians? Don’t you feel detached, as if you are someone with no history, background and culture? Since we adhere to international prominence, why not just name it as Mapua University or Mapua International University? In such a way, we preserve the name of our institution and not obliterating the Mapuan race.

Hope you can still reconsider my humble appeal.

Very truly yours,

In this day and age the multidisciplinary approach to solving problems has become the rule rather than the exception. Schools have adapted by allowing students to take more courses for credit across disciplines. They have designed courses where teamwork of students across departments is the norm. They have instituted new degree programs to develop intellectual capital across a wider range of academic fields of study. They have imbued their students with a broader outlook in appreciating the challenges of the day.

In the U.S. engineering education community, this multidisciplinary problem-solving approach is clearly reflected in the program outcomes advocated by the ABET. An academic degree program has to demonstrate that its graduates are "capable of functioning in multi-disciplinary teams" and that they "understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and social context." In voluntarily subjecting ourselves to an ABET Certification process, we have made known to all and sundry that we subscribe to and espouse these outcomes.

The requirement of a General Education component by the CHED is a big help in this regard. But a school can do better than this by having degree programs in various other disciplines. The depth of its faculty in a discipline becomes significantly enhanced. If perchance a program's development leads to the establishment of graduate degree programs, then this depth becomes unassailable.

Having faculty and expertise in individual disciplines is just a start. Things get to be more exciting and meaningful in the interplay of the various disciplines: biotechnology, computer science, electronics engineering and mechanical engineering; health sciences and information technology; business and technology; psychology and artificial intelligence; the social sciences and physical infrastructures; languages and computer science; all engineering and information technology; all engineering and environment, etc.

If knowledge be the currency of educational institutions, it would be hard to argue against an attempt to put scholarship and professional training on the foundation of a broader universe of academic degree programs and in the context of interacting bodies of knowledge. This is principally why the Mapua Institute of Technology is going for university status. As good as it is, the Institute could become an even better technology school with this move.

In transition, management has reserved the name Mapua Institute of Technology and its logo with the Department of Trade and Industry. Mapua Institute of Technology shall be the name of the university's College of Engineering and Architecture. It shall be alongside other Colleges named after other personages, i.e., San Lorenzo Ruiz College of Health Sciences and E.T. Yuchengco College of Business and Management. The university itself shall be called Malayan University. In the transition, while we are trying to be eligible for university status, the collection of colleges shall be called Malayan Colleges. Accordingly we are now working to change the name of the corporation from Mapua Institute of Technology to Malayan Colleges. The CHED-NCR has just approved this corporate name change.

Lyra and I were just watching the Mapuaworld 2004 DVD last night and reminiscing all the fun we had. You and your group really did an excellent job. It will be very difficult to do any better, NAMA will have a big challenge....

You all are just wonderful players/hosts making my golfing experience with you a memorable event to treasure. Your selected golf course, Swan-E-Set Bay Resort and Country Club is beautiful.. links like course with plenty of water hazards and tall grasses meadows.. is hard and challenging.

I lost five balls but found three good ones.. what a great fun with my group of brillant players, my partner , Noel Gabalfin an excellent-cool and methodical player, Sam Quinones, a joker, makes my game mixed with great fun and laughters, and Efren Tejada, an incredible long drive hitter which on the last hole, teed off a long drive to the stream/creek besides the green... wow... amazing power.! but lost his ball and a pitcher of beer bet... that's such an exciting game we had. I look forward playing with you all again next time...

A wonderful experience for everyone who found the time to attend. Started a ripple effect. Every attendee now want to go to the next one. Destroyed a common notion that Mapua Engineers only excels in the field of engineering and not in running a social gathering.

Brought back lots of treasured memories from our college days in Mapua. And lastly, brought to light the cohesiveness of your NAMABC membership, who where there, here, and everywhere, to make everyone feel "at home." You did a great job.

We just arrived from California yesterday. We are still reminiscing our Canadian vacation until now. Thank you so much for your patience in taking us around the city of Vancouver. Josie really aprreciate the natural beauty and scenery of Vancouver and the one she missed a lot is the lanzones. Again, thank you for your hospitality and our unforgetable tour of Vancouver

The NAMABC is really a solid alumni organization. I hope we can have our NAMA Hawaii in the near future.

Eddie, Greg, Digno, Ed, Noel, Eschel, Bong, Sam, to name a few are just great for an outstanding support extended in making us feel welcomed. You all NAMABC officers and members deserves the credits and kudos for staging such an exciting and memorable reunion..! From the get-acquaintance night to the Golf Tournament, to the Banquet and Ball, to the colorful picnic finale is just one of a kind.

Thank you for the award I received for the Golf Tournament. I will cherish it with great pride. Noel is just an excellent golfer... I need to play with him a lot more. Sam is an excellent partner to play with.. it just makes my game with great deal of fun and laughters. Efren, sorry for beating you on the last hole... thanks for the beer..!

Zeny and I has enjoyed every bit of it..the fun and camaraderie with you all..! And I look forward to seeing you again on the next event.!!

Thank you.

Thanks to Tony Telan and wife Lolit, Butch Buan and wife Loida, Dexter Tarampi and wife Gail, Cesar Reyes and wife, Lulu, Greg Narciso and wife Echel(also a Mapuan). Many thanks also to personal Mapua friends from California, Melo Arada and wife Haydee, from Texas, Norma Benzon and husband Meredith and from New Jersey, Ogie Ladao and wife, Met. It is the closest to going back in time.

My wife Eula (also a Mapuan)and I, thank everyone for having us and have such a wonderful and memorable time.

Digno & Aida (Vibat)- Thank you so much for seeing to it that we fulfill our Sunday obligations (church)and bringing us to the picnic site. And to Digno & Aida (again); Amante & Soly (Jotie)- Thank you very much for making our stay after the last day of celebrations, pleasurable. Thank you for taking us to the place where NAMABC was conceived (Mr. Ho) and where the river rocks! (you know what I mean).

"I OWE YOU, GUYS". The camaraderie and friendship that I saw among the attendees was testimony to the fulfillment of the goal of the first celebration, MapuaWorld 2000 held in Toronto, Canada August 4-6,2000 - To promote camaraderie among Mapuans around the world in the year 2000 and beyond. I would like to thank Dr. Reynaldo Vea, President of the Mapua Institute of Technology, for supporting MapuaWorld events. Thank you, NAMABC for being such a great host!

The instant party at Butch Buan's place, mostly attended by MITASCAN's was quite an experience too...Dexter, sorry for missing the "segue" to that at your place. About the golf course, Ed Juan, Roger Canlas and myself have already promised ourselves to go back there and "conquer" it the next time...Eddie and Greg, we'll call you once we get there!

We are grateful for the five-day stay with us by Dr. Rey Vea, CEO and President of Mapua Institute of Technology. We thanks the Outstanding Mapuans from all over North America who graced our occasion. We are also happy that our 3rd International Grand Reunion has paved the way for several groups to meet their respective members and spent memorable mini-reunion of their own.