Profile | Joshua Bon Roco

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Work Experience

Water and Sanitation Engineering

SMEC, Senior Engineer
May 2023 - September 2025

Led consulting services for a major wastewater facility upgrading project, managing timelines, budgets, and stakeholder engagement to ensure compliance with engineering and environmental standards. Conducted design reviews and developed water and wastewater treatment facility designs, integrating process optimization and regulatory requirements. Prepared feasibility studies for infrastructure planning and management, delivering data-driven recommendations that improved project viability.

Anthroserv, Co-Founder and General Manager
Dec 2020 - May 2023

Co-founded and managed a design and consultancy firm specializing in environmental and manufacturing engineering solutions. Led design and commissioning for biological nutrient removal-ready wastewater treatment plants from 5 m³/d to 3,000 m³/d, covering domestic and industrial applications. Directed wastewater planning, design, and construction projects, ensuring technical accuracy and timely delivery. Pioneered innovation management, resulting in a low-cost modular wastewater treatment plant for MSMEs, making sustainable sanitation more accessible.

Maynilad, Supervisor
Feb 2017 - Nov 2020

Awarded Employee of the Year for achieving 100% effluent compliance through targeted process monitoring and troubleshooting. Researched and implemented a new sampling point, potentially reducing discharge permit fees by ₱18M annually. Optimized aeration processes and implemented wastewater recycling for non-potable use, achieving ₱1.86M in projected annual savings.

Developed the division’s Process Monitoring and Troubleshooting Manual, restructured sampling protocols to cut laboratory costs by ₱7M annually, and automated laboratory reporting for faster decision-making. Led process commissioning of new plants, conducted design reviews, and assessed performance of existing facilities. Served as Safety Officer and a key lead in multiple Technical Working Groups.

Engineering Education

The University of Sydney, Casual Academic
Nov 2025 - Present

Teaching assistant for Humanitarian Engineering Courses: Engineering for Global Development and Humanitarian Engineering

National University, Professional Lecturer 2
Mar 2024 - Jun 2025

Taught Chemistry, On-the-Job Training (OJT), Differential Equations, and Data Analytics to undergraduate engineering students, blending theoretical instruction with industry-relevant applications. Developed and delivered engaging course content that enhances critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical skills. Consistently received outstanding and exceed expectations ratings in both student and university evaluations, reflecting excellence in pedagogy, subject mastery, and learner engagement.

Manila Review Institute Inc, Instructor
Sep 2019 - Mar 2020

Taught General Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Physics subjects to engineering students and reviewees, focusing on both theoretical foundations and practical applications. Designed and delivered engaging review modules aligned with licensure examination requirements, integrating problem-solving techniques and real-world case studies to improve student performance and retention.

Education

BS Chemical Engineering

University of the Philippines Los Banos
2016

Graduated Cum Laude and awarded the UP President’s Medal of Excellence for academic achievement and leadership. Completed a thesis on the Optimization of Silver Recovery from Used Radiograph Films via Sodium Hydroxide Stripping, integrating process optimization and environmental compliance principles. Specialized in Environmental and Pollution Chemistry, with a strong foundation in chemical process design, pollution control, and sustainable engineering practices.

PhD Civil Engineering

The University of Sydney
in progress

Pursuing a PhD to understand how harmful organic micropollutants from everyday products move through on‑site sanitation systems in rural communities in the Philippines and Fiji, and how these risks can be reduced. The research combines laboratory testing, field studies, and systems analysis to identify where these chemicals build up in septic tanks and fecal sludge management processes, and how people may be exposed. The aim is to use this evidence to support safer, more affordable, and locally appropriate sanitation solutions, and to inform practical planning and policy tools that improve sanitation resilience in vulnerable Pacific communities.

MEng Environmental Engineering & Management

De La Salle University
2025

Achieved a GPA of 4.00, specializing in process systems engineering for water and wastewater systems. Authored and published scientific papers on multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), problem structuring, optimization, linear programming, and machine learning applications in environmental systems. Completed a practicum project on the Development of a Process Systems Engineering Framework for Water and Wastewater Planning in the Philippines, integrating technical design, policy analysis, and decision science for sustainable infrastructure planning.