I was not the one who selected CCP (formerly PCP) to be my alma mater. It was my Dad. I wanted to be a lawyer, but he wanted me to be a Civil Engineer. I hated math when I was in highschool, but I had no choice when I enrolled in PCP, that was early 1955. PCP was founded 1954. When I started my Civil Enginering couse, I began to like it then, however, I had to study hard especially in the math subjects. I had and still have a very close classmate and friend who helped me a lot in learning math, Engineer Alfredo M. Capili; luckily, I had the right company. Hi Eddie, thanks a lot.

I learned that the professors in PCP (CCP) came from Mapua, and they were the famous professors of Mapua that formed PCP. Those famous professors were: Dean Gonzalo Vales (your Grandpa, very famous professor in reinforced concrete design); Rudy Vales (your Dad, a very good proferssor in calculus and mechanical engineering subjects);Lorenzo Samonte, the famous professor in math and surveying; Eugenio Ylo (famous in structural design); Alejandro Delena (hydraulics); Mr. Lauro Cruz; Mr. Pedro Afable; Mr. Pasos; Mr. & Mrs Morelos (Chemical Engineering); and many more that I can remember. I cannot forget Mr. Luzuriaga, the very good professor in Spanish and of course Miss Lourdes Ylo, our very pretty professor in Logic.

I graduated March 1960. I was reviewing for the board exams when I decided to join Philippine Airlines Aviation School because at that time they needed cadets who were engineering graduates to join their pool of pilots. I was not able to take the board exams because the training started July 1960 and the board exams was August 1960. I retired as PAL B747-400 pilot October 1998, however, I'm still employed by PAL as Operations Consultant; designated as PAL Express Overseer-coordinator; and recently as Operations Manager of Basic Holdings Aviation Group that manages the Corporate Aviation Group of the Lucio Tan Group of Companies.

I enjoyed my years in CCP (PCP); I enjoyed it more than my highschool years. My taking up Civil Engineering helped me a lot in becoming a pilot and also in the practice of my profession. My dad chose the right school, the right course for me which I then liked. and most of all, I had the the right company (barkada). It was not all study, siempre, may good time din and sometimes, lakwatsa.

- Sammuel Avila (BSCE, Class 60)

I am proud to be an alumnus of the CENTRAL COLLEGES OF THE PHILIPPINES, the school which put that drive in me to "Hitch My Wagon To a Star", so to speak. I enrolled and took up my Civil Engineering course for five years including summer classes. Being a working student at that time, I had no qualms that my professors would mold me to what I am now, because I knew then that they belonged to the elite group in the teaching profession. Moreover, we had a large campus, a quiet one that you could feel the serenity around wheneveryou were inside the compound. A very conducive place indeed for a struggling student like me. I started government service in the lowest rank in 1976 in the Department of Public Works and Highways, at the came time burning the midnight candle after work to satisfy my craving form more knowledge. Carrying with me the tools that I needed in the world outside the campus, I started embarking on an uphill drive to reach the top. As I moved on, I gathered much experience coupled with not a few amount of hardship before finally becoming a recognized Civil Engineer, after trudging along relentlessly to pursue my goal and passing the Board Exam. Looking back now, I know all the efforts that I exerted were not in vain. I could say that I am a good product of the best mentors I've ever had in CCP. I am presently the Chief of Office of the North Manila Engineering District, Department of Public Works and Highways. Being an official in the bureaucracy, I know I have to be at par with expectations by higher ups and the people I am entrusted to serve. My accomplishments as a public servant may have spoken well because from the lowest rank I have reached where I am now. My present position enables me now to help others who need assistance. I know that I still have more battles to fight being part of the bureaucracy but considering what I have gone through, I believe I could overcome all these.