UP @ 100: END OF A CENTURY, BEGINNING OF A LEGACY

UNEDITED SAMPLE FEATURE ARTICLE
By Vladimir Paat Villegas
IV – Sir Isaac Newton


UP was established in 1908 by the action of the Philippine Assembly (which was the legislature that time) and started with only a few colleges which when put together would fit the Manila campus, which was patterned after the land-grant universities of the United States. As World War II then tore Manila, it moved to a 493-hectare campus in Diliman, Quezon City (“About UP”, 2007).

These constituent universities nurture the intellectual and cultural growth of the Filipinos through its 246 undergraduate and 362 graduate programs, which shows its inclusion of almost all the disciplines and embrace to almost all interests and inclinations. 30 percent of the faculty have doctoral degrees and 42 percent have master’s degrees (“About UP”, 2007).

Statistics show that the more than 50000 student population thrives in the liberal atmosphere of the UP tradition, producing graduates which have become leaders in politics and governance, law, sciences, and arts. It has produced more than 25 National Scientists and 30 National Artists who worked in different diverse fields and maintains an exemplary performance record in different professional licensure examinations (“About UP”, 2007).

It is internationally recognized as the leading educational institution in the country for it has made records of being the only Philippine university in the Association of Pacific Rim of Universities (APRU) where membership is nominated and voted by the other member universities, the only Philippine university in Association of South East Asian Nations – European University Network (ASEA – UNINET), one of the two Philippine universities in ASEAN University Network (AUN), and one of the two Philippine universities which make up the top 500 universities worldwide (“About UP”, 2007).

UP ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

Today, the UP System consists of 12 constituent campuses throughout the archipelago. The system includes almost all disciplines and embraces all interests and inclinations through its 246 undergraduate and 362 graduate programs (“About UP”, 2007).

The Diliman campus is the flagship and the administrative seat of the system. It offers 296 graduate and undergraduate studies. It runs several centers of research, many of which are declared by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as Centers of Excellence. The strong commitment to arts is also in the campus through such units as Vargas Museum, UP Film Institute, and Likhaan: Institute of Creative Writing (“UP Diliman”, 2007).

The Manila campus is the nerve center of medicine and its related professions. Its extension services and research centers renders service through academic training, research, and development. These units are the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), National Institutes of Health, and the Office of the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod and Continuing Education, the UP’s volunteer outreach service (“UP Manila”, 2007).

The Los Baños campus is now the agricultural center for Asia. Sustainable productivity and efficient utilization of resources are the aims of its research works. It has a special focus on rice agriculture as spearheaded by the International Rice Research Institute. It also maintains stewardship of the 4000 hectares of Mt Makiling for its affairs in forestry. At the same time, it safeguards the biodiversity of the vicinity and preserves watershed areas for energy use and water consumption (“UP Los Baños”, 2007).

In Visayas, the UP System houses four campuses: Iloilo, Miag-ao, Tacloban, and Cebu. It focuses on marine and agricultural science and boasts on regional study programs with regards to culture at the same time (“UP Visayas”, 2007).

However, the Mindanao campus is for human resource development and democratization of access to UP education for all sectors. Currently, it is undertaking efforts to address food agriculture problems and issues in Mindanao (“UP Mindanao”, 2007).

The youngest constituent of the UP System is the Baguio campus. Formerly, it was just a regional constituent of the Diliman campus but was autonomized as a college in 1999 and was made a university in December 2002. The campus, in its research with the Cordillera Studies Center (CSC) aims to contribute to higher education in Northern Luzon through research expansion and collaboration with other institutions (“UP Baguio”, 2007).

Its Open University is the leading institution and pioneer of distant education in the Philippines in all degree programs. Students constrained by family and professional commitments are then given internet and learning modules. It was founded in 1995 (“UP Open University”, 2007).

CHARTER CHANGE AND UP AS A NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

As chartered by House Bill No 2845 and Senate Bill No 1964, Pres Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Republic Act 9500 or commonly known as the University of the Philippines Charter of 2008 on April 29, 2008. Thus, it was proclaimed as the national university (“RA 9500”, 2008).

Through the new charter, the university was still given the same responsibilities; however, they were taken to the national level. Despite these responsibilities, the national university was encouraged to sports (“RA 9500”, 2008).

Another feature that the charter added to UP was the Board of Regents which is responsible for major actions in the national university. It composes of: 1) the Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education as the Chairperson; 2) the University President as the Co-Chairperson; 3) the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts, and Culture; 4) the Chairperson of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education; 5) the President of the UP Alumni Association, which would serve as the Alumni Regent throughout his or her incumbency; 6) a Faculty Regent to represent all teaching personal; 7) a Student Regent to serve for a year; 8) a Staff Regent; 9) and three other Regents (at least two of which are alumni) (“RA 9500”, 2008).

PRELIMINARY CENTENNIAL FEATURES

The centennial was launched on June 18 this year as stated by the Memorandum No PERR-06-037 of University President Emerlinda R____ Roman. To kick off the event, an evening concert was held as sponsored by the UP System and UP Diliman for the entire academic community (Roman, 2008).

“UP: Excellence, Leadership, and Service in the Next 100 Years” is the theme of their centennial for the university moves into the future with goals that are ever more expansive as told by its administrators. It was decided upon during the 7th Centennial Commission Meeting April 25 this year. According them, the kinetic dash concretely involves rationalizing and firming up its programs, strengthening its position, and developing its community of intellectuals (“Centennial Theme”, 2008).

The centennial logo comprises of the Oblation, which is the famous symbol of the university for the sacrificing youth; the Sablay with yellow letters, which is the sash worn by students upon graduation and symbol of the commitment to remain as the country’s premier institution; and the globe highlighting the map of the Philippines, which is the representation of the rightful place of UP as the national university. The logo also has the colors forest green and maroon. This logo is used by every campus in all forms of communications (Roman, 2008; “Description of the UP Centennial Logo”, 2008).

UP Naming Mahal, the universities song, was a poem by Teogenes Velez, a Liberal Arts student, set into music by Nicanor Abelardo, a student of the Conservatory of Music. It was first sung in 1917 before an audience as UP Beloved. The Filipino version of the song is a product of seven translations thoroughly edited by a screening committee to be an emblem as much as the Oblation (“A Bit of History…”, 2008).

100 Kwentong Peyups, a series of columns in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) and Philippine Star throughout the year, is another part of the centennial. People who write should be a person who is into UP. Its first column was published on February 12 this year (“100 Kwentong Peyups”, 2008).

Centennial television advertisements are aired. These commercials contain different famous personalities acting as former persons from UP, discussing what those persons had contributed in the last 100 years, and ending up with the slogan “’Pag tumaya ka sa UP, tumataya ka sa bayan” (“Pag tumaya ka sa UP, tumataya ka sa bayan”, 2008).

UPiktyuran Na!, another centennial feature of UP, is a photo contest supported by Smart Communications, Inc with the Wolfpac Mobile, Inc and UP College of Mass Communication. Through this, anyone into UP shares their stories through Multimedia Messaging System (MMS) (“About UPiktyuran Na!”, 2008).

THE CENTENNIAL AND ITS RESPONSE TO THE NATION

As said by Dr Roman (2008) in her letter, “We shall try simultaneously to beam to all campuses the centennial lectures. Campuses are therefore enjoined to submit to the UP System the list of lectures and other details.” [Italics Mine]

One of the lectures convened by Prof Mirriam Coronel-Ferrer (2008) had the theme Peace ngayon, war bukas, pwede ba ‘yon, telling the countries situations. Rep Saturnino “Satur” Ocampo’s (2008) centennial lecture, UP will forge through risked-filled neo-liberal era; so will militant activism persist, however, touched more about the liberal attitude of the persons into UP. However, Dr Cecilia A_____ Florencio (2008) said three important points in her lecture, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas: Pag-asa ng Bayan: “the university serves the nation and does its duties honestly; it is a community of scholars and right conduct; and every thing mentioned are interrelated in a national university.”

The one which was delivered by former UP President Dr Jose V______ Abueva (2008), Reinventing UP as the National University: Learning for Truth, Leadership, and Social Transformation, focuses on two topics: the university itself and the university’s duties as stated by its new charter.

Persons from other institutions also delivered lectures. Rev Fr Bienvenido F_____ Nebres, SJ (2008), the President of Ateneo de Manila University, delivered his lecture entitled Building Internationally Competitive Solutions and Overcoming Poverty: Can These Two Paths Converge?.

CENTENNIAL AWARDS

As also said by Dr Roman (2008) in her letter, “No decision has been made relative to the granting of awards, but campuses are urged to come up with proposals. After the meeting, a suggestion was made to recognize truly distinguished individuals (not necessarily UP alumni and not necessarily 100 in number) who embody the values UP stands for.” [Italics Mine]

The UP Institute of Creative Writing then held the Gawad Likhaan: UP Centennial Literary Awards. It comprised of two categories – English and Filipino. The winners Jose Marte A_____ Abueg (English Poetry, Bird Lands, River Nights, and other Melancholies), Criselda D_____ Yabes (English Fiction and Creative Nonfiction, Below the Crying Mountain and Sarena’s Story: The Loss of a Kingdom), Jerry B_____ Gracio (Filipino Poetry, Aves), Jose Rey Munsayac (Filipino Fiction, Duguang Kamay sa Nilulumot na Pader) and Lualhati M_____ Abreu (Filipino Creative Nonfiction, Agaw Dilim, Agaw Liwanag) were given Php200000 on July 8 at the Pulungang Claro M Recto, Faculty Center, UP Diliman. The affair was then opened to the public (“Winners of the UP Literary Awards announced”, 2008).

More are still to happen as the UP Film Institute will conduct the UP Centennial Digital Filmmaking and Photography Competition Festival and Awards Night at the Cine Adarna. There, semi-finalists are to be screened and awarded then (“UP Centennial Digital Filmmaking and Photography Competition…”, 2008).

NB This article was written using the American Psychological Association documentation format. List of resources is available upon request.



REFERENCES


(2007). About UP. Retrieved from http://www.up.edu.ph/content.php?r=2&c=2

(2007). UP Diliman. Retrieved from http://www.up.edu.ph/content.php?r=2&c=18

(2007). UP Manila. Retrieved from http://www.up.edu.ph/content.php?r=2&c=19

(2007). UP Los Baños. Retrieved from http://www.up.edu.ph/content.php?r=2&c=21

(2007). UP Visayas. Retrieved from http://www.up.edu.ph/content.php?r=2&c=20

(2007). UP Mindanao. Retrieved from http://www.up.edu.ph/content.php?r=2&c=23

(2007). UP Baguio. Retrieved from http://www.up.edu.ph/content.php?r=2&c=24

(2007). UP Open University. Retrieved from http://www.up.edu.ph/content.php?r=2&c=25

(2008). RA 9500. Retrieved from http://www.up.edu.ph/pdf2/RA_9500.pdf

Roman, E R DBA (2008). Memorandum No PERR-06-037: Centennial Celebration. Retrieved from http://centennial.up.edu.ph/wp-content/pdfs/Centennial_Celebration.pdf

(2008). Centennial Theme. Retrieved from http://centennial.up.edu.ph/?page_id=27

(2008). Description of the UP Centennial Logo. Retrieved from http://centennial.up.edu.ph/?page_id=26

(2008). A Bit of History: How “UP Naming Mahal” Came to Be? Retrieved from http://centennial.up.edu.ph/?page_id=30

(2008). ‘Pag tumaya ka sa UP, tumataya ka sa bayan. Retrieved from http://centennial.up.edu.ph/?page_id=92

(2008). About UPiktyuran Na! Retrieved from http://upiktyuran.smart.com.ph/about.php

Coronel-Ferrer, M (2008). Peace ngayon, War bukas, pwede ba ‘yon? Retrieved from http://centennial.up.edu.ph/?p=99

Ocampo, S (2008). UP will force through risk-filled liberal era; so will militant activism pesist. Retrieved from http://centennial.up.edu.ph/?p=102

Florencio, C A (2008). Unibersidad ng Pilipinas: Pag-asa ng Bayan. Retrieved from http://centennial.up.edu.ph/wp-content/pdfs/Unibersidad_ng_Pilipinas_Pag-asa_ng_Bayan.pdf

Abueva, J V A (2008). Reinventing UP as the National University: Learning for Truth, Leadership, and Social Transformation. Retrieved from http://centennial.up.edu.ph/?p=104

(2008). Winners of the UP Literary Awards announced. Retrieved from http://centennial.up.edu.ph/?p=101

(2008). UP Centennial Digital Filmmaking and Photography Competition Festival and Awards Night. Retrieved from http://centennial.up.edu.ph/?p=117