Institute of Electronics & Communications Engineers (IECEP) History

THE INSTITUTE OF ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERS 

OF THE PHILIPPINES (IECEP):

 PROFILE OF AN ORGANIZATION IN SUPPORT OF THE

ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY

The Institute of Electronics & Communications Engineers of the Philippines was organized in 1950 by a group of pioneers in the electronics and communications fields in the country, which included Dean Jose S. Alfonso, Mamerto Buenafe, Fred Carino, Ciriaco Coronel, Jose Grey, Alfredo Gella, Ariston Huliganga, Gonzalo Kamantigue, Albino Lara and Venancio Pineda. Dean Alfonso served as the founding President of the organization.

It was during the term of Engr. Rosauro Calupitan (1968-1970) when Republic Act No. 5734 was enacted into law, by the virtue of which the Electronics & Communications Engineering (ECE) profession was born, and the mechanism for the registration and licensing of ECE's was put into place. Engr. Calupitan was subsequently appointed the first ever Chairman of the Board of Examiners for Electronics & Communications Engineering, with Engrs. Felicito Rey Signo and Rigoberto Espinosa as Members.

The succession of IECEP Presidents thereafter reads like a virtual "Who's Who?" in the electronics and telecommunications industry of the Philippines: Guillermo Canon, Felicito Rey Signo, Bienvenido Tesoro, Gen. Ceferino Carreon. Col. Zosimo Carlos, Geminiano Mercado, Godofredo Ordoña, Alfredo Libuit, Col. Celso Gironella, Rogelio Ramos, Fortunato Perlas, Dionisio Ababat, Sr., Pedro Ybañez, Isabelo Ferido Jr., Commodore Rene Leandro Ebro, Henry Galingan, Conrado Hernandez, Ernesto Arce, Gen. Teodoro Yabes, Alex Villamar, Romulo Agatep, Joel Marciano, Herminio Orbe, Sylvia Marcelo, Fernando Morales, Nestor Dacanay, Aurora Adecer-Rubio and the incumbent, Edgardo Cabarios, of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

IECEP is recognized by the Professional Regulation Commission as the only Accredited Professional Organization (APO) for the electronics engineering profession, with Accreditation No. 03. IECEP is also a founding member of the Philippine Electronics and Telecommunications Federation (PETEF), and is also affiliated with the Philippine Federation of Professional Associations (PFPA), the umbrella organization of all APO's in the country, as well as with the Philippine Technological Council (PTC). It is the designated APO for the assessment and evaluation of applications for admission of electronics engineers to the ASEAN and APEC Engineer Registers.

To date, there are over 30,000 registered ECE's in the Philippines, with a big number gainfully employed in jobs outside of the country. Indeed, the ECE profession has been a big part of the overseas labor workforce, starting from the late 80's, when countries in the Middle East started developing their telecommunications infrastructure. Up to this time, there remain a substantial number of ECE's still employed in well-paying jobs outside of the country, doing their country proud with their skills, industry and competence.

A good number of ECE's are holding responsible positions in the eleven-or-so service providers in the Philippines offering fixed, cellular and other telecommunications services. ECE's are also gainfully employed in the government and the academe, as well as in the other sectors of the burgeoning electronics and telecommunications industry in the country: broadcasting, cable TV, semiconductor manufacturing, instrumentation and control, information technology and computer hardware manufacturing, software development, avionics, medical electronics, etc.

IECEP has published the Philippine Electronics Code, Volumes I (Safety) and II (Building Telephone Facilities), as well as the Manual of Practice for ECE's. It has successfully worked for the inclusion of the ECE profession in the National Building Code, and has actively participated in the updating of the ECE curriculum and the development of the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency Program of the Commission on Higher Education, as well as in the formulation of standards for telecommunications licensing and regulations by the National Telecommunications Commission and standards for audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment, including power supplies and transformers, power electronics and reactors by the Bureau of Products Standards of the Department of Trade and Industry.

IECEP conducts a yearly inter-scholastic quiz among schools and universities offering the ECE course, to promote camaraderie and intellectual competition among ECE students. IECEP also offers scholarship programs to deserving ECE students, funded from contributions from members and through the annual IECEP Golf Tournament.

With the advent of modern technologies, and new developments in both the technological and regulatory environment, a new law was enacted in 2004 that re-defined the scope of practice of the ECE and renamed the profession to simply "Electronics Engineering", taking into account the ever-expanding fields generically covered by the electronics industry. The new law (Republic Act No. 9292) took effect in May 27, 2004 and now governs the licensure procedures, practice, rights and entitlements of three different categories in the profession, namely; the Electronics Engineer (ECE), the Professional Electronics Engineer (PECE) and the Electronics Technician (ECT).

Consequently, IECEP was re-registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under its new name of "Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines, Inc", while retaining its acronym "IECEP".

source: www.iecep.ph