TOM Awards … The Pride of our Association
Compiled by Dom Tolentino, P.Eng. EE’75

The Outstanding Mapuan (TOM) is a joint and annual project of the Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) and the National Association of Mapua Alumni (NAMA). The TOM primarily seeks to give due recognition to the alumni of MIT who have excelled in their profession or vocation, or have made outstanding contributions to the welfare of the school, the community, the country, and/ or the world. The categories of awards include Professional Field of Practice (Architecture, Civil, Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, Mining, Metallurgical, Computer, Industrial, etc.), Specialized Fields of Endeavor ( Academe, Military, Entrepreneurship and Pioneering Endeavor), International Fields Endeavor and Fields of Service (Alumni and Community). The TOM aims to focus the attention of the MIT alumni and the public on these achievements so they may serve as inspiration for everybody.

To date, MAAAC is very pleased to pay tribute to the following members as TOM Awards recipients:

Benjamin Ang, TOM 2003 (Specialized Field Endeavor, Entrepreneurship – Mechanical Engineering)

Ben completed his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at MIT in 1972 and successfully passed the mechanical engineering licensure in the Philippines. He started his career as a mechanical engineer with Brodsis Machine Shop in Manila. His expertise includes design of tools in drilling, fracturing, stimulating, specialty completion and flow control equipment mainly for the oil and gas industry. In 1995, Ben formed his own company the Solid Industries & Machine Shop Ltd. in Calgary and currently serves as President. Solid’s offers service like CNC – 4 Axis manufacturing, CNC lathe turning, general machining, mechanical design & drafting, solid modeling, CAD/CAM, gun-drilling, and electro discharge machine (EDM) for the oil & gas industry. He was a founding member of MAAAC and served as President in 2005 – 2006. Ben was born and raised in Manila and married to Lourdes Ang (nee Lebardo). They are blessed with 3 daughters: Maria Lourdes, Mary Lee and Leila Marie. Ben and his wife Lou resides in Calgary and occasionally at their second residence in Las Vegas.  Ben enjoys spending time with family & friends and playing golf.

Jose “Pepe” Abesamis, TOM 2005: (Specialized Field Endeavor - Entrepreneurship)

Julius “Jiggs” Bascon, P.Eng., TOM 2009 (International Field of Practice – Civil & Structural Engineering)

Jiggs completed his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering at MIT in 1980 and garnered 12thplace in 1981 civil engineering licensure examination in the Philippines. He studied Construction Project Management at Ateneo de Manila University. His first job after graduation was with CDCP Engineering Group as Junior Civil/Structural Engineer and worked 15 years in Saudi Arabia (Taif, Al Khobar, Riyadh) mostly with Stone and Webster Engineering. He immigrated to Canada in 1998 directly from Saudi Arabia and worked with Fluor Canada for 7 years and CNRL for 3 years as Sr. Civil/Structural Engineer. Jiggs is currently a Shareholder with the Vista Projects Ltd Company, an EPC company engaged in oil & gas projects, and serves as Civil/Structural Lead. He has served as MAAAC President in 2007-2008. He is a Professional Engineer in Canada and registered APEGA member since 2000. Jiggs was born in Bacolod City and grew up in Laguna and married to Ellen Bascon (nee Guevara) with 3 children (Paolo, Jed and Eileen). He and his family currently live in Calgary where he enjoys playing golf, tennis and listening/playing good music.

Dom Tolentino, P.Eng., TOM 2012 (International Field of Practice – Electrical Engineering)