RIYADH, 23 November 2002 — The Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers — Central Region Saudi Arabia (PSME-CRSA) has started an in-house training on refrigeration and air-conditioning at the Second Philippine International School.
“This training is in line with the reintegration program of the Philippine government for returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs),” explained Pedro Caliwag, Jr., the chapter’s vice president.
“Considering the economic viability of this training, they can put up a workshop or even provide operation and maintenance services to shopping centers and other big companies when they return home for good in the Philippines,” he added.
More than 40 participants attended the training, which is expected to be completed in January 2003.
PSME-CRSA has also accepted non-member trainees according to Jeffrey Agura, the society’s technical affairs director. As lead training instructor, Agura has over 18 years of work experience in the field of refrigeration and air-conditioning.
Other training instructors are either products of the National Manpower Youth Council (NMYC) or Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the Philippines.
Agura claimed that most of the Filipino mechanical engineers in the Kingdom hold supervisory positions who are basically “good only in theories” having the ability to analyze design, diagram, and drawings.
“Karamihan kasi marunong lang sa plano, pero hindi sa actual. A handful knows about troubleshooting,” Agura said emphasizing the importance of the training not only to regular members but also more significantly to those who supervise technicians and helpers in their workplace.
“It’s important that they also know how to do the basic things they instruct their men to work on,” he added.
Other members also believe that the training would be helpful to those who will take licensure examination in the future.
“If the examinee have the experience of doing these things first hand, there’s a great chance of passing the board examination,” Agura said.
Despite the unexpected halt to the conduct of board examinations by Philippine Regulation Commission (PRC) abroad this year, PSME-CRSA, nonetheless, went ahead and completed its board review program for its members.
The recent visit of Sen. Franklin Drilon in Alkhobar and Riyadh had somewhat brought optimism to the group when he personally called PRC chief Fortuna Ibe to discuss the request of Filipino professional groups in the Kingdom to resume giving board examinations to Filipinos abroad.
“Following this training, we plan to continue the board review for our members that is tentatively set either in midweek February or first week of March, in time for the board examination in October 2003,” said Fernando Tantoco, the chapter’s IT director.
Riolando Perez, the chapter’s newly elected president, said the induction of the new officers and members is to be announced soon.
The new officers are: Perez, president; Caliwag, vice president; Badroden Balindong, secretary; Danilo Cabrera, treasurer; George Bahaynon, auditor; Noelvin Bernada, PRO.
Vicente Mateo, membership director; Agura, technical affairs director; Nestor Rollo, plant tours director; Wilfredo Tuburan, external affairs director; Alberto Magbanua, internal affairs director; Hipolito Dacanay, professional enhancement director; Nelson Doyogan, sports director; Abdullah Guinda, code of ethics director; and Tantoco, information technology director.
