Pearl Angelie Villanueva Mahusay

I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering at Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, Philippines, on March 2012. That time, I was part of the final year study entitled “Travel Time Determination of a Flood Wave A Basis for an Automated Local Emergency Response in Real Time (ALERT) System,” which was awarded as the best project. On November 2012, I passed the Civil Engineering Licensure Examination and took an oath on December of the same year. I started working in the Department of Public Works and Highways Regional Office 10 on March 2013 as a job order Engineer II in the Task Force “Sendong” Office.

On May to November 2013, I was chosen to participate and then graduated from the pioneering batch of the Department’s cadet engineering program (CEP), a 6-month intensive training with an additional 6-month of exposure to the project preparation division (PPD), planning service (PS) responsible for the assessment of feasibility studies for large infrastructure projects. On the next year, I was assigned as an Engineer II in the planning and design division (PDD) of the Department’s Regional 10 Office, responsible for the review of plans and specifications for bridge and flood control structures. I was also tasked as the overall in-charge (focal person) of the regional road slope management (RSM). On August 2015, I transferred to the Bureau of Maintenance Central Office and was assigned in the Policies and Standards Division (PSD), still as an Engineer II. I was responsible for the assistance in the formulationdrafting of policies, standards, specifications and procedures relating to the maintenance of roads, bridges and other infrastructures; and performance of road inspection necessary for the road condition inventory and rehabilitation included in the disaster response.

On October 2016, I was given the chance to study for a Master’s degree in Japan, sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Although I failed to finish the said program, I experienced an international environment for two months. I was forced to go back to the Philippines after two months due to a sudden attack of anxiety and depression. It was the first major attack so I had the difficulty in handling the circumstance in an international environment, which happens to be the first exposure. I decided to take a full rest after the incident, so I filed a resignation letter to the Department and was approved on March 2017.

After a year of taking a full rest, I underwent a therapy from April to July 2018. Aside from taking medical precautions, I managed to schedule a yearly domestic travel to enhance well-being. I also applied as a freelance writer in Livingston Research and Writerbay on July and November, 2018, respectively, which I believed have contributed a lot in the recovery. To date, I am still taking anti-depressants to manage chronic depression and up for the yearly domestic travel. This year, I went as a solo-traveler in the extreme Amsikong falls adventure at General Santos City, Philippines.