Article by: Reine Amabel J. Jaruda
Graphics by: Cassius Klai C. Francisco
January 18, 2022
Aiming to share more about geology and geologic events in a different light, the Association of Geologists and Geological Engineers of Mapúa (AGGEM) hosted a three-part webinar series last November 28 and December 5 and 15 via Google Meet and Facebook Live.
The three-part series entitled “ABLAZE: Nurturing Flame of Knowledge to Transcend” consisted of webinars focusing on diverse topics in the field of geology.
Kickstarting the series of events, the first webinar entitled “The Sinking Pearl of the Orient Seas: Rising Coastal Levels, Impacts, and Adaptation” was held last November 28. Dr. Rosalie Reyes, an Associate Professor at the Department of Geodetic Engineering at the University of the Philippines (UP) – Diliman, and Dr. Fernando Siringan, a Professor at the Marine Science Institute at the same university, served as the speakers for the event. They discussed the current coastal levels in the country as well as their impacts on the environment and how these can be mitigated.
The second episode entitled “Benthic: Diving Deep through Time” featured Mr. Alec Benjamin Ramirez, an instructor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS), UP Diliman, as the speaker for the event last December 5. Mr. Ramirez elaborated on life underwater and the information it can provide for life in the past.
Furthermore, Assistant Professor from NIGS Dr. Leo Armada, talked about the Philippines’ seismic activity in “Earth and Beyond: Why the Philippines is Seismically Active,” which was the last installment of the webinar series held last December 15.
Aside from providing unique topics in their chosen field of expertise, AGGEM President Roshelle E. Sungcados added that through these events, they hope to ease the students’ experiences of educational burnout or loss of passion as a result of the continuous online learning setup.
“ [Because of this, the] webinar series’ goal is to ignite their passion [once] again through this event,” she shared.
The student organization is currently preparing for the upcoming Geology Week 2022, which will be held next month, among other events.