February 2007 – February 2008

To my fellow UST Engineering Alumnus and members of the Board of the UST Engineering Alumni Association Inc (USTEAAI), it is my pleasure to report to you the activities and projects undertaken by the Board from February 2007 up to the period ending February 2008:

Thereafter, your new set of Officers and Board Members held a three (3) day Team Building Session conducted and facilitated by one of its Board Member, Edward L. Cunanan, at Angel’s Hills Retreat House in Tagaytay City on May 11-13, 2007.  On this activity, the 2nd Regular Board Meeting was also held to finalize the USTEAAI Vision, Mission, Objectives and Core Values.  The meeting gave birth to our now famous metaphor of the USTEAAI as the “Tahanan ng Inhinyerong Tomasino.”
 
And to make our mandate official, on July 5, 2007, the new 2007-2009 Board were inducted in a ceremony officiated by the UST Rector, the Rev. Fr. Ernesto Arceo, O.P., at the Rector’s Office.
 
The Association, represented by its incumbent President, has been an active member and elected Auditor of the UST Alumni Association Inc (USTAAI). The USTAAI is composed of representatives from the 18 Faculty and College Alumni Associations of the University. Our Association fully supports the plans and programs of the mother Alumni Association.
 
The Association was represented in two of the USTAAI projects which are the “The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni” (TOTAL Awards for 2007), held on August 20, 2007 at the UST Central Seminary Auditorium and the UST Grand Alumni Homecoming held at the Fiesta Pavilion, Manila Hotel, on September 21, 2007 hosted by the College of Commerce.
 
On December 15, 2007, in cooperation with our Faculty of Engineering, the culmination of our Centennial celebration was held at the UST Medicine Auditorium. The event was the Engineering Centennial Awards which honored 100 Outstanding Engineering Alumni.
 
To raise funds for the Association to support its projects, the 1st Inhinyerong Tomasino Golf Tournament, was held at the Orchard Golf & Country Club in Dasmariñas, Cavite on December 27, 2007. A total of 105 guests and alumni participated in the event. It was also on this occasion where the promotion of our Centennial collaterals such as shirts, mugs and stickers, was launched.
 
And finally, last February 16, 2008, our 101st UST Engineering Alumni Homecoming hosted by Batch ’83 as Silver Jubilarians was celebrated coinciding with the UST Grand Alumni Homecoming. It was the first time that a grand alumni homecoming event was held at the UST Grounds. About 2,500 alumni attendees from various Faculty and College participated in the activity.

On the financials, the Association Fund’s beginning balance when the incumbent Board took over in February 2007 was Php587,962.90.  As a result of the various donations received and projects undertaken last year, such as the Golf Tournament and sale of collaterals, the present Association Funds grew to Php954,341.60 or increased by 62% net of its operating expenses and donations made by the Association to the various Faculty of Engineering activities and other beneficiaries.
 
We will continue to strengthen the USTEAAI bonds, locally and internationally, by leveraging on the several departmental Yahoo Groups, launching our enhanced Alumni website, www.thomasianengineers.org, and implementing initiatives such as:
 

1) The launching of the UST Alumni Card spearheaded by the USTAAI, which will provide a steady income to the Association Funds;

2) The ratification of the Association’s amended Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws which will update the existing charter and strengthen our corporate identity;

3) The issuance of Guidelines on Hosting of Alumni Homecoming by Silver Jubilarians;

4) The drafting of Guidelines on Scholarship Grants in consultation with the Faculty and USTAAI;

5) Reach out to alumni to increase involvement in the Association’s plans and programs
 

In closing, and in behalf of my fellow Officers and members of the Board of Directors of the USTEAAI, we express our appreciation for your continuing support, the Alumni, friends and benefactors, as we assure you of our commitment to truly make the USTEAAI the Tahanan ng Inhinyerong Tomasino.
 
 
ANGELITO DG DIZON
President