UP President Alfredo Pascual

The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) conferred upon UP President Alfredo E. Pascual an honorary Doctor of Sciences during PLM’s 47th commencement exercises on April 13, 2015 at the Philippine International Convention Center.

PLM, led by its Board of Regents Chairman Benjamin E. Diokno and President Leonora V. De Jesus, cited Pascual’s “servant-leader” role in the academe, perseverance in business and finance, leadership in governmental concerns, and “awards of distinction as a prominent, respectable and outstanding leader in the field of sciences.”

In his response and commencement address, Pascual advised the graduating class to work hard, find the work that they love or love the work they will do, and keep on learning, to succeed after college. He also asked them to serve and transform society as a way of “paying it forward.” PLM students are considered scholars of the City of Manila.

The conferment by Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) of an honorary Doctor of Sciences upon UP President Alfredo Pascual in ceremonies led by PLM Board of Regents Chairman Benjamin Diokno and President Leonora de Jesus. Sitting behind them are PLM regents and officials.

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) Board of Regents Chairman Benjamin Diokno puts on cap over UP President Alfredo Pascual during the PLM conferment of an honorary Doctor of Sciences upon Pascual. Looking on are PLM Regent Renato dela Cruz, Registrar Roberto Ines, and Executive Vice President Renato Oliveros.

UP President Alfredo Pascual addresses Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila candidates for graduation during PLM’s 47th commencement exercises.

Photos by Abraham Arboleda

Student-participants of the 4th UPCIS Global Studies Tour in Yokohama National University, Yokohama, Japan From Left to Right: Jamievee Bautista (2nd yr BA Sociology, Kotsuzumi shoulder drummer), Lizette Inocencio (4th yr BA Psychology, shamisen player), Cristine Lian Domingo (4th yr BA Anthropology, tayu or chanter), Reynamae Longay (4h yr BA Public Administration, puppeteer), Loraine Chulipa (3rd yr BS Psychology, puppeteer), Claire Aragon (4th yr BA Psychology, puppeteer), Rica Papa (2nd yr BS Interior Design, tayu or chanter).

The UP Center for International Studies (UPCIS) East and Southeast Asian Studies Division in partnership with Yokohama National University (YNU) sent seven (7) of its students, who were learning the Japanese Bunraku puppet theatre tradition, to the 4th UPCIS Global Studies Tour in Yokohama and Naoshima, Japan on November 9 – 18, 2014.

They were recipients of Japan’s Ministry of Education Culture and Science’s Japan Student Services (JASSO) Short Stay Scholarship for International Students with additional support from the International Office of the Student Affairs and International Relations Department of YNU and UP Office of International Linkages MOVE-UP Program.

The students were enrolled in two UPCIS courses. Claire Aragon (4th yr BA Psychology, puppeteer), Jamievee Bautista (2nd yr BA Sociology, Kotsuzumi shoulder drummer), Cristine Lian Domingo (4th yr BA Anthropology, tayu or chanter), Lizette Inocencio (4th yr BA Psychology, shamisen player), Reynamae Longay (4h yr BA Public Administration, puppeteer), and Rica Papa (2nd yr BS Interior Design, tayu or chanter) of the Global Studies 197 Special Topics Course on Japanese Traditional Performance Practice (GS 197 JTPP) course and Loraine Chulipa (3rd yr BS Psychology, puppeteer) of the Southeast Asia 30 (SEA 30) Asian Emporiums course.

Joint-Workshop Discussion on Cultural Heritage Conservation: On the third day of the 4th UPCIS Global Studies Tour in Yokohama and Naoshima, Japan, UPCIS and YNU students discussed the pressing issue chosen by the UPCIS students, cultural heritage conservation. Students shared their views on what should be considered and preserved as cultural heritage and what can be done to improve conservation efforts. To supplement the joint-workshop discussion, the participants visited cultural sites such as the Great Buddha in Kamakura, Yokohama Nohgakudo or Noh Theatre, Senso-ji in Tokyo, and Ie Project or Art House Project in Naoshima.

In Yokohama, the students engaged in joint-workshop discussions with YNU students from the Faculty of Education and Human Sciences on topics such as Filipino Nurses and Caregivers, Student Movements in the Philippines and in Japan, and Cultural Heritage Conservation. They also visited the cultural sites of Tokyo and Kamakura. In Naoshima, they had a once in a lifetime opportunity to train with the Naoshima Onna Bunraku, an all-women community puppetry and joruri troupe from the island of Naoshima in Kagawa Prefecture. They also visited the Chichu Art Museum and the Art House Project.

Prof. Amparo Adelina C. Umali, III, PhD, East and Southeast Asian Studies Coordinator of UPCIS and GS 197 JTPP Course Coordinator, along with UPCIS Lecturers and JTPP teamteachers, Patricia Bianca M. Andres (puppetry) and Laureen Theresa A. Lioanag (shamisen), who supervised the students’ preparations in the Philippines for the joint-workshops and training-rehearsals, accompanied the students to Japan.

Courtesy Call to OIL: Participants of the 4th UPCIS Global Studies Tour in Yokohama and Naoshima, Japan posed for a picture with Prof. Rhodora Azanza, PhD, AVPPAA Director of the Office of International Linkages (OIL), 3rd person from the left and OIL staff, Ms. Arlene Boro, 2nd row, 1st person on the left and Ms. Adel Abaya, front row, 1st person on the right and their mentors’ UPCIS Assoc. Prof Amparo Adelina Umali, III, PhD, front row, 2nd person from the left and lecturer Patricia Andres, 2nd row, 1st person from the right after a performance of the Bunraku piece, Ebisu Mai (Dance of Ebisu) during the courtesy call to OIL on December 1, 2014. Photo courtesy of System Information Office.

Commencement Speech of UP President Alfredo E. Pascual for the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila) 47th Commencement Exercises on 13 April 2015, at the Philippine International Convention Center Plenary Hall, Manila

UP President Alfredo E. Pascual

Isang mapagpala’t mapagpalayang umaga sa inyong lahat

Congratulations to the 2015 Graduating Class of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM)!

Sincerest thanks to PLM for the opportunity given me to address the University’s graduates this year!

And of course, grateful appreciation to PLM for conferring on me the title of Doctor of Sciences, honoris causa. With this honorary degree being awarded to me as part of this commencement exercises, I consider myself a virtual member of the PLM Class of 2015.

Dear graduates, today is your last day as students of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. After this morning’s commencement exercises, you will no longer be PLM students. You will be PLM graduates who are expected to soon venture into the world outside the academe, compete in your chosen fields, and, hopefully make a mark for yourselves.

But how do you succeed in the outside world? Well, let’s look at a couple of successful people and see how they did it.

There’s Henry Sy, Sr., the founder of the SM Group of Companies and currently the richest Filipino according to Forbes’ 2015 list of the richest people. He has a net worth of 14 billion US dollars and his companies are major employers in the country. How did he become so successful? Where did he study? He enrolled at the Far Eastern University in the early 1950s but had to drop out after only two years. He decided to attend full-time to his growing buy-and-sell business, the forerunner of a shoe-retailing store that would, in turn, give birth to the SM business empire.

Then there’s also William Henry “Bill” Gates III, who, from 1995 to 2014, was widely recognized as the richest man on earth. In its 2015 list of the richest people, Forbes puts Bill Gates’ net worth at 78 billion US dollars. He enrolled at Harvard in 1973 but, like Henry Sy, he also dropped out of college after two years. The reason? So he could work full-time on putting up an ambitious little IT start-up called Microsoft – a company that has created much value and has changed our world.

So what can we learn from these two personalities. For one, both have the name “Henry”; so “Henry” must be a lucky name! Well… But more interestingly, both did not finish college. Thus, it would seem that you don’t need a college degree to succeed in life. Does this mean you wasted the last four years of your life studying at PLM? Certainly not! What the two stories tell us is that a college degree – the diploma you’ll receive from PLM – won’t guarantee your success in the real world.

When talking of success, though, you must keep in mind that it is not just about making money, but more about creating value that benefits society.

What will it take to succeed in the job or work you’ll do after graduation? Let me give you four tips – four pieces of advice.

To succeed you will need to do a lot of things, but, above all, you’ll need to work hard. That’s my Tip No. 1. Here’s what Henry Sy says about success: “Success is not just good luck. It is a combination of good credit standing, opportunity, readiness, timing and a lot of hard work.”

On his part, Bill Gates once compared himself to Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple and another IT icon who, by the way, was also a college dropout. Here’s what he said: “Steve and I were very different. But we were both hyper-energetic and worked super hard.”

Work hard. Or, as Bill Gates puts it, work super hard. That’s what you should do. Luck favors those who have worked hard getting ready for opportunities. But how do you do that? Working hard is easy in the beginning, when the task you’re working on is still new to you and you’re still excited about discovering how things work. But after a while, the job becomes routine and, sometimes, even boring. So how do you maintain a high level of energy? How do you keep yourself excited and interested?

Here’s how. And this is my Tip No. 2 for you: Find the work you love.

After your graduation, your work – the job you’ll take, the career you’ll pursue – will fill up a large part of your life. In fact, for you who studied hard over the last four years so you could land a good job after graduation – so you could give yourselves and your family a more comfortable life – your work will be pretty much your life. So make sure that you find the work you love.

But, unfortunately, finding work that you love, work that will keep you constantly interested, work that will inspire you to work hard every day, isn’t easy. So what can you do? My advice: learn to love the work you do. I’m sure you’ve heard this before: If you love your work, it stops being work. This is true from my own experience. You know, running a university like UP is a very demanding job. But I love the job, so for me it is not work.

In today’s tight job market, finding work that will just give you a decent income is hard, even for a college graduate. Unless, of course, you have a really outstanding school record or you topped a licensure exam like what one of your College of Nursing alumni did recently. He was immediately given a job at the Ospital ng Maynila by no less than Mayor Joseph Estrada, who, I understand, also offered to give him a scholarship should he decide to go to medical school after working a few years as a nurse.

But you don’t need to be a licensure exam topnotcher or have a glowing transcript of records in order to succeed. Entering the job market may be tough but if you persevere, do your best and work super hard, and love what you are doing, you’ll be recognized and opportunities will begin opening up for you.

And this brings me to my next point. In a world driven by rapidly evolving knowledge and technology, you cannot anymore expect to have a career for life, but most likely, you will have a life of changing careers. Years from now, most of you will be holding down jobs that have nothing to do with your academic degree. Again, does this mean you wasted the last four years studying at PLM? And again the answer is no. That’s just how life is. You never know what opportunities await you.

Take my case. I finished BS in Chemistry, but I never had a job directly related to Chemistry in my life, except for one semester and one summer term I spent right after college teaching Chemistry in UP.

So how do you cope with our fast changing world. That’s my Tip No. 3: Keep on learning, never stop learning. Don’t be satisfied with the knowledge and skills you now have. Be interested in the things around you, especially with the exciting things technology is bringing about. Read. Surf the net. Expand your horizons. Don’t be afraid to venture into new areas. The bright future you’ve been dreaming of might just be waiting for you there.

Keep on learning. Make every experience a learning experience. Learn from your mistakes. After all, very often, you learn more from your failures than you do from your successes.

Remember Thomas Alva Edison, the great American inventor? According to the story, when he was trying to invent the first practical electric bulb, he conducted 10,000 experiments, all of which ended in failure. When a visitor to his lab offered sympathy for the failed experiments, Edison reportedly said: “I didn’t fail. I just discovered 10,000 ways that won’t work. After I’ve eliminated the ways that won’t work, I’ll find the one way that will.” And he sure did and, thus, became the inventor of the incandescent lamp.

What really is college education? To me, it’s not so much about what you learned in college; it’s more about how you learned it.

Your President, Dr. Lenny de Jesus, told me that PLM students, much like UP students, are very active, highly competitive, and driven individuals. Most of you were probably already like that when you came to PLM. But your stay at PLM made you even better. PLM taught you diligence, discipline and focus. It taught you how to be effective students; it gave you the tools for learning. So if you need to know something, you know where to get the information, how to get it, and, most important of all, how to use it. PLM also developed in you the so-called soft skills you need in whatever work you do – the skills of communication, critical thinking, and leadership.

Now my final point, my fourth and last tip: Pay it forward, serve and transform society.

PLM and UP share a common heritage, a common public service focus that mandates our two institutions to empower the marginalized through quality education. In PLM’s case, this is explicitly spelled out in your Charter: to provide high quality education to underprivileged yet talented high school graduates of the City of Manila.

You graduates are the beneficiaries of this vision. Although most of you come from economically disadvantaged families, you were given the privilege to study in a university that, over the last 50 years, has established a reputation for academic excellence.

But this privilege given to you has a concomitant responsibility. If UP students are mga Iskolar ng Bayan, you, PLM students, are definitely mga Iskolar ng Lungsod. As such, you have a responsibility to the City of Manila to be good citizens, not only of the city but of the country as a whole. It is your duty to be productive and upright citizens who care about the community, who lead socially-relevant lives, and who work for the common good. After all, the best way to express gratitude for the opportunities given us – for the blessings we have received – is to be a blessing to others.

Serve and transform society. This is how you pay it forward. Doing so may not exactly guarantee you big earnings, but you will be a success. You will be rewarded with a life fulfilled after college.

Let me end by summarizing my four tips that I hope will guide your life’s journey after college:

1. Work hard, if not super hard, in whatever you do;
2. Find the work you love, or love the work you do;
3. Keep on learning, learn from your mistakes, make learning a lifelong endeavor; and
4. Pay it forward: serve and transform society.

Again, congratulations to all you graduates. And congratulations, too, to your families.

Mabuhay ang Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila!

Maraming salamat po.

UP President Alfredo E. Pascual speaking to the graduating class, faculty, administrators and guests at the Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila Commencement Ceremony.

Professor Rowaldo del Mundo. Photo by Diana Ruth Rinon Arcega via UP CIDS.

The Philippines has the highest power rates in the ASEAN region but these can be reduced by up to 20% by ensuring security of supply, said UP professor Rowaldo del Mundo at a public lecture on April 16, 2015.

Prof. del Mundo of the UP Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, explained before a crowd of students, civil organizations representatives, private sector, government officials and policymakers as well as UP faculty members that the reduction of power rates can be done by aggregating the power demand of electric cooperatives and organizing a competitive and transparent procurement process for power supply contracting.

Citing his experience with electric cooperatives in Mindanao and Central Luzon, he concluded that by aggregating their power demand, distribution utilities (DUs) such as electric coops attain economies of scale and obtain market power. “Security of supply can be achieved by organizing competitive procurement process and designing properly the power supply contracts of DUs,” said Del Mundo.

Prof. Del Mundo discusses the impact of privatization of the power sector on power rates. Photo by Diana Ruth Rinon Arcega via UP CIDS.

Prof. del Mundo examined Philippine power rates in the context of five factors, namely, taxes, subsidies, fuel mix, privatization, and electricity market. Contrary to popular perception, reducing taxes for the power industry does not translate in huge drop in power rates. “If taxes in the Philippines are reduced to the level of taxes in ASEAN countries, only 2% to 3% [reduction] can be achieved,” Del Mundo stressed.

As for subsidies, even if the other ASEAN countries remove their subsidies, power rates in the Philippines will still be 30% higher, said Del Mundo. Moreover, compared with Singapore, which also does not subsidize its energy sector, even if we use the same fuel mix, the Philippine tariffs will still be higher by Php 2.00/kWh, he added.

Furthermore, privatization also increases the power rate as the new owner must recoup the costs of acquisition an existing power plant. To attain the largest reduction, the focus of policies must be on the electricity market and the security of supply.

For the full news feature from the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS), please click here.

Presenters from UP at the Bang Pa-in Palace, known as the Summer Palace of Thai Kings. From Left to Right: Patricia Bianca Andres, Jeremy Reuel Dela Cruz, Amparo Adelina Umali III, PhD, and Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete PhD with Ricardo T. Jose PhD, Professor at the UP Department of History and member of the JSA-ASEAN Steering committee.

The UP Center for International Studies (UPCIS) organized the panel, “Acting Cultural Diplomacy: Staging Kabuki, Noh and Bunraku in the Philippines 2002-2013” for the 4th Japan Studies Association- Association of South East Asian Nations (JSA-ASEAN) International Conference.

The conference, with the theme ‘State and Non-state Actors in Japan-ASEAN Relations and Beyond,” gave an opportunity for Japanese studies scholars from Southeast Asia, Japan and other countries to come together and provide a venue for the discussion and promotion of region-wide Japanese studies.

Representatives from the University of the Philippines Diliman shared with other Japan Studies scholars the Philippine experience in promoting Japan’s traditional culture through Japanese performance traditions.

The panel was convened by Amparo Adelina Umali III, PhD, Associate Professor who read her paper Institutional Partnerships and Filipino Collaborations with Masters/Culture-Bearers of Japanese Performance Traditions.

Other presenters were Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Speech Communication and Theater Arts (DSCTA), Managing Director of Dulaang UP and Company Manager of Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas who read the paper Learning Bunraku the Filipino Way and Performing with the Naoshima Onna Bunraku and UPCIS lecturers Jeremy Reuel Dela Cruz who read the paper Filipino Performers: Their Noh Experience and Performing with the Noh Masters and Patricia Bianca Andres who read the paper Filipino Performers and Japan Studies Students’ Perspectives on Japanese Performance Traditions’ Performance and Principles.

Prof. Ramolete’s and Prof. Umali’s participation in the conference was supported by the Department of Speech Comunication and Theater Arts Research Dissemination Grant and UP Diliman Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Research Dissemination Grant respectively while Ms. Andres and Mr. Dela Cruz’ participation in the conference was supported by Japan Foundation Manila’s local grant.

With the continued support of masters, culture-bearers, academic and government organizations, scholars and performers are able to promote Japan’s traditional culture, allowing us to rediscover our Asian roots and encourage intercultural exchange and collaboration.

The conference was held on December 15-17, 2014, at the Institute of East Asian Studies, Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus, Thailand.

Young Filipino scholars gathered at the Philippine Embassy in London on Friday, April 24, for the UK stop of the University of the Philippines (UP) roadshow.

The three-week tour aims to update UP graduates abroad on developments in the University as well as to encourage them to share their academic expertise or make financial contributions to UP.

(READ: Infographics on the new system-wide donation scheme - page 1 and page 2)

Dr. Aaron Joseph Villaraza, deputy director of the Diliman-based Office of International Linkages, was tasked to meet with the thirteen PhD students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty members from the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Warwick, University of Birmingham, University College of London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to present UP’s efforts at internationalization.

He talked about UP’s continued expansion and infrastructure growth, citing among others the soon-to-open UP Professional Schools at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, and the future UP campus in the Clark Green City in Pampanga.

These structural developments create an environment that is supportive of research and creative work, as seen in the number of UP publications (though still considerably behind its ASEAN counterparts) produced by different UP campuses, the growing pool of UP Scientists and UP Artists, and the increasing number of research and creative work grantees.

Most important of all, he discussed the programs through which foreign-trained scholars can join UP. These are the Balik PhD Recruitment program for those who will return to UP as faculty members, the World Experts Lecture Series for experts who will visit UP for a week to give a seminar, and the Visiting Professor Program for one to three months of stay in UP to teach or mentor graduate students.

Through COOPERATE (or Continuous Operational and Outcomes-based Partnership for Excellence in Research and Academic Training Enhancement), they can also host UP graduate students in their universities.

All four programs are implemented by the UP System through the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Office of International Linkages.

Dr. Aaron Villaraza is joined by Vice Consul Rommel Romato (8th and 9th from left) and academics from UK universities. An international UP, according to Villaraza, serves the Filipino and the world. (Photo by Aaron Villaraza)

Vice Consul Rommel Romato said that he was pleased to help organize the activity within the premises of the embassy. Aside from handling the educational portfolio of the embassy, he represents the Department of Foreign Affairs in the London Education and Research Network which the UK Higher Education International established to support mobility and exchange of good practice in higher education and to promote joint research projects.

Earlier, UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion met with Filipino academics at Motel One Wien-Westbahnhof in Vienna (April 23).  It was made possible with assistance from Mr. Aries Cases.

On April 25, she was welcomed by a small but eager audience at the Philippine Embassy in Berlin. Guests also came from the cities of Potsdam, Glienicke, Ploen and Paderborn. Later, an extended fellowship with Dr. Concepcion was given at the residence of Dr. Gabriel Kühne and former president of UPAA Germany, Dr. Jingky Lozano-Kühne.

Her meeting with Paris-based scholars yesterday, April 27, concludes the European leg of the roadshow. It was held at the Musee de l’Homme inside Palais de Chaillot.

Her meeting with Paris-based scholars yesterday, April 27, concludes the European leg of the roadshow. It was held at the Musee de l’Homme inside Palais de Chaillot.

Dr. Gisela Concepcion talks about the new opportunities in UP that are available to foreign-trained scholars. The Berlin stop was co-hosted by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association Germany e.V. (UPAA Germany), The Filipino Students, Alumni and Academics in Germany (FSAAG) and the Philippine Embassy in Berlin.

Vice President Gisela Concepcion (front row, 5th from left) and roadshow attendees pose for a souvenir shot. Behind her is Dr. Thomas Ingicco, former UP Archeological Studies Program faculty member and Balik PhD grant recipient, who co-organized the meeting in Paris.

In the three meetings, Dr. Concepcion discussed UP’s academic and research and development (R&D) facilities and programs, faculty development programs, and opportunities and priorities for R&D and innovation.  Also presented were some public impact projects generated by UP in recent years particularly in areas of disaster resilience and management, and food security and sustainable agricultural development.

Dr. Concepcion will be in the United States next on these dates: May 3 (New York), May 5 (Salt Lake City) and May 7 (San Francisco).

The roadshow is part of UP’s strategy to internationalize and enhance its research and creative activities in an ever-increasing globalized landscape.

This feature story originally appeared on the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs website.

The U.P. College of Mass Communication has extended the deadline for the nominations for the tenth U.P. Gawad Plaridel to 11 May 2015. The award recognizes Filipino media practitioners who have excelled in any of the media (print, radio, film, television, and new media) and have performed with the highest level of professional integrity in the interest of public service.

For 2015, the eleventh U.P. Gawad Plaridel will be given to an outstanding film practitioner.

The award is named after Marcelo H. del Pilar (nom de plume, Plaridel), the selfless propagandist whose stewardship of the reformist newspaper La Solidaridad helped crystallize nationalist sentiments and ignite libertarian ideas in the 1890s. Like Plaridel, the awardee must believe in the vision of a Philippine society that is egalitarian, participative and progressive; and in media that are socially responsible, critical and vigilant, liberative and transformative, and free and independent.

Eligible for the awards are all living Filipino individuals who have excelled in the field of filmmaking as producer, director, scriptwriter, actor, production designer, musical scorer, etc. Aside from their probity and integrity, these media practitioners must have produced a body of work that is marked by excellence and social relevance and must have achievements recognized nationally and/or internationally.

Individuals and institutions may nominate potential awardees. Institutions include media corporations, professional media associations, media advocacy groups, educational institutions, cultural foundations, and NGOs. Previous nominees may still be considered for this year’s award. All current full-time faculty and staff of the UP CMC are disqualified from the nomination.

The U.P. Gawad Plaridel awarding ceremonies will be held on 26 August 2015. The awardee will receive the U.P. Gawad Plaridel trophy (designed by National Artist Napoleon Abueva) and will deliver the Plaridel Lecture, addressing issues relevant to the state and practice of Philippine media.

Nomination forms and award guidelines are at the U.P. CMC Website (http://masscomm.upd.edu.ph) and at the UP CMC Office of Extension and External Relations (UP CMC-OEER), Room M-204 Plaridel Hall, UP DIliman, Quezon City. Interested parties may call (02) 981-8500 loc. 2668 for details.

To download a copy of the guidelines for nomination, please click here.
To download a copy of the nomination form, please click here here

The Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) funds given to UP were efficiently used and resulted in the upgrading and improvement of university facilities and programs.

This is the University of the Philippines’ response to a 2013 Commission on Audit (COA) Report that was used in several news reports which allege that as much as P928M of DAP funds given to the national university were not used properly.

The same news stories allege that the University was not able to upgrade and modernize facilities in its campuses in Diliman, Manila, Baguio, Los Baños, Cebu, Visayas, Mindanao, and the Open University.

UP received P1.29B of DAP funds from the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) on 13 September 2012. The funds were then earmarked for infrastructure projects which would take 2-3 years to complete.

In the normal budgeting process, government agencies are given up to two years to obligate budgeted funds, plus additional time to complete the construction.

The COA report used in the news reports had 31 December 2013 as the cut-off date – only 1 year and 3 months from the date the university received the DAP funds.

The 2013 COA Report, which was issued in January 2015, did not cover the implementation of UP projects from January 2014 up to the present month.

As of 7 May 2015, the record of utilization of the P1.29B DAP funds in UP was as follows:

– 44 of the 46 DAP-funded projects are either completed or undergoing various stages of completion
– two (2) projects were discontinued because of failed bidding. These projects are the structured cabling of various National Science Complex (NSC) buildings in UP Diliman (P1.8M) and the UP Los Banos Integrated Analytical Services Laboratory (IASL) building (P30M).
– The unused funds for these two projects (P31.8M) represent a mere 2.5% of the total DAP funds given to UP.

Out of the 44 projects that have been funded, 33 projects are now 100% completed. Among the major projects completed to date are:

• Renovation of dormitories (Ilang-ilang, Ipil, Sampaguita, Molave, Kamagong, Kalayaan, Sanggumay, Yakal and Kamia) in UP Diliman – P49.5M
• Purchase of MRI, CT Scan and other urgently needed equipment to better serve the poor patients in the PGH – P140.6M
• Laboratories for the UP Manila National Institutes of Health (NIH) – P65.3M
• Modernization of IT Center in UP Manila – P29.7M
• eUP Modernization of IT Systems (Component 4) – P198M
• New School of Statistics Building (Phase 1) in UP Diliman – P49.5M
• New academic building for UP Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga – P49.5M
• Various academic buildings and a dormitory in UP Baguio – P41.6M
• UP Cebu Lahug Library – P49.5M
• New library and renovation of academic building in UP Mindanao – P25.7M
• Rehabilitation of academic buildings and other facilities in UP Visayas – P13.9M

The remaining 11 projects are still on stream. The university expects that these would be completed in 2015.

All these UP projects complied with government procurement requirements. The implementation of some projects was affected by the destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan and Glenda that hit UP Cebu, UP Los Baños and UP Diliman. Other factors, such as the relocation of informal settlers in project sites and completion of necessary environmental clearances and local government requirements, also slowed down implementation.

For additional information and questions, please contact:

Dr. J. Prospero E. de Vera III
Vice President for Public Affairs
University of the Philippines
(63)9178074722

UP President Alfredo E. Pascual (2nd from right) signs the MOA with UP Azkals Team Manager Dan Palami (2nd from left), UP Vice President for Development Dr. Elvira Zamora (rightmost) and Atty. Rey Faizal Ponce Millan (leftmost), as UP Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs Dr. Jose Wendell Capili looks on

On the afternoon of 8 May 2015, officials from the University of the Philippines System and the Philippine Azkals Foundation, Inc. came together in UP Diliman’s Quezon Hall to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to improve the UP Diliman Football Field.

Under the MOA, the Futbol Pilipinas Azkals Foundation, Inc. will prepare and undertake the architectural and engineering works for the UP Diliman Football Field as part of the UP Diliman Sports Complex Zone.

This is designated in the campus’ Board of Regents-approved land-use plan, and is part of UP’s overall goal to promote competence and leadership in human kinetics and sports, both in the university and in the country.

UP Assistant Vice President for Development Prof. Christopher Espina (right) and UPD College of Human Kinetics Dean Prof. Ronualdo Dizer (left) review the plans for the UP-Azkals Football Field

Upon completion of the project, the Futbol Pilipinas Azkals Foundation, Inc. with donate the civil and site preparation works to the University. The aforementioned site will officially be named the ‘UP-Azkals Football Field’.

UP President Alfredo E. Pascual, who led the UP contingent in the MOA signing, praised the partnership in his opening message.

“Which athlete would not be inspired to train harder if given new equipment or training grounds?” Pascual said. He also credited the project for contributing to UP’s excellence in sports, which Pascual said plays a vital role in the development of UP’s students and contributes to the UP’s overall academic thrust.

Pascual also thanked Senator Pia Cayetano, a member of UP’s Board of Regents and an athlete herself, for her personal and financial support. “She is one alumna and member of the Board… who is very keen to see to it that we focus on sports the same way as we focus on academics,” Pascual said. “We appreciate her active interest and full support in the development of sports in the University, which includes mobilizing funds for sports facilities,” he added.

Azkals Team Manager Dan Stephen Palami who represented Futbol Pilipinas Azkals Foundation, Inc. echoed Pascual’s enthusiasm for the project in his message. He credited the two virtues that he gained in UP—the tools to influence change in the world, and the desire to make the world a better place—for helping him and UP’s other alumni find solutions to improve sports in the Philippines.

Palami also cited “apathy and indifference” as the greatest stumbling enemies of both the Azkals and the UP Maroons. “But,” he added, “if we all work together to make sure they get the support they need to play their best; then I believe there is no dream, no trophy, and no honor beyond their reach.”

UP Azkals Team Manager Dan Palami shakes hands with UP President Alfredo E. Pascual after concluding the signing of the MOA.

University of the Philippines President Alfredo E. Pascual has been invited to sit on the Thought Leaders Panel during the 3^rd Asia Think Tank Summit: Inclusive Knowledge Partnerships for Development at ADB on 21 May 2015.  Together with five other thought leaders from the region, President Pascual will share his views on how international organizations can engage in knowledge partnerships. The objective is to reach a common understanding of the priorities, challenges, and opportunities for future knowledge partnership initiatives in specific areas such as education, health, inclusive infrastructure, urban resilience, and a green environment.

The Summit, co-hosted by ADB, the ADB Institute, and the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program of the University of Pennsylvania, will comprise panel discussions on best practices and innovative knowledge partnerships.

For more information about the Summit, please visit http://www.adb.org/news/events/third-asia-think-tank-summit-inclusive-knowledge-partnerships-development

President Alfredo Pascual, Chancellor Tan, and Prof. Alfredo Mahar Lagmay have just unveiled the unfinished bust of National Scientist for Experimental Psychology Alfredo Lagmay at the lobby of the Palma Hall Annex now renamed Alfredo V. Lagmay Hall after the late scientist. Below it is a reproduction of the honoree’s handwritten message on teaching logic in 1947: “My task would be to make people think better, not to make them think the way I do.” Applauding are College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Dean Grace Aguiling-Dalisay and Lagmay’s daughter Violeta Bandong.

Honors were given to the late National Scientist for Experimental Psychology Alfredo Lagmay, including the renaming of the Palma Hall Annex after him, in ceremonies held on May 4, 2015 at UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Aside from the landmark and wall inscription with the new name of the hall, University officials and family members of Lagmay also unveiled a bust and a marker, and unfurled a ribbon for an exhibit of Lagmay memorabilia, all at the newly-named Alfredo V. Lagmay Hall.

In separate ceremonies at the UP Diliman Executive House later in the day, the public was reintroduced to Lagmay’s book, Journey of a Humanist (2000), and the Philippine Thematic Apperception Test (PTAT), which Lagmay developed.

Lagmay was the first and longest-serving chair of the Department of Psychology, which was established in 1955. A pioneer psychologist, he was a founding father of the Psychological Association of the Philippines.

In tribute, President Alfredo Pascual talked about Lagmay’s inspiration as “a poor boy from Manila” who would influence the Social Sciences and would become a scientist, philosopher, and humanist. UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan talked about Lagmay’s contributions to Anthropology with his study on “bahala na”, countering that it is a kind of fatalism; and PTAT, a personality test.

In their messages, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Dean Grace Aguiling-Dalisay and Department of Psychology Chair Carmen Jimenez both highlighted Lagmay’s faith in his students, from which today’s teachers can draw strength.

Fr. Robert Reyes made the invocation and the UP Cherubims, conducted by Prof. Elena Mirano, rendered musical numbers.

A response from the family was delivered by daughter Violet Lagmay Bandong, who said Lagmay’s legacy of “gold” includes generosity with time, resources, and knowledge; and a deep understanding of the human situation.

Son Mahar Lagmay earlier helped unveil the bust of his father, which he sculpted using a death mask made by National Artist Napoleon Abueva.

President Alfredo Pascual and Chancellor Michael Tan unveil the new landmark for the Palma Hall annex now named Alfredo V. Lagmay Hall after National Scientist for Experimental Psychology Alfredo Lagmay. Looking on are: (from left) Lagmay’s son Alfredo Mahar, Department of Psychology Chair Carmen Jimenez, Lagmay’s sister Felisa V. Lagmay, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Dean Grace Aguiling-Dalisay, and Lagmay’s daughter Violeta Bandong.

Pangulong Alfredo E. Pascual. Larawan mula sa UP Visayas.

“Pinahalagahan ng kumperensiya ang hamon ng isang pagiging lipunang multi-linguwal ng Pilipinas, isang lipunang may iba’t ibang salita, ngunit ang hamon ay nagbibigay ng pagkakataon upang gawing bentahe ang dami ng mga wika bilang esensiyal na sangkap ng ating pagkabansa.”

Ito ang binigyang-diin ni Pangulong Alfredo E. Pascual sa kanyang susing talumpati sa unang Pandaigdig na Kumperensya-Workshop sa Pagplanong Pangwika na ginanap noong Mayo 14-16, 2015 sa Faith Village Conference Center, Boracay, Malay, Aklan.  Dagdag pa niya, “Ang pagbabahagi ng iba’t ibang perspektiba o karanasan sa wika ay nagbubukas ng multi-lingguwal na plataporma para sa presentasyon at diskusyon sa kasalukuyang kalagayan at napapanahong pagdulog sa pagpaplanong pangwika.  Kaya, ang paglahok ng bawat isa ay magsisilbing oportunidad sa aktibong paglahok sa mga talakayan at maging bahagi ng pagpapalakas o pagbuo ng malakas na pambansang wika.”

Sinimulan  ang  tatlong  araw  na    kumperensiya sa pagbigay ng mga mensahe nina Dr. Rommel A. Espinosa, UPV Chancellor; Dr. Ricardo P. Babaran, UPV Vice Chancellor para sa Pananaliksik at Ekstensiyon at Prof. Jose Julie E. Ramirez, direktor ng pandaigdig na kumperensiya at kasalukuyang pangkalahatang tagapag-unay ng UPV Sentro ng Wikang Filipino.   Dumalo rin si  Ms. Mabel Bacani, pinuno ng secretariat ng Boracay Redevelopment Task Force, na nagbigay ng maikling mensahe bilang kinatawan ni Malay Mayor John Yap.

Tampok sa kumperensiya ang pagbasa ng 21 papel ng mga guro at propesor sa wika na mula sa iba’t ibang paaralan at kolehiyo ng bansa.   Ang unang presentasyon ng mga papel na ukol sa wika sa edukasyon ay ibinahagi ng mga sumusunod:   Prof. Jessica Marie I. de la Pena (Tarlac State University), “Interaktibong Modyul sa Pagtuturo ng Wikang Filipino;” Prof. Antonio C. Galang, Jr. (UPV Tacloban College), “A Jeepney’s Semiotics and Its Problematic Representation as a National Symbol;” Prof. Marianne R. de Vera (Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology), “Konsepto ng mga Estudyante sa Kulturang Popular Antas Tersarya sa Limang Extension Campus ng Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology;” Prof. Rommel V. Espejo (Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology), “Antas ng Kakayahan sa Pagsulat ng Komposisyon ng mga Estudyante ng Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology;” Dr. Maria Lourdes R. Quijano (Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology), “Estilo ng Pagdulog sa Pag-aaral ng Komunikasyon at ang Kaugnayan sa Akademik Performans;” at, Dr. Vasil A. Victoria (Pamantasang Ateneo de Naga, Camarines Sur), “Diskurso sa Amaya:  Ang Wika Bilang Tagapaghayag ng Sinaunang Kalinangan.”

Pagkaloob ng Gawad Pagkilala kay Pangulong Pascual. Larawan mula sa UP Visayas.

(Kaliwa-Kanan, nakaupo) Prof. Jose Julie Ramirez, Dr. Ricardo P. Babaran,
Chancellor Rommel Espinosa, Pres. Alfredo E. Pascual, Ms. Mabel Bacani
at Dr. Anita Cular, at mga delegado. Larawan mula sa UP Visayas.

Bago matapos ang unang araw ng kumperensiya, isang pangkulturang sayaw ang inihandog ng mga estudyante ng Boracay National High School at sinabayan ito ng mga opisyal ng unibersidad na nagbigay ng ngiti at tuwa sa mga delegado at lalo pang nagpatingkad ng okasyon.

Tinalakay naman sa ikalawang araw ng kumperensiya ang mga paksang ukol sa wika sa pananaliksik sa pamamagitan ng mga papel nina Prof. Noahlyn C. Maranan (UP Los Banos), “Mag-asawa ay di biro:  Kung Paanong Ginanap ng Metapora ang Karanasan nilang mga Kababaihang Inabuso;” Prof. Jessica Marie de la Pena (Tarlac State University), “Pagtataya sa Saloobin ng mga Guro sa Pagtuturo ng Filipino kaugnay ng Pagpapatupad ng Kurikulum na K-12 sa Lalawigan ng Tarlac;” Prof. Felino S. Garcia, Jr. (UPV Tacloban College), “Paglalapit sa Filipino mula sa Espanyol:  Pagsasalin at Pagsasakonteksto ng El Bagat at Mala Suerte sa Cuentos de Juana ni Adelina Gurrea Monasterio;” Prof. Zarina Joy T. Santos (UP Diliman), “DALUYAN:  Behikulo ng Pangangasiwang Pangwika ng Sentro ng Wikang Filipino Diliman;” Prof. Joel B. Labos (UP High School Iloilo, UPV), “Pagdebelop ng Isang Aralin sa Filipino Batay sa Modelong WICS:  Isang Pagtugon sa Panghangkat ng K+12 Kurikulum;” Prof. Ronel Laranjo (UP Diliman), “Interlanguage ng mga Koryanong Mag-aaral ng Filipino bilang Varayti ng Wikang Filipino;” Prof. Evangeline Alvarez-Encabo (Rex Publishing Inc.), “Pagtuturo ng Filipino bilang Banyagang Wika at Kulturang Wika;” at, Bb. Elfrey Vera Cruz (Sentro ng Wikang Filipino, UP Diliman), “Applikhasyon:  Wika, Laro, Naratibo at Teknolohiya Tungo sa Pangangalaga at Pagpapaunlad ng mga Bata sa Unang Taon.”

Binasa rin ang sumusunod na mga papel sa ikalawang araw: Prof. Arcelito M. Aliento, Jr. (Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation, Lucena City), “Mga Saloobin sa Pag-aaral ng Asignaturang Filipino ng mga Piling Mag-aaral sa mga Mataas na Paaralan ng Lucena:  Batayan ng Isang Action Plan sa Asignaturang Filipino;” Prof. Evangeline Alvarez-Encabo (Rex Publishing, Inc.),  “Gurong Giliw:  Piling Teknik sa Pagtuturo ng Panitikan;” Dr. Renato R. Santillan (Dagupan Univesity), “Paghubog sa Kritikal na Pag-iisip Gamit ang Blooms Taksonomi;” Dr. Vasil A. Victoria, “Pagsusuri sa Wika ng TV Patrol World;” Prof. Odessa N. Joson (UP Manila), “Politika ng Pagsasalin:  Pag-aaral sa Pagsasalin ng Paalalang “No Approved Therapeutic Claim;” Prof. Gerard Concepcion (UP Diliman), “Elaborasyong Semantikal ng Wikang Filipino:  Pamamanaag sa mga Salitang Ginagamit sa Paglalaro ng mga Online Game.”

Sa ikatlong araw, ang mga papel na binasa ay nasa paksang elaborasyon sa wika na inilahad nina Dr. Anita G. Cular (UPV Tacloban College), “Mga Wika ng Waray sa Panahon ng Yolanda;” at Prof. Jose Julie E. Ramirez (UP Visayas), “Pagplanong Pangwika, Karanasan ng UP Visayas:  Mga Hamon at Estratehiya sa Pag-unlad ng Wikang Filipino sa Rehiyong di-Tagalog.”

Ang unang pandaigdig na kumperensiya ay itinaguyod ng Sentro ng Wikang Filipino ng UP Visayas sa pakikipagtulungan ng  UP Office of International Linkages (UP OIL), Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining,  Kagawaran ng Edukasyon na nag-isyu ng Kautusan Blg. 32 (Peb. 3, 2015) at Komisyon sa Lalong Mataas na Edukasyon na  nagpalabas ng Kalatas (Enero 13, 2015).

The University of the Philippines (UP) makes it to the top 100 universities in the world in the area of development studies. It is one of only four ASEAN universities which were included in that list.

UP also ranks highly in seven other subjects, thereby making it an elite institution according to the 2015 QS Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings by Subject.

More than 3,000 universities were evaluated from which only 894 representatives from 60 countries were eventually ranked.

UP’s rankings. Illustration from OVPAA.

“To be elite means a lot,” says Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion. “[In a span of one year], we moved from one elite subject to eight, and several are close to elite.”

Released on April 29, the rankings show English language and literature as UP’s second strongest subject for which it places between 101^st and 150^th in the world.

The University is likewise in the top 200 for modern languages, agriculture and forestry, communication and media studies, politics and international studies, and sociology, while it is in the top 300 for medicine.

Last year, UP made it to the rankings solely in agriculture and forestry.

[VIEW: 2015 World University Rankings by Subject]

The QS World University Rankings by Subject considers the universities’ academic and employer reputation based on global surveys, as well as their research impact (i.e., the faculty’s citations per paper as recorded in Elsevier’s Scopus database).

The methodology for the rankings covers only those indicators that “bypass the direct involvement of institutions and can reliably be stratified by subject discipline.” It also uses a variable approach to weighting the different subjects taking into account the disciplines’ differences in publication and citation rates, popularity among employers, and size.

US universities yet again figure prominently in the this year’s rankings, with almost 37 percent of top 50 places going to them. UK’s University of Cambridge is in the top 10 for 31 disciplines and the National University of Singapore is in the top 10 for 11 subjects.

The World University Rankings have been in existence since 2004 but in 2011, they were expanded to encompass more popular individual subjects. QS collects global and regional rankings to guide prospective students in identifying notable schools in their chosen field of study.

This announcement originally appeared on the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs website. For more news, announcements and updates on the university’s academic programs, please visit their website by clicking here.

The Office of the President of the University of the President has unveiled two programs which may assist deserving students of the university who are in need of assistance in the pursuit of their studies.

For qualifications to these programs, please check the requirements below.

UP President Scholarship Program

Effective in the First Semester, AY 2015-2016. Application forms are available in April 2015 from the Office of Scholarships and Student Services, Room 302, Vinzons Hall, U.P. Diliman.

Qualifications:
1. Open to Undergraduate (except Freshman) and Graduate Filipino students in any field of study;
2. Must have a general weighted average of at least “1.75” or better.
3. Deadlines: UP Diliman – June 15, 2015; Other constituent universities – May 30, 2015

Benefits:
1. Undergraduate: Monthly stipend of P2,000.00; Book allowance P2,000.00
2. Free school fees except student fund.
3. Graduate: Monthly stipend of P2,000.00; Book allowance of P3,000.00; Thesis allowance of P5,000.00 (Master’s); Dissertation allowance of P10,000.00 (Doctoral)

UP President Leadership Grant

Effective in the First Semester, AY 2015-2016. Application forms are available in April 2015 from the Office of Scholarships and Student Services (OSSS), Room 302, Vinzons Hall, U.P. Diliman.

Qualifications:
1. Must not have been subject of disciplinary action worse than a five-day class suspension.
2. Must have a potential for leadership as shown in membership in student councils, organizations, debates, clubs, etc;
3. Graduate Filipino students in any field of study; must have a general weighted average of at least “1.75”;
4. Open to Undergraduate (except Freshman) in any fields of study; must have a general weighted average of at least “2.75”;
5. Deadlines: UP Diliman – June 15, 2015; Other constituent universities – May 30, 2015

Benefits:
1. Graduate: Monthly stipend of P2,500.00; Book allowance of P3,000.00; Thesis allowance of P5,000.00 (Master’s)
2. Frees school fees except student fund.
3. Undergraduate: Monthly stipend of P2,000.00; Book allowance of P2,000.00/semester

For application procedures, requirements and more information on the scholarship program and leadership grant, please contact:

The University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2015 U.P. Gawad Plaridel in the person of Mr. Ricardo “Ricky” Lee.

Ricky Lee produced a body of work that is marked by excellence through considerable writing of memorable films such as Himala, Jaguar, Salome, Moral, Karnal – films that introduced new subjectivities that tackled taboos and modern moralities in Philippine cinema. He has also put forward a distinct voice of the scriptwriter in the collaborative process of filmmaking. He has also uplifted the role and the integrity of the scriptwriting profession that is rarely placed in the spotlight.

He has been instrumental in mentoring, sharing his craft, and honing the skills of the next generation of playwrights through his scriptwriting workshops and books. He has significantly contributed to Philippine literature and popular culture through his filmography and fiction.

The UP Gawad Plaridel comes with a trophy specially designed by National Artist, Napoleon V. Abueva, which will be awarded to Mr. Ricky Lee by University of the Philippines President Alfredo E. Pascual and U.P. Diliman Chancellor Michael L. Tan in ceremonies on August 26, 2015, 2:00 pm at the U.P. Film Institute Film Center’s Cine Adarna. Mr. Lee will also deliver a lecture during the ceremonies. This awarding of the 11th UP Gawad Plaridel is in line with the College’s celebration of its 50th year.

Established by the U.P. College of Mass Communication, the annual U.P. Gawad Plaridel recognizes Filipino media practitioners who have excelled in any of the media (print, radio, film, and television) and have performed with the highest level of professional integrity in the interest of public service. The U.P. Gawad Plaridel’s roster of honorees include Ms. Eugenia Duran-Apostol (2004, print), Ms. Vilma Santos (2005, film), Ms. Fidela “Tiya Dely” Magpayo (2006, radio), Ms. Cecilia “Cheche” L. Lazaro (2007, television), Mr. Pachico A. Seares (2008, community print), Mr. Kidlat Tahimik (2009, independent film), Ms. Eloisa “Lola Sela” Canlas (2011, radio), Ms. Florence “Rosa Rosal” Danon-Gayda (2012, television), Mr. Jose “Pete” Lacaba (2013, print), and Ms. Nora “Nora Aunor” Villamayor (2014, Transmedia).

The award is named after Marcelo H. del Pilar (nom de plume, Plaridel), the selfless propagandist whose stewardship of the reformist newspaper La Solidaridad helped crystallize nationalist sentiments and ignite libertarian ideas in the 1890s. Like Plaridel, the recipient of the award must believe in the vision of a Philippine society that is egalitarian, participative and progressive, and in media that is socially responsible, critical and vigilant, liberative and transformative, and free and independent.

(photo courtesy of Ricky Lee/Jerry Siapoc)

This announcement originally appeared on the UP College of Mass Communication Facebook page. For more updates on Gawad Plaridel and other activities of the college, please click here.

Alumni of the University of the Philippines from the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) joined UP officials on 30 May 2015 in the Board of Regents Room of UP Diliman’s Quezon Hall to have a conversation with UP President Alfredo E. Pascual over brunch.

The conversation began with Pascual giving a presentation entitled, UP: Moving the National University Forward in the 21st Century. In this presentation, the president updated the alumni on the latest initiatives and projects under his administration.

These projects fell mostly under the banner of two strategic initiatives—academic excellence and operational excellence. Under the former fall some of UP’s most important goals, such as the recruitment of the best and brightest students, the democratization of access to UP, the strengthening of the university’s faculty and research capacities, and the intensification of its internationalization efforts.

The university’s flagship projects to improve administrative efficiency, on the other hand, fall under the latter. These are the eUP, which will put into place an integrated information system within and across campuses; and Green UP, which aims to make UP campuses “environment-friendly while saving on cost of utilities”. Also under operational excellence are UP’s drive to increase government funding, the prudent use of revenue-generating projects on its land assets and the efficient management of donations to the university.

The questions from PDI editors and reporters covered a broad range of topics, from the precise steps UP was taking to democratize access, to details about giving back and getting involved with UP’s existing initiatives.

It was in this session that Pascual highlighted the importance of the media’s support in UP’s efforts to get more poor UPCAT qualifiers to enroll in the University. According to Pascual, around 35% of UPCAT qualifers do not enroll in UP for various reasons.

A major problem to surmount, added Pascual, was getting the word out that poor students can receive needed assistance. “We have to inform them also that if you are poor, you can study for free,” Pascual said. “And I need your help – professionals in the media – to spread the word”.

“Please enroll, because you can study for free. For living expenses, you can get an allowance of P3,500 (per month). And if you want to earn more, you can work as a student assistant, and/or get a scholarship,” Pascual added.

Representatives from the PDI were introduced by Business Features Editor Ms. Tina Arceo Dumlao. Their counterparts from UP were likewise introduced by UP Vice President for Public Affairs Dr. J. Prospero De Vera, who credited the UP Alumni Association College of Mass Communication led by Board Secretary Rica D. Abad and Asst. Treasurer Ivy Mendoza, for helping pioneer this first of many planned conversations.

University of the Philippines (UP) employees will be receiving a P15,000 Education Support Grant (ESG) staring 1 June 2015 to help alleviate the financial pressures from higher household expenses due to the opening of the school year. The grant was approved by the UP Board of Regents in its 1308^th meeting held on 28 May 2015 as a one-time assistance to employees in time for the opening of classes.

In a memorandum issued by UP President Alfredo Pascual, he said that UP employees, including faculty, research and extension professional staff (REPS), and administrative employees will be covered by the ESG. Full time employees, whether permanent, temporary, contractual or casual, having served in the University for at least four months as of 30 June 2015 are also entitled to the grant.

Funding for the ESG will be from the internally generated funds of the various constituent units (CUs) of the university.

UP is the country’s only national university with 58,000 students in 17 campuses located across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. More than 12,000 faculty and staff will benefit from this important educational assistance given in time for the opening of class nationwide.
Employees who have gone on approved leave without pay have to however take note of the following conditions. For employees who have reported to work this year after an approved leave without pay, they should have served at least one (1) month as of 30 June 2015. The amount to be received will be prorated as follows:

Employees hired this year and having served at least a month by 30 June 2015 will also be eligible for the grant in the prorated amounts as follows:

Employees who were recently separated or retired from the University will also receive the grant provided that they have rendered service and were separated from the UP between 1 January to 30 June 2015. These employees will also be entitled to the prorated amounts as follows:

Part time employees of the University are entitled to half of the amount that is made available for the ESG. Like the full time employees, the amount they will be entitled to receiving will be prorated as follows:

UP employees who are not be entitled to receive the ESG, include those on preventive suspension at the date of payment in the constituent unit; those who were suspended or removed from service in the period between 1 January to 30 June 2015 for administrative cases and those who were absent without official leave (AWOL) during the date of payment.

Employees hired by the University as consultants, lecturers, or experts working for a limited period as part of specific projects or activities, apprentices, laborers for contracted projects, those paid on piecework basis, contract of service or job order contracts are not included in the grant.

For questions and more information, please contact:

Prof. Prospero de Vera, DPA
Vice President for Public Affairs
University of the Philippines
(63)9178074722

To view or download a copy of Memorandum No. PAEP 15-31 providing the Education Support Grant for UP employees, please click here.

UP President Alfredo Pascual speaking at a strategic leadership workshop in 2013. UPSIO File photo.

President Alfredo E. Pascual will highlight milestones, accomplishments, and further commitments to UP’s operational excellence in his keynote speech in the UP Administrative Conference on 3 June 2015 at the Crown Legacy Hotel, Baguio City.

The administrative conference is an important event for employees, who will share best practices and experiences with administrative staff delegates from across the UP System. The dialogue on key concerns between the administrative employees, the Chancellors, and other UP officials in attendance will be a key event in the conference.

The conference will tackle concerns and elicit commitments on the following:

• “Best Practices and Strategic Partnership in Performance Management” and “Best Practices in Quality Management System thru ISO 9001-2008″ presented by Dr. Magdalena Mendoza, Senior Vice President of the Development of Academy of the Philippines (DAP) and Head of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the PBB;

• “Partnerships in Operational Excellence through eUP MIS/HRIS”
presented by Dr. Jaime DL Caro and Dr. Annete Lagman;

• “Partnership in the Promotion of Health and Wellness”
presented by Dr. Gilda L. Uy of the UP System Wellness Committee;

• “Transparency, Good Governance & Operational Excellence”
presented by Rep. Antonio L. Tinio, representative of the the ACT party list and former CAL faculty member;

• “Effective Employment Relations and Grievance Machinery”
presented by Vice President Maragtas S.V. Amante, with Prof. Melisa L. Serrano and Atty. Rosalio A. Aragon, faculty members from the UP SOLAIR, and Atty. Ricardo B. Lapesura Jr. of the OVPLA; and

• “Best Practices in Gender Mainstreaming”
presented by UP Baguio Chancellor Dr. Raymundo D. Rovillos.

The conference was proposed by Staff Regent Anna Razel I. Ramirez, from UP Visayas, who turns over her responsibilities to Alexis M. Mejia, incoming staff regent from UP Los Banos.

The participants, speakers, facilitators, and guests of the first UPLB Graduate Student Leadership and Research Conference, at the SEARCA Umali Auditorium in Los Baños, Laguna. At the center is UP President Alfredo Pascual, surrounded by top UPLB, SEARCA, and IRRI officials.

The UP Los Baños Graduate School (GS), together with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Studies and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), conducted the first UPLB Graduate Student Leadership and Research Conference on May 16, 2015 on campus, with the theme, “Enriching Graduate Students’ Experience and the Imperatives of a Research and Graduate University.”

Plenary talks presented to UPLB graduate students and SEARCA scholars an idea of the state of graduate research and student engagement in the country and some scenarios to aspire for, aside from available scholarships, grants and other academic opportunities.

Around 45 works of research in the natural and social sciences were presented by the graduate students in parallel paper presentations. Thus, the conference also became a venue to disseminate research, gather feedback from mentors and peers, and build a network among them.

Co-organizing and participating in the conference were the UPLB Graduate School Student Council, the SEARCA Scholars Association, International Students Association, the UPLB-Department of Science and Technology Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development Program-National Science Consortium (DOST ASTHRDP-NSC) Graduate Scholars Society, the College of Public Affairs and Development (CPAFD) Graduate Students Association, the Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS) Graduate Students Association, and the UPLB Environmental Science Society.

GS Dean Jose Camacho Jr. said the conference took off from the resolutions of the GS conference in February 2015, “Responding to the Challenges of a Research and Graduate University”. The faculty conference stated that graduate students are at the core of a research and graduate university. Camacho further said that enriching the graduate school experience is essential in responding to the challenges.

UPLB Chancellor Fernando Sanchez Jr. reiterated UPLB’s aim to be a top university in the Asia Pacific, as it was from the 1960s to the 1970s, in terms of graduate studies and research in agriculture and food production. He said there were links between graduate education, research, and economic growth.

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Portia Lapitan said the conference was the first of its kind in UPLB and that it aimed to promote public service, aside from academic leadership and global competitiveness.

UP President Alfredo Pascual and Pasig City Representative and UP Regent Roman Romulo shake hands after the latter gave his talk. Also greeting the congressman are: (left to right) IRRI Deputy Director General for Communications and Partnerships Bruce Tolentino, UPLB Chancellor Fernando Sanchez, UPLB Graduate School Dean Jose Camacho Jr.

UP President Alfredo Pascual, in his keynote address, talked about a World Bank survey of high-ranking universities that highlighted three factors common among these universities: high concentration of talent, abundant resources, and favorable governance. He said talent refers to both faculty and students; and that this factor, coupled with abundant resources, produces the most direct impact.

He extolled the love of the chosen field, passion for learning, and pushing the boundaries of human knowledge underlying the efforts of students in pursuing higher studies.

Pascual also talked about how the UP mandates of being a graduate, a research, and a global university support one another.

Plenary talks were delivered by House of Representatives Technical and Higher Education Committee Chair and UP Regent Roman Romulo, International Rice Research Institute Deputy Director General for Communications and Partnerships Bruce Tolentino, SEARCA Graduate Education and Institutional Development Program Head Maria Cristeta Cuaresma, UP Regent and UPLB MS Economics student Neill John Macuha, UP Diliman Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Neil Martial Santillan, UPLB-IBS Professor Lourdes Cardenas, UPLB Institute of Chemistry Professor Milagros Peralta, and UPLB-CPAFD Professor Damcelle Cortez.

Romulo urged the students to inspire idealism in other students and to be agents of change.

Tolentino expressed IRRI’s interest in more collaborative research with UP that would involve graduate students; while Cuaresma talked about academic grants and offerings for them in SEARCA.

Macuha urged the students to be more active as leaders on campus, as exemplified by a number of UPLB graduate students in the past, and to focus on how their studies can contribute to local and national development. Santillan mentioned examples of graduate students being leaders in student councils in UP Diliman, the convening of a graduate students assembly, and the creation of more such spaces for engagement of graduate students on campus.

Cardenas and Peralta reported the benchmarking activities being jointly conducted by top Philippine universities under the DOST-NSC, which involved traveling to major Asian universities. Peralta highlighted the “unfailing support” of the Taiwanese and Korean government to research. She estimated that Philippine MS research was several years behind its counterpart in those countries. Cardenas highlighted the advantage of Philippine universities over their counterparts in neighbor countries in the former’s willingness to collaborate.

Cortez talked about the things that struck her while pursuing graduate studies at Harvard Kennedy School, mainly the generosity of faculty in sharing information and knowledge and the rigor of academic preparations.

In closing, CPAFD Graduate Students Association Chair Christopher Estallo expressed the graduate students’ interest in making the conference an annual event to inspire leadership and more research.Laguna. At the center is UP President Alfredo Pascual, surrounded by top UPLB, SEARCA, and IRRI officials.

The newly elected officers of the UPLB Graduate School Student Council are sworn in by UP Regent and UPLB MS Economics student Neill John Macuha (not in photo) during a ceremony capping the conference.

UP President Alfredo E. Pascual received the Oblation Award of the UP Vanguard during its 93rd Alumni homecoming and convention on May 9 at the UP Department of Military Science and Tactics quadrangle in Diliman, in the presence of National Commander Vanguard Melito S. Salazar, Jr., Search and Awards Committee Chairman Vanguard Domingo Egon Q. Cayosa and Co-Chairman Vanguard Jaime S. De Los Santos.

Since the 1970s, the Oblation Award has been given to a vanguard who “has shown honorable leadership, excellence, talent, integrity and hard work for many years that kept him ahead and above his peers in making a significant contribution to society, and an acknowledged and outstanding contribution or service to the organization,” according to Michaela Marteja of Class 2014 and current UP Vanguard Inc. executive director.

Receiving the Oblation trophy, Pres. Pascual of Class 1969 was honored for his “distinguished leadership and excellence in the field of academe; his character and integrity; and his acknowledged and outstanding contribution and service to the organization,” Marteja added.

“UP Vanguard: One Direction” was the theme of this year’s alumni homecoming and convention . The event gathered together graduates of the Advance ROTC Program of the University of the Philippines, as well as UP Vanguard alumni who are leaders and workers in business, government, academe and civil society today.

Included in the ceremony was the presentation of the Hall Of Fame Award to Vanguard Jesus Antonio Matamorosa Carpio ’53 who, according to Marteja, “joined the military service and top notched various military schooling in his career and has attained national/international prominence for his exemplary leadership, outstanding success as a lawyer, educator and an appointed Director of the National Bureau of Investigation showing patriotism and love for country by his human rights advocacy.”

Achievement Awards were also given to Jun Alcabasa, Jr. ’79 (Military), Carmelo Diola ’79 (Public Service), Ray Apostol ’85 (Geology), Andres Licaros ’79 (Management) and Danilo Cardenas ’73 (Agriculture). They were recognized for meritorious achievement in the practice of their professions.