History
In the summer of 1976, a group of seven Mapua Institute of Technology alumni gathered at Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, to discuss the possibility of forming an alumni association. Four of these alumni, Raul Domingo, Marte Tobias, Lolita Ramos, and Rudy Jardinel, were Los Angeles County Department of Public Works engineers. They were joined by Rudy Corpuz, Prudy Morales and Roman Aquino. At the time, their main purpose was to help newly migrated Mapuans adjust to life in America and find engineering jobs, especially at LA County Department of Public Works.
In the early fall of 1976, at Ven Mungcal’s sister’s birthday party in Pasadena, California, it was agreed upon by the group that Mr. Mungcal invite as many Mapuans as possible to discuss further the formation of an alumni association. In the summer of 1977, the first general membership meeting and family picnic was held at Griffith Park, Los Angeles. Incorporation papers and bylaws were drafted. The new association was named “Mapua Alumni of Southern California” and was registered as a tax-exempt non-profit public charity organization and later changed to “Southern California Mapua Alumni” with the California Secretary of State.
Raul Domingo was elected the first president of the association, and served for three years until 1980. The first induction ball was held at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Due to lack of funds, the officers paid in advance with their own money as loan to the association. Ven Mungcal was the second elected president and during his term from 1981 to 1982, the association started raising funds to expand its programs to include granting scholarships to deserving indigent students at Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila. This program, which continues to the present, proved to be the most successful project that the association has undertaken.
The years went by, and as membership expanded, the organization was able to fund more scholarships and help young engineers in their careers through free EIT review classes and networking. The expanded leadership brought in Mapuans with strong devotion to lead the association as presidents, namely, Glory Montemayor, Marte Tobias, Val Ramos, Robert Magsangkay, Roger Villamil, Red Revilla, Pert Arca, Nene Umali-Irlandez, Edith Garcia-Ramos, Precy Ordinario, Rudy de Torres, Tino Quiaot, Rick Guanio, Joe Rigonan, Tony Ballesteros, Joey Uy, Dan Nable, Glee Quinoveva Quiaot, Cecilia Lopez Brod, and the current president, Ross Papilla.
