Article by: Sairine M. Salonga
Graphics by: Ma. Alyssa Therese S. Manalang
Diving deep into the water, walking through fire, and exploring space, the Association of Geologists and Geological Engineers of Mapúa (AGGEM) celebrated Geology Week 2022 last February 21 to 25 via Google Meet and Facebook Live.
Following the theme “Elemental Blaze,” AGGEM hosted various activities and webinars which focused on the elements of water, fire, and earth. In her opening remarks before the first webinar episode last February 21, AGGEM President Roshelle E. Sungcados stated the objective of this year’s week-long celebration is to "tackle or dive into [a] deeper aspect of geology.”
“[This] will surely pique the interest of the students and somehow help light [their] dark spaces of passion,” Sungcados added.
The organization then proceeded with the first webinar entitled "Hail Hydro! – Things You Need to Know” with Ms. Nikki Orcio, a hydrogeology supervisor at the OceanaGold Philippines Inc., as the guest speaker where she discussed the importance of hydrogeology.
Later that day, the student organization also held games such as Bingo and Finding Nemo exclusively for its members.
Last February 22, AGGEM held an member-exclusive game entitled “Guess the Gibberish” wherein the players guessed the word or phrase. Meanwhile, a Quiz Bee contest on various geology topics was organized for all students enrolled in geology and geological engineering programs. The winners of the competition were Carl Chester Cadizon, Jolo Mari Andaya, and Fellona Sealtielle Anne Sarte who were the champion, first runner-up, and second runner-up, respectively.
The next day, the geology enthusiasts showcased their wit and fun in through games of Scrambled Words, Picture Zoom, and What Does The Box Say?.
Moreover, AGGEM held an Idea Pitch contest where the group of Jolo Mari Andaya, Cecil Lloyd Cansino, Carlo Miguel Santos, Marco Jan Rafael Sicam, and Ma. Daniella Yambao bagged the first place with their presentation entitled “Towards The Boom of The Future: Hazardous Waste Management Republic Act 6969”.
The group consisting of Czarina Mei Laope, Rad Lem-ew Vince Balisong, Fhoebe Lianne Rhanada, Juzuel Ezekiel See, and Lorainne Angelyn Cada trailed behind, placing second in the competition with their presentation entitled "Implementing Webinars Consulting the Shy Dangers of Caustic Substances”.
On the same day, continuing the three-part webinar series, the organization hosted the webinar entitled “The Role of Geoscientists in Research on Disaster Mitigation and Risk Reduction Efforts of the Government” with Dr. Raymond Patrick R. Maximo, a Science Research Specialist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), as the guest speaker. Through the webinar, Dr. Maximo discussed the roles of geologists, especially those who work under the government, in taking measures and risk reduction when disasters occur. He also discussed the opportunities in working under the government – such as the PHIVOLCS – and encouraged students to join.
Last February 24, AGGEM held a series of guessing games exclusive for its members, such as Google Earth: Guess the Continent/Place and an Emoji Guessing Game.
The organization also hosted “AGGEM Got Talent” to showcase the talent of the students. With their rendition of the song "Photograph” by Ed Sheeran, M.A.R.Y A.N.N.E was declared as the champion while Issa Bibon and MusiGeo clinched the first runner-up and second runner-up spots, correspondingly.
For the final day of the week-long celebration last February 25, AGGEM conducted the third webinar episode entitled “Horizon: Where Earth and Space Collides” with Ms. Stephanie Tumampos, a doctoral researcher and student at the Technical University of Munich , and Dr. James Refran, a board topnotcher and former instructor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences – University of the Philippines, as the guest speakers.
Ms. Tumampos discussed the earth observation satellites. When asked about a geologists’ role in a space agency, she noted that one could be a researcher or even a geologist specializing in data visualization. Meanwhile, Dr. Refran tackled various topics which included defining outer space, the boundary between the earth and space, space science, and Philippine Space Agency’s mission.
To conclude the week-long event, AGGEM Executive Secretary Kimberly Jane Peregrin expressed her gratitude to those who made Geology Week 2022 a success. “I hope this event shed some light into the geological community and the society,” she imparted.