Engr. John Paul “JP” Pe, BS Civil Engineering Alumnus Class 1987 and former President of the University of Santo Tomas Engineering Alumni Association, Inc. (USTEAAI), gave the first tranche of his gift to the University to fit-out the chapel at the UST-Dr. Tony Tan Caktiong Innovation Center (UST-TTCIC) in UST Santa Rosa on June 21, 2024. The gift was received by Prof. Philipina A. Marcelo, PhD, the Assistant to the Rector for UST Santa Rosa, on behalf of the UST Research & Endowment Foundation, Inc. (REFI).
The 65-square-meter chapel with sacristy and vestibule is located at the ground floor of the UST-TTCIC. It can accommodate up to 50 persons at a time. It will cater not only to the occupants of the building and the campus but also to the communities around UST Santa Rosa. The project includes an altar wall of natural marble stone and travertine stone as well as customized set of pews, designed with the Thomasian stamp.
Engr. Pe (CE Class of 1987) is the owner of Archipelago Builders Corporation, a category AAA construction company. He served as President of the USTEAAI in 2018-2019 and an active member of Couples for Christ with his wife. He remained an active supporter of USTEAAI and of the Faculty of Engineering after his stint as President. He is also the proud father of Engr. Paolo Pe (CE Class of 2015) who played with the UST Basketball Team for five years. “I am grateful to the University for this opportunity to assist in its long-term plan. The plan for UST-TTCIC is very good, and I am happy to be a part of it,” Engr. JP Pe said.
The UST-TTCIC is a facility that provides the venue in transitioning the Research & Innovation outputs of UST researchers to commercialization. It shall provide the venue in which the University makes available a range of expert and technical services to business owners among UST stakeholders with particular attention to the micro- small- and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs). As such, it will house the Center for Research Commercialization and Entrepreneurship, which will include the TOMASInno Center (TIC) – the Technology Business Incubator (TBI) of the University. “With the University’s vision for UST-TTCIC’s role in our long-term plans to take Research & Innovation to the next level, it is important for us that the first fit-out project in the building is one that involves giving thanks to God and reaching out to our new community in praise of God. We didn’t have to explain this in many words to Engr. Pe. He was immediately on board,” Prof. Marcelo said.
A group of UST officials met with Engr. Pe at the UST-TTCIC for a walk-through and to explain the design of the chapel. They were pleasantly surprised when Engr. Pe handed them his gift in the middle of the discussion. The UST Santa Rosa Team was composed of Prof. Marcelo and Engr. Shikara P. Poblete-Jose, MSc (Project Management Assistant). They were joined by the project designer, Ar. Paulo Cabatit of the Facilities Management Office (FMO). “I hope that more Thomasians, especially Thomasian engineers, could be given the opportunity to be a part of the development of UST Santa Rosa and the whole UST, particularly in showing their expertise as builders. We are ready to help,” Engr. Pe said.
