UP Engineering Radio Guild - History

History

Planting the seed

In 1935, a group of electrical engineer/radio enthusiasts led by Solon Mathew Dakis founded an amateur radio club in Florida Street, Manila. Realizing the need to establish outside university communication links, these young pioneers pushed for the acquisition of a license to put up a radio station known shortly after as KA1UP. And thus begins the life of the University of the Philippines Engineering Radio Guild (UP ERG).

Forming stems and leaves

In the year 1953, ERG found both a name and a home in the UP campus. Through the efforts of Mr. Javier Palaban of the Department of Electrical Engineering, it was officially granted its organization name. Its members assembled a transmitter-receiver set from old surplus equipment to be able to put up a campus radio station with the call sign DU1UP.

From then on, each year stood witness to how the UP ERG has expanded from an amateur radio guild to a full pledged departmental organization. It has sponsored lectures and seminars, participated and conducted sports and leisurely activities, and assisted other organizations in problems that were generally electric in nature.

From youthful stem to sturdy trunk

In 1963, UP ERG began holding a quiz show, the first ever annual event sponsored by the organization. The quiz show started as inter-departmental and later on evolved into an inter-university and inter-collegiate project in 1972. Side-by-side with the expansion of the quiz show, the organization took pride in having the distinction of being the first departmental organization to establish a scholarship program, the first recipient being Romulado Adao. In conjunction with the scholarship program, a book foundation was also launched to supplement the reading needs of students and to keep them updated on the latest developments in power, electronics, computers, etc.

Stunted growth

The organization suffered major financial and technical setbacks when the government declared martial law, resulting in the cancellation of the DU1UP license, the confiscation of the radio station equipment, and a halt to its activities. The organization was able to revive its scholarship program and book foundation in the latter part of 1973.

Branching out

The Department of Electrical Engineering underwent academic restructuring in 1994 adding new courses: Electronics and Communications Engineering and Computer Engineering. Revisions were then made in the organization’s constitution to accommodate students coming from these two courses. In the same year the org felt the need to represent itself and hence the birth of the new ERG logo (the former logo brandished a Bipolar Junction Transistor). The year 2000 was highlighted by the first ECE quiz show, a sponsored brand sale, and an on-campus concert. It was also in this year that UP ERG Los Baños chapter was created.

And growing new leaves

In 2004, ERG’s 69th year, the organization launched Dagitab Technofair and CarEEEr Talk. ERG was crowned as the First Engineering Organization Excellence Awardee. ERG continued to blaze its trail of excellence as it celebrated its 70th year with a one-month booze of activities dubbed as “ERGxeLXXis: Familia, Historia, Gloria”. It was also in this year that the ERG Alumni Association was established and donated a 40-seater discussion room to the College of Engineering Library II, called the ERG Discussion Room. ERG also proved its worth and strength in the University that year as it became one of the top seven organizations comprising the UP Freshmen Orientation Program Committee, thus becoming a part of its Steering Committee. ERG became part of the Steering Committee for four years securing the Second Place in the FOPC 2006 and 2007 and Third Place in the FOPC 2008 under its belt.

On its 72nd year, ERG garnered its highest finish in the Engineering Week, securing the Third Seat. ERG also received another Engineering Organization Excellence Award. Two years later, it launched Strikeout: Amateur Bowling Tournament, and its third Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, Catch: UFO Spotted.