- Caraga State University, Ampayon, Butuan City, 8600, Philippines
A distinguished engineering professional and academic leader with extensive expertise in mechanical engineering, computer engineering, and quality management. He holds a Doctor of Engineering degree with a major in Mechanical Engineering and is a Certified Professional Computer Engineer. His credentials include certifications as an ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor, Internal Auditor, and Data Protection Officer.
Dr. Apag has extensive training and affiliations in both national and international organizations. He has undergone specialized training in legal studies, digital skills enhancement, and human resource development in prestigious institutions such as the UP-Law Center, Korea National Open University, and InWEnt Capacity Building International in Germany. His commitment to academic excellence and professional growth is reflected in his role as a scientific paper reviewer for the International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI).
He holds top positions in various professional and scientific organizations. In 2007, he was elected as the 1st PSITE Region 10 Interim President. From 2014 to 2019, he served three consecutive terms as the National President of the Association of United Filipinos Trained in Germany, the most active German Alumni Association in Asia. He was also elected for two consecutive terms as the National President of the Institute of Computer Engineers of the Philippines (ICpEP) from 2018 to 2021. Among his legacies in ICpEP were the creation of the Computer Engineering Certification Board and the endorsement of the CpE Bill (HB0743) entitled, “An Act Providing for a More Responsive and Comprehensive Regulation for the Registration, Licensing, and Practice of Professional Computer Engineers, Registered Computer Engineers, Computer Engineering Technologists, and Computer Technicians.” He also currently serves as the President of the Philippine Society of Engineering Educators. Furthermore, he was elected Chairman of the Southeast Asia Green Network (SEAG-N), the Global Partner of Germany in the Southeast Asia region, with member countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
A multi-awarded professional, Dr. Apag has been recognized for his contributions to education, research, and engineering. He was named an Island Innovation Ambassador in 2023 and received the In Touch with Excellence Award from the Department of Science and Technology in 2022. His achievements also include multiple regional awards in research and innovation, as well as being a consistent Most Outstanding Employee at the Commission on Higher Education – Regional Office 10.
Most recently, on June 25, 2025, Dr. Apag received an award from Mindanao Daily, recognizing his notable achievements as a public servant. He was recognized as an Outstanding Mindanaonon in Governance & Leadership at the 5th Mindanao Governance & Leadership Excellence Award.
Currently serving as a Commissioner at the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Dr. Apag has previously held key positions at CHED Regional Office 10, including Chief Administrative Officer, Education Supervisor II, and Planning Officer Designate. His experience also extends to international education and training, having worked as a mathematics and science instructor in Qatar Petroleum and Qatar Aeronautical College. Before his tenure at CHED, he served as an Assistant Professor II at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, where he also held leadership roles in student services and accreditation. His extensive background in academia, administration, and quality auditing underscores his dedication to advancing higher education and professional excellence.
Dr. Johannes Bleher is a researcher and lecturer at the University of Hohenheim, Germany, specializing in financial econometrics, data science, and artificial intelligence. His research spans high-frequency financial markets, inflation forecasting using unconventional data sources, and methodological advances in econometrics. Beyond his disciplinary work, Dr. Bleher has been engaged in questions of AI ethics and governance in higher education. He co-authored the 2025 White Paper “The Role of Universities in Governance of AI” as part of an interdisciplinary working group of scholars from Europe and Asia convened by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). In his teaching, he has designed award-winning courses in data science education, integrating computational tools, statistical modeling, and governance perspectives into economics and finance curricula. At Hohenheim, he also contributes to the interdisciplinary AI & Data Science Certificate program. His current projects emphasize how universities can act as laboratories for trustworthy AI by embedding ethical, regulatory, and societal considerations into technical education.
You can also find my CV here and further information on johannes-bleher.de. If you need a more streamlined shorter version, please do not hesitate to ask me.
Atty. John Paul T. Romero, ABE is a licensed lawyer and a registered Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer who brings together a rare combination of legal proficiency and technical engineering knowledge. He is currently serving as Attorney III and Chief of the Legal Section at the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE) in Quezon City, where he provides legal advice, prepares opinions and memoranda, and ensures that the agency’s projects and operations comply with national laws and regulatory requirements. His expertise covers agricultural and fisheries laws, policy development, regulatory enforcement, and contract drafting for projects involving mechanization, post-harvest facilities, and farm-to-market infrastructure.
Admitted to the Philippine Bar in May 2022 and a Professional Regulation Commission licensed Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer since 2012, Atty. Romero has built a career that bridges both legal and technical domains. He began his legal practice as Administrative Officer II (Legal Secretary) at the Office of the Solicitor General where he gained valuable experience in legal research, drafting of pleadings, and the preparation of documents for court and administrative proceedings.
He is an active member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cagayan Chapter and the Philippine Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers (PSABE). Within PSABE, he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees and has held key positions including Public Information Officer and Treasurer. Through these roles he continues to contribute to the advancement of agricultural and biosystems engineering and to the development of policies that support sustainable agriculture and fisheries in the Philippines.
Prof. Chi-Fang Huang received the B.Sc. degree in Electronic Engineering from the National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan, and the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Tatung University, Taipei, Taiwan, in 1981, 1983, and 1990, respectively. He worked with Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Limited, Bade City, Taiwan, from 1990 to 1997, developing new high-precision magnetic deflection yokes for cathode ray tubes, and with Siemens Telecommunication Systems Limited, Taipei, from 1997 to 1999 as a Principal Engineer, designing the high-speed backplane for the SONET multiplexer.
In 1999, he returned to academia and became a Professor with the Institute of Communication Engineering, Tatung University. His research areas include antenna design, electromagnetic medical engineering, modeling of high-speed interconnections, and radio frequency identification technologies.
After 25 years of academic service, Prof. Huang retired in 2024, yet continued to be engaged as a Chair Professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tatung University.
Prof. Alizedney M. Ditucalan is the 4th Chancellor of the flagship campus of the Mindanao State University System—the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT)—and a member of the MSU Board of Regents. He is one of the country’s visionary academic leaders contributing to innovations in higher education in the Philippines.
He has extensive experience in academic leadership, having served as University Chief Legal Counsel, Assistant Law Dean, Law Dean, and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of the MSU-Marawi campus prior to his election as the fourth Chancellor of MSU-IIT. Under his leadership, MSU-IIT has rapidly risen among the Philippines’ top research universities. In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, MSU-IIT advanced from reporter status to the 601+ band in 2025, ranking as the second-highest Philippine university. It previously ranked third nationally in 2024, entering the 1501+ band, and was the top Philippine university for Physical Sciences, placing in the 801–1000 bracket globally. MSU-IIT’s growing presence in the Asia University Rankings and Impact Rankings reflects its expanding global influence in research, innovation, and sustainable development—achievements driven by Chancellor Ditucalan’s strategic leadership and commitment to institutional excellence.
Chancellor Ditucalan’s vision emphasizes collaboration and integration among the various MSU campuses to leverage shared resources, expertise, and strategic initiatives. During his investiture, he called on the MSU-IIT community to work as “one IIT,” underscoring the importance of unity and collective effort in shaping the future. This philosophy extends to his role within the MSU System, where he actively engages with other campus chancellors and system officials to harmonize policies and programs that benefit all constituent units.
Moreover, his strategic planning, exemplified by MSU-IIT’s Vision 2032 and its five-year development plan, aligns with the broader MSU System’s objectives of sustainable development, quality education, and research excellence. His efforts in resource mobilization, faculty development, and infrastructure modernization not only benefit MSU-IIT but also set standards and generate momentum for system-wide advancement.
A seasoned academic leader, Chancellor Ditucalan brings a strong background in legal scholarship and institutional governance. He has championed reforms that strengthened academic programs, enhanced faculty development, and advanced a research culture aligned with global standards. His strategic leadership has fostered innovation, expanded international linkages, and reinforced MSU-IIT’s role in addressing national and regional development challenges. His leadership has positioned MSU-IIT as a future-ready, research-intensive, and globally engaged institution, contributing meaningfully to national progress and the international academic community.
He is also a distinguished legal scholar specializing in competition law, commercial law, and regulatory reform. He earned his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Economic and Business Law, focusing on competition law, from Kyushu University in Japan. As a recipient of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Young Leaders’ Program scholarship, he earned the Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree at Kyushu University, making him the first Filipino to complete a doctorate in competition law.
Dr. Enrico C. Paringit began his career as a researcher by serving as co-investigator for Japanese earth observation satellite ADEOS and then airborne radar remote sensing missions of the JPL-NASA even while he student days in the late 1990s. He is a Principal Investigator for Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS) and Advanced Spectral and Thermal Emission and Radiation (ASTER) which contributed to the development of various algorithms to process satellite imageries for mapping.
Dr Paringit has authored/co-authored 3 book chapters, 5 international refereed journal articles, and numerous conference proceedings and papers in the fields of remote sensing of coastal environment, watershed hydrology, renewable energy resources assessment and of late, mapping and monitoring of hazards and disasters. He now spearheads the Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation (DREAM) Program, one of the biggest if not the biggest R&D project supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on record. The program aims to develop and deploy technologies to provide necessary information for early warning and advisory to communities at risk of flooding using airborne LiDAR technology and numerical simulation.
Credits to the Source:
UP Alumni Engineers
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