A Review of Aircraft Research & Development, Prototyping, and Manufacture in the Philippines

Part 1

By Ernesto B. Ferreras Jr.  

      

Curtiss Model D (Curtiss Pusher) Biplane

By uploaded by Colputt at en.wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia by SreeBot, Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16806541

       

       A biplane named the Honolulu Skylark was the first aircraft to conquer the Philippine sky in the afternoon of February 21, 1911. American barnstormer James C. ‘Bud’ Mars took off in the biplane and climbed to a height of 1,000 feet above the carnival grounds at the Luneta. 

James ‘Bud’ Mars

By J. Ellsworth Gross (1862-1933) - https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/photos/images/h91000/h91002c.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79074413

     

      Another biplane called the Red Devil piloted by its builder, Capt. Thomas Baldwin, flew over Manila six days later. The Filipino people witnessed a historic event, the kind of which has continued to thrill us ever since.

Baldwin’s Red Devil

By Cliff - Flickr: Baldwin Red Devil, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25697464

      Mars and Baldwin were barnstormers who performed in exhibitions to demonstrate the new “science of flight” that was started by the Wright Brothers eight years earlier. The Skylark was a Curtiss pusher biplane that had its engine and propeller located at the rear. 

Thomas Scott Baldwin

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     In 1914, another American named Tom Gunn, a Chinese-American aviation pioneer dubbed as the ‘Wright of China,’ displayed the same type of aircraft in Manila.

Tom Gunn

BURL BURLINGAME AIRCHIVE

Extension of Deadline for Submission of Nominations for the OPYA and OAPO

 

The PRC has extended the deadline for submissions of nominations for the Outstanding Professional of the Year Award (OPYA) and Outstanding Accredited Professional Organization (OAPO) to August 31, 2021.

In a Memo from the Office of PRC Commissioner Yolanda Reyes dated July 16, 2021, said extension was due to a letter received from the Foundation of Outstanding Professionals (FOP) requesting for an extension of submission of nominations. This was for the purpose of accommodating the requests of APOs/AIPOs for additional time within which to process the requirements of their nominees.

In addition, the schedule of screening and deliberation for the OPYA and OAPO will also be revised.

Dates of Submission of Nominees for OPYA 2021 Rescheduled

 

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) has announced the rescheduling of the dates of submission of the nomination for the Outstanding Professional of the Year Award (OPYA) and Outstanding Accredited Professional Organization (OAPO) from April 6, 2021 to May 17, 2021. 

The announcement on the change of dates of the deadline for submission of nominations was sent through a Memo from the Office of PRC Commissioner Yolanda Reyes dated April 6, 2021. This was because of the reimposition of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the Greater Manila Area, which consists of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal and due to numerous requests received from the APOs/AIPOs.

This would give additional time for the APOs/AIPOs and the various PRBs to look for qualified nominees for the OPYA.

Search for Outstanding Professional of the Year Awardee 2021

 

It is with great excitement to announce to all of you there aeronautical engineers that the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) has opened the nominations for the 2021 Outstanding Professional of the Year Award (OPYA) for all of its 43 professions. The OPYA recognizes "the hallmarks of integrity, responsibility, competence, excellent service, and valuable contributions to the professions."

In a letter to the PRB Chairperson Jun Ferreras dated February 10, PRC Commissioner Yolanda Reyes is requesting the PRB of Aeronautical Engineering (PRB-AER) to submit three (3) qualified nominees from our profession on or before April 16, 2021. 

In this regard, the PRB-AER is coordinating with the Society of Aerospace Engineers of the Philippines (SAEP) in the search for prospective nominees not only nationwide but also throughout the world. The search might be hampered with the current situation of the quarantine brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, but it must be done nevertheless with dedication and adherence to the criteria set forth by the Commission.

A little background on the OPYA is in order. The PRC began the bestowal of the OPYA in 1997 to acknowledge the acheivement and service of professionals who excel in their respective fields of professional endeavor. Considered as the highest distinctions conferred by PRC to a professional, the OPYA, together with other awards, are given during the Awards Night, being the highlight of the PRC Anniversary Celebration and the Professional Regulation Week, which is observed every year from June 16 to 22 by virtue of Proclamation No. 118, Series of 1987.

The following are the criteria for the nominees:

Detailed criteria are as follows:

The Screening & Selection Committee for OPYA shall conduct a panel interview of the nominees and shall individually rate the nominees in accordance with the criteria set forth by the Commission. The ratings shall be tallied to determine the highest-ranked nominees qualified for the award.

The PRC is looking forward to our active participation in this prestigious endeavor and our attendance to the 2021 PRC Awards.

PRC Issued Public Advisory Recognizing the Heroism of Filipino Professionals

The Professional Regulation Commission has issued a public advisory in which it recognizes the heroism of our professionals in the time of COVID-19 pandemic by granting or awarding Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit units (CUs) to all registered professionals who are providing essential services. The initiative is under the CPD's Informal Learning, Professional Work Experience and Self-Directed Learning.

Professionals who wish to avail of the said grant shall submit Certification from Institution, Agency, Entity or own Declaration, as may be applicable.

The CPD Councils shall issue their respective advisories to assist and guide the applicants on the award of CPD credit units.

This is under PRC Res. No. 1239 s.2020.

For details and guidelines on its availment, please click the link below:

https://www.prc.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2020-1239_0.pdf

What are Informal Learning, Professional Work Experience or Self-Directed Learning? Or how can a professional earn CUs through these means acknowledging the fact that professionals are constrained from attending CPD programs and activities that entail mass gathering due to the imposition of social distancing during this time of COVID-19 Public Health Emergency?

The PRC is reiterating the ways of learning that can earn CPD CUs by issuing Res. No. 1240 s.2020.

To understand these CPD ways of learning, the following PRC Resolutions elaborated on the matter:

[From Res. No. 1208 s. 2019]:

a. INFORMAL LEARNING (IL)

This refers to learning that occurs in daily life and which can contribute to a qualification. Examples:

1. Reading of books, magazines, journals, and the like that will develop leadership, management, and other skills;

2. Learning how to use cross platform Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and instant messaging using cloud-based video conferencing tool to meet with co-workers;

3. Learning how to prepare gluten-free meals and baked products; and

4. Learning how to do gardening for home consumption of organic vegetable and fruits.

b. PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE (PWE)

This refers to practice at work place that is directly related to profession.

Examples:

1. Reading of books, magazines, journals, and the like on how to improve knowledge and skills in the field of professional practice;

2. Learning how to fashion wheelchairs for pediatric patients with special needs;

3. Learning how to design homes for the elderly population;

4. Learning how to design modules for online teaching;

5. Learning ways of collecting and disseminating information to faculty and students who are studying by distance education; and

6. Providing professional consultancy services to clients.

[From Res. No. 1197 s.2019]

c. SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING (SDL)

This refers to the learning activities such as online training, local/international seminar, non-degree courses, institution/company-sponsored training programs, and the like, which did not undergo CPD accreditation but may be awarded CPD units by the respective CPD Council. These activities are driven by one's need and motivation to learn either through a professional activity or volunteer engagement.

Professional Activity (PA) - refers to activity which promotes and facilitates enhancement of knowledge, skills and values as a professional.

Volunteer Engagement (VE) - refers to activity done under the ambit of social responsibility, which may or may not directly involve the practice of profession, but may help in the development of the professional in the social milieu.

d. ONLINE LEARNING ACTIVITIES (OLA)

These refer to structured or unstructured learning initiatives, which make use of the internet and other web-based Information and Communication Technology solutions. [Sec. 3(p), Art. I of the CPD Act of 2016]

Additional Info:

The PRC is extending the acceptance of Undertaking until December 31, 2021 to enable the professionals to apply for the renewal of their Professional Identification Card (PIC) even without or incomplete CPD units.

For details of the Resolution, please click the link below:

https://www.prc.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2020-1240ReteratingWays.pdf

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First PRC Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Councils Meeting via Zoom

The 1st Video Conference Meeting of the CPD Councils under the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) was conducted on May 22 via Zoom. The event was conducted in two time schedules: The Health & Technology Clusters meeting was held from 1:00 to 3:00 PM followed by the Business, Education, and Social (BES) & Engineering Clusters from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. The meeting was called by PRC Commissioner Ar. Yolanda D. Reyes, the Oversight for CPD.

Two major agenda were taken up and discussed. The first one was the granting or awarding of equivalent CPD credit units (CUs) to all professionals providing essential services during the state of public health emergency due to corona virus disease 2019. This is pursuant to PRC Resolution No. 1239 (s. 2020). 

The discussion was moderated by Hon. Bernadette Reyes of the Board of Physical & Occupational Therapy. She laid out the pertinent provisions of PRC Res. No. 1239. First of all, this is one way of recognizing and appreciating the unselfish and brave efforts or heroism of the professionals in combating the disease. The frontliners will get a maximum of 45 CUs and the volunteers will be awarded a maximum of 25 CUs. There will be documentation to be submitted as part of the requirements, describing the activities of the professional. The organization or the company that a professional is working for should issue the certification and may no longer need notarization. The CUs earned by the frontliner or volunteer professionals may be used up to two renewals of their Professional Identification Card (PIC). In fact, a professional can earn the maximum of 70 CUs, if he started as a frontliner, then volunteered later. 

During the discussion, Hon. Lourdes David of the Board of Librarians presented their draft resolution to the participants. The draft resolution could be used as a template for the resolutions of other CPD Councils. The CPD Councils were given a liberal mandate to formulate and determine the activities to be covered by their  own resolutions pursuant to PRC Res. No. 1239.

The PRC and the CPD Councils would want to emphasize that the granting of equivalent CUs to frontliners and volunteers is only effective during the quarantine period.

The second agenda was on the granting or awarding equivalent CPD credit units (CUs) to professionals under Informal learning (IL) and Professional Work Experience (PWE) as other means to earn CUs during this quarantine period caused by the covid-19 disease. This is pursuant to PRC Res. No. 1240. The reason behind this is because mass gatherings are not allowed, as in holding of seminars, conventions, training or workshops. A professional can still earn CUs during the quarantine period even if he/she's not a frontliner or volunteer, even if she's just staying at home. PRC Res. No. 1240 also extends the acceptance of undertaking for the renewal of the PIC until December 31, 2021.

Hon. Lourdes David, chairperson of the Committee for Informal Learning & Professional Work Experience, discussed briefly what Informal Learning (IL) and Professional Work Experience (PWE) are. IL may or may not be related to the profession whereas PWE is work related. These are covered under PRC Res. No. 1208 (s. 2019).

Hon. Randolf Vicente of the Board of Geodetic Engineering presented their draft matrix of CUs for IL and PWE, based on their original operational guidelines (OG). Com. Reyes emphasized the need to formulate guidelines adapting to the 'new normal' situation. Hon. Vicente showed the various ways on how can a professional earn CUs during the new normal. One is through private study; a professional can read books, journals, articles, technical manuals, etc. He/she can also write articles or make research online. Another way is through interactive discussion online with experts, both local and international. In the matrix presented by Hon. Vicente, there should be a means of assessment of the learning outcomes. An applicant for the CPD CU should submit a kind of summary report of the activities undergone. This is for monitoring purposes to determine the kind of knowledge a professional has learned. And in doing so, to share the knowledge and information learned with other professionals. 

Com. Reyes also encouraged CPD providers, most of which are also the Accredited Integrated Professional Organizations (AIPOs) of the professions, to conduct CPD activities online, like webinars or online training/courses. If the providers are giving it for free to professionals, then they are exempt from paying the program accreditation fees.

Last topic discussed was the issue pending in Congress on the House Bills to repeal CPD law. The PRC has prepared its position paper on the issue, particularly why professionals need CPD and on what we lose if CPD is removed. Of the utmost concern is the contribution of professionals to public safety and welfare and they need CPD to maintain and be updated. Our commitments to international professional organizations will be affected and our global competitiveness will be compromised. We will be left behind and not be at par with international standards which are required for qualifications and professional alignment. Com. Reyes encouraged the attendees to help PRC disseminate its stand on the issue.

The CPD Council for Aeronautical Engineering was represented by its chairman, Hon. Ernesto Ferreras Jr. and its two council members, Dr. Jayjack Manzano and Engr. Jabel Jay Abella. Also present was Hon. Redentor Malia, PRB Member.

As per Zoom count, at one time, a total of 76 participants was recorded, may be even more, if not for the unstable signals experienced by some participants. Kudos to the CPD Division for hosting the event, particularly to Dr. Ma. Ellen Quinicio and staff.

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Draft of the transitory Operational Guidelines for CPD of aero engineering

The long-awaited final draft of the Operational Guidelines (OG) during the transition period of the Continuing Professional Development for the aeronautical engineering profession was presented to the CPD Review Committee of the PRC by Professional Regulatory Board (PRB) Chairman Engr. Jun Ferreras with CPD 2nd Member Engr. Jabel Abella at the PRC Main Office on September 10, 2019. This was pursuant to Commission Resolution No. 2019-1146 (s.2019) entitled "Amending Relevant Provisions of Resolution No. 1032 (s.2017) otherwise known as the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Republic Act 1092, known as the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act of 2016."

PRB Chairman Jun Ferreras presenting the aero engineering transitory Operational Guidelines: CPD needs transitory period for implementation

The final draft of the transitory OG has been thoroughly deliberated and consulted with stakeholders in various venues such as the General Assembly (April 13) and Aero Engineers' Summit (July 23).

Among other provisions, the new transitory OG will have the following features:

1. OFW aero engineers (all professional OFWs for that matter) are no longer required to earn credit units (CUs) to renew their PRC IDs.

2. Newly licensed aero engineers are exempted for renewal during the first three years.

3. Only 15 CUs are required for renewal.

4. The three (3) major areas of the aero engineering CPD are temporarily suspended. There are no more minimum CUs to be earned from any of the three (3) areas. Meaning, the 15 CUs required can be earned from any of the three (3) alone.

5. Excess CUs earned can still be used for the next renewal period.

6. SAEP can now apply for program accreditation not less than 15 days from date of event.

7. All applications for accreditation are automatically approved if there's no feedback from the CPD Council (after 10 days for CPD programs; after 15 days for self-directed learning).

8. There's now specifically mentioned requirements of online training programs for accreditation.

9.  Government agencies and private employers are encouraged to apply as CPD providers.

10. In-house training and capacity-building activities of government agencies & private companies can be accredited and considered as CPD compliance.

11. Those who have already executed an undertaking will be required to comply with only fifteen (15) CUs.

The CPD Council for Aeronautical Engineering consists of Engr. Ernesto Ferreras Jr. as the Chairman and representing the PRB, Dr. Jay Jack Manzano as 1^st Member and Engr. Jabel Jay Abella as 2^nd Member representing the academe. 

At the moment, SAEP is  the only accredited CPD Provider for the aeronautical engineering profession. Other aviation entities have expressed their interest in applying but no applications have been received from them yet. For this year, the CPD Council has approved applications of SAEP for credit unit accreditation for the following: SAEP Annual General Assembly (April 13) and Aero Engineers’ Professional Summit (July 23).

Aero Engineering CPD Council (Jun Ferreras & Jabel Jay Abella) and the PRC CPD Review Committee

The PRC CPD Review Committee is chaired by PRC Commissioner Yolanda D. Reyes and co-chaired by Ms. Bernadette M. Reyes of the PRB of Physical & Occupational Therapy, with 10 members coming from different PRBs.

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