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Clik here to view.On 23 September 2016, the UP Board of Regents received the nominations for the following for the position of UP President:

1. Consolacion R. Alaras

2. Danilo L. Concepcion

3. Gisela P. Concepcion

4. J. Prospero E. De Vera III

5. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara

6. Orlando S. Mercado

7. Benito M. Pacheco

8. Roger D. Posadas

9. Caesar A. Saloma

10. Michael L. Tan

At a special meeting of the Board of Regents held on 1 October 2016, the Board conducted a preliminary screening and evaluation of the nominees based solely on the following minimum requirements: 1) holder of a Master’s degree; doctorate preferred; 2) substantial academic experience at the tertiary level; 3) should be able to serve the full term of six (6) years before reaching the age of 70; and 4) no conviction for administrative and criminal offenses. Based on this, the Board then unanimously accepted the nominations of the following as candidates for the UP Presidency:

1. Danilo L. Concepcion

2. Gisela P. Concepcion

3. J. Prospero E. De Vera III

4. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara

5. Benito M. Pacheco

6. Caesar A. Saloma

Four (4) of the ten (10) nominees were not included in the list of candidates for the UP Presidency due to the fact that they did not meet the minimum requirement that a candidate “should be able to serve the full term of six (6) years before reaching the age of 70.”

The Board of Regents’ unanimous decision to uphold this requirement, after due deliberations, was based on the following legal grounds:

• Under Republic Act No. 9500 (the UP Charter of 2008), Section (j), the Board of Regents is given the power to elect the University President based on standards and guidelines set by the Board of Regents itself. Clearly, the Board of Regents is expressly granted the power to set the standards or requirements in electing the UP President.

• The UP Charter of 2008 is silent on the age requirement or limit for the UP President.

The old UP Charter (Act 1870), likewise, was also silent on the age limit for the UP President. Yet the Board of Regents was empowered then as now to set the age limit for the position, which it did set at 70 years old in 1961 by way of a Board Resolution at its 686^th meeting held on 14 June 1961. The age limit of 70 years old now forms part of UP’s University Code.

• The age limit of 70 years old has been in existence since 14 June 1961. Such age limit was last observed during the time of UP President Francisco Nemenzo who was elected for a term of 6 years (from 6 August 1999 to 5 August 2005) but had to resign upon reaching the age of 70 on 9 February 2005, a few months before the expiration of his term.

• There are general legislations that provide for the age limit of 70 years old. For instance, RA 8292 (the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997) states that the term of the President of a state college or university may be extended beyond the age of retirement (65 years old) but not later than the age of 70 years old.

• Regarding the requirement for serving the full term of six (6) years, the UP Charter of 2008 (RA 9500) provides the basis. Section 13 (j) of the UP Charter clearly states, among others, the Powers and Duties of the Board of Regents, as follows:

Section 13 (j): “To elect the President of the University for a single term of six (6) years following a process of democratic consultation with the university community based on standards and guidelines set by the Board. In the event of a vacancy, the Board shall elect a President who shall serve a full term.” 

• In addition, Section 14 (paragraph 2) of the UP Charter provides: 

Section 14 (paragraph 2): “The President of the University shall be appointed by the Board and shall serve for a single term of six (6) years.”

For inquiries, please contact:

Edna Estifania A. Co, DPA
Vice President for Public Affairs
09985898022

Click here to view the CV’s and Mission-Vision Statements of the nominees for the UP Presidency.

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Clik here to view.The Centre International de Formation des Autorités et Leaders (CIFAL) Philippines, the Asia-Pacific hub of the CIFAL Global Network was launched on September 29, 2016 at Novotel Manila during the 3rd President’s Toast,an event that celebrates landmark UP initiatives.

The establishment of CIFAL Philippines in UP is the result of the University’s partnership with the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). It is the sixteenth and latest addition to the UNITAR program.

The 3rd President’s Toast was hosted by the Quezon City government as part of the 3rd Global Mayoral Forum, a two-day UNITAR-supported event which it also hosted.

The Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS) is UP’s lead unit in CIFAL Philippines. As the University’s multidisciplinary policy research center, CIDS is expected to harness the expertise of UP in the areas of migration and development, gender equality, and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals for CIFAL.

According to UNITAR’s website, the CIFAL Global Network’s goal “is to strengthen the capacities of government officials and civil society leaders, thus empowering them to advance sustainable development.” The centers, therefore, are charged with training local and regional leaders and organizations and “serve as hubs for the exchange of knowledge amongst government officials, the private sector and civil society.”
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In his message, UP President Pascual said that the partnership with UNITAR strengthens UP’s regional and global character. In addition, the University’s public service mission is in consonance with UNITAR’s objective “to develop capacities of individuals, organizations and institutions to enhance global decision-making and to support country-level action for shaping a better future.”

Toward the end of his speech, Pascual declared, “UP stands united with UNITAR and the CIFAL Global Network in recognizing the urgency to effectively address the challenges that hinder governments and societies from achieving inclusive growth and sustainable development.”

In her keynote address, Senator Risa Hontiveros  said that CIFAL Philippines’ areas of focus are issues that are important to her and are part of her legislative agenda. She talked about the challenges that stem from migration and mobility, such as racism, xenophobia, public health, integration, and peaceful cohabitation, among others. Hontiveros emphasized the mandate of “policy formulators” such as herself—”to safeguard human rights.”

Other speakers at the event included: former Commission on Filipinos Overseas Chair Imelda Nicolas, who said that the new center will rely heavily on the Filipino experience of migration; UNITAR Senior Training and Research Advisor Colleen Thouez, who expressed appreciation of UP’s partnership; UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano, representing UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Ola Almgren, who called the establishment of CIFAL Philippines “timely” because of the increasing phenomenon of migration and the Filipino diaspora; and UP VP for Public Affairs, CIFAL Philippines Director, and CIDS Executive Director Edna Co, who remarked, “UP is now UN.” Co was also a speaker at the 3rd Global Mayoral Forum, where she talked about the critical role of universities in knowledge networks, specifically in the attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals through local leadership.

To view more photos from the event. please click through the album below.

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More than 70 participants attend the 7th Biennial International Conference of the Korean Studies Association of Southeast Asia. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UPSIO.

UP hosted the 7th biennial international conference of the Korean Studies Association of Southeast Asia (Kosasa), on September 28 and 29, 2016 at Novotel, Cubao and the UP Diliman campus in Quezon City.

More than 70 scholars, academic administrators, and Korean Studies stakeholders from the Philippines, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Japan, and Korea attended the conference that focused on “Glocalisation  of Korean Studies: Strategic Cooperation in Research and Education between Southeast Asia and Korea.”

In his welcome address, UP President Alfredo Pascual proposed that the academe look at how glocalization, a process that applies to commercial products, can also apply to cultural products. Glocalization is the development and distribution of product or service globally, while being adapted to users or consumers in a local market, Pascual said.

Citing recent studies, Pascual pointed to the sense of familiarity locals have toward and the understanding and acceptance of the foreign content of cultural products arising from the Korean Wave.

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President Alfredo Pascual keynotes the opening program of the 2016 Kosasa international conference.
“We must hold true to a shared vision for ASEAN and Korea that is built upon the balance between familiarity and foreignness, between commonality and diversity. In this way, we can create a sense of an emergent ‘Asianness’ together,” he says. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UPSIO.

Pascual urged Kosasa members to “hold true to a shared vision for ASEAN and Korea that is built upon the balance between familiarity and foreignness, between commonality and diversity. In this way, we can create a sense of an emergent ‘Asianness’ together.”

He said that conceptualizing the vision for Korean Studies by member universities will benefit much from “a deeper understanding of the fact that the strength of our partnerships and collaborations lies in our unshakable sense of commonality–or our sense of ‘Asianness’–and our mutual appreciation of our diversity in relation to one another.”

Pascual is the current president and conference chair of Kosasa, an association composed of nine leading universities in eight countries in Southeast Asia. Korea’s Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) and the Korea Research Institute at the University of New South Wales (KRI@UNSW) have partnered with these universities to promote Korean Studies.

Since the foundation of Kosasa in 2004, a number of collaborative research projects in Korean Studies have been carried out in the areas of:  Korean language education, linguistics, political economy, public administration, cultural studies,  the humanities, and business studies in the region.

The conference plenary sessions featured forums of presidents or representatives of universities on their strategies for international research collaborations. Another plenary session was devoted to discussing future research agenda. Breakout sessions, held at the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology building at UP Diliman, featured discussions on the strengthening of  Korean Studies education, present research accomplishments, and workshop comparative policy research projects.

A tribute was led by UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion for Prof. Chung-Sok Suh, a pillar of Korean Studies in Southeast Asia and founding executive director of KRI@UNSW. He died on August 25, 2015.

Pascual presented a plaque in which Kosasa honored the Prof. Chung-Sok Suh for his “total dedication to the cause of building an international community of scholars. . . ; tireless effort in mentoring fellow scholars in the field of Korean Studies; passion in creating a culture of cooperation and collaboration among Southeast Asian, Australian, and Korean universities and government institutions; commitment to collegial discussion and camaraderie and to the sharing of knowledge among scholars of Korean studies; being a leader, a teacher, a mentor, a colleague, a brother, and a friend.” Chung-Sok’s son Joshua, his widow Heather, and daughter Laura were present to receive the plaque.

Chung-Sok’s colleagues from UNSW, University of Malaya, Royal University of Phnom Penh, and Chulalongkorn University delivered personal testimonials.

KRI@UNSW is now headed by Prof. Seung-Ho Kwon, who also oversaw the conference as chair of the Kosasa executive committee. The next Kosasa international conference will be hosted by Chulalongkorn University.

For more photos of the event, please click through the albums below.

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UP officials led by UP President Alfredo E. Pascual (3rd from left) join key figures in the peace process led by Jesus G. Dureza (2nd from left) in the pursuit of lasting peace. Photo by Jun Madrid, UPSIO.

With the World Peace Bell symbolically in the background, representatives of the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on September 30, 2016  to pursue just and lasting peace in the country leading to national development.

The cooperation was formalized by UP President Alfredo E. Pascual and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus G. Dureza in a ceremony marking the close of National Peace Consciousness Month.

Under the MOU, UP will provide its academic expertise and research capabilities in support of OPAPP’s mandate to oversee, coordinate and integrate the implementation of the government’s peace efforts. Among the collaborative activities specified in the MOU are jointly undertaken research projects related to the peace process, formulation of workshops and conferences contributing to the peace effort, as well as lectures and forums for the education of the general public.

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Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus G. Dureza and UP President Alfredo E. Pascual join hands for future collaborative work to integrate academic research in support of the peace effort. Photo by Jun Madrid, UPSIO.

In his message to all participants, Dureza stressed the importance of engaging the public and getting every Filipino to have a sense of ownership of the outcome of the peace process. “You have noticed that for a very short period of time we have engaged many sectors,” he said.  “The youth, the Bangsamoro, the academe and all other stakeholders.”

“But let me tell you, this is just the beginning. There will be more engagements in getting to what we call as ‘the bigger table,” Dureza said, referring to the general public. He also expressed his excitement over the UP-OPAPP partnership, in particular UP’s role in providing its expertise to both sides of the negotiating table, by providing consensus points in the OPAPP’s talks with the likes of the MILF and the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Among the witnesses to the signing were: Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista; Government panel member Hernani Braganza;[Ed: specify what Government panel.  “Government Peace panel”?”]  Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Prospero De Vera III; UP Vice President for Public Affairs Edna Estifania Co; and Angeles City Mayor Ed Pamintuan.

De Vera, UP Vice President for Public Affairs prior to his appointment to CHED, was also recently named an adviser to the government panel negotiating peace with the National Democratic Front (NDF), upon the recommendation of Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello, who concurrently heads the panel.

For more photos of the event, please click through the album below.

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Clik here to view.At the opening dinner of the First International Conference Biodiversity & Chemical Biology of Marine and Terrestrial Life in the Philippine Region on 16 October, newly appointed secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Gina Lopez and Atty. Edgardo Chato, governor of Bohol, emphasized the value of science-based decisions when they appealed to our researchers to help in the conservation and development of marine biodiversity in the Philippines. Lopez, who could not come to the event due to the typhoon, sent her message through Undersecretary Isabelo Montejo.

For four days, local and foreign scientists will be in Panglao Island in Bohol to talk about technological innovations that harness the wealth of biodiversity in the country and have useful applications in healthcare and community development.

Panglao Island is one of the species-rich areas in the Philippines. In 2004, a team of 80 scientists from 17 countries confirmed the discovery of dozens of new species in the island.

The conference, which is the first of its kind to be hosted in the Philippines, is organized by the UP Diliman Marine Science Institute, Institute of Biology and Philippine Genome Centre in partnership with experts from the University of Utah, California Academy of Sciences and Drexel University.

More on the conference here.

This announcement was originally published on the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs website.

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From left to right: Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion, Vice President for Planning and Finance Joselito Florendo, UP President Alfredo Pascual, Faculty Regent Philip Ian Padilla, UPV Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Encarnacion Yap, and UPV Office of Student Affairs Director Ruben Gamala. Photo by Misael Bacani

August 22 proved to be a busier-than-usual day for UP Visayas (UPV). Laboratories, a building, a dorm, and an office were inaugurated in the Iloilo City and Miagao campuses; and plans for three structures were unveiled as well. UP President Alfredo Pascual attended all the events.

The day began in the Iloilo City campus. The UP High School in Iloilo inaugurated its renovated laboratories for Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics classes. According to a report by the UPV Information and Publications Office, the renovation had a budget of P5 million.

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UP System and UP HSI officials participating in the inauguration ceremony. Photo by Misael Bacani

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President Pascual giving his message at Balay Wika. Photo by Misael Bacani.

Next was Balay Wika, the building of the UPV Sentro ng Wikang Filipino (SWF). In his speech, Pascual said that completion of Balay Wika symbolized the realization of every Filipino’s dream—the flourishing of the language that binds all Filipinos. He emphasized the University’s support for SWF initiatives, which is why he readily approved the P3.15 million budget request for Balay Wika. “Ngayong araw na ito, mas tumingkad ang kinabukasan ng wikang Filipino sa sulok na ito ng ating bansa.” (Today, in this part of the country, the future of the Filipino language becomes even brighter.)

Finally, the College of Management (CM), led by Dean Mary Ann Gumban, revealed its renovation plans to UP System officials, including VP for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion and VP for Planning and Finance Joselito Florendo, and to CM faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Like Balay Wika, Pascual mentioned that the P24-million budget for the CM renovation was allocated by the UP System.

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From left to right: UPV Vice Chancellor for Administration Nestor Yunque, Faculty Regent Philip Ian Padilla, Vice President for Planning and Finance Joselito Florendo, President Pascual, Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion, UPV Chancellor Rommel Espinosa, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Encarnacion Yap, CM Dean Mary Ann Gumban, and Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Ricardo Babaran. Photo by Misael Bacani

Activities continued in the Miagao campus in the afternoon. First up was the unveiling of the School of Technology (SoTech) and Regional Research Center (RRC) building perspectives.

The construction of the SoTech building was allotted a total of P115.774 million from the general appropriations for UP—P25 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 and P90.774 million in FY 2016. Of the P90.774 million allocation in FY 2016, P13.274 million is equipment outlay. The structure will cater to the increasing number of students in its degree programs, BS Food Technology and BS Chemical Engineering. SoTech Dean Emeliza Lozada hoped that the new building will provide students, faculty, and staff a more conducive environment for education, scholarship, and work.

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Officials pose infront of the perspective for the planned building. Photo by Misael Bacani.

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Officials pose for a group photo at the site of the planned RRC building. Photo by Misael Bacani.

Meanwhile, P200 million—P20 million from the general appropriations for UP in FY 2015 and P180 million in FY 2016—was allocated for the construction of the RRC building. P120 million of the FY 2016 allotment is equipment outlay. As its name suggests, the Center is expected to lead as a research hub not only in the Visayas, but in the Southeast Asian region as well. According to Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Ricardo Babaran, Fisheries and Aquatic Studies, UPV’s niche programs, will be the Center’s areas of focus.

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UP officials at the entrance of Balay Miagos. Photo by Misael Bacani.

Balay Miagos, a coed dormitory, was also inaugurated. Office of Student Affairs (OSA) Director Ruben M. Gamala said that it can accommodate 120 students. He also said that a week prior to the event, a soft opening was held when the dorm had not yet been named. Miagos, Gamala explained, is a plant that is abundant in that part of the province. It is also the origin of “Miagao,” the name of the municipality. Gamala then led the inauguration of the Socialized Tuition Office, which falls under the jurisdiction of OSA.

From FY 2012 to 2016, the total capital outlay allocation for UP Visayas is P510.149 million. This came from the general appropriations for UP, the Commission on Higher Education Disbursement Acceleration Program, supplemental releases for the Typhoon Yolanda-devastated UPV Tacloban campus, and a Department of Public Works and Highways-implemented project. These funds were allotted for infrastructure projects—rehabilitation, reconstruction, and construction of buildings; laboratories; classrooms; student, faculty, and staff housing; and other facilities.

According to the 2017 National Expenditure Program, P196 million is intended for UPV—P146 million for the construction of the Main Library building and P50 million for the second phase of construction of a student dormitory.

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The following are initiatives and programs of the university undertaken by the Office of Vice President for Academic Affairs:

International Publication Award

The purpose of the award is to encourage faculty, REPS and students to contribute to the body of knowledge in their respective fields/discipline by publishing in internationally respected journals that are peer-reviewed and adhere to high standards of scholarship.

Distinguished Artists, Scientists, and Academics-in-Residence Program 

Through the program, our students and young faculty will have the advantage of learning from and building connections with some of the most successful people in their fields around the world. Experts will also benefit from the program through joint projects with their students, and scholarly and creative discourses with our seasoned faculty members.

Concepcion D. Dadufalza Award for Distinguished Achievement

The UP Board of Regents established the award on June 29, 2000 in honor of a beloved former professor of the University, Professor Concepcion D. Dadufalza, on the occasion of her 50th year of teaching at the University of the Philippines. Funded by a graduate of the University who requests anonymity, the award aims to honor individuals of distinction, to keep alive the selfless vision and values of Professor Dadufalza

Gawad sa Natatanging Publikayson sa Filipino

Alinsunod sa patakaran sa wika ng Unibersidad, inaasahan na lalong huhusay ang mga publikasyon sa Filipino ng mga fakulti at REPS sa pamamagitan ng pagkilalang idudulot ng gawad.

UP Arts Productivity System

The UP Arts Productivity System (APS) was established by the Board of Regents in its 1239^th meeting on December 2008 as the counterpart for the arts of the UP Scientific Productivity System and is aimed at encouraging outstanding productivity in the creative arts or in arts scholarship for national development. Deserving artists and arts scholars in the faculty and research staff will be conferred the title “UP Artist” with a monetary award, the UP Arts Productivity Award.

UP Scientific Productivity System

The UP Scientific Productivity System (SPS) was approved by the Board of Regents in its 1199^th meeting on August 2005. The SPS aims to: (1) support the development of science and technology and (2) encourage and reward scientific productivity.

Research Dissemination Grant

With the RDG, faculty and REPS researchers are encouraged to conduct and publicize high-quality research that would make the University more visible in the international research community. Participation in international conferences would also expose our faculty and REPS researchers to cutting-edge research, and could provide opportunities to forge collaborations with leading researchers in the world.

PhD and Master’s Fellowship Program for Faculty and REPS 

Priority will be given to PhD and MS fellowships directly aligned with the niches of each of UP’s constituent universities, as well as support for MS/PhD sandwich programs to enable the pursuit of theses/dissertations in foreign universities.  The length of a PhD Fellowship that can be enjoyed is up to five years.  The program supports tuition, salary, hiring of a teacher substitute, as well as access to a start-up grant of up to P2.5 M upon completion of the PhD.  For foreign study, the roundtrip airfare and living allowance would also be covered.

Visiting Professor Program

Under the UP Expanded Modernization Program, UP is launching the UP Visiting Professor Program in order to increase the number of mentors for young faculty and graduate students working on their MS, PhD or postdoctoral degrees, as well as improve and encourage the culture of research among its faculty. UP invites you to participate actively in the development of UP as a research university.

Short-term Training in Foreign Universities

Short-term training in foreign universities will provide opportunities for the UP academic staff to update themselves on curriculum and pedagogy and to undergo retooling and advanced training in research and creative work. It will also be a chance for UP academics to showcase their talents and explore collaborations with foreign counterparts.

Honor Graduate Fast Track Program

Under this program, summa cum laude UP graduates recruited to teach in UP would have the rank of Instructor 5; magna cum laude graduates, Instructor 4; and cum laude graduates, Instructor 3.  These honor graduate faculty would enjoy close mentoring by senior faculty, and also enjoy access to the ECWRG grant (for instructor 4 and above).

UP Teaching Assistantship Program

Teaching Assistants are either Teaching Associates (TAs) – master’s students, or Teaching Fellows (TFs) – PhD students, who are pursuing their studies half-time and are teaching half-time.  They are postgraduate student scholars and not contractual employees of the university. It is the program of the university that provides financial support for postgraduate studies.

Balik-PhD Recruitment Program

To strengthen the foreign-trained Balik-PhD faculty recruitment campaign, faculty and researchers based in foreign universities and research institutions (both Filipinos and non- Filipinos) will be provided a financial incentive to convince/recruit younger PhDs (Filipinos and non-Filipinos) that they have mentored as young faculty, postdoctoral fellows or PhD students in their universities or collaborating research institutions, to become UP faculty under the Foreign-trained Balik-PhD Faculty program.

Emerging Interdisciplinary Research Program

The University is inviting innovative, interdisciplinary, inter-CU research programs and projects that aim to generate fundamentally new knowledge contributing to the understanding of natural phenomena, and with beneficial applications.

Enhanced Creative Work and Research Grants Forms and Guidelines

Faculty (Instructor 4 and higher) and REPS (University Researcher 1 and higher) are invited to submit proposals for the ECWRG. The ECWRG aims to encourage faculty and REPS to undertake research or creative work that will lead to publications, exhibitions, performances of creative work or other significant output such as patents, new software, and advanced technologies.

Call for applications

For questions, please contact Ryan at the OVPAA via telephone number (632) 981-8500 local 2622

For more information on the university academic and research programs, please visit the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs website.

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The nominees: UP Diliman College of Law Dean Danilo Concepcion, UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion, Commissioner on Higher Education and GPH Peace Panel Adviser J. Prospero de Vera III, Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary for Scientific and Technological Services Rowena Cristina Guevara, UP Diliman Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Benito Pacheco, and UP Diliman National Institute of Physics Professor Caesar Saloma. Photo by Abraham Arboleda.

Six candidates are vying for the UP presidency. All are UP alumni, UP faculty, and have UP administrative experience.

In a live stream broadcast across the UP System, the candidates presented their plans for UP on October 13 at Cine Adarna, UP Diliman (UPD), in the only public forum to be held in the search for the 21st leader of the country’s national university.

The candidates for the UP presidency are:

Dr. Benito Pacheco, UPD Vice Chancellor (VC) for Academic Affairs, UPD Civil Engineering Professor, and former UPD VC for Research and Development;

Dr. Gisela Concepcion, UP System Vice President (VP) for Academic Affairs, UPD Marine Science Institute Professor, and former chair of the Office of Special Initiatives for the Advancement of the Sciences at the UPD College of Science;

Dr. J. Prospero de Vera III, Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education, Adviser to the Government Negotiating Panel with the National Democratic Front/Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army, UPD National College of Public Administration and Governance Professor, and former UP System VP for Public Affairs;

Dr. Caesar Saloma, UPD National Institute of Physics Professor and former UPD Chancellor;

Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara, Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary for Scientific and Technological Services and Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the Undersecretary for Research and Development, former UPD College of Engineering Dean, and UPD Electrical and Electronics Engineering Professor ; and,

Dr. Danilo Concepcion, UPD College of Law Dean and Professor, and former UP System VP for Legal Affairs.

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UP Vice President for Public Affairs Edna Co moderates the open forum. Photo by Misael Bacani.

For Pacheco, UP must be a leader of higher education institutions.   It must not only stand for honor and excellence, but also public service. He enumerated the goals of UP. First, in order to lead in the development and well-being of personnel, attention must be given to salary grade increases of not only the faculty, but also administrative staff and research, extension, and professional staff (REPS). Second, cooperation and competition among campuses are needed, whether in academic or administrative work. Third, UP’s academic leadership requires a comprehensive development of its systems of teaching, curriculum, and education technology. These should be appropriate to the needs of Filipinos, to varying student competencies, to the situation and future direction of the country, and to the development of future generations.

“One UP for One Nation” is VP Concepcion’s vision for UP, where it is “one community of scholars devoted to helping our country’s leaders and citizens. . . to build a just, humane, peaceful, and progressive Philippines.” The University must continue to increase its number of experts in various areas of study and development. UP must lead in pushing for increased allocation for higher education—“as close as possible to one percent of GDP per annum”—and also in seeking the same amount of support for research and development in the country.   UP must nurture mind, spirit, and body through knowledge generation and sharing, teaching and learning, research and creative work, curricula improvement, spirit of collegiality, multi-sectoral initiatives, infrastructure development, campus security, and the physical and mental well-being of its constituents.

De Vera’s presentation, “Reaffirming UP as the University of the People,” centered on the importance of the University’s public service mandate as embodied in various sections of the UP Charter of 2008 or RA 9500. This directive should be given equal importance and recognition, similar to the focus on UP leading and serving as a research, graduate, and regional and global university. The fulfillment of UP’s mandates “must not be pursued at the expense of providing valuable public service,” de Vera added. His vision for UP has three key elements: equitable and inclusive access, academic excellence, and transformative impact through service. These are all guided by provisions of RA 9500, which he aims to fully implement.

“UP into the Third Decade of the 21st Century” was presented by Saloma, who asked, “Is UP accomplishing its purpose as the national university as specified in Section 3 of the UP Charter of 2008?” As a research university, UP’s productivity has “plateaued since 2011”, as opposed to the country’s increasing performance in the same period, he said. He also found the productivity of the three biggest constituent universities (CUs)—UPD, UP Los Baños, and UP Manila—to be widely varied, which, he pointed out, was not a “desirable” scenario. He revealed that the average completion time of PhD degrees in UP was eight years. Saloma then showed the steady increase of the number of high school students taking the UP College Admission Test. Given these trends, he plans to narrow the performance gaps between CUs, give more slots for admission, and make UP education affordable and eventually free. He mentioned that his initiatives will focus on administration and employee welfare, planning and development, legal affairs, public affairs and inclusive governance, student affairs, student welfare, and finance.

Guevara enumerated ten items in her plans for UP in “The University of the Philippines as the national university that fulfills the aspirations of the Filipino people.” These include:  review and update  of teaching methods to optimize learning; review of the general education (GE) program; increase of research investment in both artistic and scientific fields; efficient compliance with government policies; continuation of the OneUP initiative of the Pascual administration; direct involvement of UP community in solving problems of their communities, regions, and the country; increase of inter- and multi-disciplinary endeavors within UP as well as between UP and government, the private sector, and other academic institutions; maximization of  private partnerships to improve the learning environment; mobilization of alumni in sharing the “UP spirit;” and help to artists and performers to broaden their reach locally and internationally.

“Compassion” was the key word in Dean Concepcion’s presentation, which he added to the traditional UP values of honor and excellence. He said he aims to cultivate a culture of compassion so that members of the UP community may better serve the University and the country. On student welfare, Dean Concepcion intends to study the possibility of free tuition, return government service for beneficiaries of free tuition, and the increase of the number of foreign students to augment the lowering of tuition fees. Focus must be made on UP admissions, the Socialized Tuition System, and the Revitalized GE Program. On staff welfare, policies on housing, honoraria, health benefits, contractualization, and retirement benefits must be examined. UP faculty is the bastion of knowledge, manifested in research, academic freedom, and relevant scholarship. Policies on research, extension work, promotion, and the awarding of grants must also be examined. Support must be continued for those who wish to pursue graduate studies. A UP culture that recognizes the contributions of all disciplines equally must be created.

On November 15, the UP Board of Regents will interview the candidates and elect the next UP leader who will serve starting on February 10, 2017.

Curriculum vitae and vision papers of the candidates are posted in the website of the Office of the Secretary of the University and of the Board of Regents (http://osu.up.edu.ph/official-list-of-nominees-for-the-u-p-president/).

For photos of the event, please click through the album below.

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Participants of the SIMSEA Regional Symposium 2016 pose for a photograph at the Microtel by Wyndham in Quezon City. Photo by Jun Madrid, UPSIO.

Distinguished scholars from across the continent trooped to the Microtel by Wyndham in Quezon City when the University of the Philippines hosted the first Sustainability Initiative in the Marginal Seas of South and East Asia (SIMSEA) Regional Symposium on September 26-28, 2016.

The SIMSEA, which is based in the UP Marine Science Institute, UP Diliman, is an international alliance of physical, ecological and social scientists working together to promote inclusive and trans-disciplinary research on the sustainability of marginal seas of South and East Asia. It follows the design of Future Earth, the new international platform for research on global sustainability.

The three-day 2016 SIMSEA Regional Symposium aimed to not only identify outstanding and strategic research on environmental, developmental and societal issues; but also to initiate their implementation. It featured experts speaking on six (6) sub-themes: 1) ocean health, productivity of marine ecosystems and sustainable livelihoods; 2) climate change and variability; 3) disaster management and adaptation in coastal areas; 4) socio-ecological dynamics of sustainable use of oceans, seas and coastal resources; 5) coastal pollution, degradation and biodiversity loss; and, 6) ocean policy and trans-boundary flow.

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UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion welcomes guests to the SIMSEA Regional Symposium 2016. Photo by Jun Madrid, UPSIO.

UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela P. Concepcion welcomed scholars from both the natural and the social sciences on behalf of UP President Alfredo E. Pascual to the symposium. In his  message, Pascual stated that he considered 2013’s Typhoon Yolanda (i.e. international name Haiyan) to be the “most heartbreaking reminder of our connection with the ocean and to our marginal seas”.

Given the more than 6,300 dead and more than 4.1 million Filipinos displaced, Pascual’s message stressed that the typhoon revealed the “complex and multidimensional” connection between marginal seas and our citizens. He said that coping with this challengerequires knowledge creation that is “insightful, evidence-based and multidisciplinary,” which the2016 SIMSEA Symposium aimed to provide.

Pascual congratulated the SIMSEA for providing a “model of cooperation and transformation through transformative scholarship” by bringing experts from different nations and disciplines together in pursuit of environmental and socio-cultural sustainability in marginal seas through “this milestone in scientific dialogue”.

Among other important guests and speakers at the symposium were:  Prof. Emer. Nordin Hasan of the International Science Council Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ICSU ROAP); Prof. Emer. Toshio Yamagata of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology Application Laboratory (JAMSTEC APL); Prof. Emer. Yasuhiko Naito of Japan’s National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR); National Scientists Edgardo D. Gomez and Lourdes J. Cruz; plant pathologist Dr. Lily Ann D. Lando; and SIMSEA Program Executive Dr. Annadel S. Cabanban.

To view more photos from the event, please click through the album below.

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The University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS) will host the Fourth President’s Toast on 28 October 2016, Friday, 2:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon at the Bahay ng Alumni, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.

The Fourth President’s Toast is a salutation to significant projects and achievements initiated by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA), namely the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research (EIDR) and the Balik-PhD programs.

For queries, please contact CIDS through the following e-mail addresses: cids@up.edu.ph, Ms. Lea Diño at lfdino@up.edu.ph, and Ms. Jori Pamintuan at mbpamintuan@up.edu.ph.

Learn more about EIDR and the Balik-PhD Recruitment Programs

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UP NIMBB Students at the 2016 International Conference of the Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology in Gangnam, Seoul, Korea on October 12-14, 2016. (From left) Charles Christopher Bataclan, Marian Abigaile Manongdo, Arman Ghodsinia, Rey Garcia, Krizelle Mae Alcantara, Kenneth Anthony Roquid, Daniel Paul Uy, Ryan Timothy Yu, Carmela Cruz, Joanne Marie Sytangco, J-Ann Marie Lego, Aileen Uy (Photo: Isay Viola)

Four students from the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in UP Diliman were recipients of the Sigma-Aldrich Excellent Poster Awards at the 2016 International Conference of the Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology held in Gangnam, Seoul, Korea from October 12-14. Only 30 are recognized out of more than a thousand poster presentations from mostly PhD students and postdoctoral fellows.

Krizelle Mae Alcantara and Kenneth Anthony Roquid, both MS MBB students, were individual winners in the Cancer Molecular Biology category. Roquid won in the same category at ICKSMCB 2014. Carmela Rieline Cruz won in the RNA Biology category while Daniel Paul Uy won in the undergraduate category. Cruz and Uy are both undergraduate thesis students and all four are from the Disease Molecular Biology and Epigenetics Laboratory.

The titles and authors of the winning posters are:

“Reciprocal knockdown and microRNA sequestration hints at a putative competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network among PTEN, DNMT3B and TET3″. Kenneth Anthony Roquid and Reynaldo L. Garcia

“Functional characterization of miR-7 and miR-92a regulation of the tumor suppressor gene Neurofibromin 2 (NF2) in human colorectal and lung carcinoma cells”. Krizelle Mae Alcantara and Reynaldo L. Garcia

“Cigarette smoke-induced upregulation of LUCAT1 in A549 and associated increase in metastatic potential and resistance to smoke-induced toxicity of lung cancer cells”. Carmela Rieline Cruz, Jose Lorenzo Ferrer, Kenneth Anthony Roquid and Reynaldo L. Garcia

“Functional characterization of the TUSC7 lncRNA in normal kidney cells via RNA interference”. Daniel Paul Uy, Marian Abigaile Manongdo, Charles Christopher Bataclan, Martin Daniel Qui and Reynaldo L. Garcia

The annual conference is attended by some 3000 participants from over 20 countries. Among this year’s plenary speakers were Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier (Max Planck Institute, Germany) – widely tipped to be a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in the future for her work on CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, Dr. Daniel J. Klionsky (University of Michigan, USA), Dr. Alexander Rudensky (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, USA), and Dr. Irving L. Weissman (Stanford University School of Medicine, USA).

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UPOU Chancellor Melinda Bandalaria formally opens the conference.Photo by Misael Bacani

The UP Open University (UPOU) hosted the 30th annual conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) on October 26 to29 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. The theme was “Open Education in Asia: Changing Perspectives.”

It was the second time the conference was held in the Philippines, the first in 2000, also hosted by UPOU.

UP President Alfredo Pascual, in his welcome message read by UP VP for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion during the opening ceremony, said that open and distance learning (ODL) is “a crucial tool in the delivery of education and the promotion of lifelong learning.” He added that ODL can be used to “uplift the marginalized and bring them to a place in society where they can become active participants in various social discourses and contributors to nation building.”

AAOU President Yuk-Shan Wong, the president of the Open University of Hong Kong, said that since its inception, the conference “has been serving as a powerful stimulus in promoting [ODL]” as well as in discussing ODL issues, developments, and ideas. He added that the AAOU, as the region’s biggest organization of open education institutions, will continue to be an “important regional platform for professional sharing and collaboration.”

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AAOU President and Open University of Hong Kong President Yuk-Shan Wong delivers his message to conference attendees. Photo by Misael Bacani

Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-Office of Programs and Standards Development Director Amelia Biglete talked about the ODL Act or RA 10650 in her speech on opening day. She cited several provisions of the law pertinent to course development, support, and the roles of involved agencies, i.e. CHED, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and UPOU. In an interview with UP News, Biglete said that CHED provides financial assistance to both organizers and participants for ODL-related activities. She also revealed that some Philippine schools have expressed interest in going into ODL.

UPOU Chancellor Melinda Bandalaria formally opened AAOU 2016. In a press conference held prior to the opening ceremony, she said that UPOU agreed to host this year’s conference for three reasons: “to build the capabilities of higher education and technical-vocational institutions in the country… take an active role in positioning ODL to achieve the Education 2030 Agenda… [and] to fulfill our role as an AAOU member institution.”

Wong also announced during the media event that Bandalaria will be succeeding him as AAOU president. UPOU Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Melinda Lumanta and AAOU Secretary General Kam Cheong Li joined Bandalaria and Wong as resource persons at the press conference moderated by UPOU Information Office and Multimedia Center Director Joane Serrano.

Around 500 delegates attended the AAOU conference, which featured eight plenary speakers, more than 100 parallel presentations, and 11 exhibits.

For more photos of the event, please click throught the album below.

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Student leaders and student affairs administrators from the ASEAN University Network with UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan at the National Institute of Physics, National Science Complex, UP Diliman, Quezon City, October 26, 2016. Photo by Bong Arboleda.

The University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, and De La Salle University–all members of the ASEAN University Network (AUN)–hosted more than a hundred student leaders from the region for the 5th annual ASEAN Student Leaders Forum (ASLF) from October 24 to 26, 2016.

With the theme, “ASEAN, Our Home: Youth Engagement Toward a Shared Future,” students from the 30 AUN members discussed the concept of country and home, social involvement, and other common concerns. With student affairs administrators, they enumerated ways of institutionalizing action on what had been discussed.

During the first day at the Ateneo de Manila University, they held plenary and breakout sessions revolving around the theme. On the second day, they experienced community immersion at Manila sites that showcase university, student, and community cooperation projects, before transferring to De La Salle University.

In UP Diliman on the third day, the participants heard an inspirational talk from Chancellor Michael Tan, whose expertise as an anthropologist enabled him to point out interesting commonalities in ASEAN histories, language, and values, which the students could use as a springboard to promote ASEAN integration in their sector.

They also engaged with two youth leaders from UP: Percival Cendaña of the Philippine National Youth Commission and former president of the UP Student Council and pioneer advocate of the student LGBT movement; and Arizza Nocum, an Industrial Engineering graduate who leads KRIS Libraries and Scholarship, a peace and multicultural advocacy initiative.

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Student leaders contextualize country and ASEAN during a breakout session at the Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, October 24, 2016. Photo by Bong Arboleda.

Parallel to the student activities, workshops were held for heads of student affairs units of the AUN universities to strengthen theAUN-Student Affairs Network (SAN), support the ASLF, and address the concerns of students.

“This parallel cooperation is deliberately designed to ensure effective communication and cooperation among student leaders in ASEAN with collective support from university executives,” AUN Executive Director Nantana Gajaseni said in her message.

UP Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Richard Philip Gonzalo served as one of the country’s coordinators for ASLF and AUN-SAN. Helping the country coordinators were a group of student volunteers from the three Philippine AUN universities.

The ASLF aims to facilitate a networking of the ASEAN youth leaders to promote student leadership in the region, help it contribute collectively to regional affairs, and enhance ASEAN awareness and integration.

The next ASLF and AUN-Student Affairs Network (AUN-SAN) meeting will be hosted by Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh and Can Tho University, Vietnam.

For more photos of the event, please click through the album below.

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UPOU Chancellor Melinda Bandalaria. Photo by Misael Bacani

UP Open University (UPOU) Chancellor Melinda Bandalaria is the next president of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU).

Bandalaria was selected at the organization’s 31st executive committee meeting on October 26. This was announced by incumbent AAOU President Yuk-Shan Wong in a press conference held after the meeting. The media event was held before the opening of the 30th AAOU annual conference at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria.

Bandalaria told UP News that the selection process began early this year, with UPOU getting nominations from Wawasan Open University, Malaysia and Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia.

According to the AAOU website, the 59-member association is “a non-profit organization of higher learning institutions that are primarily concerned with open and distance education. It strives to widen the educational opportunities available to all people in Asia and to improve the quality of the institutions in terms of their educational management, teaching and research. It promotes education by distance teaching systems, as well as professional and ethical standards; develops potentialities of open and distance education; cooperates with official bodies and others directly or indirectly interested in education at a distance; and, facilitates cooperation with other similar regional and international bodies.”

Bandalaria will serve as AAOU president from January 2017 to December 2019. (With report from Anna Cañas-Llamas, UPOU Information Office)

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UP President Alfredo Pascual recounts how the EIDR and Balik-PhD programs were among the earliest initiatives implemented during his administration. Photo by Misael Bacani

The Balik-PhD Faculty and Research, Extension and Professional Staff Recruitment (Balik-Phd) and the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research (EIDR) programs of the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) were celebrated at the 4th President’s Toast, an event that recognizes outstanding UP initiatives, on October 28 at Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman (UPD).

In his speech, UP President Alfredo Pascual recalled how these programs were implemented in the early years of his administration. These were part of his strategic thrust to make UP a research-intensive university. Pascual, whose term ends on February 9, 2017, hoped that the next UP leader continues these initiatives “to bring back our talents which are being utilized by other countries.”

VPAA Gisela Concepcion, who gave an overview of the programs, said that EIDR, established in 2011, aims to “enable its researchers and creators to produce high-quality publications and other academic output quickly [and] regularly; lay the groundwork to establish research culture in UP through mentoring; promote interdisciplinary and inter-campus research activity; and support the creation of value networks from basic to applied research.” She also said that “as much as P2.5 million per project or P10 million per program for 4 projects per year can be awarded, renewable for another two years.”

Concepcion reported that, in seven cycles, the OVPAA implemented 62 EIDR programs and projects across different fields and in different campuses. Thirty-two of these were from UPD, 18 from UP Los Baños (UPLB), six from UP Manila (UPM), four from UP Baguio (UPB), one from UP Mindanao (UPMin), and one from the UP Open University. She added that, in the current or eighth cycle, her office received 42 proposals.

Balik-PhD, meanwhile, was established in 2012, “to recruit Filipinos and foreign nationals with a PhD or post-doctoral training from leading foreign universities to become part of the UP faculty and contribute significantly to mentoring PhD students and developing a culture of research, innovation, creativity, and public service in UP,” according to Concepcion. The grant includes:  a relocation package of P500,000; startup research funding of P2.5 million, based on the research proposal; and a startup foreign research collaboration funding of P1 million, also based on the research proposal.

Concepcion said that there were 44 Balik-PhD grantees to date: 25 from UPD, seven from UPLB, four from UPM, four from UP Visayas, three from UPMin, and one from the UP System through the Philippine Genome Center.

Three projects under each program were presented by the project leaders as part of the event.

For the EIDR program, UPLB College of Public Affairs and Development-Institute for Governance and Rural Development Professor Agnes Rola, and UPB Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Institute of Management Professor Corazon Abansi presented “Towards Good Water Governance for Development: A Multi-Case Analysis.” It dealt with the problem of water scarcity and related issues like inequity in access, quality, resource management, among others.

UPD College of Science-Marine Science Institute Professor Maria Helena Yap then presented “Onecosystem,” based on the project, “Social-Ecological Resilience on Different Spatial and Temporal Scales.” Conducted in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, the study focused on environmental sustainability and livelihood.

The third EIDR project presented was “Drug Use Behavioral Health among Adolescents in Metro Manila” by UPM College of Arts and Sciences Dean and Department of Behavioral Sciences Professor Leonardo Estacio Jr. He said that he chose to study the subject because it was not “well-explored and well-explained” in the country.

For the Balik-PhD program, the first presentation was “Quantum entanglement of low-dimensional systems” by UPD College of Science-National Institute of Physics Professor Francis Paraan. He said that the study of entanglements was “valuable to quantum computing” and that measuring the quantities of these entanglements could be done through regular experiments that look at fluctuations. “If [we] want to develop real computers, we need to control the fluctuations and entanglements,” Paraan said.

Presented next was “Charged particle system development for modification of polymeric surfaces,” a study focused on plasma by UPD College of Engineering-Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering Chair Magdaleno Vasquez Jr. “Why plasma? Because we can’t get along without computer chips and mobile devices,” he explained.

The final presentation for Balik-PhD was “Exploring transcriptome dynamics in marine organisms in response to environmental challenges” by UPD College of Science-Marine Science Institute Professor Cecilia Conaco. Her research focused on sponges, which, she said, were “important to reef ecosystem, yet we know nothing about them.”

Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Undersecretary Rommel Garcia, in his response after the presentations, commended the research projects. The study on drug use, in particular, was something that the DDB, a policymaking body, needed he said. He explained that the Board was in need of relevant data that would guide policy formulation. Garcia encouraged the University to continue to pursue research for national development.

The President’s Toast was organized by the Center for Integrative Studies (CIDS). VP for Public Affairs and CIDS Executive Director Edna Co announced during the event that at least two more installments of the President’s Toast will be held during Pascual’s term.

For more photos of the event, please click through the album below.

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Clik here to view.The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) and the UP Diliman Department of English and Comparative Literature (DECL) will recognize the inaugural winner and finalists of the Gémino Abad Awards for Poetry and Literary Criticism at an awarding ceremony tomorrow, 11 November 2016, at the Executive House in UP Diliman.

Thomas David Chaves, DECL assistant professor and PhD student of creative writing, won in the poetry category for his collection “Imelda and Catullus: Two Sequences.” He will receive a certificate and P10,000.

Ronn Andrew Angeles (MA Creative Writing), Jade Katherine Emily Castro (BS Materials Engineering) and Benedict Parfan (PhD Creative Writing) penned the other poetry collections that vied for the top prize. As finalists, they will each get a certificate and P2,500.

There is no winner in the critical essay category but Chaves will receive a special citation for his entry “The Poet as Ethnographer: An Imaginary Interview with Alfred A. Yuson.”

The jury, headed by DECL assistant professor Dr. Paolo Manalo, included DECL professor and UP Press director Dr. Jose Neil Garcia, and Assistant Professor Francisco Danilo Reyes of the Loyola School of Humanities at the Ateneo de Manila University.

The Gémino Abad Awards were established in 2015 with support from an anonymous donor. They aim to honor University Professor Emeritus Gémino Abad for his lifetime work in the humanities, especially in the fields of poetry and literary criticism.

Abad was the first Filipino to win the Premio Feronia in Rome, Italy under the foreign author category. Last year, he received the Gawad Dangal ng Lahi from the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for his significant contribution to Filipino literature and scholarship.

In addition to his long involvement in the DECL as professor of English, comparative literature and creative writing, Abad served as Secretary of the University and the Board of Regents, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and director of Likhaan: the UP Creative Writing Center.

For more information on the awarding ceremony or the Awards, please contact the OVPAA at 981-8500 local 2622 or email ovpaa@up.edu.ph.

This announcement was originally published in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs website.

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Farmers of the Obu Manuvu indigenous people mix ingredients to make natural farm inputs in the training-workshop on natural farming technology held in the UP Mindanao Land Reservation in Marilog, Davao City. Photo by Rene Estremera, UP Mindanao.

Farmers of the Obu Manuvu indigenous people availed of a training-workshop on natural farming technology systems throughout October to November 3 in Sitio Ladi-an, Marilog District, Davao City.

The 40 farmers learned to make indigenous micro-organisms, fermented plant juice and fruit juice, fish amino acid, and natural insect attractants for use as inputs to farm production.

The ingredients that were used included rice, muscovado sugar, manure from chicken and animals, camote tops, banana fibers, certain fruits, fish, and vinegar to produce the various natural farm inputs.

The natural technology products were used on farms growing lettuce, cucumber, chayote, eggplant, corn, and tomatoes in the agro-forestry project in the UP Mindanao Land Reservation in Marilog.

According to UP Mindanao Land Reservation Officer Joel Sagadal, the training-workshop aims to lessen reliance by the farmers on synthetic chemicals, increase their income, and conserve the environment.

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Obu Manuvu indigenous peoples mark the completion of their natural farming technology systems training-workshop in Marilog in the presence of tribal chief Datu Luis Lambac (back row, third from left) in the UP Mindanao Land Reservation in Marilog, Davao City. Photo by Rene Estremera, UP Mindanao.

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Clik here to view.The Office of the Secretary of the University and of the Board of Regents announced today, the selection of University of the Philippines College of Law Dean Danilo Lardizabal Concepcion as the new President of the University of the Philippines.

Concepcion, known in his radio program Usapang de Campanilla on DZMM as ‘Danicon’, will succeed President Alfredo E. Pascual on February 2017 for a six-year term. He was among the six nominees for the UP Presidency who presented their mission and vision for the university at The Search: A Forum for the Selection of the Next UP President.

Dean Concepcion finished Agricultural Engineering, summa cum laude, at the De La Salle Araneta-University in 1979, topping the board exam. He graduated from the UP College of Law, cum laude, in 1983, passing the Bar Examinations as a topnotcher. He later earned his Master of Laws at the University of London in 1986, as a British government scholar.

For a brief profile of Dean Concepcion from the UP College of Law, please click here.

To view his Curriculum Vitae, as submitted to the Search Committee for the Next UP President, please click here.

To read his Vision Statement, as submitted to the Search Committee for the Next UP President, please click here.

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(L-R) Regent Frederick Mikhail “Spocky” Farolan, Regent Angelo “Jijil” Jimenez, Regent Francis Laurel (Photos by Bong Arboleda and Misael Bacani)

Three new members of the UP Board of Regents (BOR), all UP alumni, took their oaths of office at Quezon Hall, UP Diliman.

Regent Frederick Mikhail “Spocky” Farolan is a partner at the Roura Farolan Gayondato and Dumas Law Firm and a member of the UP Vanguard, Inc. Board of Governors. He is known for taking on advocacy cases that involve community rights and public interest, including the infamous “tanim bala” incidents. Farolan is a graduate of UP Diliman, earning his degree in Public Administration in 1997 and a Law degree in 2002. He was appointed to the UP BOR by President Rodrigo Duterte on October 28 to replace Dr. Georgina Encanto. His oath of office was administered by Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen on November 11.

Regent Angelo Jimenez is president of Asia-Pacific Basin for Energy Strategies, Inc., an energy and economic think tank that was given special consultative status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 2014. Until recently, he was of counsel at the Jaromay Laurente Pamaos Law Offices. Jimenez is a recipient of two Presidential Citations: one in 2005 for the successful release of Roberto Tarongoy, a Filipino hostage in Iraq; and the other in 2007 for managing efforts to keep Filipinos safe during the Israel-Hezbollah war. He is also a graduate of UP Diliman, with degrees in Sociology earned in 1987 and Law, in 1994. He received his Master in Public Management degree from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore in 2013. Duterte appointed Jimenez to the UP BOR on October 28, replacing Dr. Magdaleno Albarracin. He took his oath of office on November 15, administered by Commission on Higher Education Chair Patricia Licuanan.

Regent Francis Laurel is president of YKK Philippines, Inc., the Philippines-Japan Society, Inc., Toyota Batangas City, Inc., and Toyota Camarines Sur, Inc. In 2011, Emperor Akihito of Japan conferred upon him the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon for his contributions to the strengthening of Philippines-Japan relations. Laurel graduated magna cum laude in 1969 with a degree in Agriculture from UP Los Baños. He earned his Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School Management at Northwestern University, Chicago, USA in 1972. He was appointed by Duterte to the UP BOR on November 14 to replace Atty. Gizela Gonzalez-Montinola. Licuanan administered his oath of office on November 15.

Each appointee of the Philippine president to the UP BOR serves a term of two years, as prescribed in Republic Act No. 9500 or the UP Charter of 2008.

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Association of Pacific Rim Universities hold 2016 APRU Asia-Pacific Women in Leadership Workshop

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UP officials, workshop participants from the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and guests pose for the group photo. Photo from UP Cebu Public Information Office.

To discuss the progress of gender mainstreaming as strategy for promoting gender equality and challenges of women leadership in the academe, senior university leaders, researchers and administrators from four Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) member universities convened at the 2016 APRU Asia-Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) Workshop, Wednesday.

Launched in June 2013, APWiL serves as a platform for sharing practices in advancing women’s participation in the academe and research as well as in bridging the gender gap in higher education through policy development.

This year’s two-day workshop, which is centered on the theme, “Making Numbers Matter: Sustaining the Next Generation of Women Academic Leaders,” is hosted by the University of the Philippines through the Office of International Linkages (UP OIL), a unit under the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs mandated to explore areas of linkages with foreign and local institutions.

The workshop aims to continue the discussions on previous APWiL workshops on the necessity of gender quotas, issues of merit and excellence, and implicit gender bias as well as to explore ways of addressing the gaps and drawbacks of women leadership in the academe.

Pascual’s message

Outgoing UP President Alfredo Pascual, through Professor Joselito Florendo, UP Vice President for Planning and Finance, recognized the university’s role as an instrument for gender equality and justice starting in its own campuses.

“Universities as leaders of many disciplines and researchers have the means and the obligation to study and to provide solutions to the societal issues and the challenges of development. Examining the ways of achieving development is paramount so that it will become faster, sustainable and inclusive,” Pascual said.

Aside from its national mandate, Pascual also recognized UP’s mandate to be the country’s global research and regional university.

“It is incumbent upon UP to channel the successes of our country to efforts of other countries to make gains in the same fields,” Pascual said, highlighting UP’s role in the country’s great success on gender equality.

He also acknowledged the successful history of women leadership since the year 1912, citing that half of the university’s major administrative positions was held by women.

“For change to be true, it must always come from within,” Pascual said, calling APRU universities to uphold gender equality and justice as essential within their spheres of influence.

Gender Equity in US Higher Education

Meanwhile, Dr. Cindy Fan, Vice Provost for International Studies and Global Engagement of the University of California, Los Angeles, introduced the idea of the “pipeline myth” during her discussion of gender equity in US higher education.

“Women graduated at a higher rate than men across all racial groups, which increases women’s representation in the pipeline,” Fan said.

She also interpreted the “glass ceiling” as a two-dimensional concept that refers to intangible barriers preventing women to rise to senior level positions as well as a reflection of the persistent pay gap between men and women at the same faculty rank.

According to Fan, among all public sectors, the academe is the only one with a declining number of women leaders.

“Women do not hold associate professor or full professor positions at the same rate as men appears. They are also not ascending to leadership positions,” she said.

State of Gender Mainstreaming in Tertiary Education and Women’s Academic Leadership
Dr. Amaryllis Tiglao-Torres, Professor Emeritus from the University of the Philippines Diliman and executive director of the Philippine Social Science Council, defined gender mainstreaming as putting gender equality in the center of policy, plans, structures, research and teaching.

“To mainstream is to introduce separate courses on women if it’s possible, but also to say that the perspective that is carried into the women’s studies course is also adapted in the other courses of the university,” Torres said.

In her lecture, Dr. Helen Lockey, Director of Educational and Institutional Intelligence of University of Hongkong pointed out that the greatest difficulty women face in moving to senior-level roles is a “double-burden.”

“The double burden is that, we hold on a job and we hold on the family as well, something that men don’t have to manage, Lockey said.

She also highlighted that family background could influence women’s leadership capacity.
“Women who have been mentored achieve greater successful careers,” she said.

To achieve gender parity, Lockey cited initial steps such as women-friendly policies, talks and seminars for women and researches assessing the classification of the jobs offered to men and women in the university.

During the panel discussion, Dr. Carolyn Sobritchea, Chairperson and Technical Working Panel on Gender and Women’s Studies, Commission on Higher Education stressed that consultative process, listening skills and participatory planning are essential to the survival of women academic leaders.

“I also value the attitude and the norms in my university. While there’s a lot of patriarchal narratives, there is respect on academic excellence,” Sobritchea said, adding that women should assert for the post they deserve to get in the academe.

Continuing Challenges to Equity and Promotion of Women to Key Leadership Positions
Through the concept of “glass ceiling and glass floor,” Dr. Michael Tan, Chancellor of UP Diliman differentiates male and female approaches towards academic leadership.

“If you are male, you do it by storming the barricade. While women need to be much more careful because they are the ones on a glass floor. They have to thread carefully and softly and not make too much noise,” Tan said.

Continuing Gender Equity Issues in Academic Disciplines To wrap up the presentations, Dr. Robyn Overall, Emeritus Professor and Chair of Women in Science, University of Sydney and Dr. Merlyne Paunlagui, Director, Center for Strategic Planning and Policy studies illustrated gender equity in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

“In an environment where things are changing, it is important to be able to think outside the box. To do that, we have to optimize diverse opinions to harness researches done in a team,” Overall said, stressing that diverse teams deliver better results than homogeneous teams.

In an interview, Dr. Rhodora Bucoy, Charperson of the Philippine Commission on Women, shared that APWil workshop is a platform to share practices on gender equity with other foreign universities.

“Through this workshop, we hope to be able to come up with concrete steps to address the socalled, glass ceilings and better schemes based on the experience of AustraliA and other countries,” Bucoy said.

The second leg of the APWil workshop continues today at the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu. Representatives from the different APRU-APWil universities hope to come up with action plans for pursuing collaborative research projects and training collaborations among APRU member universities in order to develop the next generation of women academic leaders.

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