By The Centralian Link
Engr. Marjee Rose B. Parreño, REE, is conferred as ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer – joining an elite circle of regionally recognized engineering professionals
Central Philippine University has reason to celebrate. Engr. Marjee Rose B. Parreño, REE -Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) and Bachelor of Science in Data Management and Intelligent Applications (BSDMIA) programs at the College of Computer Studies, has successfully passed the rigorous assessment for the ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer (ACPE) credential. She was formally conferred the title on June 1, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Ortigas Avenue corner Asian Development Bank Avenue, Quezon City.
What is the ACPE?
The ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer (ACPE) is the highest engineering credential recognized across all ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Established under the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on Engineering Services, the ACPE title certifies that an engineer has met a uniform, regionally accepted standard of professional competence, allowing its holders to practice and collaborate across ASEAN borders without the usual barriers of local re-licensing.
In the Philippines, the ACPE program is administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) through the ASEAN Monitoring Committee on Engineering Services of the Philippines (AMCESP). Final approval of every application is granted by the ACPE Coordinating Committee (ACPECC), a body with representatives from all ASEAN member states. The conferment ceremony is organized by the Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines (IIEE) in coordination with the PRC.
Earning the ACPE is not a simple credential upgrade. Applicants must satisfy a demanding set of requirements: a recognized engineering degree, a current and valid PRC license, no fewer than seven years of active and practical engineering experience, at least two of those years spent in responsible charge of significant engineering works, compliance with the PRC’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program, and a successful interview before a panel of technical experts. It is, by design, a credential that only seasoned and well-rounded engineering professionals can attain.
A milestone well-earned
Engr. Parreño’s path to the ACPE reflects the depth and breadth of a career built on both academic rigor and real-world engineering practice. A graduate of Central Philippine University, she has spent more than two decades shaping the next generation of technology professionals while simultaneously remaining active in the field. Beyond the university, she works alongside her father in their electrical firm, a grounding in industry practice that kept her technical expertise current and practical.
She also serves as Secretary of the IIEE Iloilo Chapter, the accredited professional organization for electrical practitioners under PRC Certification No. I-APO-016. Through this role, she has contributed to Continuing Professional Development programs, community engagement initiatives, and the advancement of the electrical engineering profession in the Western Visayas region.
The ACPE conferment is a recognition that all of that experience has been assessed, verified, and found to meet the highest standard the ASEAN engineering community can bestow. It positions Engr. Parreño and by extension, CPU, within a network of elite engineering professionals across the region and opens doors for professional engagement and collaboration beyond Philippine borders.
What this means for CPU?
For Central Philippine University’s College of Computer Studies, having a department chairperson who holds the ACPE title is no small thing. It signals that the academic leadership guiding the BSCS and BSDMIA programs is not only theoretically sound but professionally validated at a regional level, a standard that few educational institutions in the Visayas can claim.
Students under Engr. Parreño’s programs benefit directly from this. Her ACPE standing means she brings to the classroom not just years of experience, but a credential affirming that her professional judgment and technical knowledge have been measured against the best engineers across Southeast Asia. That is a foundation worth building on.
The CPU community extends its warmest congratulations to Engr. Marjee Rose B. Parreño on this remarkable achievement. Her dedication to both the profession and to education continues to set a standard for excellence that reflects well on the university and on Iloilo City’s growing place in the Philippine engineering landscape.