Breakfast fundraiser brings camaraderie, knowledge and music

by Ethel Clemente-Fernandez

On Saturday, October 14th, the residents of Winnipeg woke up to the first snow of the season but it didn’t hamper the Filipino Members Chapter-Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba’s (FMC-EngGeoMB) breakfast buffet fundraiser event. The turnout was one of the best ever.

This event has gained popularity in its third year, where its main focus is to financially assist student members in pursuing their academic qualifications towards an engineering/geoscience designation.

The event took place at the Canton Food Gallery, where it also featured the musical talents of chapter members, Mar Mance, EIT, Robin Banaag, EIT, and Aris Dayanghirang, P.Eng.

In conjunction with the breakfast buffet, an information session on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam was held in a separate private room at the same venue.

Sharon Sankar, P.Eng., Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba’s Director of Admissions, graced the event as the special guest speaker. She provided a brief history of how the FE exam was added to the options for academic qualifications and graciously answered questions from participants. Three successful FE exam passers, now engineering interns, Maurice Petallo, Jairuz Agang-Ang and Edwin Madera also made a presentation about their experiences of taking the exam. They also provided helpful tips, recommendations and inspiring messages for future examinees.

There were over 150 guests through the door and the event raised more than $1,300, which is over 30 per cent more than the previous breakfast fundraiser.

Ethel Clemente-Fernandez is a professional engineer registered in the province of Manitoba. She is an active member of the Filipino Members Chapter - Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba (FMC-APEGM). www.fmc-egm.ca.