DOST-NRCP, Central Philippine University Partner to Advance Wind Engineering Research

ILOILO CITY – The Department of Science and Technology-National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST-NRCP) has partnered with Central Philippine University (CPU) through its Enhanced Research and Development Leadership to Foster an Inclusive Research Ecosystem (RDLead FIRE) Program to strengthen engineering research and optimize the university’s wind tunnel facility.

RD Leader Engr. Jeremias A. Gonzaga (top row, third from right), CPU Vice President for Research, Development, and Extension Dr. Aries Roda D. Romallosa (top row, center), NRCP Secretariat Mr. Marfy H. Lita (top row, fourth from right) and Ms. Francia Lourdes Olarve (top row, second from right) join CPU faculty and researchers during the first RDLead FIRE engagement visit.

The initiative was carried out in two on-site sessions on April 22–25 and July 23–24, 2026, led by RD Leader Engr. Jeremias A. Gonzaga. Faculty and researchers received hands-on training in proposal development and submission, line-item budgeting, and peer-reviewed journal publishing.

A technical assessment of CPU’s Wind Tunnel Facility followed, encouraging faculty to leverage the facility, define research niches, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.

RD Leader Engr. Jeremias A. Gonzaga presents a simulation using Ansys Fluent software during the second RDLead FIRE engagement visit.

During the follow-up engagement, the team established a five-year roadmap, operational manual, and assessment report for the wind tunnel facility. The trained in airfoil simulation, instrument calibration, and data acquisition. RD Leader Gonzaga also introduced the  Ansys Fluent for computational fluid dynamics, enhancing the university’s capacity for locally driven research projects.

Through these engagements, the DOST-NRCP RDLead FIRE Program continues to expand institutional  research capabilities and specialized expertise, empowering CPU to deliver high-impact research anchored in state-of-the-art facilities. (Ivy A. Sacapaño, Vince Estella Balahan// S&T Media Service)

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