I attended the Intensive Course in Environmental Planning (ICEP) last February 12-16, 2024 conducted by the Planning and Research Foundation, Inc. (PLANADES) in cooperation with the UP-School of Urban and Regional Planning (UP-SURP). The seminar was held at the New SURP Building at UP Diliman.
As a lifelong
learner in the environmental planning profession, I consider ICEP as a great learning
opportunity with the professors’ par excellence in the country. For me, it was
both a refresher and a sort of updating sessions after having been away from my
formal classes in Diploma in Land Use Planning (DLUP) which I started in 2017
and finished in 2019.
The five-day
course has all the topics that an environmental planner must study to be effective
in the profession. It started with the discussion of EnP. Ronnie H. Encarnacion
on the history and evolution of planning running thru various epochs and
development stages that shaped the emergence of various planning theories and principles.
This was followed by the lecture of EnP. Krishna V. Buenaventura on City Growth
and Planning Theories which has focused on urbanization principles, theories
and trends.
The ethical
standards for environmental planners were succinctly discussed by Dr. Corazon
B. Cruz. I was reminded of my responsibilities as a planner and to be proud of
being one. I am so delighted to meet her and had a photo with her. I told her
that she was our guest of honor during our oath-taking ceremony for new
environmental planners in Tagbiliran, Bohol in 2017.
I was again
amazed and inspired while listening intently to Professor Ernesto Serote whom we
regard as the father of local development planning in the country. His topic was
Rationalized Planning System (RPS) which he developed and authored. RPS is considered
as the bible of local development planning. The RPS was later on adopted by the
DILG as its important material in local development planning. I even bought Prof.
Serote’s book Property, Patrimony, and Territory and had him personally autographed
and posed a picture with him. The first time I had the chance to listen to Prof.
Serote’s lecture on RPS was in 2015 in Tacloban City when I attended the
seminar for aspiring environmental planners conducted by Philworld Gateway
managed by Enp Nick Tabungar.
A lecture on
population and demography came next by Prof. Carmeli Marie Chaves and such topic
is crucial in planning as the present number of people and its projected
increase in a community are prime consideration in addressing current and
future needs.
The succeeding
lectures have focused on various development sectors and subsectors. These included
Social Development Sector Planning by EnP Maria Veronica Arreza-Arcilla; Economic Development Sector Planning by Dean Dina C.
Magnaye; Institutional Development Sector Planning by Atty. Mark Anthony M.
Gamboa; Infrastructure and Utilities Development Sector Planning by EnP Ma.
Sheila G. Napalang, and; Environment and Natural Resources Development Sector
Planning by For. Jose M. Ragunay. Transportation Planning was discussed by Dr.
Jun T. Castro; Risk Sensitive Comprehensive Land Use and Development Planning by
Dr. Engr. Tabassam Rasa; Area Development Planning by Enp Nick Espina, Jr. and;
Project Planning by Prof. Crispin E.D. Diaz.
During
the weeklong course, I was so glad to have met and saw in person some of my former
professors in UPOU, specifically, Dean Dina Magnaye and Prof. Jonathan John
Maldupana whom I had the opportunity to have a picture with. One of the lecturers
Prof. Nick Espina was also my former professor.
For
those who aspire to join the world of environmental planning and be the best in
this field, I advise you to attend the future ICEP.
