In response to the growing challenge of water scarcity in Baguio, Industrial Engineering students from Saint Louis University’s (SLU) School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA), through the Philippine Institute of Industrial Engineers Student Chapter (PIIE SLU-SC), partnered with the Rotary Club of Baguio to install a rainwater collection system at Doña Aurora Elementary School in Aurora Hill on 20 September 2026.
The initiative, spearheaded by Engr. Maria Corazon de Guzman Ocampo, Department Head of Industrial Engineering and Past President of the Rotary Club of Baguio, brought together 13 student volunteers who applied their classroom knowledge to a real-world sustainability project.
SLU Industrial Engineering in Service of the Community
The project features a three-phase rainwater collection system equipped with filters to prevent impurities. Rainfall that would otherwise flow into drainage systems is now captured, filtered, and repurposed for school activities such as cleaning, sanitation, and gardening. By providing an alternative water source, the initiative promotes water efficiency and sustainable water management, supporting SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
“This project allowed our students to see how industrial engineering principles, efficiency, system design, and resource management, can directly improve community life,” said Engr. Ocampo. “It’s a powerful reminder that engineering is not only about factories and production lines but also about solving everyday problems.”
“By working hand-in-hand with the Rotary Club, our students learned that service and engineering go together,” said one student volunteer. “We saw how our skills can be used not just for productivity, but for sustainability and public welfare.”
The initiative highlights the value of viewing resource challenges through an industrial engineering lens. Industrial engineering is not confined to factories and production lines; it is about designing and improving systems to use resources more efficiently. For the students, the project was a living laboratory, an opportunity to apply principles of system design, efficiency, and sustainability in a real-world community setting. By capturing and reusing rainwater that would otherwise be lost to drainage, the project also promotes responsible resource use in line with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
A Step Toward Sustainability
With Baguio’s growing population and limited water resources, rainwater harvesting offers a practical solution to ease the city’s water challenges. The project contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by promoting a resource-efficient and resilient community through a practical, locally driven solution. It also supports Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) by demonstrating climate-responsive resource management through rainwater capture and reuse. The project demonstrates that impactful solutions need not be large-scale, every drop counts.
“This collaboration shows the power of combining knowledge and compassion,” said Rotary Club President Reymund Barrios. “Together, we are shaping future engineers who understand the value of service.” (Article and Photos by PIIE SLU-SC)
