Derek Gianan Earns International Recognition to Practice Engineering in Asia-Pacific Region
Congratulations to Derek Z. Gianan, PMCM Engineer in Freese and Nichols’ Austin office, who was conferred as an Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Engineer on October 15. Derek has earned international recognition to practice his profession as a Professional Engineer in the Asia-Pacific region for successfully hurdling an international assessment for engineers. The conferment ceremony was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was streamed online in Manila, Philippines, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
As a certified APEC Engineer, Derek can practice his profession in APEC member nations or economies, including the United States. He underwent rigorous evaluation and examination to receive this recognition. Derek has more than 13 years of combined experience in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and the United States, with an emphasis in planning, scheduling and controlling EPC projects for civil and telecommunication works, outside plant (OSP) fiber optics installation, excavation works, roads, powerhouse buildings for hydroelectric power plants, drainage system and pipes installation for hydroelectric power plants.
The evaluation and conferment of qualified Filipino engineers is spearheaded by the APEC Engineer National Monitoring Committee through the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Philippine Technological Council (PTC) through its International Relations Committee. The APEC Engineer Register is an established regional register (a benchmark register) of professional engineers for APEC economies. This register ensures that professional engineers are of substantial equivalence in competence, and it recognizes that further assessment by the statutory bodies that control the right to practice in each economy may be exempted in whole or in part.
The APEC Engineer certification is developed under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Human Resources Development Working Group to facilitate the mobility of professional engineers among the APEC Economies. An APEC Engineer is recognized as a professional engineer within an APEC economy and who has satisfied and authorized body in that economy, operating under the criteria and procedures approved by the APEC Engineer Coordinating Committee, that they have:
- Completed an accredited or recognized engineering program, or assessed recognized equivalent and
- Been assessed within their own economy as eligible for independent practice and
- Gained a minimum of seven years practical experience since graduation and
- Spent at least two years in responsible charge of significant engineering work and
- Maintained their continuing professional development at a satisfactory level.
The APEC is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific. It ensures that goods, services, investments and people move easily across borders. The APEC 21 member economies are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, The Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States and Vietnam.