Deal molds better, resilient engineers

Engineering is an important factor in climate resiliency. We invest now but in the future, the projects will be better adapted to climate change.

A landmark deal between De La Salle University and climate resilience technology firm AnyWay Solutions will seek to mold engineers into responsible professionals and hopefully erase the stigma of corruption in construction projects, primarily in government.

The five-year partnership seeks to create climate adaptive infrastructure, educate future engineers, and empower local talent.

The collaboration aims to enhance the transportation networks’ resilience to climate change.

DLSU’s Gokongwei College of Engineering will work hand-in-hand with AnyWay Solutions to provide students with insights into the challenges and solutions for climate resilient infrastructure.

In a television interview, AnyWay Solutions CEO Zeevik Halber said the deal involves research studies on climate adaptive infrastructure.

“Transport infrastructure is the lifeline of people. It allows people to connect among themselves, to the services of the government, education, food security,” Halber said.

Everything that AnyWay does starts with the road, thus, Halber explained, climate resiliency is a concept considered beyond the engineering aspects.

“Climate disturbances have no mercy on us and when it comes it hits us hard and the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world with regard to climate change,” he noted.

Build, Better, More needs more

He cited the massive infrastructure buildup under the previous administration leading up to the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“As the country has invested a lot in transportation infrastructure, climate resiliency has taken a very wide perspective of the projects,” according to the AnyWay official.

He said the project with DLSU started during the pandemic when school officials asked AnyWay to participate in an online session which was when the university expressed interest in a technology that addresses soil stabilization.

The product enhances the engineering characteristics of road materials by including it on existing pavement.

“It opened the door to discussions but the pandemic came and things were on hold for a long time and eventually we struck this deal,” Halber said.

Through the agreement, the university will gain knowledge and experience on climate resiliency while its students will get a better understanding of what climate resiliency is all about, and the country will be better equipped against a harsh climate that gets worse every year.

“Engineering is an important factor in climate resiliency. We invest now but in the future, the projects will be better adapted to climate change,” Halber said.

He said the program seeks not only to enhance students’ capacity in the classroom but will give them on-the-job training, “as part of their capacity building,” by joining projects that AnyWay is involved in.

He said students can take their master’s degree or research overseas and get practical exposure by “putting their foot on the ground.”

AnyWay is involved in a few projects providing climate resilient designs for a few private entities and DLSU students can participate in the projects on site.

Solutions must be localized

“We had a few meetings with government entities, including the Climate Change Commission, and we emphasized the need to share our knowledge with local government units,” Halber said.

“I believe in localizing solutions; that’s what we have been doing in many other countries,” he added.

“You can come in with sophisticated technologies and engineers. Eventually, the knowledge and understanding of the local conditions is with the local people,” he pointed out.

Government needs to invest a lot of money which is usually obtained through huge loans.

“At the end of the day, the life of these projects usually begins after the contractor finishes building them and then it is left for the community to either enjoy or abuse them,” Halber said.

AnyWay’s aim to develop a sense of ownership among local communities and develop the capacity to participate in what is called asset management is part of the resiliency factor.

“In that way, they take care of the assets given to them by the government,” he said.

As this partnership unfolds over the next five years, a substantial impact on the country’s infrastructure resilience is expected.