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.
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