12 November 2009

Telecom industry giant: SMART Wireless laboratory & cellsite
Wireless leader SMART Philippines, in two (2) of its many projects that benefit PLM, turned-over the "marker of special partnership" to PLM yesterday (Thursday), 12 November 2009, at the CET Lab 3 in simple yet meaningful ceremonies. The inauguration was attended by PLM and SMART officials, faculty and scholars. The SMART delegation was led by PLM alumni who head the biggest departments in SMART, including SMART Public Affairs Group head Ramon Isberto, SMART Consumer Affairs Division head Rolando Peña, and SMART Network and Platforms Services Division senior manager Jay Bacoy.

Mr. Isberto's group takes care of the SMART Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP) that carries a fully SMART-supported laboratory. He explained the rationale for establishing a strong partnership with schools of learning which has become the advocacy of the social commitment of SMART. SWEEP is a first-of-its-kind industry-academe partnership that seeks to improve the level of technology and engineering education in the country, particularly in the field of Electronics and Communications Engineering (ECE). The program is designed to complement the school’s existing ECE programs by providing training and lectures on the latest developments in wireless technologies.

Engr. Bacoy, also an ECE board topnotcher, oriented the audience on the features and benefits of SWEEP partnership, including the countless infomation sharing program featuring industry-standard seminars for faculty and technology scholars of PLM.

Engr. Peña was conferred an "alumnus achievement award" by PLM for serving as a pride of PLM and for his veteran experience of more than 27 years in the telecom industry. He spoke on his struggles and victories as a PLM scholar and later as an ECE professional. His earnest training in PLM, he proudly admits, served as his guidepost in climbing the telecom corporate ladder which earned him a sterling icon status in the telecom industry.

PLM OIC-executive vice president Atty. Patrick L. Mariano received the marker of special partnership on behalf of University President Atty. Adel A. Tamano, who was on official leave, and OIC-President Atty. Rafaelito M. Garayblas.

At the request of the PLM-IT Director, SMART also donated two (2) window-type airconditioning units to convert the Engineering Laboratory 3 into an apt training room for the various seminars and trainings of faculty and scholars. Said room is now more renowned as "SWEEP Lab" in recognition of the special partnership and the many support extended by SMART to PLM. The blessing of the new SWEEP Lab and cellsite followed shortly.

As another special project of President Tamano, the cellsite boosted up the nil signal in PLM in response to the clamor of the PLM community, especially the studentry and the public servants in PLM. In a rapid deployment never been seen in SMART's history, the PLM-IT Center managed the undertaking to put up the SWEEP Lab and the cellsite in less than two (2) weeks under the direction of Dir. Garry Erwin N. de Gracia.


Related articles:
President Tamano's Accomplishments: Wireless Engineering Laboratory
PLM-SMART Partnership, 16 Dec 2009: SMART opens wireless lab at PLM
The Philippine Star, 11 Jan 2010: Industry-academe partnership seeks to improve level of RP education
About SWEEP: A Primer
PhotoJournal: Launch of SWEEP Lab