HISTORY

As far back as the Spanish regime in the Philippines, there were people who performed land measurements. They were called agrimensores. But these agrimensores were equipped with nothing but compass and tape, thus the questionable accuracy of their surveys led to controversies-some not yet resolved to the present day. So when the Americans came, a new government unit was organized-the Bureau of Public Lands which was staffed at the top by Americans.

The first American Director of Lands was Charles A. Sleeper. When F.B. Harrison became governor general, he adopted the "Filipinization" policy. Vicente Mills became the first Filipino Director of Lands.

The Bureau then established a surveying school which was in the same grounds as the Philippine School of Arts and Trades. The school offered scholarships to students for its two- year surveying courses, after which these Bureau of Lands "pensionados" or scholars had to serve the government.

It was not until 1925 that an agreement was made to incorporate the School of Surveying of the Bureau of Lands into the UP College of Engineering. The School of Surveying was a unit of the College of Engineering offering the Associate in Surveying title to its graduates.

Then came the depression. In 1932, the Bureau of Lands suspended sending pensionados. However, the School of Surveying-College of Engineering agreement still held. There were non- pensionado students and some "stragglers". Then in 1936, the Bureau of Lands restored sending pensionados. These scholars were selected through a nationwide competitive examination. It was then that a surveyor and civil engineer, Professor Maximo LAchica began to advocate the elevation of the surveying course to the 5-year Bachelor of Science on Geodetic Engineering courses, this proposal and curriculum was approved in the early part of 1937.

And thus, in June 1937, the Department of Geodetic Engineering was born, created under the School of Surveying. That year marked another monumental event as well, the birth of the Geodetic Engineering Club.

Through the years, the club has played a major role in the development of friendship and companionship among GE students in the university. We the members are not just people thrown together by the same course, we are part of one big, happy family who are always there to help and support each other through the rigors of college life.

Now, 72 years after our foundation, the Geodetic Engineering Club with its goals, aspirations, and ideals, lives on, thriving in the hearts of all who are part of it.