Split (1)

train · 24.1k rows

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.

url stringlengths 18 256	title stringlengths 3 274	html stringlengths 0 111k
https://up.edu.ph/oysters-you-can-sprinkle/	Oysters you can sprinkle – University of the Philippines	Oysters you can sprinkle Oysters you can sprinkle November 9, 2017 \| Written by Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo You love oysters, but you hate all that brushing, washing, and shucking. So you give yourself a little treat and pay a pretty price at a restaurant just to get your oyster fix. Well, someone at UP Visayas has some good news for you. Her name is Ernestina Peralta, a researcher at the Institute of Fish Processing Technology; and she has led in the creation of two kinds of oyster powder—one from oyster extract and the other from the meat residue—packed with that distinct flavor you love. You can use them to season your dishes or as base components for sauces and mixes. Ernestina Peralta says the country produces oysters in high volume. (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) That’s just one application. Oysters are rich in vitamins, amino acids, and minerals like taurine and zinc, which means the powders can also be used in nutraceuticals. Even those who don’t like the taste of these bivalves can benefit from their nutrients. What’s more, these products are all natural. “Oyster powders aren’t new, but the processes in producing that powder vary. Ours is simplified and aims to preserve the oyster’s nutritional value without the use of chemicals,” Peralta explains. The oyster powder team at the Institute of Fish Processing and Technology, from left to right: Edna Monreal, Grace Palmos, Ernestina Peralta, Rose Mueda, Nona Andonaque, and Salve Sevilleno. (Photo from Institute of Fish Processing and Technology) Peralta also reveals that there are differences in taste and nutritive components between the two powders they created. “The extract powder is stronger in taste but the residue powder has higher nutrition levels. Just choose the kind of powder that suits your needs.” “Oysters are rich in minerals like zinc and taurine,” says Peralta. (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) She says the oyster powder idea came from the fact that the Philippines harvests oysters in high volume, yet they remain an underutilized resource and are even considered low-value commodities. As she waits for the patents to be granted, Peralta hopes their products will eventually be able to contribute to making oysters a high-value commodity in the country—an in-demand resource in domestic and commercial food production as well as in the production of nutritional dietary supplements.
https://up.edu.ph/the-accidental-runner/	The Accidental Runner – University of the Philippines	The Accidental Runner The Accidental Runner July 12, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office During the 40th National Milo Marathon Finals, December 2016. The current Chair of the UPV Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness Committee, Mary Lyncen M. Fernandez, is a staunch advocate of health, fitness and wellness. “Six years ago, my blood chemistry was going through the roof. A doctor told me that I needed to take maintenance to control my blood sugar, uric acid, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. I was a short, fat, middle-aged woman who weighed more than 80 kilos. I called myself ang babaeng walang leeg (the woman with no neck).” Mary Lyncen says that was her wake-up call. She bargained with the doctor to give her three months to change her diet and vowed to undergo a regular exercise routine. “My Lola died of a stroke in the shower. It was more than an hour before we found her body. My own mother had a stroke in her middle age. The fifth one left her paralyzed for nine years before she died. These two things flashed in my mind in the doctor’s office while listening to her talk about Lipitor, and Losartan.” She says that she was fortunate to live inside the UP Visayas Miag-ao campus with its undulating roads that feature many uphill and downhill slopes. She started walking around and about the campus, which is also thickly populated by trees. Trail Run, July 2017. “Starting was the toughest part, maintaining it even more so. I remember the first time I tried to run up the road which I dubbed the Diwata Road because that is where the Diwata ng Dagat sculpture by National Artist Napoleon Abueva sits. It was the steepest hill inside the campus and I thought I would die after just a few meters. But the feeling of exhilaration stayed with me. It was awesome to have wings on your feet even for just a few seconds.” Being the researcher that she is, she started to read extensively on how to become a runner. If she was going to be one, she said she might as well do it right. “I remember my first fun-run, a 3K event in July 2010. I kept my head down for fear of seeing the snickers of people in seeing this fat, middle-aged woman hobble towards the finish line. What was running in my mind was that I would probably be the last to cross the finish line.” Since then, she has signed up for other fun runs and the 3K progressed to 5K and 10K with some trail running thrown in. On December 2013, she crossed the finish line of her first half-marathon, a 21K run. After some setbacks, one of which was an operation to remove her gallbladder, she did her first full marathon this year in February at the age of 50. “After I crossed the finish line and somebody put that 42K finisher’s medal on my neck, I wept on my husband’s shoulders. He was waiting for me at the finish line. All those years of running and self-training, waking up at 3:00 a.m. to run for three to four hours, running alone, doubting myself, lacing up my running shoes even when I didn’t feel like it, sidelined by sickness and injuries—these flashed through my mind. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be a marathoner. I had never been athletic. Women were not encouraged to go into sports during my time. What is even more astounding is that only 1% of the world’s population has run marathons.” Run UP4, July 2014. UPV folks at CSC Fun Run, with VCA Gumban, March 2012. She adds, “How I wish I had started in this wonderful journey of health and fitness much, much sooner. I had to have my gall bladder removed because gallstones the size of corn kernels had formed there. This was brought about by years of abusive eating, particularly of salty and oily food.” Mary Lyncen says that she is committed to pursuing this lifestyle of health and wellness for the rest of her life. She said that she does not diet but has changed the way she eats, such as giving up sugary drinks and junk food, and trying to eat as much fruit and vegetables as she can every day. “I am stronger in mind and body now that I am 50 years old than when I was in my 30s and 40s. Running has completely changed my life. It has made me strong physically and mentally. I am always at peace with myself and the universe every time I run. Running has given me so much joy and peace and energy. It has given me good health. For the past six years, my blood chemistry results have been excellent. I take no maintenance medication, so far. One of running’s greatest surprises is that you get more energetic after a run.” She says that “That is why I keep urging my fellow office workers, who are strapped into their chairs eight hours a day, five days a week, to engage in this life of health and wellness. I want us to be healthy in mind and body and be more productive at work and still have the energy for family stuff. Along with her fellow UPV Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness committee members, she has been urging the UPV community to get into this new lifestyle. They have come up with a year-long program that consists of a combination of physical activities and information drives through lectures. A year-long, weekly Zumba for Miag-ao and Iloilo city campuses employees has been put in place to encourage office workers to take a break from eight hours of sitting. Lectures on depression, nutrition, menopause and andropause, strength training, and a Palarong Pang-empleyado and year-end Zumba Run have been lined up for 2018. At the finish line of Fernandez’s first 42K, Feb. 18, 2018. “It’s my hope and wish that all members of the UPV community would be fit and healthy long after we have retired from the University. So that we can still be active and productive and not spend our retirement money in hospitals and on maintenance drugs,” Mary Lyncen says. The other members of the UPV Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness Committee include Prof. Catherine B. Anecita, Prof. Brenda Lynn B. Arroyo, Prof. Cristituto S. Rogador, and Ms. Mybelle G. Zulueta, all from the PE Department, Ms. Teresa S. Hortillo from the Office of Student Affairs, Dr. Marchette S. Noble from the Health Services Unit, Ms. Maureen Kay C. Ongo from the Cash Office, and Ms. Melinda C. Sasana, Dorm Manager. (Mary Lyncen M. Fernandez, UP Visayas) Read the online UP Forum April-June 2018 Vol. 19 No. 2 issue in full here.
https://up.edu.ph/up-prexy-gets-close-look-at-admin-issues-upv/	UP prexy gets close look at admin issues, UPV – University of the Philippines	UP prexy gets close look at admin issues, UPV UP prexy gets close look at admin issues, UPV July 26, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office President Danilo Concepcion raises a token of appreciation given to him by the organizers of the UP System-wide Administrative Management and Staff Conference 2018 led by Staff Regent Analiza Fulvadora and Vice President for Administration Nestor Yunque. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) UP President Danilo Concepcion visited UP Visayas (UPV) on July 13 and 14, 2018, consulting with administrative personnel representatives of the UP System, inaugurating new UPV structures, and checking on the remote UPV Marine Biological Station on Taklong Island, Guimaras. Concepcion attended the second day of the triennial UP System-wide Administrative Management and Staff Conference held in the UPV College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences Auditorium in the UPV Miag-ao campus, where he listened and reacted to the reporting of workshop output on administrative staff concerns. He spoke of his favoring administrative staff directorship of administrative offices. He endorsed equal opportunity for research and free studies for the administrative staff, but urged them to initiate the proposals. He also expressed support for automatic promotion for those qualified, and for raising University revenues to be able to buy land for faculty and staff housing. The new UP Visayas Faculty and Staff Housing before the ribbon cutting, with UP President Danilo Concepcion and (from left) UP Visayas Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development Martin Genodepa, UP Cebu Chancellor Liza Corro, UP Visayas Vice Chancellor for Administration Mary Ann Gumban, UP Mindanao Chancellor Sylvia Concepcion, UP Visayas Chancellor Ricardo Babaran, UP Vice President for Administration Nestor Yunque, UP Assistant Vice President for Administration Ariel Betan, and UP Mindanao Vice Chancellor for Administration Antonio Obsioma. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) UP President Danilo Concepcion (3rd from left) and UP Visayas Chancellor Ricardo Babaran (center) cut the ribbon to inaugurate the new UP Visayas Faculty and Staff Housing, with (from left to right) UP Vice President Nestor Yunque, UP Mindanao Chancellor Sylvia Concepcion, UP Visayas Vice Chancellor for Administration Mary Ann Gumban, UP Cebu Chancellor Liza Corro, and UP Visayas Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development Martin Genodepa. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) He said he would find more money to regularize employees. “I will not back down on this promise,” he pointed out, referring to his UP presidential nomination platform. Concepcion also assured the administrative personnel of the University’s legal protection in cases filed against them for performing their official duties. “We should trust each other. I am one with you,” the President told more than 150 administrative personnel delegates, assuring them he would look after their welfare in his decisions. The dialogue ended with Concepcion’s plea to uphold the Filipino characteristic of malasakit. “Magmalasakit sa Unibersidad na pinanggagalingan ng ating kaligayahan, kabuhayan, at karangalan. Magmalasakit sa propesyon, sa sarili, sa isa’t isa,” he said. President Danilo Concepcion sings “UP Naming Mahal” with other UP officials and organizers and delegates of the UP System-wide Administrative Management and Staff Conference 2018. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) The President proceeded to inaugurate the Graduate Students Office, consisting of two laboratories and working spaces for up to 57 graduate students; and the new Faculty and Staff Housing, a condominium-style structure, with 49 two-room and single-room units. On the next day, Concepcion took the multi-modal trip to the UPV’s Marine Biological Station (MBS) in the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve off the far southern coast of Guimaras island, where he met with UPV Division of Biological Sciences Chair Frances Nievales and UPV-MBS Head Ma. Celia Malay. The President was briefed on the problems of the marine reserve in general, which include illegal fishing, the influx of visitors, and solid waste; and the biological station, in particular, which include administration, logistics, and communication. UP Visayas Chancellor Ricardo Babaran explains the map of Guimaras Province to UP President Danilo Concepcion during the latter’s visit to the UP Visayas Marine Biological Station on Taklong Island, Guimaras. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) UP President Danilo Concepcion on a boat docked at the mangrove entrance of the UP Visayas Marine Biological Station on Taklong Island. With him are (from left) UP Visayas Vice Chancellor for Administration Mary Ann Gumban, Lorena Yunque of the Philippine Commission on Women, UP Assistant Vice President for Administration Ariel Betan, former UP Vice President for Administration Maragtas Amante, UP Cebu Chancellor Liza Corro, and UP Los Baños Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Administration Genaro Cuaresma. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) Concepcion is only the second UP president to set foot on the island after Emerlinda Roman. The late UP President Edgardo Angara made the trip when he was Senate President, according to UPV officials. On his way to the Taklong island jump-off from the Jordan, Guimaras port, he met with Jordan Mayor Ruben Corpuz and Imelda Fernandez of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project. The three belong to the same Agricultural Engineering batch in Araneta University. (Jo. Lontoc, UP MPRO)
https://up.edu.ph/a-physical-high-from-epsilon-chi/	A Physical High from Epsilon Chi – University of the Philippines	A Physical High from Epsilon Chi A Physical High from Epsilon Chi July 25, 2017 \| Written by Andre DP Encarnacion For those looking to get fit and to sweat it out in Quezon City, there are few destinations more scenic or iconic than the UP Diliman campus. Every day, thousands of people visit the 493-hectare campus, many with physical fitness in mind. Campus landmarks such as the Academic Oval, the National Science Complex and the Sunken Garden, among many others, have become go-to destinations for everyone from hardened athletes to beginners carrying out their very first exercise routines. Truly, very few other places in the Metro offer fitness opportunities that are quite as scenic, safe and open as the UP System’s flagship campus. This fact, when combined with the respectable annual showings of UP’s varsity athletes, might lead one to think that fitness is no serious concern for UP’s students in general. This, however, is not necessarily the case, as Dr. Shirley Villosillo-Guevarra, officer-in-charge of the UP Office of Student Housing (OSH) indicates—especially for the University’s beloved dormers. A faculty member from the UP College of Home Economics (CHE) and a proponent of “holistic human development,” Guevarra notes that even the healthful atmosphere in UP has not prevented some dormers from dropping out or falling prey to various lifestyle and mental illnesses. While these cases have many causes, experts like Guevarra have been increasingly concerned by the stresses students face when meeting high-pressure academic requirements, as well as the attendant sedentary habits and isolation that can afflict dormers in particular. It was with great pride and excitement, therefore, that Guevarra and other officials welcomed the decision of the UP Epsilon Chi Fraternity under the leadership of Governer Radian Eugene Ong to donate a legacy project in celebration of the fraternity’s 50th anniversary in 2014. The result of that decision is the Epsilon Chi Health and Fitness Center, which had its groundbreaking ceremony at the Molave Residence Hall on October 2014, and is expected to open its doors to the UP community in early 2018. According to Guevarra, the decision to donate a Health and Fitness Center stems from the desire of both the fraternity and the UP administration to provide a “holistic environment for the dormers,” and, by extension, the rest of the UP community. It is also envisioned to be a convergence center, drawing people from around the campus and the city in the pursuit of health and community. The donation of a health and fitness center, while not always intuitive, is a very important one, primarily for its unique attributes. “There had already been a good number of scholarship grants given to the students by our alumni,” Guevarra says. Epsilon Chi, however, wanted something different. With a good number of them being dormers in the past, the members of the fraternity, Guevarra says, wanted to specifically provide a facility to improve the health of present and future dormers. As opposed to a single scholarship fund, Guevarra said the construction of the facility would provide a “bigger and greater impact” on the UP community that surrounds it. “If you have a facility, it is there and will be there (virtually) forever, if you maintain it well.” And that, indeed, is the plan. First, the Health and Fitness Center will improve existing facilities within Molave, in particular the basketball court. The newly refurbished and now-covered court not only can host basketball games, but can be convertedfor other sports, such as badminton or table tennis. One of the most anticipated features is the addition of a mezzanine containing a gym, with exercise equipment and spaces donated by Epsilon Chi. UPD Chancellor Michael L. Tan and Epsilon Chi Fraternity Radian Governor Eugene G. Ong (sitting, left to right), together with OSH officer-in-charge Dr. Shirley V. Guevarra, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Neil R. Santillan, Engr. Manuel H. Torres and Engr. Roberto C. Ronquillo (standing, left to right), during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Epsilon Chi health and fitness center in UP Diliman, held October 2, 2015, taken from an article written by Haidee C. Pineda, with photo by Leonardo A. Reyes, UP Diliman Information Office. (Photo from the UP Diliman website, http://upd.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/DSC_0452.jpg) In addition, ancillary spaces and facilities are also being constructed. Bleachers were designed, as well as toilets and shower rooms for players and guests to use. Lastly, some stalls are planned from which the place can generate additional rent income, apart from the small fees that will be charged to outsiders for facility use. The income generated will go into a fund that will be used to pay the center’s future staff and repairs, helping to make it self-sufficient. Guevarra says that there are no plans for the outright commercialization of the center and its services—just enough “to generate funding for maintenance of the place.” The center is planned to be free of charge for all UP dormers. Ultimately, for Guevarra, what the center will provide beyond the benefits of health is a sense of community and a clear reflection of what UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan calls “Pride of Place” and “Pride in People.” It is a tangible manifestation, for one, of the will of the UP alumni to give back and “to provide a healthy and holistic place for UP dormers and the community, as well”. “In the CHE, we go for what we call holistic development of people, of Filipino families,” notes Guevarra. “The residence halls are considered homes—second homes of students, so we need to address their needs from multiple dimensions and aspects. These are not just dormitories, where you eat and sleep. There are communities here. That’s why we welcomed this beautiful project. It’s aligned with the OSH’s aim to provide a nurturing environment, encompassing not only psychological, but physical and social aspects as well.” Like Guevarra, UP Diliman Office of the Campus Architect (OCA) Director Enrico B. Tabafunda views the project as a success—particularly as it is the first major alumni donation from Chancellor Tan’s first term. Tabafunda points out that one major advantage of the Health and Fitness Center is that it will give students access to equipment and facilities that they might otherwise have to travel a considerable distance to utilize. Studies show that closing the distance between students and opportunities for exercise may make a large difference in their capacity and willingness to get fit. A 2005 study of American university students by Julian Reed and D. Allen Phillips found that students exercised more and longer the nearer they were to exercise facilities. As a personal display of “Pride in People” and since private funds were being used for the project, Tabafunda had one request—to have a UP architect design the Center, in order to highlight both pride and familiarity with the place, as well as the quality of the UP College of Architecture’s training. Luckily, Governor Eugene Ong took his request seriously and got in touch with UP alumna and Miss Universe 2011 3rd-runner up Arch. Shamcey Supsup-Lee, who agreed to do the design for free. “She really is the architect-of-record in this project,” Tabafunda says proudly. Email the author at upforum@up.edu.ph.
https://up.edu.ph/first-batch-of-new-up-ids-released/	First batch of new UP IDs released – University of the Philippines	First batch of new UP IDs released First batch of new UP IDs released September 4, 2019 \| Written by Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo Video recorded and edited by KIM Quilinguing, UP MPRO UP System employees were the first recipients of the new UP ID produced by PayMaya, free of charge, for the University. In a ceremonial presentation, UP President Danilo Concepcion, Executive Vice President Teodoro Herbosa, and Vice President for Development Elvira Zamora received their new IDs from PayMaya founder and CEO Orlando Vea on August 27, the first day of release. Top photo: UP President Danilo Concepcion (center) shows his new UP ID. With him in this photo are, from left, PayMaya Enterprise Head Tisha Quinitio, PayMaya founder and CEO Orlando Vea, UP Executive Vice President Teodoro Herbosa, and UP Vice President for Development Elvira Zamora. Bottom photo: UP EVP Teodoro Herbosa (second from left) and UP VP for Development Elvira Zamora (third from left) hold up their IDs with PayMaya Enterprise Head Tisha Quinitio (leftmost) and PayMaya founder and CEO Orlando Vea (righmost). (Photos by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) Asked why the fintech company is doing this for free, Vea, a UP Diliman School of Economics alumnus, said that he wants his alma mater to be part of the national initiative toward digital financial inclusion—to be the first university in the country ready to engage in an increasingly cashless economy. UP System employees with their new IDs (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) New UP ID holders will have the option to avail of PayMaya’s financial services that are external to the University, but not required by UP. Rather, this option is a provision that gives holders the flexibility to expand the use of the IDs for added personal purposes. Concepcion, Herbosa, and Zamora, chose to activate their PayMaya accounts and made the first financial transactions with the new UP ID. They loaded money into their accounts through the money-in kiosk at Quezon Hall and made purchases at the Chocolate Kiss Café, Ang Bahay ng Alumni. UP System employees who likewise activated PayMaya services were assisted by PayMaya personnel in a booth at the Quezon Hall lobby. In the top photo, UP President Danilo Concepcion loads his account through the money-in kiosk at Quezon Hall as PayMaya founder and CEO Orlando Vea and UP VP for Development Elvira Zamora look on. The bottom photo shows UP EVP Teodoro Herbosa getting his receipt after using the same kiosk with PayMaya Strategic Communications Manager John Mark Tuazon. (Photos by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) UP President Danilo Concepcion (top photo) and UP VP for Development Elvira Zamora (bottom photo) use their IDs to pay for purchases at the Chocolate Kiss Café, Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman. (Photos by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) The rollout schedule of the new IDs to all UP campuses is still being discussed with the constituent universities. The memorandum of agreement between the University and PayMaya was signed on June 20.
https://up.edu.ph/dont-break-the-streak/	Don’t break the streak! – University of the Philippines	Don’t break the streak! Don’t break the streak! September 4, 2017 \| Written by Andre DP Encarnacion In both sports and politics the goal of the “clean sweep” is one that competitors continually aspire to. Victory by an overwhelming margin, or a series of triumphs without a loss reflects excellence and superiority. Since 2009, UP Mindanao’s BS Architecture program has been performing clean sweeps of its own. Through a combination of rigor, scholarship, and a sensitivity to regional needs, the program has maintained a record 100 percent passing rate among its graduates in the Architecture licensure exams up to the present year. This achievement has also seen seven topnotchers from the ranks of its alumni. This is highly impressive for the College and the Humanities and Social Sciences-based unit that rose past a troubled start to embody the saying that success does indeed speak for itself. What makes this young program the emerging powerhouse that it is today? We sat down with faculty members of the BS Architecture program to talk about who they are, what makes them unique, and their plans to strengthen the discipline in the future. Silencing doubts For a program that has brought such pride to the region, it is somewhat surprising that it barely made it through its first few years intact. The BS Architecture program was implemented in 1999, with a pioneer batch of only 12 students. From the beginning, says Dr. Isidoro Malaque III, who handled the first thesis batch in 2003, the program was beset with “birth pains,” resulting from early calls for its abolition. Dr. Isidoro Malaque III of the UPMin Department of Architecture (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) One reason, he indicated, was the unique circumstances of UP Mindanao’s creation. This CU was mostly the brainchild of Congress, rather than the UP Board of Regents. Beyond politics, however, the constant question that was being leveled at the program members, given that UP Diliman already had an Architecture program, was “Why are you here?” This annual call to justify their existence lit a fire under the members of the young program, which also saw the entry of long-time chairperson and now College Dean Jean Marie Juanga into the ranks at around that time. “Our faculty wanted to prove that Mindanao needed the program because Mindanao has its own built environment and planning issues,” Malaque says. “Eventually the faculty also inspired the students to do well.” It was in 2007 that the program’s first licensure exam takers tested themselves and attained their first 100% exam results. These successes in both the exams and in research and extension would continue until, by 2012, not a single question about the program remained. A research culture The current faculty members, which now includes architects Ryan Songcayauon, Kristin Faye Olalo, Alexis Ken Cartajenas, Dan Jezreel Orendain, Mark Ndsy Puso, Angelo Felix Regalado and the current chairperson, Myrafe Sebastian-Ylagan, do agree that one major aspect of the program sets it and its graduates apart—a strong research culture. UPMin Architecture department faculty members (from left) Alexis Ken Cartajenas, Dan Jezreel Orendain, and Mark Ndsy Puso (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) As opposed to the majority of schools in the country, the members of the program view their students not only as future professionals, but also as researchers. Unlike most other programs, UP Mindanao requires its graduates to complete a thesis project. It is a process that requires two semesters—the first being solely devoted to a scholarly treatment of the relevant building issues before the final building proposal is made. The treatment is highly scientific, while also being unique to each student. For example, in the design of a nursing home, Malaque suggests that instead of merely abiding by existing Department of Health Standards, a student might study things like the end-of-life process, both conceptually and empirically. “Those who are about to die, how do you make it happier for them and their families?” These and other considerations are then integrated into the final design. “We then look at those,” he continues, “of course via the pertinent standards. But over and above that, each project has uniqueness because of the preceding research phase”. Independent thinkers The members of the department believe that this process, while already highly appealing, does make a significant difference in the way their graduates take the licensure exam and think as professional architects. Malaque says that a strong research culture helps create independent thinkers who think beyond cookie-cutter solutions and can be lifelong learners. “As a teacher, I cannot guarantee that what we will teach will come out in the exam or in practice,” he says. “But the research culture we inculcated in you will make you more versatile thinkers. You don’t need to depend [that much] on your reviewers.” A faculty member and former board exam topnotcher, Alexis Cartajenas, echoes that assessment, especially with the current board exams’ emphasis on comprehension over mechanical drafting skill. “It helps build a problem-solving perspective,” Alexis says. “For example, you’ll be asked what kind of roof you will use for a beach rest house? Asphalt shingles, polycarbonate, or clay? If you look deeper, natural clay roofing is the best. It retards heat and it is heavy. If you look at the structural code, wind forces are stronger near large bodies of water,” he adds. “But if you have weak comprehension and fact-finding, what you usually see or what you find aesthetic is what you would choose. You would not ask questions why.” (from left) Dan Jezreel Orendain, Isidoro Malaque, Kristin Faye Olalo, Alexis Ken Cartajenas, Myrafe Sebastian-Ylagan (chair), Jean Marie Juanga (dean), Angelo Felix Regalado, Ryan Songcayauon, and Mark Ndsy Puso (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) The last GI killed With the department’s consistent string of successes, its members believe that the days of justifying their existence are long over. “The last time we had a send-off for our graduates,” Alexis says, “the [UP Mindanao] community was cheering for them to ‘go for 100 percent.’ Don’t break [the streak]!” “So the drive of our newer graduates is more of not to break the streak. Failing is not really a bad thing, but of course you don’t want to be the one who gets singled out. If it were World War II, it’s more like: ‘Try not to be the last GI killed.’ ” In response, the faculty has very tangible plans to build on these successes. According to Dan Orendain, the program is set to receive its first materials development and testing facility, which will allow faculty and students to conduct more scientific tests like compression tests, in addition to being a possible income-generating center for the University. “The next step is revise the curriculum,” says Dan. “We will be incorporating more environmental planning and more indigenous Mindanao issues.” These curriculum changes, they hope, will also get the program accredited by the Canberra Accord and make it consistent with ASEAN borderless practices—steps that would take it from being one of the nation’s best to becoming a truly competitive global program. “We want our courses to be more hands-on like construction,” Orendain continued. “Like if you talk about plumbing, our students won’t just draw. They will go on site, they will know how to assemble things without asking. They will not be clueless.”
https://up.edu.ph/the-new-herbalists/	The new herbalists – University of the Philippines	The new herbalists The new herbalists October 4, 2017 \| Written by Andre DP Encarnacion They say that one of the biggest life-savers in human history was discovered by accident. In 1928, Alexander Fleming’s laboratory assistant accidentally left a window open overnight, allowing blue-green mold to contaminate a dish of Staphylococcus bacteria. Initially incensed by this act of negligence, Fleming would, however, notice something unusual under the microscope—the bacteria surrounding the mold were either dying or dead. Somehow the mold was preventing the bacteria from forming new cell walls and reproducing. Dr. Aleyla de Cadiz of UP Mindanao’s College of Science and Mathematics (CSM). (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) As it turns out, the fungus in question was Penicillium chrysogenum. And the drug family that was developed from this natural substance, which we now know as penicillin, would change the course of medicine, allowing for the successful treatment of such historical killers as meningitis, pneumococcal pneumonia and syphilis. Not content to wait for good luck to fly in through the window, many scientists would also be motivated by this development to set out in search of natural products to treat human ailments. Thus, so-called “mega-diverse” countries like the Philippines received significant scientific interest for the promise of novel compounds to be found in their terrestrial and marine environments. Fresh from earning degrees in the United States and Japan, both Dr. Joel Hassan Tolentino and Dr. Aleyla de Cadiz of UP Mindanao’s College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) openly admit that such a quest was not initially on their minds. Experts in leukemia and amoeba transcriptomics, respectively, the pair decided to take on the challenge back home anyway, as researchers under the DOST PCHRD’s “Drug Discovery and Development of Health Products” program. Dr. Joel Hassan Tolentino overseeing the work of his student. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) This commitment meant that Joel and Aleyla would be applying their hard-won skills for a new purpose. Their current goal is to find natural bioactive compounds against lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. Their source? The endemic and abundant plants of Mindanao. Plant persons The DOST PCHRD’s program taps laboratories from around the country, including four UP constituent universities (CUs)—Diliman, Manila, Baguio, and Mindanao—in the search for drugs and therapies derived from natural products. In UP Mindanao’s case, the search for bioactive compounds involves sampling the area’s terrestrial plants and organisms. This fact has necessarily turned both Drs. Tolentino and de Cadiz into “plant persons,” as they combed the region for samples to bring back to the laboratory. “In Phase One of the project,” Aleyla says, “we had to collect 300 plant extracts,” which were composed mostly of the bark, leaves and stems of around 110 plants that are either endemic, native to the country and Asia, or abundant onsite. Together with their research assistants (RAs), both researchers saw their search for samples as an adventure. After their initial plan to do a collection in Mount Apo failed to materialize, Aleyla says they braved an almost three-hour walk through the fields to get to UP Mindanao’s land reserve, which in turn was cut short due to security issues. Finally, a chance discovery by one of their RAs led them to a semi-wild forest in Tagum’s Banana Beach Resort. With the owner’s support and a permit from the DENR, the team finally began their work in earnest. Isolation and purification After an extensive sample collection and identification stage, the project is now in its second phase, the one where the skill set of both microbiologists is brought to the fore. Joel calls this the “isolation and purification” phase. At the end of the previous phase, the extracts for bioactivity against certain cancers and diseases were screened. In addition, he says, “we also test them on normal cells, like liver cells or kidney cells, to see if we can use them ‘as-is’ for treatments. Our ethnic groups, for example, use herbal plants as-is to treat their illness.” Some plants with cancer-killing activity, however, are toxic to humans. Tolentino and de Cadiz will build on this work in Phase Two by taking the 10 or so crude extracts that they found to have activity against lung cancer and isolating their bioactive compounds. To assess inclusion, the pair utilizes a cut-off value of 30 micrograms per milliliter. “In a crude extract, that amount should kill more than 50% of cancer cells,” Joel said. “That’s the reference standard for our project.” Dr. Joel Hassan Tolentino (left) and Dr. Aleyla de Cadiz (right). (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) After these compounds are isolated, purified and their structure and novelty determined , the next project phase will be chemical synthesis. “It can be difficult to get the same compound from the natural source,” Joel notes. “So you synthesize. And if there is a problem with the compound after synthesis you can modify it. Like you can increase its solubility in water by adding more polar groups, and then test it again.” “Once we understand the compound we can also find other sources that have the same basic structure and by chemical synthesis just add on the rest.” This, both say, reduces the complications of collecting from the wild, where plants are subject to natural phenomena like fires or typhoons. It also avoids killing the plants, which can happen when for instance, researchers remove the bark from a tree. Encouraging Mindanao research A more contemporary model of what Tolentino and de Cadiz hope to achieve is exemplified by the case of camptothecin, a chemotherapy drug obtained from the wood and bark of Camptotheca acuminata, a tree native to China. First isolated in the 1960s, Joel remarks that the compound was initially toxic to humans. “So initially that particular compound did not progress,” he explains, citing its lack of water solubility and side effects in clinical trials. Eventually, however, via chemical synthesis, scientists from the United States were able to modify the compound’s structure. Analogues of camptothecin are used today in the treatment of breast, ovarian, lung, and other cancers. Aside from the obvious life-saving good of their project, both researchers hope it will urge the government and other sectors to invest more generously in Mindanao-based researchers. This wish was inspired by their early days in campus when the lack of equipment hobbled their ability to get results. “If we find something interesting here,” Aleyla adds, “we also hope it encourages Mindanaoans to pursue research into natural products.” Student researcher Shem Gempesaw at UP Mindanao’s Medium Throughput Bioassay Laboratory. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) Lastly, despite the nondisclosure agreement that prevents them from naming the species they are focusing on at present, Tolentino and de Cadiz hope that their findings will inspire more Filipinos to take better care of their native flora. “What if, for example, it turns out that rattan has anti-cancer properties? What if durian has unexpected uses?” Aleyla muses. “These can help replenish our endemic trees, and that would be good for our biodiversity.” The ethnobotanist Michael J. Balick said the secret to why traditional cultures found so many effective natural treatments was consummate experimentation; with members constantly observing, testing and trading with everyone they met. These modern-day herbalists are in many ways doing the same thing, and, with the help of modern science, just might revolutionize medicine again.
https://up.edu.ph/a-better-kind-of-alchemy-2/	A better kind of alchemy (Part 2) – University of the Philippines	A better kind of alchemy (Part 2) A better kind of alchemy (Part 2) July 30, 2018 \| Written by Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta In the alchemy of social change, technology is only one part of the formula. The other, arguably more complex part, is people. This can be seen in the journey to bring the technology dubbed CLINN-GEM, or the Community-Led Integrated Non-Cyanide Non-Mercury Gold Extraction Method, out of project leader Dr. Herman D. Mendoza’s laboratory at the UP Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, and into the communities and day-to-day lives of the country’s artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs). For this part of CLINN-GEM’s journey, the other half of the CLINN-GEM team and Dr. Mendoza’s good friend takes the helm: Dr. Oscar P. Ferrer of the Department of Community Development, UP College of Social Work and Community Development, who came in with his own teams sometime from 2013 to 2014 to handle the social prep work. CLINN-GEM partners: UP Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering professor Dr. Herman “Doc Judge” Mendoza (left), and UP Department of Community Development professor Dr. Oscar “Oskee” Ferrer (right). (Photo by Celeste Llaneta, UP MPRO) “I said to Doc Oskee, we need to work together, because we’re not just talking about the technology, but the community that will use it,” Dr. Mendoza recalls. “We’re trying to marry the community and the technology, and that’s the challenge.” Dr. Ferrer explains further: “For large-scale mines, mining is about profit. But for ASMs, this is economic subsistence, livelihoods. If they mine today, they must come home at night with something to put on the table to feed their families. That’s the most challenging part of organizing.” Large scale mines, of course, operate far above the level of day-to-day survival that ASMs do, and can afford the delays that come with transitioning between technologies. But ASMs? “All their lives, what they know to do is amalgamation and cyanidation. Then you come in with a new, environment-friendly technology. What exactly will they do during the transition?” Gold and quartz from the Benguet Consolidated Gold Mine, Philippines. (Photo from Wikimedia Commons taken August 11, 2010 by James St. John.) This is not about resistance to change. Neither is this a lack of awareness of the dangers of amalgamation and cyanidation. The grassroots miners are open to innovations that are beneficial to their communities and families, because of course they are. “They know that mercury tainting the river means death. They know what is environment-friendly or not. This is their milieu, and we have to value that,” says Dr. Ferrer. “It’s in how you handle the balance between the economic needs of the people and the environment. How you treat mining in small communities is different. This is not an issue of anti-mining. This is an issue of human lives.” Transmutation and change So they began with the easiest among the four localities: Benguet, where the ASMs were already organized under the Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners, Inc.; therefore, they had a voice and power of their own. Even then, the UP team had to convince the miners of the advantages of CLINN-GEM. They did so by way of a side-by-side competition or parallel testing with the old ways, which Dr. Ferrer laughingly compares to a track-and-field race that Dr. Mendoza’s CLINN-GEM inevitably won. Moreover, the parallel testing did not even take in the environmental damage and the cost that would be incurred when using the old and dangerous techniques of amalgamation and cyanidation. Small-scale miners in the Philippines at work mining for gold. (Photos from the ILO in Asia and the Pacific on Flickr) The challenge was even bigger in the other areas, where the ASMs were unregulated and considered illegitimate, and had no organization to speak for them and deal with UP, the DOST and the local governments on their behalf. Dr. Ferrer and his teams worked within the unique sociopolitical contexts of each area to organize the ASMs from the ground up. The arduous job included things like coaxing the skittish miners to get organized; teaching them about the technology, alongside some basic mining and metallurgical engineering; skills-training to give them alternative sources of livelihood, especially the women and children; and, giving the communities the political, legal and paralegal skills they needed to fend off greedy and unethical agents of the State cloaked with police power, including those mandated personnel at the regulatory and monitoring agencies of the government, who preyed on small miners, thereby giving the communities the power to be self-reliant and to defend their own interests. And this was just within the community. Dr. Ferrer and Dr. Mendoza also had to navigate dense networks of DOST offices; local government officials from the barangay captains to the provincial governors and Congressmen, some of whom did not see eye to eye with each other; state universities and colleges; and, even policymakers and national government agencies. They also had to worry over potential sabotage from economic players further along the value chain that the technology would run over—the merchants selling mercury and cyanide, for instance, and perhaps large scale mining companies who would lose a convenient scapegoat if the ASMs suddenly became environment friendly. “It’s tough. You’re threatening a lot of players,” Dr. Ferrer says, to which Dr. Mendoza adds, “And we are dealing with a very sensitive community.” Marrying the social and the technological Dr. Mendoza described the CLINN-GEM project as 20% technology and 80% community and society. “The technology is intact. UP owns the technology, and we’re trying to deploy it. But you see, deploying the technology is not that easy,” he admitted. “You can just imagine the problems that come with it. Even if UP says, ‘Oh, we have this and that technology,’ how will the community make use of it?” Innovations such as CLINN-GEM are more than just technology. Innovations are social movements, and for Dr. Ferrer, innovations and technologies are key to developing the grassroots. “Our framework is technology for empowerment,” he says. “Give the communities the technology, so they hold the mode of production. Teach them everything—marketing, sourcing, legal and paralegal skills—so they can be autonomous and self-reliant. Then they can say, we can provide for ourselves, and we are empowered.” A “Training on Policy Advocacy” seminar held on November 7, 2015 at the UP National Engineering Center. Photo from the UP-DOST Field Testing Project team. Group photo of the participants of the “Training on Policy Advocacy” seminar. (Photo from UP-DOST Field Testing Project team) Because of this, the two are adamant that CLINN-GEM will benefit only the people who need it the most. “It’s for sustainability purposes. If you give the technology to some rich mining company, they might turn around and oppress the small miners,” says Dr. Ferrer. “Many approach Doc Judge to buy his patent, but we tell them, ‘We will not give it to you. We will give it to the small miners; it’s not for you.’ ” For Dr. Mendoza, it’s about doing it the UP way. “Through this project, we’re doing the mandate of UP. We’re teaching, we’re doing research, and whatever we teach, whatever we do research on, we give back to the community. It’s a cycle, and we follow that cycle.”
https://up.edu.ph/a-better-kind-of-alchemy/	A better kind of alchemy (Part 1) – University of the Philippines	A better kind of alchemy (Part 1) A better kind of alchemy (Part 1) July 30, 2018 \| Written by Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta There’s something alchemical about extracting precious gold using deadly mercury and cyanide. But for the many who work in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), this bit of alchemy is a grim reality that often results in mercury or cyanide poisoning, death, and environmental degradation. Worldwide, some 15 million artisanal or small miners mine for gold using mercury or cyanide. In the Philippines, which is one of the most mineral-rich countries especially in gold, nickel, copper and chromite, some 300,000 gold miners rely on ASM as their main source of income, producing around 80% of the country’s gold supply. They earn somewhere between P300 to P1500 a day, but they pay for this with their lives, mining under unsafe conditions and using mercury via mercury amalgamation and cyanide via gold cyanidation to extract and purify gold from the ore. Worth its weight in gold This problem called for an engineering, not alchemical, solution. Enter CLINN-GEM, which is short for the Community-Led Integrated Non-Mercury Non-Cyanide Gold Extraction Method. CLINN-GEM is the brainchild of its project leader, Dr. Herman D. Mendoza of the UP College of Engineering’s Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (DMMME), who worked on it from 2008 to 2012. At the time, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), under its Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) program, had been spurring research under its environment and infrastructure R&D track, which included the Better Mine program. The entire CLINN-GEM pilot facility assembled at the UP Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering building, where the entire process takes place, from gold extraction to waste treatment. (Photo by Celeste Llaneta, UP MPRO) “Better Mine is meant to make the mining and mineral industry better, but we were interested in small-scale mining. We knew there were serious problems in ASM,” Dr. Mendoza recalls. Their top priority was taking mercury and cyanide out of the entire extraction process. So Dr. Mendoza and his teams began developing technological alternatives to amalgamation and cyanidation for extracting gold as well as copper. They hit on the idea of using gravity to separate the gold from the ore by taking advantage of gold’s specific gravity and the way it behaves when placed in water. But for gold that has become as fine as dust and exponentially harder for small-scale miners to recover, Dr. Mendoza and his teams added a spin, so to speak. They used centrifugal force to enhance the separation of very fine gold particles and recover gold form the non-gold particles. This process is called enhanced gravity concentration, and work well in collecting both free coarse gold and very fine gold particles. Engineering over alchemy But collecting the free gold is relatively easy, and many small-scale miners have had to settle for collecting only the gold nuggets and dust and discarding the rest as irrecoverable. However, gold comes in another form—as associated gold, or gold mixed in with or embedded into other minerals. To extract this gold without resorting to amalgamation and cyanidation, Dr. Mendoza and his team collected ore samples from various parts of the country, studied their characteristics, and came up with a practical extraction process: flotation and leaching. A member of the CLINN-GEM research team sifting for gold. (Photo by Celeste Llaneta, UP MPRO) The first step is flotation, which produces a concentrate consisting of gold associated with extraneous material and waste. The concentrate then goes through a leaching stage, which transforms the waste matrix into a leachable form in order to dissolve the gold easily, resulting in a loaded solution with gold ions, commonly called a pregnant solution. The solution with the dissolved gold then undergoes precipitation, with Dr. Mendoza and his team adding a “precipitant” to fully separate or leach the gold from the copper and remaining minerals. The precipitated gold sinks to the bottom of the solution, ready to be collected and refined. The recovery of gold from the ore is maximized, resulting in more profit for the small-miners. Better, safer, more earth-friendly gold Extracting more gold more efficiently is only one half of what CLINN-GEM can do. The other half is dealing with one of the worst issues regarding the mining industry: tailings and waste. Dr. Mendoza points out that of every batch of ore dug out, only 0.1% of it is actually extracted and collected as valuable while the remaining 99.9% is discarded as waste. These waste materials are usually composed of fine particles, and when combined with the marine environment, they can wreak havoc upon the entire ecology. This is true for all kinds of mining, whether ASMs or large-scale. But CLINN-GEM has a way of treating the waste materials produced by mineral processing in a way that does minimal impact upon the environment. The waste produced by the enhanced gravitation concentration process consists of associated gold, and is put through the flotation and leaching processes to further squeeze the gold out of it. The entire CLINN-GEM pilot facility assembled at the UP Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering building, where the entire process takes place, from gold extraction to waste treatment. (Photo by Celeste Llaneta, UP MPRO) The waste produced by the flotation process is placed into settling ponds to separate the fine solids from the bulk liquid. Since CLINN-GEM uses no toxic or harmful chemicals, both liquid and solid waste from flotation are considered inert, or chemically unreactive and stable in the atmosphere. The liquids can be safely returned to the rivers, while the solids are packed into sacks and delivered to landfills or used in other ways, such as construction materials. Treating the waste from the leaching process is a bit more complicated, as the waste liquids contain heavy metals. CLINN-GEM also has a way to treat this, however, using both natural minerals and organic materials as absorbents to safely clear the heavy metals from the waste. “So there is a friendly extraction process to extract the gold from the concentrate, and there is a waste treatment part to address all the waste coming out of the plant,” Dr. Mendoza sums up. All of this—from extraction to waste treatment—are contained in just one CLINN-GEM plant or facility. One part of the equation Dr. Mendoza’s CLINN-GEM is designed for Filipino ASMs, using a range of collectors tailor-made for the specific mineral composition of the ore, which varies from area to area, and is built at a scale that makes it ideal for small mining communities in far-flung areas. It’s considerably safer for humans and more environment-friendly, making it the more sustainable option. Moreover, field-testing data has shown that gold (and copper) recovery rate, cost and processing time for CLINN-GEM are better, compared to existing ASM practices. Dr. Mendoza gives a guided tour of the CLINN-GEM pilot plant in the UPDMMME, pointing out features that handle each step of the process, from gravity and enhanced gravity conentration, to gold extraction and collection, to flotation and leaching. (Photo by Celeste Llaneta, UP MPRO) So the technology is sound. So sound that of the four different locations where CLINN-GEM is undergoing field testing—Benguet, Camarines Norte, Compostela Valley, and the CARAGA Region—one of them, in Itogon, Benguet, already has an operational facility capable of processing up to 10 metric tons of ore per batch. “Technically, we are injecting technology into the extraction of gold, and this is what we want to teach and enable the small-scale miners,” Dr. Mendoza says. “It is still a challenge bringing the technology to the ASM community, and up to now, some of them still cannot see the advantages.” Because, if there is one thing he learned in the ten years he has spent working on the CLINN-GEM project, engineering and technology make up only one half of the alchemical equation for the transformation of lives. And this might just be the simpler half. Learn how the CLINN-GEM project was taken out of UP’s laboratory and brought into the communities and day-to-day lives of the country’s artisanal and small-scale miners in A better kind of alchemy (Part 2).
https://up.edu.ph/repurposing-typhoon-damaged-trees/	Repurposing typhoon-damaged trees – University of the Philippines	Repurposing typhoon-damaged trees Repurposing typhoon-damaged trees September 5, 2018 \| Written by Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo When Typhoon Glenda tore through Southern Luzon in July 2014, some of UP Los Baños’ treasured trees—old and huge acacia and mahogany—didn’t escape the tropical cyclone’s wrath. But they’ve been given new life, so to speak, as furniture in all ten UPLB dormitories. Some of the indoor and outdoor furniture created by the UPLB Housing Office skilled workers from trees felled by Typhoon Glenda (Photos by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) This was initiated by the UPLB Housing Office (UHO), which takes care of student and staff housing on campus. And UHO Director Zoilo Belano Jr. says they’re not even done. Four years after the disaster, there are still slabs of wood waiting to be repurposed and pieces in the makeshift workshop to be finished. Saving trees, saving on cost Belano explains that when he proposed the project to campus officials, he told them that he didn’t want the trees to simply go to waste and that he had seen wood furniture in Australia they could use as inspiration. In addition, the University wouldn’t have to spend on plastic furniture for the residence halls. It wasn’t hard to get the UPLB administration on board. “Chancellor Fernando Sanchez and Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Serlie Jamias loved the idea and even showed me some examples of repurposing they had seen in Japan,” Belano continues. The UHO carpenters got to work. Their main duties were focused on repairs and other minor construction jobs for housing units under the UHO jurisdiction. Furniture-making wasn’t really part of their tasks and it was something many had to learn. At work in the makeshift workshop and storage area at the Agricultural Training Institute-National Training Center Residence Hall: from left to right, master carpenter Aurelio Heredia, master carpenter Roger Villegas, and foreman Luis Dela Cruz (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) Even with the lack of tools for such an activity, they persisted and learned from their more knowledgeable co-workers. It was a side project they worked on when they weren’t called to the dorms and staff housing units to do repairs. UPLB is lucky to have its carpenters, Belano says, because dorm residents now enjoy a variety of tables and benches where they can eat, study, work on their projects, or hang out. There are long and wide pieces of furniture to accommodate big groups, long and high tables with wheels paired with bar stools, round tables with chairs for smaller groups, and outdoor tables and chairs for those who want to go al fresco. Even dorm kitchens have been furnished. Building capacity, inspiring creativity Those pieces are not the only good things to come from the initiative. Some of the workers discovered they were quite good at making furniture. “They are proud of what they have accomplished and they deserve to be. It makes me happy that we were able to help them acquire new skills and realize talents they didn’t know they had,” Belano says. Foreman Luis Dela Cruz describes how inspiration often comes suddenly when determining how to appropriate a wooden slab into furniture. An example is the backrest of the bench he is sitting on, the slab of which was shaped like almost symmetrical wings. (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) Luis Dela Cruz, a UHO foreman assigned to staff housing, is one of the lead employees in the project. He reveals that the assignment really encouraged them to think creatively in not only using as much of the wood as possible, but also appropriating its use and making it aesthetically pleasing. “It takes an active imagination. There are times when I would sit and stare at the wooden slab and its shape and curves. And then the idea suddenly just comes to me,” Dela Cruz says, explaining his process. Working on the furniture seems to be a welcome respite from doing housing repairs for the UHO carpenters. They profess their enjoyment at creating things and seeing their handiwork being of use to students, staff, and visitors in the residence halls. While the UHO wishes it could have better tools and equipment to handle furniture-making, it takes pride in its workers’ resourcefulness and ingenuity. And it excitedly waits for the next batch of furniture to be completed and delivered to the dorm that needs it. Honey Faith Roa-Evangelista, dorm manager of the Agricultural Credit and Cooperatives Institute (ACCI) and International House Residence Halls, and UHO Director Zoilo Belano Jr. in a furniture set outside ACCI dorm complex (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO)
https://up.edu.ph/ups-tradition-of-protest-music/	UP’s Tradition of Protest Music – University of the Philippines	UP’s Tradition of Protest Music UP’s Tradition of Protest Music January 14, 2019 \| Written by Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc Jonas Baes’s iron-nail peace chimes, played by the audience for his ‘Patangis-Buwaya’ and ‘Banwa’ compositions to produce subtle glimmering sound like water, over the music sheet for the vocal part of ‘Banwa’. (Photo by Gardika Gigih Pradipta, an arts journalist from Indonesia for a workshop of Baes’s compositions at the Arts Summit Indonesia in Makassar, Sulawesi in 2016, reproduced with permission from Prof. Baes) UP Diliman College of Music Professor and UP Artist II Jonas Baes had a famous kuya. Aloysius “Ochie” Baes, a Bantayog ng mga Bayani martyr, was a student leader who founded the Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan (SDK) chapter in UP Los Baños. Arrested upon the declaration of martial law, Ochie endured prison through music, sometimes written on the child Jonas’ music sheets, which the latter always carried with him on family visits to the stockade. One song that he managed to smuggle out of prison was a kundiman adapted from an original by Bonifacio Abdon, a musician of the Philippine Revolution and one of the early music teachers at the UP Conservatory of Music. It was one of the first underground protest songs against martial law, “Mutya.” Not long after, in the second half of the ‘70s, musically-inclined campus activists in UP Los Baños formed Tulisanes, a group that collected, created, and performed protest music from those who, like Ochie, had committed their lives to the service of the masses. It was through them that college student Jonas lived his own youthful activism. Art and conscience Prof. Jonas recalls being active in Tulisanes in the late 1970s while he was taking up music in UP Diliman. He regularly commuted between Diliman and Los Baños where he composed and played music for his collective and the so-called parliament of the streets. But in the College of Music in Diliman, he immersed himself in the state-sponsored project of ethnomusicology, which was being led by future National Artists Jose Maceda and Ramon Santos. Instead of co-opting the student to pursue the state narrative, ethnomusicology would be responsible for bringing maturity to Jonas’ activism, as it entailed deeper immersion among indigenous peoples and creating music for and with the communities. It was in the college where Jonas’ art and his social conscience seamlessly merged. Now a professor of composition, Jonas is vocal in his support for the cultural collective, for music’s need to be true to its source. For him, protest music by Filipinos should not just vocalize poetry while assuming borrowed forms. Jonas aspires for music whose form is also a protest statement by being more originally Filipino. His musical projects, like his most widely-performed composition “Patangis Buwaya” based on the narratives of the Iraya Mangyans of Mindoro, echo the cries of indigenous peoples as they suffer from displacement and the exploitation of their living spaces by aggressive development. Jonas’ musical history is a reflection of the history of modern Philippine protest music itself, covering its rise from the kundiman toward more indigenously-grounded forms. Patatag file photo of Jonas Baes and Patatag alumnus Rody Vera, interacting with the audience before a tribute concert to Patatag music in 2015 in the UP Diliman College of Music. A turning point According to Prof. Teresita Maceda’s research on Philippine protest music, the Marcos regime was a turning point in Philippine protest music, when artists with activist inclinations had to veer away from the Philippine Revolution’s kundiman “Bayan Ko,” the marching beat of Maoist songs, and others that immediately tagged them as “red” to authorities. This was the era after Woodstock, of folk songs and rock music as unabashed expressions of counter-culture. The Western-oriented Filipino music industry rode on the trend, experimenting with the vernacular and finding much to protest about the Philippine situation. Popular music could not help but manifest the repression of the times, but were muted at best. On the other hand, the militant subculture, taking the cue, found a new medium with which to reach the masses, disseminate their ideals, describe social realities, and sow the seeds of resistance; and at the same time blend in with the crowd and escape state assault. The University, fighting for its academic freedom, became a nesting ground for activist artists. Thus came the era of “poet-musicians”, who included UP’s Jess Santiago, Paul Galang, Inang Laya’s Susan Fernandez, and Becky Demetillo, and others who offered their poetry set in music to the cause of the resistance. Like Jonas’ Tulisanes in Los Baños, their work was duplicated and distributed far and wide. Bootleg cassette tapes or mimeographs of their songs reached the farthest ends of the country, often without any acknowledgment of the authors, singers, and musicians. However, another musical trove was making its presence felt. Ethnomusicology—promoted by UP’s Jose Maceda and pursued by the younger professor Ramon Santos and then-student Jonas—was revealing its potential to benefit the very musical sources themselves that were indigenous and more powerfully connected to the Filipino psyche. It was soon evident in the alternative music introduced by Joey Ayala and the Bagong Lumad in the early 1980s. The ethnic feel of Ayala’s music gave it an edge in both the protest music and popular music subcultures. Patatag file photo of a 2015 tribute concert in UP Diliman, where a photo of members singing in the parliament of the streets is flashed on stage. At the same time in UP, the Patatag ensemble was formed and gravitated toward Philippine folk songs and ethnic music. It harnessed various musical talents—college students and young professionals—in UP toward activist aspirations. Jonas found this cultural collective characteristic of Patatag, resulting in his production of its third and last album, “Masdan, O Yahweh,” as the 1980s ended. Patatag attracted quite a number of young musical artists. One of them was Dong Abay, who would form the band Yano and who would continue rocking the boat in musical conventions and making his presence felt in protest actions. The protest tradition in UP thus continues to enrich Philippine music and politics.
https://up.edu.ph/versus-verses-fliptop-as-counterculture/	Versus Verses: FlipTop as Counterculture – University of the Philippines	Versus Verses: FlipTop as Counterculture Versus Verses: FlipTop as Counterculture January 14, 2019 \| Written by J. Mikhail Solitario Performance at Hacienda Luisita Massacre Commemoration Protest Action at Camp Aquino, Tarlac City. (Photo by Max Santiago) The University’s long and rich tradition of celebrating while studying the arts has allowed its sons and daughters to carve out their niche in many industries and art forms. UP has made its mark in mainstream and popular art, but is also in those spaces where counterculture has thrived, through,among others, one of UP’s top cultural performing groups Kontra GaPi (Kontemporaryong Gamelang Pilipino), and Kidlat Tahimik’s films that earned him the well-deserved title of National Artist for Cinema. An emerging form In music, the growing counterculture phenomenon known as FlipTop (which refers to anything related to the actual genre or form “battle rap” or local hiphop) has amassed a significant online following, with its YouTube channel presence of three million subscribers and its Facebook page with more than 2.6 million likes. FlipTop is actually the Filipino hiphop multimedia production company behind the famous rap battles. To the unfamiliar and bewildered, hiphop refers to the culture and lifestyle that has rap as one of its art forms. One of the names that this rising form has produced is BLKD (pronounced “balakid”), a Community Development graduate from UP Diliman. “Modern balagtasan,” according to BLKD, is a battle rap format consisting of face-to-face rap contests. Battle rappers prove their supremacy by rapping verses usually directed against each other. The format originated in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom and these videos are what introduced BLKD to rap battles as early as 2006. When he learned that a local counterpart was being produced by FlipTop Battle League in 2010, he joined the fun. He credits his background in writing poetry in high school as his only tool of survival in the cutthroat, high-pressure contest. But he also believes that he has always had the knack for wordplay, hence his naturally learning rapping “on the job.” Spitting verses A typical rap battle is governed by rules and mechanics adopted from its foreign counterparts who first launched battle leagues. The local rap battles run by FlipTop are in the modern format in which the competitors are given prior notice and ample time to prepare their a capella verses before the night of the competition. This is different from the old-school format in which performances are more spontaneous and verses are crafted on the spot with a beat. BLKD’s experience in creative writing and theater in UP gave him a more solid platform on which to compose. But what set his verses apart on the FlipTop stage is his more grounded, more meaningful approach to art creation: his exposure to the social realities that have taken center stage in his works today due to his integration with the basic masses in Community Development as well as his cultural mass organization Sinagbayan. These influences have propelled BLKD to the mission of serving the people through art. His first album, Gatilyo (released in 2015) a collaboration with DJ UMPH featured nine tracks as a concept album built with themes and statements that he personally picked. “I approached it almost as I would a research paper, deciding on chapters (tracks) that would help complete or explain my thesis,” he recalls. For each track and verse, he would decide on the form elements first before content, depending on the vibe of the beat he is writing to. “The process is never really linear. There are adjustments and remixing before the final product.” Performance at the Hip Hop Stage of Fête de la Musique 2016, Makati City. (Photo by Ryan Andres) Bigger battles ahead FlipTop has evolved from being a small battle event in Makati to a national battle league with divisions in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It has also expanded to publishing articles, running an online radio show, and producing new shows about local hiphop, on top of bimonthly events and a steady stream of battle videos online. BLKD is hopeful that FlipTop will become the country’s primary source of hiphop content in the future. BLKD encourages young artists to study the culture and to immerse themselves in the communities first before giving battle rap a serious try. “Battle rap is more than just rhyming and punchline writing,” he believes. “While outsiders can enjoy the spectacle from a distance, future artists in rap battle can only appreciate it when they know the context of the community in which they belong,” he added. This unique part of the music counterculture has reached the national consciousness through the Internet. As it speaks to a more rebellious soul of young culture and expands its reach to more audiences, a bigger stage is set for artists like BLKD to harness and use art as a weapon in the battle against societal ills.
https://up.edu.ph/two-bands-and-an-orchestra/	Two Bands and an Orchestra – University of the Philippines	Two Bands and an Orchestra Two Bands and an Orchestra January 14, 2019 \| Written by Fred Dabu UP Symphonic Band. (Photo by Han Asuncion) The University of the Philippines community takes pride in its official bands and orchestra: the UP Symphonic Band, a Student Performing Arts Group; the UP ROTC Band, its marching band; and, the UP Symphony Orchestra, its newest system-wide orchestra. UP Symphonic Band The UP Symphonic Band has proven itself worthy of the Honorific Award for Student Performing Arts Group (HASPAG) for all its accomplishments in local and international concerts and events throughout the years. Initially named in 1986 as the UP-Philippine Youth Symphonic Band (PYSB), the group formally changed its name to “UP Symphonic Band” in 1998 under the leadership of its Music Director and Conductor, Asst. Prof. Rodney Ambat of the UP College of Music. Last October 2018, the band held its “Symphonicity” concert at the Abelardo Hall, its latest in its long list of remarkable concerts held at venues such as the Abelardo Hall Auditorium, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Philamlife Theater, Concert at the Park in Luneta, and many others. Also recently, the band performed at the closing concert of the UP College of Music centennial in September 2017, the CCP Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino in April 2017, and the CCP International Winds and Jazz Festival in July 2016. Many of its members are winners of the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) and Philippine Representatives to the Asian Youth Orchestra and Southeast Asian Youth Orchestra and Wind Ensemble (SAYOWE). UP Symphonic Band. (Photo by Han Asuncion) UP ROTC Band The University’s official marching band, the UP ROTC Band, provides music for formal ceremonies, parades, and occasions such as the Lantern Parade, Commencement Exercises, Investiture Rites, inaugurals, and other academic affairs. The Band has more than a hundred years behind it. It was the Philippine Constabulary that formed the “UP Band”, which the UP Department of Military Science and Tactics (UP DMST) then renamed the “UP ROTC Band” as part of the UP Reserve Officers Training Corps (UP ROTC). The UP ROTC Band’s alumni include “top caliber musicians with diverse specializations, National Artists, Gawad CCP Awardees…, top military band commanding officers, principal musicians of Philippine Philharmonic, Manila Symphony, ABS-CBN Philharmonic, San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra, UP Jazz Ensemble, and some of the best marching bands,” writes Leonardo G. Quinitio (2018) in the book Saysay Himig: A Sourcebook on Philippine Music History, 1880-1941. Since the members of this band are also instrument majors of the UP College of Music, there was a period when it was called the “UP ROTC Symphonic Band”. Quinitio writes that this was when the “line up of musicians was upgraded from the basic regimental band structure to one with bigger brass and woodwind sections, additional percussion, timpani, and a string double bass section.” It was also “a vital laboratory for performance classes of the UP College of Music for brass, winds, woodwinds, percussion, and band conducting students.” Prof. Ambat clarifies that the UP Symphonic Band and the UP ROTC Band are two different groups but are comprised of almost the same members of Music students. The 60- to 80-member UP Symphonic Band is under the supervision of the UP College of Music, performs in concerts, and fulfills academic functions, while the UP ROTC Band is the marching band of the UP ROTC. UP Symphony Orchestra The UP Symphony Orchestra, the University’s official system-wide orchestra, recently announced its pioneering roster and first Yuletide treat. The orchestra, under the musical direction of Prof. Josefino Toledo, now has 65 instrumentalists from UP Diliman, UP Los Baños, and UP Manila, and has started its rehearsals for its first public performance in December. Dean LaVerne C. de la Peña of the UP College of Music said the newly-formed UP Symphony Orchestra aims to mount three major concerts per semester, or six concerts plus two special performances each year. Dean de la Peña adds that the orchestra will also serve as a laboratory for UP’s composers, conductors, and performers. The UP Symphony Orchestra is supported by the UP System Fund and hosted by the UP College of Music, as authorized by the UP Board of Regents on August 30, 2018.
https://up.edu.ph/pag-iilaw-2019-shines-on-upd-as-a-sanctuary/	“Pag-iilaw 2019” shines on UPD as a sanctuary – University of the Philippines	“Pag-iilaw 2019” shines on UPD as a sanctuary “Pag-iilaw 2019” shines on UPD as a sanctuary December 9, 2019 \| Written by Fred Dabu Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO. The “Pag-iilaw 2019” ceremony at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Carillon Plaza on November 29 signaled the start of the Christmas season in UP, as University officials formally switched on the decorative lights of the Carillon and all the major buildings and avenues in the campus. With the theme “Pumailanlang”, or “to soar”, the celebration for this season is centered on the Carillon Tower and Plaza, now adorned with bird-like lanterns to symbolize UP Diliman as a sanctuary for wildlife and humans alike, of marginalized sectors seeking refuge in the University, as well as for advocates of civil rights and academic freedom, especially in times of uncertainty and social turmoil. UP President Danilo L. Concepcion highlights the importance of the Carillon as one of UP’s historic structures and an enduring symbol of unity. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO. UP Diliman Chancellor Michael L. Tan reminds the UP community: “Huwag nating talikuran ang UP Diliman. Huwag nating talikuran ang mahal nating bayan. Huwag nating talikuran ang liwanag.” Photo by Jun Madrid, UP MPRO. Chase Salazar narrates Severino Reyes’s “Ang Prinsesa ng mga Ibon”. Photo by Jun Madrid, UP MPRO. Katz Trangco conducts the UP College of Music Student Ensemble in “Daluy”, a composition by Professor Jonas Baes. Photo by Jun Madrid, UP MPRO. Cris Go and Ervin Lumauag sing “Noong Unang Panahon” and “Awit ng Pagsinta”, compositions by Nonong Pedero and Ryan Cayabyab and musical arrangement by Jai Saldejano, together with the UP College of Music Student Ensemble under the baton of Katz Trangco. Photo by Jun Madrid, UP MPRO. “Air dance” performance choreographed by Japhet Mari Cabling. Photo by Jun Madrid, UP MPRO. The Carillon plays as the mythical bird approaches for the “Pagbubukas ng Ilaw”. Photo by Jun Madrid, UP MPRO. Cris Go and Ervin Lumauag sing Rivermaya’s “Liwanag sa Dilim” and Bamboo’s “Noypi”, musical arrangement by Jai Saldejano, together with the UP College of Music Student Ensemble under the baton of Katz Trangco. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO. After the ceremony, a live band concert, featuring Moonstar 88 and We Got, and a potluck street party, in celebration of the achievements of the UP athletes who participated in the UAAP Season 82, were held at the Washington Sycip Garden, which is located at the same block and faces the UP Bahay ng Alumni. Most notable of those present were the Men’s Basketball Team and the UP Pep Squad. Concert featuring Moonstar 88 and We Got. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO. Potluck street party at the Washington Sycip Garden. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO. As a tribute to its historic significance and continuing relevance to the UP community, the Carillon, also known as the Andres Bonifacio Centennial Carillon Tower, serves as this year’s centerpiece and venue for the Pag-iilaw, which is traditionally held at the Oblation Plaza. The bells of the Carillon were rung as part of protest actions marking the ouster of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, and the excesses of the Philippine drug war under the present administration, which has claimed the lives of many innocent victims, among many other social issues. Just like the previous years’ Pag-iilaw designs, the mythical birds for this season were also designed by Toym Imao. Photo by Jun Madrid, UP MPRO. The much awaited Lantern Parade will be held on December 13 to cap the University’s Christmas and year-end celebrations. The theme “Pumailanlang”, or “to soar”, invites the public to be like the mythical birds Adarna, Sarimanok, Manaul or Tigmamanukan, and other avian characters in Philippine folklore which symbolize the spirit of freedom, honor, and determination to serve with compassion and hope. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO. The theme “Pumailanlang”, or “to soar”, invites the public to be like the mythical birds Adarna, Sarimanok, Manaul or Tigmamanukan, and other avian characters in Philippine folklore which symbolize the spirit of freedom, honor, and determination to serve with compassion and hope. Photo by Jun Madrid, UP MPRO.
https://up.edu.ph/new-chancellors-of-uplb-upv-appointed-by-the-bor-upm-chancellor-reappointed/	New chancellors of UPLB, UPV appointed by the BOR; UPM chancellor reappointed – University of the Philippines	New chancellors of UPLB, UPV appointed by the BOR; UPM chancellor reappointed New chancellors of UPLB, UPV appointed by the BOR; UPM chancellor reappointed September 30, 2020 \| Written by Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta The University of the Philippines Board of Regents (BOR) recently approved the appointment of Dr. Jose V. Camacho, Jr. as the new chancellor of UP Los Baños (UPLB) and Dr. Clement C. Camposano as the new chancellor of UP Visayas (UPV), as well as the reappointment of Dr. Carmencita D. Padilla for a third term as the chancellor of UP Manila (UPM). Their three-year terms will take effect from November 1, 2020 to October 31, 2023. The appointment of the two new chancellors and reappointment of the chancellor of UP Manila was approved at the UP BOR’s 1354th meeting held on September 24, 2020, according to Memorandum No. OSU2020-01-17 of the UP Office of the Secretary of the University and the BOR dated September 25, 2020. New UPLB Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. Photo from the UPLB website. Dr. Jose V. Camacho, Jr. served as the dean of the UPLB Graduate School prior to his appointment as the new UPLB chancellor. He also served as the chair of academic programs and curriculum, and as the chair of the Department of Economics. He was also Associate Dean of the UPLB College of Economics and Management, specializing in the economics of education, labor and human resources, institutions, and political economy. A professor of economics, he graduated with a Master’s in Economics of Development at the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands, in 1995, and a doctorate in Economics at Kyoto University, Japan, in 2007. Chancellor Camacho’s vision-statement, “Future-Proofing UPLB”, saw UPLB as sustaining its relevance “by developing methods, approaches, and framework to minimize the costs and impacts of shocks of future events,” noting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on both the University and the country. “UPLB will continue as a bastion of innovation, knowledge-generation and as a center for lifelong-learning and public service initiatives. Its cutting-edge research will be utilized for the influence and benefits it shall cause people as they enlarge opportunities to pursue their goals for recovery, development and social transformation,” he stated. New UP Visayas Chancellor Clement C. Camposano. Photo from the UP Visayas Facebook page. New UPV Chancellor Clement C. Camposano is a faculty member of the UP Diliman College of Education. He earned his PhD in Philippine Studies (Anthropology) from the Tri-College Program of UP Diliman in 2009. He earned his MA in Political Science and his BA in both Political Science and History from UP Diliman. In his vision-statement, Camposano envisioned a UPV that is more inclusive and has stronger democratic governance and proposed a “Stakeholders’ Digital Engagement Space” that would serve as a venue for consultations with various UPV sectors using different social media platforms. He also vows to exercise an empathetic leadership by considering the perspectives of his constituents; and envisions a UPV that is more publicly engaged, promotes diversity and safe spaces, and uses its resources for public good. Reappointed chancellor of UP Manila, Dr. Carmencita D. Padilla. Photo from DZUP Balita’s Facebook page. Dr. Carmencita D. Padilla is a professor of pediatrics and was the executive director of the UP-based Philippine Genome Center prior to her first appointment as UP Manila Chancellor in 2014. She is Founding Director of the Institute of Human Genetics and the Newborn Screening Reference Center at the National Institutes of Health, and a pioneer in genetics in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region. Recognizing her varied contributions to the academic growth of genetics in the Philippines, she was conferred the title of Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology in 2008. She has been overseeing UP Manila’s and the UP Philippine General Hospital’s critical and timely responses to the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning of the quarantine. Other UP administrative officials appointed by the UP-BOR at the same meeting were: Dr. Maria Bernadette L. Abrera as Dean of the UP Diliman College of Social Sciences and Philosophy; Ms. Elvira B. Lapuz as UP Diliman’s University Librarian; and, Dr. Aurelia Luzviminda V. Gomez as Dean of the UP Mindanao School of Management. They will serve until the end of their terms on September 23, 2023.
https://up.edu.ph/too-ripe-too-soon-fruitect-it/	Too ripe, too soon? Fruitect it! – University of the Philippines	Too ripe, too soon? Fruitect it! Too ripe, too soon? Fruitect it! October 3, 2017 \| Written by Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo Attention, fruit farmers and exporters: there’s a new way to extend the shelf life of your produce! That’s right. UP Los Baños scientists have discovered a way to help the fruit industry cut back its post-harvest losses by making produce last longer. Dr. Veronica C. Sabularse, Dr. Hidelisa P. Hernandez, and Rhea DC Mallari from the Institute of Chemistry have created Fruitect Mango, a liquid coating formulation that delays the ripening of Carabao mango. Other formulations are suited for White Sunrise papaya, PPY-14 papaya, Smooth Cayenne pineapple, and Lacatan banana. It’s easy to apply. It can be brushed on harvested fruits or it can be used as a dipping solution. It rinses off with just water because it’s not like the usual wax-based coating which needs to be removed with soap and water. In addition, it’s green technology. It comes from agricultural waste, which makes it a byproduct that prevents main agricultural products from going to waste. According to the team, initial data showed that Fruitect can also minimize moisture loss, shriveling, and abrasion during transport. But the measure of success lies in one very important factor: taste. One would think that delaying the natural ripening process would affect the freshness and taste of the produce, but it doesn’t. “Our research assistants ate the fruits in our experiments and they all said, ‘Masarap!’ [Delicious!] Rhea can attest to that,” Hernandez says with a laugh. “So, no. There were no observed changes in taste. The fruits tasted the way they were supposed to, comparable to freshly picked ripened fruits from the farm,” adds Sabularse. The team that created Fruitect, from left to right: Rhea DC Mallari, Dr. Veronica C. Sabularse, and Dr. Hidelisa P. Hernandez of the Institute of Chemistry, UP Los Baños. (Photo by Misael A. Bacani, UP MPRO) The backstory Sabularse actually started working on coating formulations back in 1996. “The idea of coatings has been around for a long time,” she says. “That’s what I worked on when I was on fellowship in Australia and when I came back, I had the idea of making use of agricultural processing waste.” In 2010, Sabularse’s proposed research on nanobiocomposite coatings was one of four exploratory projects on nanotechnology funded by the Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development, now the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Three years later, the council’s nanotech exploration had become a program and Sabularse and Hernandez had already joined together and were granted funding for additional research. ”PCIEERD had a condition: that we work on major export commodities. Post-harvest losses range from 20 to 80 percent,” Hernandez reveals. Almost four years later, four Fruitect formulations were created. Trial and error Like any scientific research requiring experimentation, Fruitect and its four formulations resulted from the age-old painstaking process of trial and error— from the optimization of extraction of ingredients from raw materials to making and recalibrating the formulations to actual testing, which involves physical observation and chemical analysis. Each Fruitect formulation is specific to a variety of papaya, mango, pineapple, and banana. “We really have to emphasize that it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution,” Sabularse explains. “We can’t guarantee the desired result if the technology isn’t used as intended,” Hernandez adds. Following export storage conditions of 13°C, Fruitect Mango delays the ripening of the carabao variety by 16 days. At 25°C, the delay is four days. Fruitect Papaya delays the ripening of the PPY-14 variety by five days when stored at 20°C, and the white sunrise variety by 28 days when stored at 13°C. Stored at 25°C, Fruitect Pineapple extends the life of the sweet cayenne variety for six more days. Fruitect Banana also prolongs the life of the lakatan variety by six additional days when stored at 28°C. The coating formulation for papaya has already been granted a utility model patent, while another patent application for mango coating has been filed. Experiment on Carabao mangoes showing control group and group treated with Fruitect Mango. These were stored at 13°C, the storage temperature during export. Fruitect Mango delayed ripening by 16 days. (Photo from Dr. Hidelisa P. Hernandez, UPLB IC) The present and future of Fruitect “We’re always invited to DOST technology transfer events across the country and we’ve been getting calls from interested farmers and exporters,” says Hernandez. These are not just those with thousand-hectare farms and exporters of produce to foreign countries, but also those with smaller farms and who export locally or across Philippine islands. In addition, they’ve been “getting inquiries about coating formulations for other produce like strawberry, cucumber, okra, and tomato,” according to Sabularse. The team says that going around the country to the tech transfer events has been an eye-opener for scientists such as themselves who are usually engrossed in their research and cooped up in their labs. Hernandez is hopeful of the future. “We see a lot of potential in the multitude of problems that are presented to us. There are so many possibilities like other waste materials to repurpose or other agricultural products that could be major exports if only they had longer shelf life after harvest. We can still make so many improvements.” While the team is working toward helping the fruit industry in waste utilization and decreasing post-harvest losses, it also hopes to reach out to regular folk who harvest fruit from a few trees around their houses or even consumers who just want their fruits to last a little longer.
https://up.edu.ph/amped-up-copra-meal-for-animal-feed-mixes/	Amped up copra meal for animal feed mixes – University of the Philippines	Amped up copra meal for animal feed mixes Amped up copra meal for animal feed mixes January 5, 2018 \| Written by Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo Step aside, soybean meal, and get ready for competition. Protein-enriched copra meal (PECM) is here to challenge your position as a main ingredient in animal feed. Developed over the last ten years by Dr. Laura J. Pham and her team at the UP Los Baños (UPLB) National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH), PECM was created by treating copra meal with microorganisms to enhance its protein content. Protein Enriched Copra Meal created by Dr. Laura J. Pham and her team at the UP Los Baños National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Photo from Dr. Laura J. Pham) Copra meal or copra cake is a byproduct of coconut oil extraction and has around 20 percent protein content. Through UPLB BIOTECH’s patented process, the protein content was raised to as much as 44 percent—quite close to soy meal’s 46 percent. So why is this significant? The Philippines is one of the world’s top coconut producers. According to 2015 data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in January of this year, coconut products were the country’s number one agricultural export commodity, with copra meal earnings of US$70.42 million. Copra meal is already being used in animal feed mixes, but its composition—not enough protein and too much fiber—doesn’t make it an ideal main ingredient, which is what soybean meal is. The problem with soybean meal? It’s not locally abundant, so local feed producers and farmers need to have this protein source imported. This need is so great that the same PSA data shows soybean meal as the country’s second top agricultural import commodity, costing US$888.4 million. “This product was sourced from the USA, accounting for 77.3 percent of the total value of imports,” the agency says. The Philippines was, in fact, identified as “the largest market for US soybean meal” by a 2016 Global Agricultural Information Network report of the US Department of Agriculture. Comparison of milkfish (top) and tilapia (bottom) fed with commercial aquaculture feed (left) and with feed mixed with PECM (right) (Photo from the UP Visayas Institute of Aquaculture) Pham says that due to the “high cost and insufficient supply of nutritious feed components, the animal industry is beset with problems of malnutrition, poor livestock, and the high price of animal products.” Price increase ultimately leads to a decrease in local consumption of animal products, she explains. And this, of course, means low income for Filipino farmers. By providing a cheaper and locally-abundant alternative that’s just as healthy and nutritious, PECM can help ensure the sufficiency of an animal feed protein source and allow the reduction of prices of animal products due to lower production costs. The good news doesn’t end there. People might think PECM is only good for livestock like swine and poultry just because it was developed in UPLB, which is known for its leadership in agriculture education, training, and research. Institute of Aquaculture Director Rex Ferdinand Traifalgar of the UP Visayas College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) Well, it’s not. It’s looking pretty good for aquaculture, too. Retired UP Professor Valeriano L. Corre Jr. and Institute of Aquaculture Director Rex Ferdinand Traifalgar of the UP Visayas College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences have been leading the team on “Field trial of PECM as feed protein for tilapia, milkfish, and shrimp aquaculture.” One of the goals of the project is to come up with an optimized feeding guide in the use of PECM in aquatic animal feed. Preliminary trials have posted positive results. Soybean meal could be replaced by as much as 50 percent with PECM, which the team says “could lower the cost of feed inputs in culturing shrimp, tilapia, and milkfish.” Overall, production was good for tilapia, milkfish, and shrimp in low density culture. The use of PECM didn’t affect the look, taste, and feel of the meat from these three products. Traifalgar notes, however, that trials in large-scale commercial-size ponds and tanks need to be completed to see if the results verify those of the preliminary tests. From left to right: UPLB Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Rex B. Demafelis, Dr. Laura J. Pham, BIOTECH Director Rosario G. Monsalud, Former UPLB Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Susan May F. Calumpang, and PCAARRD Deputy Executive Director Edwin C. Villar lead the groundbreaking ceremony of the Phase I construction of the PECM pilot plant facility on 25 May 2016 (Photo from Dr. Laura J. Pham) With funding support from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology, the development and production of PECM is projected to advance further with the upcoming completion of its pilot plant facility. Pham reveals “the optimization of the process conditions for the pilot scale production at one metric ton capacity will follow.”
https://up.edu.ph/eats-from-the-garden/	Eats from the garden – University of the Philippines	Eats from the garden Eats from the garden July 3, 2018 \| Written by Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo A sampling of dorm produce: clockwise from top right, landscape maintenance staff Joel Cia and the chilies at the Men’s Residence Hall; okra; tomatoes; and MS Entomology student Vanessa Jane Acabal getting her hands on some papaya at the International House garden. (Photos by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) There’s some kind of food revolution going on at UP Los Baños (UPLB) and it’s begun to take root in student dormitories. Edible gardening is gaining ground as a way of providing students not only more nutritious options in their diet but also food in dorms when students can’t go out to eat. It seems only right, since UPLB is the country’s leading institution in agriculture. The effort also ties in neatly with the University’s initiative on edible landscapes. “Sometimes we have students who are short on cash, so they scrimp and skip meals. Or there are those who study late into the night only to realize it’s far too late to go out and buy a proper meal,” says UPLB Housing Office (UHO) Director Zoilo Belano Jr. on how the idea of edible gardening in dorms came about. He added that some of the more healthy choices are also cheaper, so fruits and vegetables freely harvested from the gardens make better sense. Joeseph Quisado may study insects for his PhD in Entomology but he seems to be good at horticulture, too. (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) They’re organic, too UPLB obviously isn’t short on expertise, so the UHO sought the help of Dr. Blesilda Calub of the College of Agriculture and Food Science-Agricultural Systems Institute to teach organic gardening to dorm staff and residents. This was to take better care of food sources that have naturally grown around the dorms, such as papaya and banana, as well as new ones they intend to plant. The edible gardens at dorms are at different stages of development, with some having more variety of produce than others. Belano explains that this is due to varying terrain and manpower availability, although the UHO will continue to work on improving the productivity of the gardens with less produce. At present, the most developed is the International House Residence Hall garden, where they’ve planted tomato, okra, cucumber, habanero pepper, strawberry, and blueberry, among many others. The other dorms have string beans, mustard greens, eggplant, chili pepper, sweet potato, ginger, squash, etc. Those that need more work are the gardens at the Women’s Residence Hall and the Veterinary Medicine Residence Hall. Belano says that the gardens will continue to be developed and maintained through organic farming methods. From left to right, International House residents Joeseph Quisado and Vanessa Jane Acabal with Dorm Manager Honey Faith Roa-Evangelista and UPLB Housing Office Director Zoilo Belano Jr. (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) Not just for students The UHO is thinking big and it plans to expand its edible gardening initiative to the faculty and staff housing sector. “We have five residential zones for faculty and staff, and what we want is to have at least one common garden for each zone,” reveals Belano. Apart from promoting a healthier lifestyle through nutrient-rich foods, gardening is known to be beneficial to physical, mental, and emotional health for all ages. In fact, a field related to this has developed—therapeutic horticulture. “We also want these gardens to be pockets of social interaction, bringing members of the community closer to each other to make better neighborhoods where residents live harmoniously,” Belano adds. Master Carpenter Roger Villegas tends to the edible garden at the back of the Agricultural Training Institute-National Training Center Residence Hall, where the carpentry workshop of the UPLB Housing Office is temporarily located. (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) He is confident the UPLB community will be supportive of these plans and he looks forward to the day edible gardening becomes a widespread phenomenon in schools. After all, as the leading academic institution in agriculture, UPLB is expected to do no less than start the food revolution in its own backyard.
https://up.edu.ph/from-grief-to-gratitude/	From Grief to Gratitude – University of the Philippines	From Grief to Gratitude From Grief to Gratitude November 16, 2018 \| Written by Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo Emely Amoloza lost her daughter to cancer seven years ago. But it was gratitude, not grief, that pushed the then administrative officer at the UP Open University (UPOU) to launch a public service initiative that has become an anticipated annual event: the UPOU Blood Donation Drive. Haydelle Amoloza in her high school graduation photo (Photo from Emely Amoloza, UPOU FICS) Her daughter was a quiet young woman who was enjoying university life as a second-year Applied Physics major at UP Los Baños (UPLB). She spent her free time reaching out to children who lived near the train tracks outside campus. She shared her knowledge with them, showed them kindness the best way she knew how. She didn’t even tell her mother about it; she didn’t think herself or what she did exceptional. It was only at Haydelle’s wake, when those children came to visit, that Emely realized the extent of her daughter’s generosity and compassion for others. Haydelle was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2010. Things looked good after her operation, but life took a heartbreaking turn just a few months later. It was December when they learned that the cancer had returned. In January 2011, it had metastasized and was classified as stage IV. She succumbed to her illness on April 18, 2011—twelve days after she had turned 19. Paying it forward “When you go through something like this, you don’t really expect an outpouring of support. But there it was and it was really overwhelming,” Emely recalls, teary-eyed. Emely Amoloza (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) Relatives, friends, former classmates at the UP Rural High School and UPLB—hers and Haydelle’s, and UPOU colleagues—rallied around the Amoloza family during those difficult times. And it was something that stayed with Emely. “I was so grateful at the amount of help that was extended to us. I still am. We were really blessed to have received so much love.” It was that feeling of gratitude and her daughter’s kindness that inspired Emely to find a way of helping others, to provide what they need. While it wasn’t very challenging for their family to find blood supplies for Haydelle, she knew that other patients weren’t as fortunate as her daughter. “I thought a blood drive would be a good way of paying it forward.” Critical need There is no substitute for human blood and it is always in high demand. According to the Red Cross, patients with cancer, trauma, extensive burns, blood diseases, and chronic illnesses benefit most from blood donations. Their lives depend on it. Blood is a resource that healthy persons can easily replenish. In fact, they can donate every three months. Donating blood benefit not only the recipients but the donors as well. Apart from the emotional satisfaction of knowing you are helping save lives, bloodletting reduces iron stores in the body. Studies have been made on how high levels of iron in the blood increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and liver diseases, among others. To have a heart Emely, now a university extension associate, says that it wasn’t hard to get UPOU support for the blood drive because public service is one of the University’s main functions. It also wasn’t hard to get the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on board because it welcomes initiatives such as this. 2018 UPOU Blood Donation Drive (Photo from UPOU FICS) Except for 2013, the blood drive has been held in April of each year in memory of Haydelle. Emely said that she has received messages telling her that they were excited to donate, that they were asking more of their friends to go with them, that perhaps the one-day event could be extended to two so that more donors could be accommodated. Since the program started in 2012, the number of donors has been increasing and so has the number of partner organizations. It even encouraged more people to volunteer their services and sponsor items such as food and beverage for blood donors. As a result, UPOU’s program has been cited by the PRC “for meritorious service rendered in the promotion of Blood Services.” Emely’s way of “paying it forward” doesn’t stop with the blood donation drive. UPOU is entitled to ten percent of its total blood collection, freely given to those in need. When it runs out and there are still indigent patients asking Emely for help, she calls other blood drive organizers to ask for their “free blood.” She also extends assistance to those who need to secure blood from the PRC. Emely said that while the program was conceived by a mother’s gratitude, it owes a big part of its life to the University. “Looking back on everything—Haydelle’s selflessness, the generosity of my co-workers in UPOU, the unrelenting support from my schoolmates and my daughter’s schoolmates, my passion for this endeavor—I realize that this blood drive exists because UP taught us ‘puso,’ what it truly means to have a heart. It allowed me to transcend the despair of losing my daughter, to be thankful, and to pass on to others the kindness bestowed upon me and my family.”
https://up.edu.ph/up-confers-doctor-of-laws-upon-dr-richard-roberts/	UP confers Doctor of Laws upon Dr. Richard Roberts – University of the Philippines	UP confers Doctor of Laws upon Dr. Richard Roberts UP confers Doctor of Laws upon Dr. Richard Roberts November 23, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office In ceremonies which he said “touched him the most,” Dr. Richard J. Roberts, 1993 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, was conferred by UP the Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, for his contributions in molecular biology, without which UPLB would not have been able to produce its biotechnology products. Dr. Roberts received the honorary degree during a ceremony on Nov. 21 at the DL Umali Hall in UPLB. Dr. J. Prospero E. De Vera III, chair of the UP Board of Regents (BOR) and the Commission on Higher Education, and Atty. Danilo L. Concepcion, president of UP, spearheaded the awarding ceremonies. “I’m overwhelmed. This is an unbelievable honor. It is something I will remember for the rest of my life,” Dr. Roberts said. UP recognized Dr. Roberts for his discovery of split genes and RNA splicing. His contributions to the wide availability of restriction enzymes have also paved the way for many of UPLB’s biotechnology products. The University also took note of his advocacy for the production and consumption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). He has persuaded 138 fellow Nobel awardees to sign a manifesto supporting the safe and responsible use of recombinant technology in improving plant varieties to produce GMOs. In his address and lecture during the event, Dr. Roberts talked about his stand favoring GMOs. “GMO is safe. There is no evidence whatsoever that GMOs are dangerous. There has not been a single credible problem posed by GMOs since they were first introduced,” Dr. Roberts stated. “GMOs are safer than conventionally bred foods for a simple reason that [compared to] conventional breeding, in GMOs, you know exactly what’s in it,” he added. Dr. Roberts said that precision breeding selects only a particular gene to improve the quality of plants, such as resistance to specific pests. He cited Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Corn, Bt Eggplant, Golden Rice and Rainbow Papaya as examples of these GMO crops. He also emphasized the role of GMOs in providing more food, particularly to children of developing countries who suffer from food scarcity and vitamin deficiency. “If you want to make decisions about supporting or not supporting GMOs, have a heart. Think about these kids in Africa. They need food and they are not going to get the food they need by traditional methods, but they can get it by using GMO methods,” Dr. Roberts ended. Witnessing the awarding ceremony were Hon. Angelo Jimenez and Hon. Frederick Mikhail Farolan, both members of the UP BOR; Atty. Roberto Lara, secretary of the university and the BOR; and Chancellor Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr. Also present were National Scientist Dolores Ramirez and National Academy of Science and Technology Academician Dr. Eufemio Rasco, Jr., who introduced Dr. Roberts. UPLB constituents–current officials, past administrators, faculty members, research, extension, professional, and administrative staff, and students–witnessed the ceremony. (Mark Jayson E. Gloria) This article was first published on UP Los Baños News and Updates on November 22, 2018 (http://uplb.edu.ph/top-stories/up-confers-doctor-of-laws-to-dr-richard-roberts/).
https://up.edu.ph/istorya-ng-pag-asa-calls-for-film-entries/	Istorya ng Pag-asa calls for film entries – University of the Philippines	Istorya ng Pag-asa calls for film entries Istorya ng Pag-asa calls for film entries January 12, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office Are you interested in making films? Do you have a true and inspiring story you want to share? Join the Istorya ng Pag-asa Film Festival! Istorya ng Pag-asa (INP) is a traveling photo gallery featuring extraordinary stories of ordinary Filipinos. Through words and portraits, this project aims to inspire, empower and be a source of hope for all. INP is an initiative of the Office of the Vice President, aiming to direct our social conversations away from animosity toward positivity by spreading stories of hope featuring ordinary Filipinos who triumph over adversity. Officially launched in November 2016, it now continues to grow with stories of hope sourced from local communities, with the help of different socio-civic groups and local government units. INP continues to expand its reach to all corners of the country, with the support of partners and stakeholders from Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Quezon City, Naga, Baguio, Palawan and Dumaguete. Click here to view the mechanics, application form and FAQs. Accepting submissions only until February 25, 2018.
https://up.edu.ph/danilo-l-concepcion-installed-as-21st-up-president/	Danilo L. Concepción installed as 21st UP president – University of the Philippines	Danilo L. Concepción installed as 21st UP president Danilo L. Concepción installed as 21st UP president October 13, 2017 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office Atty. Danilo Lardizabal Concepción was formally installed as the 21st president of the University of the Philippines on September 20 at the University Theater, UP Diliman. He has been in office for seven months. Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Patricia Licuanan, who heads the UP Board of Regents, presided over the investiture rites. As part of the ceremony, she handed over the symbols of the presidency such as the mace and medallion to Concepción. Pres. Danilo L. Concepcion receives the mace from CHED and UP BOR Chair Patricia Licuanan (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) CHED and UP BOR Chair Patricia Licuanan affixes the medallion on Pres. Danilo L. Concepcion’s academic robe along with his wife Atty. Gabriela Roldan Concepcion (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) Philippine Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo graced the event along with other government officials. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte had been invited but sent his regrets along with his “felicitations to the University and its new leadership.” Members of the diplomatic corps, National Artists, National Scientists, academic leaders, former UP presidents, and University officials from across the UP System were among those who attended the ceremony. When Concepción was still a nominee, his vision sought to redefine UP’s culture, enhancing its time-honored traditions of honor and excellence to include “malasakit” or compassion—a virtue he considers as “UP’s moral core as the national university.” In his investiture speech titled “Compassion, Our Common Ground,” he defined compassion as genuine care for UP, for the professions, and for each member of the University. “When we genuinely feel compassion, we are truly careful with our words and deeds; very careful of our every move so as not to hurt or harm the things we value and care for,” he said. Speaking both in English and Filipino, the new UP President began by looking back at UP’s 109-year-long history and noting that while “dissent has been coded into the University’s DNA,” the current atmosphere of political polarization in the country and even the university had taken its toll on “truth, reason, and respect.” He called for the promotion of “consensus over conflict, civility over calumny, and collaboration over confrontation. We must foster strategic thinking over short-sightedness, honest labor over opportunism, and shared effort over self-promotion.” He said that he would “focus on finding, in this University, a common ground, a clearing—a safe, free, and congenial space within which its constituents can teach, study, and work productively to their full potential.” Pres. Danilo L. Concepcion takes his oath as the University’s 21st president (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) He acknowledged the implementation of the new free tuition policy as his administration’s first major challenge. While tuition is now free, Concepción raised another important student issue: democratizing admissions. A good number of underprivileged students who wish to go to UP fail the UP College Admission Test. To address this, he proposed a voluntary return service agreement for UP students benefitting from free tuition. There are three options: agree to teach in senior high school for one year after graduation with compensation, opt out by paying tuition, or opt out after graduation by paying the cost of their UP education. Concepción was optimistic that UP students would choose to render service. On student protests and rallies, he promised to “guarantee their right and freedom to express their ideas, beliefs, and principles. We will never even attempt to suppress what they want to say, or oppress them for what they fight for.” For UP faculty, Concepción discussed the vigorous pursuit of funding for development programs; easing up the rules on tenure and promotion; the rise of the new and improved Faculty Center in three years; and the establishment of an office to help faculty members prepare for retirement, which includes assisting them with their needs, like housing. Campus rehabilitation is also on his list of priorities. He appealed to the UP alumni for support, specifically for the rehabilitation and upkeep of dormitories. Concepción also revealed plans for a Philippine General Hospital in Diliman, a medical complex that will include a College of Medicine and the Genomic Cancer Research Institute. It will serve northern Metro Manila and nearby areas. Another campus concern Concepción brought up was the presence of informal settlers across the University. He said that his family was, at some point, like them, so he knows how it feels to be one. “Their welfare will be included in all of our plans to put in order our campuses. My sincere prayer and hope is for them to also have compassion for our University and our community.” On staff development, Concepción emphasized the need to match operational requirements with administrative workforce. He also said that his administration has begun the process of regularizing contractual employees. Concepción explained that regularization entails the creation of plantilla items, which takes time. While waiting, non-UP contractuals are being moved up to UP contractual status for now, to let them enjoy the same benefits as regular UP employees. Concepción also talked about seeking reforms in the procurement process, automation of operating systems, and in the allocation and use of funds and resources. He mentioned the drive for more collaborative activities with other universities and colleges. Prior to assuming the presidency on February 10 this year, he was the executive director of the UP Bonifacio Global City campus. He also served as Vice President for Legal Affairs in the administration of his predecessor, Alfredo Pascual. From 2000 to 2002, he was president of De La Salle Araneta University. He has also been serving as the Dean of the UP College of Law since 2011. Born in 1958, Concepción earned his Master of Laws degree from the University of London in 1986 as a Chevening Scholar. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree, cum laude, from UP Diliman in 1983. In 1979, he received his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering degree, summa cum laude, from De La Salle Araneta University. He was elected to the position in November 2016 by the 11-member Board of Regents, UP’s highest governing body. UP’s presidents have traditionally held their investiture several months after taking office. To view a copy of his speech, click here. Click here to view photos taken during the investiture.
https://up.edu.ph/compassion-our-common-ground-investiture-speech-of-danilo-l-concepcion/	Compassion, Our Common Ground: The Investiture Speech of Danilo L. Concepción – University of the Philippines	Compassion, Our Common Ground: The Investiture Speech of Danilo L. Concepción Compassion, Our Common Ground: The Investiture Speech of Danilo L. Concepción September 20, 2017 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office “UP must be that special place within which it should still be possible—despite all divisions and distractions—to work together with the University’s and the nation’s strategic interests in mind.” (Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO) Compassion, Our Common Ground Investiture Speech of Danilo L. Concepción 21st President, University of the Philippines 20 September 2017, 5:00 p.m., University Theater I stand before you today as a student trained in two disciplines: that of science, which taught me the measure of Nature, and that of the law, which taught me the measure of Man. I cannot claim that I have learned enough because education is a lifelong process, and I expect to live a little longer. But this I have surely come to realize: that while Nature may be bewilderingly complex, Man is infinitely more so. If I had remained an agricultural engineer, I might have been happy designing new tools for farming or more effective irrigation systems. But ultimately, I found law more challenging, that which is the calibration and codification of human and social behavior. And as if that were not enough, and even before UP, I took on teaching and university administration—which, in a strange but logical way, draw on all these threads of thought and experience to form a coherent wholeness of purpose. Indeed the university is probably the one institution in society—with the possible exception of Congress—where diversity and difference are its very nature and intrinsic to its success. Today, with nearly 200 undergraduate and almost 350 graduate programs, UP can proudly claim to offer the broadest canopy under which Filipino students and scholars can learn. Nowhere else in this country can you take such diverse courses as Archeology, Geomatics Engineering, Tropical Landscape Architecture, and Women and Development. That is what a national university is for, and that is why UP is one. We recognize that a national university exists not to profit the pocket, but to enrich the mind and to enlarge the soul of our people. We stand firm in the belief that all forms of knowledge benefit humanity, and that part of our mission is to employ that knowledge for social transformation. At his investiture in 1911, our first President, Dr. Murray Bartlett, made it clear that the new University of the Philippines was not merely going to be a copy of its models in the West but would be a “University for Filipinos” devoted to providing “the intellectual and moral leadership essential to social salvation and progressive national development.” It seems ironic today—given our much-vaunted nationalism and secularism—to remark that Dr. Bartlett was an American and a Protestant pastor. But that irony offers vivid proof that our founders understood that creating a great university would mean stepping out of one’s own moorings into a true community of minds. And so, difference and diversity have been with us since the beginning—and of course, dissension and debate, especially since the University Council was first set up. But again, and notably, we have managed to harmonize our differences over more than a century of discourse to forge a way forward—whether it be in terms of crafting a curriculum for general education, or rewarding performance and productivity. Therein lies our University’s vitality—not in the fact that we argue, because argue we must, but in the fact that we have always managed at some point to agree, because agree we also must. Dissent has been coded into our DNA, the most familiar expression of the critical thinking we have sought to imbue every UP student with. But we also know that between academic inquiry and practical necessity lies much common ground to explore and to inhabit. On June 8, 1933, students at the College of Education boycotted their classes in the first protest ever against a tuition fee increase, from P30 to P50 per semester. Among the leaders of the mass action was none other than Fe Palma, daughter of then UP President Rafael Palma. History does not record what President Palma said to his daughter afterwards, but I suppose he should have been proud, as she was a product of the liberal education that he himself espoused in his inaugural address. Four years later in 1937, when President Quezon pushed for the transfer of UP from Padre Faura to Diliman, UP students led by a young editor named Armando Malay held a straw vote that resoundingly rejected the move by 84 percent. The critics complained that Diliman was a dark and mountainous territory teeming with snakes, monkeys, and mosquitoes. Then UP President Bienvenido Gonzalez was crucified. But twelve years later, when the move had finally happened, Malay spoke again, but this time in Diliman, and acknowledged that it was time “for a closing of the ranks.” These instances of dissent were classically and uniquely UP. We ourselves have made this possible, empowering and emboldening generations of students with reason, enabling them, as Palma put it, “to react properly to the promptings of truth and to the world.” We—and perhaps we alone—have justly and proudly held reason above all other considerations in our academic life: considerations such as creed, kinship, privilege, authority. And it is this supremely valuable faculty to which I appeal today, as I grasp the helm of this great enterprise we call the University of the Philippines. Let reason guide us, but not reason alone; let it be reason tempered with respect, responsibility, and collegiality. Both at the national and university levels, it is becoming difficult to push any agenda forward without being subjected to intense, sometimes malicious, but also often necessary scrutiny. In many instances, we have stopped talking to one another as a people sharing the same future. Truth, reason, and respect have been the prime casualties in these exchanges, which I am sure you have witnessed—if not participated in—online. The phrase “social media” has almost become an oxymoron, as it has become the stalking ground of some of the most unsociable people you could come across. Sad to say, some of that caustic and deeply divisive rhetoric has come to infect our University, not just our students but our faculty, staff, and administrators as well. This is perhaps to be expected, as a university remains, in many ways, merely a microcosm of a much larger society. Our strength lies in our collegiality. If we allow our reason and our rhetoric to be clouded by intolerance, then we will be no more and no better than a gang, indeed than any other collection of ill-tempered individuals. At his investiture in 1975, another of my predecessors, President Onofre D. Corpuz, openly took issue with the University’s characterization as “a battleground of ideas,” calling it a “romantic notion” that the people could ill afford to pay for with their taxes. Rather than a battleground, I prefer to focus on finding, in this University, a common ground, a clearing—a safe, free, and congenial space within which its constituents can teach, study, and work productively to their full potential. UP must be that special place within which it should still be possible—despite all divisions and distractions—to work together with the University’s and the nation’s strategic interests in mind. For this we must promote consensus over conflict, civility over calumny, and collaboration over confrontation. We must foster strategic thinking over short-sightedness, honest labor over opportunism, and shared effort over self-promotion. There should be no better place in this country than UP for the expression of ideas without fear, without fear of violent retribution from one’s colleagues or from the State itself. There should be no environment more welcoming than UP for cutting-edge research, timely policy studies, exciting new exhibits and productions, and provocative art and literature—in other words, the work we have always meant to do, and do best. We will be guided by the overarching vision of UP as a leading regional and global university in an environment that sustains 21st century learning, knowledge creation, and public service for society and humanity. Where our University is situated today would not have been possible without the foundations laid by my esteemed predecessors, whom I acknowledge and thank today, and to whom I make a personal pledge to do my best to live up to their example. President Edgardo Angara, who was not able to make it today, Presidents Emanuel Soriano, Emil Javier, Jose Abueva, Francisco Nemenzo, Emerlinda Roman, and Alfredo Pascual—sa inyo pong lahat, tanggapin ninyo ang aming taos pusong pasasalamat, paggalang, at pagpupugay! Bunsod ng ating hangaring ituloy ang mga mahahalaga at makabuluhang pagbabago, at sa paniniwalang mayroon tayong maia-ambag sa hangaring ito, ini-alay po natin ang ating sarili upang maglingkod bilang Pangulo. Nagsama-sama po tayo sa ating pakay at galaw, at dahil dito, tayo po ay nanaig at nagtagumpay. Ngayon, ang tagumpay na ito ang simula ng ating pagkilos upang patunayan sa lahat na ang mga pangarap at adhikain na sinampalatayaan at pinanghawakan ng ating mga kasama, kakampi man o katunggali, ay kaya nating maisakatuparan at makamtan. Lahat po ng ating balak at panukala ay matutupad at matatapos kung tayo po ay magsa-sama-samang muli sa pagpaplano, pagpapasya, at pagpapapatupad sa lahat ng ating gagawin para sa pagsusulong ng minimithing pagbabago. Upang tayo ay magtagumpay, ang tatlong sangkap ng ating Unibersidad: ang mga mag-aaral, ang kaguruan, at ang mga kawani, ay dapat na magkabigkis-bigkis tungo sa isang layunin. Nasa pagkakaisa nating lahat lamang ang susi ng tagumpay. Totoo, ang pagkakaisa ay tunay na mailap at mahirap makamit sapagkat lubhang maraming pagkakaiba ang ating mga pangangailangan, paniniwala, at pamantayan. Subalit tayo ay nananalig na mayroong isang tagpuan kung saan lahat tayo ay maaring tumayong sama-sama na parang isang katawan. Bilang isang katawan, tiyak nating mapagtatanto at madarama na ang sakit ng kalingkingan ay sakit ng buong katawan. Ang sakit na iniinda ng sinuman sa atin, ay sakit na iindahin ng lahat natin. Hindi natin marahil napapansin subalit ang tagpuang ito ay nasa mga puso na natin. Kailangan lamang po nating itong mapagtanto at madama. At upang tayo ay manatiling magkakayakap sa ating tagpuan, tayo po bilang Pangulo, ang magsisilbing isang pagkit na sa ating lahat ay hahatak at magdi-dikit upang wala ni-isa man sa atin ang mawalay o malisya. Tayo po ay nakalaang makinig kanino man upang malaman ang inyong mga loobin, balak, at pangangailangan upang tayo po ay magabayan sa ating pag-ugit. Sa atin pong pamumuno, mas mahalaga ang kagalingan ng lahat kaysa sa ating personal na pananaw o kagustuhan. Sa ating pagpapasya sa mga hakbang na ating tatahakin, ang ating gabay at panuntunan ay pagmamalasakit. Pagmamalasakit sa ating Unibersidad, pagmamalasakit sa ating mga propesyon, pagmamalasakit sa ating mga sarili, at pagmamalasakit sa isa’t isa. Kung tayo po ay nagmamalasakit, tayo ay lubos na nag-iingat; nag-iingat na ang ating bawat kilos at galaw ay hindi makasasakit o makasasama sa bawat isa sa atin. Kung pagkakaisa ang susi sa tagumpay ng ating mga mithiin, pagmamalasakit naman ang susi tungo sa isang samahang wagas at pangmatagalan. Sa susunod na anim na taon na ating hahawakan ang timon, ito po ay ating hahawakan nang mahigpit at maingat sapagkat maraming hamon at balakid ang ating haharapin, bubunuin, at gagapiin. Sa simula pa lamang ng ating pag-ugit, isang malaking hamon ang agad ay sumalubong sa atin: ang libreng matrikula sa kolehiyo. Tunay po na ito ay isang malaking hamon sapagkat animnapung porsyento ng ating koleksyon mula sa matrikula ay nakalaan para sa ating mga faculty development programs. Kung hindi po ibibigay sa atin ng national government ang katumbas ng dapat ay ating koleksyon, wala po tayong malilikom na pondo na sadyang ilalaan sa mga programang magpapaunlad sa katayuan ng ating kaguruan. Bukod dito, bagama’t totoong libre na nga ang tuition sa UP, makapasa naman kaya sa UPCAT ang mga kapus-palad na kabataan na sa UP ay nais makapag-aral? Wala pong saysay at kabuluhan ang programang libreng matrikula kung sa UPCAT ang estudyante ay di naman papasa. Sa mga nakalipas na pagsasaliksik at pag-aaral, napag-alaman na maliit na bahagi lamang ng mga nagtatapos sa maraming public high schools sa labas ng Metro Manila ang pumapasa sa UPCAT. Ang sinisisi pong dahilan ay ang mababang kalidad ng pagtuturo sa mga public high schools na ito. Dahil dito, panukala po natin na gawing kondisyon sa pagtanggap sa isang estudyante ang pagbibigay ng balik-serbisyo sa ating bayan; balik-serbisyong isang taon pagkaraang makatapos ang estudyante sa kanyang kurso. Sa loob nang isang taon, siya po ay ating pagtuturuin sa senior high school sa mga public schools na ito upang kahit-manawari ay tumaas ang kalidad ng kanilang edukasyon. Ang kondisyong balik-serbisyo ay hindi naman po sapilitan. Malaya po ang estudyante na hindi magbalik-serbisyo, dangan siya po sa halip ay magbabayad ng matrikula kung siya po ay tatanggi bago makatapos, o ang buong halaga ng kanyang edukasyon kung siya ay tatanggi kapag siya ay nakapagtapos na. Hindi rin po libre ang pag-babalik-serbisyo. May bayad po sila habang sila ay nagtuturo. Ganoon pa man, tayo po ay lubos na umaasa na magbabalik-serbisyo ang ating mga iskolar ng bayan. Ito na po ang kanilang pagkakataon na isabuhay ang kanilang isinisigaw na pagmamahal sa bayan. Ito na po ang pagkakataon na patunayan nila sa kanilang mga sarili ang panawagan nilang maglingkod sa kapus-palad nating mga kababayan. Madalas pong magmartsa ang ating mga estudyante, sumisigaw ng pagbabago. Kung ating pong wawariin, parang wala nang katapusan ang kanilang mga reklamo at kahilingan; parang ibig nilang sila na ang magpalakad sa ating Unibersidad, at sila ay mag-aral nang sang-ayon tangi sa kanilang pasya at kagustuhan. Subalit sinasabi natin ngayon sa kanila, na hinding-hindi natin sila pipigilan sa kanilang pagpapahayag ng kanilang mga kaisipan at paniniwala; hinding hindi natin sila bubusalan sa kanilang mga hinaing. Bagkus, sila ay ating pakikinggan, uunawain, at gagabayan. Hindi po natin hinuhubog ang ating mga estudyante sa isang hulmahan. Hinuhubog po natin sila upang magkaroon ng isang malaya, mapanuri, mapagtanong, at malikhaing pag-iisip; upang sila ay magtaglay ng diwang walang takot, ng tinig na hindi pasusupil; at upang sila ay manindigan para sa katwiran at katarungan. Sa ating kaguruan, ang lakas natin ay nasa ating kakayahang mag-talo at magpasya bilang isang kalipunan. Ang kakayahang ito ay ating itataguyod at pag-iibayuhin nang marubdob. Pagsisikapan nating malikom ang pondong kailangan ng ating faculty development programs upang hindi maputol ang mga programang nasimulan na, at upang madagdagan pa. At upang manatili sa Unibersidad ang ating mahuhusay na kaguruan, pag-aaralan po natin na luwagan ang mga regulasyon sa tenure at promotion upang ang mga ito ay maging mas patas at mas makatarungan. Marapat din na sila ay bigyan natin ng magandang working condition, at masaya at masiglang buhay-akademiko sa ating mga campus. Titiyakin po natin na maitayo muli ang nasunog na Facuty Center sa loob ng 3 taon. Ang bagong Faculty Center po na ito ay magiging mas malaki, mas moderno, at mas faculty-friendly. Ang ating pong kaguruan ay binibigyan ng lipunan ng pinakamataas na pagkilala at paggalang habang sila ay nagtuturo sa ating Unibersidad. Hindi po natin papayagan na sila ay mawalan ng dignidad matapos na sila ay magretiro sa pagtuturo. Marahil, dapat tayong magtayo ng isang opisina na walang gagawin kung hindi ihanda ang ating kaguruan para sa kanilang pag-reretiro, at upang sila ay gabayan at tulungan sa kanilang mga pangangailangan, lalong-lalo na sa usapin ng pabahay. Nakalista po sa ating priority projects ang pagpapaganda sa ating mga campuses. Nangangailangan na po ng rehabilitasyon ang ating mga gusali at mga dormitoryo. Dapat na po nating wakasan ang masakit na biro na walang malinis at mabangong CR dito sa UP. Tayo po ay nananawagan sa ating mga alumni na sana tayo ay tulungan at damayan sa krusadang ito. Sa mga matagumpay nating alumni na tumira at nakinabang sa murang bayad sa ating mga dormitoryo, sana’y masumpungan nila sa kanilang mga puso ang magsukli at tumulong sa ating pagbabangong-anyo. Pagsisikapan din po nating magtayo ng pangalawang Philippine General Hospital dito sa UP Diliman. Kasama po sa itatayo ang kakambal nitong College of Medicine at Genomic Cancer Research Institute. Ang medical complex po na ito ay magbibigay-serbisyo sa komunidad ng UP Diliman at ng hilagang Metro-Manila. Ang College of Medicine ay magdaragdag ng mga duktor sa ating bansa at ang Institute po naman ay tutuklas ng lunas sa cancer gamit ang makabagong siyensya ng genomics. Pangarap po natin na ang PGH na ito ay maging pinaka moderno at pinaka magandang ospital sa buong bansa. Naniniwala po tayo na kaya nating isakatuparan ang pangarap na ito sa tulong ninyong lahat at ng lokal at pambansang pamahalaan. Para naman po sa ating mga kawani, sinimulan na po natin ang proseso upang gawing regular ang mga kawaning matatagal na sa serbisyo. Sapagkat mangangailangan ito ng mga karagdang plantilla positions, ang proceso po ay inaasahan nating magtatagal. Subalit habang tayo po ay naghihintay, itataas na po natin ang mga non-UP contractuals, yaong matatagal na po sa serbisyo, sa antas ng UP Contractuals upang sila ay tumanggap na ng lahat ng benepisyo ng isang regular na empleyado. Ganoon pa man, inaasahan natin na ang mga kawani ay magmamalasakit din para sa kapakanan ng ating Unibersidad. Huwag sana nilang igiit ang kanilang mga kahilingan kung ito ay hindi kayang pasanin ng ating kabang-yaman. Kasabay nito, kailangan po nating suriing mabuti ang pangangailangan ng ating operasyon upang ang laki ng ating administrative workforce ay maging tugma rito, at hindi tuluyang lumobo. Ang salop na umaapaw ay di na po dapat dagdagan. Sa ibabaw po ng lahat nang ito, i-aangkas natin ang ating mga reporma sa ating procurement system, sa automation ng ating mga operating systems, at sa paggamit ng ating mga pondo at resources. Tayo po sa ngayon ang nag-iisang Pambansang Unibersidad. Subalit ang karangalan pong ito ay may kaakibat na tungkulin para sa mga unibersidad at kolehiyo sa buong bansa, pribado man o pambupliko. Sa ilalim po ng ating pagmamasid, itataguyod natin ang tambalan ng UP sa mga unibersidad at kolehiyo na ibig makipagtulungan sa ating mga gawaing akademiko at pananaliksik. Pag-aaralan po natin ang pagbalangkas sa isang facility-sharing scheme para sa ating mga SUCs. Dumako naman po tayo sa usaping informal settlers. Lingid sa karamihan, ang pamilya po natin, minsan, ay naging informal settler din. Kung kaya po damang-dama rin natin ang nararamdaman ng ating mga kababayang nakikitirik sa ating mga lupain. Bibigyan po natin ng tamang pansin ang kanilang kapakanan. Ang kanilang kagalingan ay lagi po nating ilalahok sa lahat ng balak at pagpa-plano sa pagsasa-ayos ng ating mga campus. Hindi po tayo gigiba ng bahay kung ito ay gigiba ng buhay. Ang tanging dasal po natin, sana’y magmalasakit din naman sila sa ating Unibersidad at sa ating komunidad. Hindi po natin ikinahiya kailanman na tayo ay galing din sa hirap. Dala po ng kahirapan sa buhay tayo po ay nangailangang tumulong sa ating mga magulang sa pagtataguyod sa pamilya. Tumulong po tayo na magpa-aral sa ating mga kapatid upang magbago ang kanilang mga kapalaran at ng ating mga mahal sa buhay. Sa ating pagtulong, nangailangan pong humingi tayo ng awa sa Panginoon. At upang patunayan na ang ating panalangin ay taimtim, tayo po ay nagbitaw ng isang panata. Panata na tayo po ay hindi hahanap ng kabiyak sa buhay hanggat hindi natatapos ng kolehiyo ang lahat ng ating mga kapatid. Dininig po ng Maykapal ang ating panalangin at malugod naman po nating tinupad ang ating panata. Hindi po tayo nakipag-isang dibdib kay Atty. Gaby hanggat hindi po tapos ng medisina ang bunso nating kapatid. Ngayong hapon, saksi kayong lahat at ang Dakilang Lumikha, tayo po ay gumagawa muli ng isang panata. Panata na tayo po ay maglilingkod ng wagas, sa sukdulan ng ating kakayahan, nang patas at makatarungan, nang buong puso at pagmamahal, nang walang iwanan at laglagan, at higit sa lahat, na walang halong biro! Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat! Mabuhay and Unibersidad ng Pilipinas! (The English translation of the Filipino portion follows below.) Driven by the sincerest and noblest desire to continue accomplishing meaningful and necessary changes in the University, and with the firm belief that I could contribute to achieve this dream, I humbly offered myself to serve our University as its President. And because we were brought and bound together by our common selfless intentions and pursuits, we prevailed, we succeeded. This success signals the beginning of the more important task of proving to our colleagues—friends and detractors alike—and to those who rely on and believe in us that we will fulfill and deliver the reforms we have committed to achieve. This we will realize through a renewal of our collective and united efforts to plan, decide, and act toward the needed change we have envisioned together. For us to triumph, the three vital components of our University—the students, the faculty, and the administrative staff—should aim as one to hit our targets. Our unity is the key to our success. True, unity is elusive because we fully acknowledge and accept the complexity and diversity of our respective needs, beliefs, and standards. However, we believe that there is a common ground where all of the three components can stand together as one body. We have to act as one body, so that pain endured by one of us will be pain felt by all of us. That common ground is right here in our hearts; we simply have to feel it to realize it. To ensure that all of us will stay in that common ground together as one, I, as your President, shall act as the adhesive that will keep us fastened and bound together, so that no one will fall out, or be left out. I am committed to listen to anyone who needs my attention, so I would know what he or she feels, plans, and needs in order to guide me in my work. Under my leadership, the common good is far more important than my personal views or desire. The road to change is treacherous to say the least. But to guide us in every step of the way, compassion is what shall set our bearings. It is compassion when we feel genuine care for our University, genuine care for our professions, genuine care for ourselves, and genuine care for each other. When we genuinely feel compassion, we are truly careful with our words and deeds; very careful of our every move so as not to hurt or harm the things we value and care for. If our unity is the key to our success, compassion is the key to our solidarity and lasting camaraderie. In the next six years that I will steer the helm of this administration, rest assured that I will hold it firmly and with vigilance, for there will be great obstacles ahead to confront and overcome. Just at the start of my term as President, we already met a major challenge: tuition-free college education. It is a major concern because we have been allocating sixty percent of our collection from tuition fees for faculty development programs. If the national government will not replace the tuition collection we will forego, there will be no funds to finance the programs that develop and uplift the conditions of our faculty. Apart from this, we have to address another concern. While studying in UP may be free, can the students belonging to the less-privileged and marginalized families pass the UPCAT if they intend or wish to study in UP? The free-tuition program will clearly be pointless, senseless, and useless if the students from poor families will not pass the UPCAT. Based on previous studies, only a small percentage of graduates from public high schools outside Metro Manila pass the UPCAT. This low turnout is being blamed on the low quality of instruction in those public high schools. This reality has given rise to our proposal to impose return service as a condition for the admission of students to UP. This return service will be for one year after graduation. Our graduates will be required to teach senior high school students in public high schools that we will identify as UP feeder schools. This scheme, we hope, will uplift the quality of the graduates from these feeder schools. The return-service condition, however, will be voluntary. Any student may opt out from this condition before graduation by paying his tuition, or the cost of his education if he will opt out after graduation. The return service to be rendered by our graduates will not be for free. Our students who will decide to teach will be compensated properly. While it is voluntary, we are very optimistic that our students, the scholars of the nation, will choose to render return service. That is because it will be a perfect opportunity for them to live out their professed love for our country, and their advocacy to serve our poor countrymen. Our students often march on the streets to demand change. Sometimes it seems that their clamors and complaints will never end; that they want to run the University themselves; and that they wish to study as they please or solely what they desire. Nevertheless, we shall guarantee their right and freedom to express their ideas, beliefs, and principles. We will never even attempt to suppress what they want to say, or oppress them for what they fight for. Instead, we shall listen to them, understand them, and guide them. We do not mold them to think one way or another. On the contrary, we mold them to think freely; to develop inquisitive, discerning, and creative minds; to be fearless and assertive; and to uphold what is right and just. For our faculty, our strength lies in our ability to discourse and resolve our differences collegially. We will value and nurture this ability intensely. We will vigorously pursue and secure the funding needed to continue and improve our faculty development programs. In order to retain our valued faculty in our University, we will study how to ease the rules on tenure and promotion to make them fair and just. We will also upgrade their working conditions and provide them with a happy and vibrant academic life in our campuses. After it burned down last year, a bigger, more modern, and faculty-friendly Faculty Center will rise up again in three years. The community bestows utmost recognition and respect to the members of our faculty while they are in the University. We will never allow the loss of that dignity after their retirement from teaching. To accomplish this, we will create an office specifically dedicated to prepare our faculty for a well-deserved retirement life and to assist them with their needs, especially in housing. Included in the list of our priority projects is the rehabilitation of our campuses. It entails the repair, restoration and improvement of our buildings and dormitories. The time has come to put an end to the not-so-amusing joke that there is no clean or decent toilet in UP. I appeal to our alumni for compassion by helping us in this crusade. I am reaching out to our successful alumni who stayed in the dormitories and enjoyed the benefits of living on campus, paying very cheap dormitory fees. I hope they find in their hearts the generosity to pay it forward and help us in the makeover of their dorms. We shall strive to build a second Philippine General Hospital in UP Diliman. With it, we shall establish its complement: the College of Medicine and the Genomic Cancer Research Institute. This medical complex will serve the UP Diliman community and the north of Metro Manila. On the one hand, the College of Medicine will result in a substantial increase in the number of medical students we shall train to increase the number of doctors in our country. And on the other, the Genomic Cancer Research Institute will focus on finding cures for cancer, using the science of genomics as a major tool. We conceive of PGH-Diliman to be the most modern, well-equipped, and excellent hospital in the country. We believe that we can make this dream happen with your support and the help of our national and local governments. For our contractual personnel who have served the University for a long time, we have begun the process of making them regular employees. However, inasmuch as doing it will require the creation of new plantilla positions, the process will take some time. In the meantime, we shall move up our non-UP contractuals, those who have rendered many years of service, to the level of UP contractual so they can be entitled to all the benefits that a regular employee receives. With this, I hope that our staff would feel that we care. We believe that they, too, have compassion for the welfare of our University. I expect them to understand and not to insist on their demands if our coffers cannot afford these benefits. Alongside this, we need to take stock of and examine our operations to ensure a match between the size of our administrative workforce and our operational requirements. We will ensure that its size no longer balloons unchecked. In a larger perspective, we will institute reforms in our procurement system, in the automation of our operating systems, and in the allocation and use of our funds and resources. As the national university, we have an obligation in our Charter towards other universities and colleges, private and public. Under our watch, we shall comply with that mandate. We shall foster cooperation and collaboration with schools that wish to partner with us in academic and research initiatives. We shall study and consider the establishment and operationalization of a facility-sharing scheme. In addressing the concern on the informal settlers in the University, many do not know that my family was also once an informal settler. This is why I know how it feels to be one. We shall give proper attention to their needs and well-being. Their welfare will be included in all of our plans to put in order our campuses. We will not destroy houses if it will destroy lives. My sincere prayer and hope is for them to also have compassion for our University and our community. I was never ashamed of my humble origins. We were so poor that I had to help my parents in supporting our family. I helped them by ensuring that my siblings could finish their schooling to change their lives and futures for the better. To accomplish this, I had to ask a big favor from God. To prove how fervent my prayer was, I made a vow that if God granted my request, I would not marry until all my siblings had finished college. God answered my prayer and I faithfully fulfilled my vow. I did not get married to Atty. Gaby until my youngest sibling had finished medicine. Today, with all of you and God Almighty as my witnesses, I once again make a solemn pledge to serve you faithfully, to the best of my ability, with fairness and justice, with all my heart and soul, leaving no one behind, and with utmost seriousness of purpose. Thank you all! Long live the University of the Philippines! You may watch the video of his speech below:
https://up.edu.ph/cis-bares-research-on-native-house-restorations-and-rituals-in-ifugao/	CIS bares research on native house restorations and rituals in Ifugao – University of the Philippines	CIS bares research on native house restorations and rituals in Ifugao CIS bares research on native house restorations and rituals in Ifugao June 30, 2017 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office The University of the Philippines–Diliman Center for International Studies (CIS) hosted a couple of events to celebrate the completion of its project entitled “Native House Restorations and Rituals Toward Community-Based Tourism in the UNESCO World Heritage Batad Rice Terrace Cultural Landscape” on 17-19 June 2017. The two mumba’ih performing ritual dancing and chanting before the slaughter. The Pahang, a traditional housewarming ceremony, was held together with the annual harvest of tinawon heirloom rice in Barangay Batad, Banaue, Ifugao. On 17 June, Saturday, the first harvest of rice was done at the terraces of Penneng Ambojnon in Sitio Balihong. Twenty-five local women were joined by several tourists in gathering the rice panicles one-by-one. This joyful event was celebrated with a pig slaughter (sponsored by honorary Batad villagers Rene and Maki Bajit) and a meal shared with everyone in the community. The Pahang ritual, done the following day in Sitio Gabgab, was officiated by the last two mumba’ih (ritualists) of this village. The two septuagenarian mumba’ih, Appo Nappog of Sitio Nabnong and Appo B’fuy-a of Sitio Higib, were joined by a few other elders who still knew the old prayers. Mid-afternoon at the UNESCO World Heritage Batad Rice Terrace Cluster The ritual started at around four in the morning and ended in the afternoon of the following day. It began with an exhortation and invitation for the ancestors and other natural spirits to join the feast. Over the course of the day, the mumba’ih performed small chicken sacrifices, epic chanting, ritual dancing, then culminating in the slaughter and sharing of three pigs. This Pahang was done mainly to honor the couple Tu’paw and Rita Ugay. Mr. Ugay is a b’faluy (native house) builder and craftsman who worked with the project to restore its first b’faluy, the Osmogan-Ugay Lodge. He also joined in the restoration of the two other native houses of the project. This project is funded by the University of the Philippines System through an Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs Enhanced Creative Work and Research Grant. The project proponent, Assistant Professor Raymond Aquino Macapagal, worked with local craftsmen to adaptively restore three b’faluys and develop community-based tourism for the development of the UNESCO World Heritage village of Batad. Once restored, these native houses will serve as lodges for tourists as part of an eco-cultural experience of the rice terraces. Visitors will be given a chance to participate in typical village life, and also get to see the natural beauty of this mountain hamlet. The adaptively restored Osmogan-Ugay Lodge, with UP dedication
https://up.edu.ph/ana-yose-rakugo-in-english-comes-to-up-diliman/	‘ANA Yose: Rakugo in English’ comes to UP Diliman – University of the Philippines	‘ANA Yose: Rakugo in English’ comes to UP Diliman ‘ANA Yose: Rakugo in English’ comes to UP Diliman September 28, 2017 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office Organized by All Nippon Airways (ANA) and in cooperation with UP Center for International Studies (UPCIS), The Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) and Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), we bring back Rakugo in English, a Japanese Sit-down Comedy with special Japanese artists to enthrall Philippine audience. On October 6, 2017 (Friday), 6 pm, there will be a special performance at the Aldaba Hall, University Theater Complex, Magsaysay Avenue, UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City. Rakugo is a Japanese comic storytelling art that has been used as entertainment for over 400 years and is still widely popular today, staged at “yose”, which are specialized theatres for Rakugo. The artist speaks to the imagination, and single-handedly creates the hilarious side of tradition of Japan. Enjoy Rakugo with Kaishi Katsura, the world’s top performer of English Rakugo and former Japan cultural envoy, along with Asakichi Katsura and Fukuryu Katsura. Meanwhile, as a colorful counterpoint to all-talk comedy, Kouki Houraiya will amaze audiences with daikagura traditional clowning, a vintage street art with elements of acrobatics, juggling, magic, dance, and comedy. For more information, contact Paul Alcala, Extension Associate at upd.cis@gmail.com or call 981-8500 loc. 2460.
https://up.edu.ph/upcis-students-join-the-2nd-ferris-university-short-stay-visitexchange-program/	UPCIS Students Participate in the 2nd Ferris University Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program – University of the Philippines	UPCIS Students Participate in the 2nd Ferris University Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program UPCIS Students Participate in the 2nd Ferris University Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program January 17, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office Some of the student-participants with the faculty advisers of the Ferris University Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program of UPCIS East and Southeast Asian Studies Division and Ferris University pose in front of the welcome banner at the Ferris University Ryokuen Toshi Campus entrance. (from left to right) Assoc. Prof. Amparo Adelina C. Umali, III, PhD, coordinator of East and Southeast Asian Studies Division of UPCIS, Jesse Leigh Morales (3rd Year BA Comparative Literature), Nyle Mikhail Cauli (4th Year BS Computer Engineering), Anna Maria Lourdes Geli (3rd Year BA Comparative Literature), Jacqueline Giron (1st Year BA European Languages), Chelsey Jan Perez (3rd Year BS Economics), and Prof. Ogaya Chiho, professor from the Faculty of Arts and Letters of Ferris University (Photo from UPCIS) Six students enrolled in the UPCIS-offered Global Studies 197 (GS 197) Special Topics Course on Japanese Traditional Performance Practice (JTPP) went in November last year to Yokohama and Tokyo to participate in the Ferris University Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program. The Ferris University Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program — a brainchild of Assoc. Prof. Amparo Adelina C. Umali, III, PhD, UPCIS coordinator for East and Southeast Asian Studies, and Prof. Chiho Ogaya, of Ferris University’s Faculty of Arts and Letters – is modelled after the Global Studies Tour organized by the UPCIS and the Yokohama National University (YNU), which the two professors had also initiated. This year, the Ferris University Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program was organized in cooperation with the UPCIS European Studies Division and the Yokohama National University (YNU). Student-participants participated in discussions, attended lectures by professors, underwent intensive training rehearsals with Noh grandmasters, and visited iconic Japanese sites. Dr. Umali presents “Filipino Performing Noh and Bunraku: Approaching Performance Tradition from the Outside Looking In” to the students of Prof. Takahashi Kyoko of Ferris University prior to the student-participants performance. (Photo from UPCIS) The students discussed with their counterparts from Ferris University “Representation of People of Mixed Ethnicity in Media” and “Territorial Conflict: The Case of Philippine-China Relations and Japan-China Relations.“ With YNU students, they discussed the Philippine economic divide. Dr. Umali lectured on Filipinos Performing Noh and Bunraku: Approaching Performance Traditions from the Outside Looking In to students of Prof. Takahashi Kyoko of Ferris University. UPCIS students, who are eventually invited to become members of the UPCIS Noh Ensemble and the UPCIS Bunraku Ensemble, performed Kiri of Hagoromo (Utai) and Chu no Mai (Hayashi) after the lecture. Prof. Wystan de la Peña, coordinator of the European Studies of UPCIS, delivered a lecture entitled “Ilustrados Enamorados del Japón, or La Tierra del Sol Naciente (Imitating the Rising Sun) in the Filipino Hispanic Elite’s Imagining of a Post-Colonial Philippines” to the students, faculty, and alumni of Ferris University, Yokohama National University (YNU), Japan Women’s University, and the UP Center for International Studies. The lecture was organized by Dr. Umali and Prof. Ogaya as part of the Ferris University Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program. Prof. Wystan dela Peña, coordinator of the European Studies of UPCIS, gives his lecture on “Ilustrados Enamorados del Japón, or La Tierra del Sol Naciente in the Filipino Hispanic Elite’s Imagining of a Post-Colonial Philippines” students, faculty, and alumni of Ferris University, Yokohama National University (YNU), Japan Women’s University, and the UP Center for International Studies. Among the professors in attendance were Profs. Patrick Heller, Ogaya Chiho and Onishi Hiroshi of Ferris University; Profs. Tanabe Kazuko, PhD and Yasunori Fukuda, PhD of Japan Woman’s University; Prof. Kabashima Hiromi of YNU; and Assoc. Prof. Amparo Adelina C. Umali,III, PhD. (Photo from UPCIS) The lecture used data obtained from the research entitled, Images of Japan in Filipino Spanish Language Newspapers, 1900-1910, funded by the Sumitomo Foundation. The students underwent a seven-hour intensive-training rehearsal with three Noh masters: Noh Grandmaster Osamu Toda, Noh Master for Shite of the Kanze School, Noh Grandmaster Naohiko Umewaka, Noh Master for Shite of the Kanze School and Noh Grandmaster Chozaemon Umewaka, Noh Master for Shite of the Kanze School. Student-participants Anna Maria Lourdes Geli (left) and Xaika Nadine Saldivar (right) discusses on the topic Territorial Conflict: The Case of Philippine-China Relations and Japan-China Relations as part of the Ferris University Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program. (Photo from UPCIS) The participants also visited: Hibiya Park, Ginza, Harajuku, and Yamashita Park, China Town, and Minato Mirai. The students, who received Japan’s Ministry of Education Culture and Science’s Japan Student Services (JASSO) Short Stay Scholarship for International Students for the program were: Nyle Mikhail Cauli (4th Year BS Computer Engineering), Anna Maria Lourdes Geli (3rd Year BA Comparative Literature), Jacqueline Giron (1st Year BA European Languages), Jesse Leigh Morales (3rd Year BA Comparative Literature), Chelsey Jan Perez (3rd Year BS Economics), and Xaika Nadine Saldivar (3rd Year BA Broadcast Communication), and Laureen Lioanag (2nd Year MA Anthropology). As part of the short stay visit, participants visited iconic/landmark sites including Hibiya Park where the bust of Jose Rizal can be found. The bust also marks the location of Tokyo Hotel. Participants, including Margie Tamayao, a UP Statistics major currently on a one (1) year exchange program in Tsuda College in Japan, pose in front of the National Hero’s bust. (Photo from UPCIS) Margie Tamayao, a UP Statistics major currently on a one-year exchange program in Tsuda College in Tokyo, also participated in the said program. Acting as faculty advisers for the group were Prof. Ogaya, Dr. Umali, and Prof. de la Peña. (Paul Alcala, UPD CIS)
https://up.edu.ph/ilustrados-enamorados-del-japon/	Ilustrados Enamorados del Japón – University of the Philippines	Ilustrados Enamorados del Japón Ilustrados Enamorados del Japón January 18, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office Two Yokohama women — both daughters of former samurai — may have become footnotes in Philippine history, but not in the lives of two important 19th-century Filipino reformists now considered heroes. Usui Seiko, more popularly known as O Sei San, and Udagawa Okiyo intersected the lives of national hero Jose Rizal (1861-1896) and Mariano Ponce (1863-1918), respectively, during the two reformists’ stay in Yokohama, a port city some 40 km south of Tokyo. Rizal was on a six-week stay in Yokohama enroute to Europe via the United States in the spring of 1888 when he met Usui. Ponce was detailed there as diplomatic representative of the Emilio Aguinaldo-led First Republic from June 1898 to September 1899, during which time he courted Udagawa. Usui has gone down in Philippine history as Rizal’s Japanese romantic interest who introduced him to Japanese culture as they went on afternoon strolls talking in French. Udagawa became Ponce’s wife, left Japan with him, converted into Christianty, bore him children, and never returned to her homeland. Both women lived long enough to witness their Filipino beaus enshrined in the pantheon of Philippine national heroes and experience World War II from opposite sides. Prof. de la Peña gives his lecture “Ilustrados Enamorados del Japón (Illustrados Enamored with Japan), or La Tierra del Sol Naciente (The Land of the Rising Sun) in the Filipino Hispanic Elite’s Imagining of a Post-Colonial Philippines” before the students, faculty, and alumni of Ferris University, Yokohama National University, Japan Women’s University, and UPCIS. (Photo courtesy of UPD CIS) In what he called a “love story-telling session,” Prof. Wystan de la Peña of UP Diliman’s College of Arts and Letters and the UP Center for International Studies (UPCIS), used the Rizal-Usui and Ponce-Udagawa narratives to frame the lecture on Filipino ilustrado patriots he gave on November 23, 2017 at Ferris University, the first all-women university in Japan founded more than a century ago by Western Christian missionaries. Entitled “Ilustrados Enamorados del Japón (Illustrados Enamored with Japan), or La Tierra del Sol Naciente (The Land of the Rising Sun) in the Filipino Hispanic Elite’s Imagining of a Post-Colonial Philippines,” de la Peña’s lecture unravelled the emergence of Japan as a regional power, following its victory in the 1894-95 war against China, and as a nation that the two reformists saw as a model for an independent Philippines. De la Peña, who translated Ponce’s diplomatic correspondence to Filipino and who is also UPCIS coordinator of European Studies, showed powerpoint slides featuring coverage of the Sino-Japanese War by the Barcelona daily La Vanguardia and images of articles from La Solidaridad, the Filipino reformists’ organ. Both newspapers showed favorable representations of Japan. When La Solidaridad folded in 1896, the year Rizal died, Ponce left for Hong Kong to be part of the Aguinaldo government. He later went to Yokohama to procure weapons for the Filipino army during the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). The presentation used data obtained from the research “Images of Japan in Filipino Spanish Language Newspapers, 1900-1910” funded by the Sumitomo Foundation. Students, faculty, and alumni of Ferris University, Yokohama National University (YNU), Japan Women’s University, and the UP Center for International Studies attended the hour-long lecture. Among the professors in attendance were Profs. Patrick Heller, Chiho Ogaya and Onishi Hiroshi of Ferris University; Profs. Tanabe Kazuko, PhD and Yasunori Fukuda, PhD of Japan Woman’s University; Prof. Kabashima Hiromi of YNU; and Assoc. Prof. Amparo Adelina C. Umali,III, PhD. Photo courtesy of UPD CIS During the Q&A forum, Onishi, a historian, expressed interest in researching on Filipino ilustrados in Yokohama, especially Artemio Ricarte (1866-1945), one of Aguinaldo’s generals who preferred exile in Japan than swear allegiance to the United States at the end of the Philippine-American War. Kabashima welcomed the lecture and said all the information she had heard was new to her. The lady professor was present during an earlier discussion between UPCIS and YNU students on the Philippines’ economic divide, part of programmed activities in the Ferris Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program. The UPCIS students also had a similar activity with their Ferris University counterparts. The lecture, arranged by Umali and Ogaya, is one of two prepared presentations of the 2017 Ferris University Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program organized by UPCIS East and Southeast Asian Studies Division and UPCIS European Studies Division with Ferris University and YNU. The program, a brainchild of Umali, coordinator of UPCIS East and Southeast Asian Studies Division, and Ogaya, of Ferris University’s Faculty of Arts and Letters, began with a visit by UPCIS students in 2015, a year before the two universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). (Center for International Studies)
https://up.edu.ph/up-and-japanese-students-highlight-cooperation-and-corruption-in-disaster-management-efforts/	UP and Japanese students highlight cooperation and corruption in disaster management efforts – University of the Philippines	UP and Japanese students highlight cooperation and corruption in disaster management efforts UP and Japanese students highlight cooperation and corruption in disaster management efforts April 30, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office Cooperation displayed by Japanese citizens and perceived corruption of Filipino officials differentiate recent Japanese and Philippine disaster management efforts. Assoc. Prof. Amparo Adelina Umali, III, PhD, made this conclusion in synthesizing case presentations made by UP students and their visiting Japanese counterparts in a Global Studies 197 Special Topics on Cultures of Disaster: Learning from Life Experiences offered at the UP Center for International Studies (UPCIS), where she is coordinator of East and Southeast Asian Studies. UPCIS students discussing the effect of typhoon Yolanda on the people of Eastern Visayas. (Photo courtesy of UPCIS) The students exchanged information on their countries’ disaster management experiences during small group discussions in the class. The Japanese, who came to Diliman on February 28, discussed the efforts of Japan’s farmers who cooperated with their government’s disaster management program in the wake of the 2011 earthquake-and-tsunami disaster that produced the Fukushima nuclear plant crisis. UPCIS students, some of whom visited Ferris University in November last year as part of the Ferris University Short Stay Visit/Exchange Program, discussed unsatisfactory Philippine government rehabilitation efforts in Eastern Visayas in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, where official data showed only 33% of housing targets had been completed as of 2017. During the small group discussions, the Japanese students expressed trust on their government, while the Filipinos wondered where the rehabilitation funds had gone. Japanese professors, who accompanied the visiting students, stressed the importance of government efforts for disaster mitigation. Japanese students presenting the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami. (Photo courtesy of UPCIS) “We have to conduct some research about the cause [of the natural disasters] and why this problem happened. So I think this is the role of the university,” Assoc. Prof. Takaaki Kobayashi of Yokohama National University (YNU) said. Assoc. Prof. Kotaro Yonemura of YNU said that with foreigners living in Japan today, a miscommunication problem can arise if a natural disaster occurs. Japanese local governments are improving their disaster prevention effects, as seen in the use of several languages in documents and signages, added Prof. Chiho Ogaya of Ferris University (FU). Prof. Yuji Kanamura of Wayo Women’s University (WWU) said that the Philippines and Japan experience the same kind of natural disasters, like typhoons and volcano eruptions. “This is a good chance, not only for the discussion, to save lives in the natural disasters that will happen in the future,” he added. Assoc. Prof. Masako Suginohara of Ferris University said that the joint presentation was a “very good opportunity for students from Japan, the Philippines, and some other countries to talk about their own experience, their knowledge, and exchange their views.” In his closing remarks, Prof. Wystan de la Peña, UPCIS coordinator of European Studies thanked the Japanese students for their visit. “You capitalize the ‘I’ of ‘International’ in ‘Center for International Studies,’” he said. Professors and students from UP, YNU, FU, and WWU who participated in the afternoon lecture on disaster management in the Philippines and Japan pose for a souvenir photo. (Photo courtesy of UPCIS) De la Peña emphasized the need for people from different countries to come together to talk about mutual problems and issues confronting them. “We do international studies because what we want to do, at the end of the day, is to have international understanding,” he added. The UPCIS students gave the Japanese a campus tour after the class, and UPCIS hosted a Lebanese-themed dinner in the evening. The exchange program — a brainchild of Umali and Ogaya – is modelled after the Global Studies Tour organized by the UPCIS and the YNU, which the two professors initiated. The Japanese visit is part of YNU’s International and Business Law Field Study Trip 2018 conducted with Ferris University and Wayo Women’s University and followed the UPCIS students’ visit to YNU and FU last year. (East and Southeast Asian Studies Division, Center for International Studies)
https://up.edu.ph/upcat-2019-online-application-now-open/	UPCAT 2019 online application now open – University of the Philippines	UPCAT 2019 online application now open UPCAT 2019 online application now open July 11, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office The UPCAT Online Application is now open for eligible applicants to the University of the Philippines for SY 2019-2020. Please read the UP Privacy Notice and 2019 General Information Bulletin carefully before starting your online application. Please check https://upcat.up.edu.ph and UPCAT – U.P. System for other announcements. UP Office of Admissions Telefax: +63 2 9274561 Telephone: +63 2 981-8500 loc. 3827/3828/3830/3831 Email: oadms@up.edu.ph Address: Kalaw cor. Quirino Ave., UP Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines
https://up.edu.ph/upcat-advisory-as-of-september-28-2018/	UPCAT Advisory as of September 28, 2018 – University of the Philippines	UPCAT Advisory as of September 28, 2018 UPCAT Advisory as of September 28, 2018 September 28, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office UPCAT 2019 will be held on SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 & 28, 2018. Please read the following carefully: · PLEASE HOLD ON TO THE TEST PERMITS THAT WERE ISSUED TO YOU BY THE UP OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS. · TAKE NOTE OF THE CHANGES IN SCHEDULE: OLD SCHEDULE in Test Permit NEW SCHEDULE DATE TIME DATE TIME 15 September 2018 (Saturday) 6:30 AM 27 October 2018 (Saturday) 6:30 AM 15 September 2018 (Saturday) 12:30 PM 27 October 2018 (Saturday) 12:30 PM 16 September 2018 (Sunday) 6:30 AM 28 October 2018 (Sunday) 6:30 AM 16 September 2018 (Sunday) 12:30 PM 28 October 2018 (Sunday) 12:30 PM
https://up.edu.ph/announcement-on-upcat-2019/	Announcement on UPCAT 2019 – University of the Philippines	Announcement on UPCAT 2019 Announcement on UPCAT 2019 September 12, 2018 \| Posted by MPRO The UP Office of Admissions will be postponing the administration of the UPCAT 2019 nationwide. This decision is based on consultation with UP System officials and weather experts on the latest forecast on Typhoon Ompong and its expected impact on Northern Luzon and Eastern Seaboard including Western Visayas, and in consideration of the nationwide scope of the exam that entails synchronized travel arrangements among others which pose undue risks to both UPCAT examinees and UPCAT personnel. The Office will announce a new date as soon as possible and provide instructions to all examinees.
https://up.edu.ph/12-tips-for-upcat-examinees/	12 tips for UPCAT examinees – University of the Philippines	12 tips for UPCAT examinees 12 tips for UPCAT examinees October 23, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office Read the instructions that were provided to you by the UP Office of Admissions. Check your test permit for complete entries, the dry seal on part of your photo, and your signature. This will save you the trouble of doing it on the test day itself. Visit your testing hall in advance so you get there easier when UPCAT day comes. Avoid the frantic search. You don’t want to waste time and end up being late for the test even if you arrived early. For those who will take the test in UP Diliman, you were given maps and you can check out http://diskover.up.edu.ph to get more info. Condition yourself to be calm and focused. Make sure you get a good night’s rest and a proper, but not heavy, meal before the exam. Avoid wearing clothes that are too tight or may cause discomfort. Be ready with a jacket or sweater in case it gets cold. If you feel anxious, take slow, deep breaths to relax. Be early. Arrive at your testing hall before 6:30 AM for the morning session and before 12:30 PM for the afternoon session. Bring and submit documents required of you. The UP Office of Admissions marks these as deficiencies on your test permit. Keep these documents ready and when asked, submit them. Bring good quality pencils—not too light but not too dark. No part of the test will ever require you to use any other kind of writing instrument. No pens of any kind. Just good quality pencils. Bring a snack and drink. You can eat at any time during the test because there are no breaks. But please don’t bring something that might soil the test materials and food so odorous or noisy to unwrap that it distracts your fellow examinees. Don’t bring scratch paper. We’ll provide this for you. The scratch paper we issue is the only paper you must use. You can always ask for additional sheets, so there’s really no need for you to bring scratch paper. Turn off your cell phone or put it on silent mode with the vibration function turned off. This should be self-explanatory. Understand and follow instructions. Read carefully before answering. You can ask examiners or proctors only to clarify instructions and not about any test item you don’t understand. You can also inform them of irregularities like missing or duplicate items or pages in the test booklet. Make sure you’re filling out the answer sheet correctly. Check to see if you’ve written all needed data and shaded the right ovals properly. Take note of skipped items and go back to them when you still have time. Finally, don’t cheat. Don’t even try. Don’t even think about it. Unless you want to say goodbye to the UPCAT and the chance to be admitted to UP.
https://up.edu.ph/admu-up-team-entry-among-apru-nyt-competition-top-ten/	AdMU-UP team entry among APRU-NYT competition top ten – University of the Philippines	AdMU-UP team entry among APRU-NYT competition top ten AdMU-UP team entry among APRU-NYT competition top ten June 29, 2017 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office On June 26, at the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) 21st Annual Presidents’ Meeting held in Sydney, Australia, APRU Chair and Chancellor Gene Bloc of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) announced the winners of and short-listed competitors in the inaugural APRU-New York Times Asia-Pacific Case Competition 2017. The competition focused on raising awareness of climate change and the future of the Pacific Ocean. It attracted entries from students of 31 universities in 12 economies in the Americas, Asia, and Australasia. The team entry submitted by Carlos Arcenas from the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) and Benjo Buensuceso from the University of the Philippines (UP) was among the top ten entries judged by senior APRU leaders and staff members from The New York Times. The team from the University of Washington won the top prize, while students from the Yale-NUS College and the National University of Singapore (NUS) won the second and the third place, respectively. Entries from students from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, University of Auckland, University of California (UC San Diego) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) also made it to the competition’s top ten. Photo grabbed from APRU winners’ announcement. The top 10 case submissions will be published and reports made available for download next month. APRU was established in 1997 as a premier alliance of research universities to serve as an advisory body to international organisations, governments and business on the development of science and innovation, as well as on the broader development of higher education. APRU aims to contribute to the economic, scientific and cultural advancement of Pacific Rim economies. UP is the only Philippine university in the APRU, where membership is based on the nomination by and votes of member universities. As the voice of knowledge and innovation in the Pacific, APRU pledges to continue using its unique geographical reach to bring together the region’s leaders and brightest minds to address the future of the world’s greatest ocean. (Source: https://www.apru-nyt2017.com/winners)
https://up.edu.ph/up-hosts-first-akademyang-filipino-forum-assembly/	UP hosts first Akademyang Filipino forum-assembly – University of the Philippines	UP hosts first Akademyang Filipino forum-assembly UP hosts first Akademyang Filipino forum-assembly December 4, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office The Akademyang Filipino’s first general assembly with its board of trustees seated in front. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) The University of the Philippines hosted on November 24, 2018, the first general assembly and forum of Akademyang Filipino, a gathering of the country’s thought leaders who aim to elevate the discourse on national issues. UP President Danilo Concepcion welcomed the Akademya’s trustees and members to the main auditorium of the UP Professional Schools in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. According to Concepcion, the promotion of service to the people and to the nation was an objective shared by the University and the Akademya. “We must foster strategic thinking over short-sightedness, honest labor over opportunism, and shared effort over self-promotion,” he said. “Being among you I realize that I stand at the summit of Filipino intellectual, cultural, and moral achievement,” he said. Concepcion greeted the Akademya: beginning with trustee Justice Antonio Carpio; and followed by chairman emeritus and National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose; trustee and National Scientist Angel Alcala; chairman, former Ombudsman and Justice Conchita Carpio Morales; Trustee Felipe Gozon; and members, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., former Prime Minister Cesar Virata, and former UP President Emerlinda Roman. Jose made an appeal for “self-transcendent leadership” in his tribute to Akademyang Filipino co-founder, former UP President and Senate President, Edgardo Angara. Morales addressed the assembly for the first time, calling for “curated information and curative information” for the people. National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose acknowledges what many of the Akademyang Filipino members are doing “to build a nation that is just, sovereign, and also happy”. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) The public forum focused on defending Philippine sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. The Keynote speaker was Carpio who, in his speech, criticized Chinese sovereignty claims to areas of the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea as false or fabricated. He explained how some of these areas are consistently part of historical maps of the Philippines and its zones of entitlements. Carpio encouraged Filipinos to strongly and explicitly protest against the false claims, and to make politicians accountable, especially during elections, for their stand on the issue. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio starts his keynote address by highlighting the economic importance of the South China Sea. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) Akademya members and West Philippine Sea experts De La Salle University’s Renato Cruz de Castro, University of the Philippines’ Jay Batongbacal, and author and columnist Richard Heydarian, served as discussants in a panel. In their exchange, the current Philippine government stand on the disputes was described as “classic appeasement”; and a call was made for a clearer and consistent stand, signaling toward deterrence or a freeze in militarization, reclamation, and naval exercises in the disputed areas. UP Vice President for Public Affairs Jose Dalisay Jr., an Akademya trustee, announced the forthcoming release of the academy’s statement which would sum up the points of the forum “with a view toward lending our collective voice toward a more progressive, more just, and more patriotic foreign policy.” In his closing remarks, Dalisay said the academy’s meetings aimed to “broaden the circle of national discourse and to expand our intellectual universe to bring out the Rizals and the Bonifacios in each of us.” Akademyang Filipino, inaugurated in February 2017, is composed of leaders in the arts, sciences, politics, industry, and professions. It includes national artists, national scientists, and the Philippines’ Ramon Magsaysay Awardees. Apart from Jose, Morales, Alcala, Carpio, Dalisay, and Gozon, the academy’s trustees are Sonny Angara, Lydia Echauz, Doris Magsaysay Ho, and Ramon Magsaysay Jr. Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales addresses the trustees and members of Akademyang Filipino for the first time as its chair. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) The first general assembly and public forum was sponsored by the UP Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs, the UP College of Law, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. (Jo. Lontoc, UP MPRO) UP Vice President Jose Dalisay Jr., the master of ceremonies of the Akademyang Filipino’s first general assembly and public forum, delivers his closing remarks. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) Watch the replay of the forum here.
https://up.edu.ph/an-earth-science-olympian-and-his-road-to-france/	An Earth Science Olympian and his road to France – University of the Philippines	An Earth Science Olympian and his road to France An Earth Science Olympian and his road to France November 9, 2017 \| Written by Andre DP Encarnacion When he was younger, UP Integrated School (UPIS) 12th grader Adrian Jeremiah C. Bornilla would make it a point to go over the natural and earth science sections of the almanacs his family had at home. The boy found the topic endlessly fascinating, and it was no surprise that his parents, both engineers, would fill his and his siblings’ younger years with even more books on science and engineering. Little did Adrian realize years later that his childhood interest would give honor to the country in his final year of secondary school. Together with fellow students Maria Janine Juachon (Philippine Science High School Central Luzon), Eugene Toribio (PSHS Bicol Region) and Mikhail Angel Torio (PSHS Main Campus), he represented the country as the lone UP representative in the 2017 International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) in Cote d’Azur, France. Adrian Bornilla (2nd from left) from the UPIS poses with the team and their medals When the smoke cleared, the team had won two gold medals, three silvers and two bronzes at the IESO, a competition for secondary students that tests their skills in all areas of the Earth Sciences: geology, geophysics, meteorology, oceanography, terrestrial astronomy and environmental sciences. The competition is both practical and theoretical: participants are tested not only on their Earth Science knowledge, but also on their ability to conduct scientific investigations in the field. Adrian first got wind of the competition when a letter from Bicol University arrived at the UPIS with the news that after a six-year absence, the Philippines intended to join the IESO once again. “Because France was this year’s host,” he explained, “they were able to waive the entrance fee for the Philippines.” Budgetary constraints had prevented the country from previously sending a team to the competition. Adrian was chosen, together with another batchmate from the same track, to take part in the selection process, which took place in both Metro Manila and Bicol. As fate would have it, he would end up as the sole UP representative in the historic team of four. Earth Science boot camp After being selected, Adrian and his teammates were told to brush up on all pertinent areas of the Earth Sciences. This was the first step in a highly rigorous training process that saw them being taken under the wing of some of the world’s foremost experts in these fields. “The first legitimate training sessions were held in Bicol,” Adrian noted. Here, the world-renowned former volcanologist and Pinatubo expert Dr. Chris Newhall, formerly of the US Geological Survey, trained the team in field methods. They spent a total of five days in Legaspi City, mastering various Earth Science topics. In addition, the team also received astronomy pointers from famous physicist Dr. Reinabelle Reyes, the Filipina who helped confirm Einstein’s Theory of Relativity on a cosmic scale back in 2010. Team Philippines and their mentors at the IESO Welcome Trail The final leg of the training session, however, was held at the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS), where UP faculty members such as Dr. Allan Gil Fernando and Dr. Leonila Bron-Sikat gave them intensive training in geology and other topics. Through it all, mentors Prof. Miguel Cano of Bicol University and Dr. Marietta de Leon of the Geological Society of the Philippines, who joined them all the way to France, guided the team through the process. “It was interesting. I had a subtle attraction to meteorology,” Adrian admits, when asked about his favorite subject among those they studied. He considered geology the most challenging, a subject, he said, that his teammates had a better grasp of. Identifying rocks, for instance, was an activity he had to really work on to master. Luckily for the team, which Adrian now considers a barkada, each one was willing to pitch in during practice sessions and help the others in the area that person was strong in. “We would use the previous exams as reference for practice because they uploaded it to the internet. Our team dynamics was good.” A distinct Olympiad Once in France, Adrian and his friends found the competition to be as competitive as it had been billed. “So far, I think this IESO had the most number of countries—29 countries and 129 students,” he recals. The main selling point of the IESO for Adrian was that, unlike other competitions, there was a very strong collaborative element as well. “There were also competitions that involved groups, but you were grouped with people from other countries. That was what makes the IESO distinct from other Olympiads.” “As a team, we were also surprised to find that hydrology was included for the first time in our training sessions.” That first in training would be a key to victory for the young Filipinos since, unlike in previous years, hydrology took up a significant portion of the written test. “When our mentors saw the test, even they began screaming ‘Yes!’ because its inclusion in training felt so serendipitous.” Adrian Jeremiah Bornilla (in white) poses with his medal For Adrian and his teammates, doing well in this prestigious competition was even sweeter because of the possible good it would do for young scientists. “At first we never thought that we would medal,” he said. “It matters that we medalled, because the funding for the Olympiad in the Philippines has not received real attention.” He continues: “So if you get an award or a distinction in an Olympiad, it could be a reason for the government to consider that maybe the Philippines has potential or that the Philippines is good in Earth Sciences. So why not fund the students who get sent to the Olympiad?” One thing is certain, however, for this international medallist—is future will likely be in the sciences. “My plan so far is to pursue a science-related course,” he said. “I originally planned to take the medical path. But because of the Olympiad, I’m suddenly considering studying geology. But that came very late as I had already passed my UPCAT form! But I’m sure it will be science-related.”
https://up.edu.ph/the-giant-artworks-that-define-us/	The Giant Artworks that Define Us – University of the Philippines	The Giant Artworks that Define Us The Giant Artworks that Define Us December 12, 2017 \| Written by Andre DP Encarnacion A wreath of flame. An awe-inspiring conch shell. If you have been a religious attendee of UP Diliman’s year-end celebrations over the past few years, you might have noticed a distinct change in the artistic installations people are used to seeing in the University’s Oblation Plaza. UP Diliman’s Pag-iilaw, 2013 (Photo by Arlyn Romualdo, UPMPRO) Everyone from nostalgic alumni to casual visitors have most likely marveled at the keen attention to detail and the rich symbolism that characterize the massive themed structures in front of Quezon Hall over the past few Decembers. At the heart of these displays are the giant lanterns enfolding the Oblation—UP’s most iconic figure—that give a meaningful and otherworldly beauty to events like the Pag-iilaw and the Lantern Parade. Famously designed by UP artist Toym Imao, these figures serve as concrete representations of the overall Celebration themes—themes that define UP Diliman’s identity and purpose in contemporary Philippine society. But what do they mean, exactly, and what is the process that goes into making the themes that inspire them? “The year-end celebration is a reminder and a celebration of the good things that UP Diliman contributed to the community—to the nation, and even to the world,” says Dr. Sir Anril Pineda Tiatco, the celebrated dramaturg, scholar, and director of the UP Diliman Information Office (DIO), one of a select core of artists who convene yearly to develop the year-end theme celebrating UPD’s important national role. Tiatco and colleagues DIO Deputy Director Jem Javier, UP Theater Complex (UPTC) Director Jose Estrella, and UPTC Technical Director Barbie Tan-Tiongco come together as early as August to exchange ideas on both the theme and the central image for the installation. By the time the UPD Committee on Year-End is constituted a month later, the group is more than ready to present their initial ideas. UP Diliman’s Oble amidst his seasonal finery in 2015 (Photo by UP MPRO) “As soon as the committee approves the theme and the image, we immediately discuss them with the artist,” Tiatco says. “Imao provides a series of studies. We talk about his studies until we come up with something – a compromised version, in a way.” Some important constraints on the final output, he notes, are: (a) a tight budget, (b) comprehensibility (can the community relate to the piece?), and (c) aesthetics. The last can be a tricky variable to navigate, especially when different artists can have different visions and creative backgrounds to inform them. “I remember in 2016, it took three weeks before we finally used Himig ng Diliman as our central theme. Originally, we wanted to use Tipunin ang mga Tinig, but we thought it was uninteresting and not indicative of how UP Diliman should present itself to the public”. The end-results of these long discussions, however, are now storied parts of UP Diliman’s history. The debut year for Tiatco and his colleagues was 2015. It featured the year-end theme Dingas (spark), which celebrated, according to Chancellor Michael Tan, UP Diliman’s role as a spark and facilitator of national discourse. Capturing this ideal was the installation Sulo (torch), which saw the Oblation surrounded by sparks of molded steel and plastic. In-between the space between the sparks were three bamboo triangles representing the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. “In a way the dingas or spark is a testament to UPD’s character as a trailblazer,” Tiatco says, “but subtly it is also a reminder to be careful because others are there to follow. It is a reminder of our social, political, cultural and even moral duties. I believe that ‘spark’ is both exciting and daunting.” The following year’s installation was Budyong at Tambuli, named after the instruments of the same name. In precolonial times, Tiatco says, the sound of the budyong heralded the coming of a visitor or of imminent danger. “What we wanted to present back then was the role of UP Diliman as an institution that heralds the community and its role in announcing the coming of danger.” Here he recalls Imao’s reminder about UP’s tradition of progressive action and thought that warns against threats to the liberties of the people. “The installation vis-a-vis the theme Himig ng Diliman symbolizes UP Diliman’s voices and narratives of the joys and achievements, and at the same time the struggles and dissents.” UP Diliman’s Oble amidst his seasonal finery in 2016 (Photo by Jefferson Villacruz, UP Diliman Information Office) “This year,” Tiatco promises, “we will be playful and childlike.” Indeed, the year-end theme for this month’s celebration is UP Diliman: Paaralan/Palaruan, inspired by the author Johan Huizinga’s idea of the centrality of “play” in the foundation and formation of culture. Games, the idea goes, are rule-bound, but also contain within them the possibility of these rules’ being transcended and remade by their own players for the better. Complementing this theme is the lantern-installation, Mulat, which sets the Oblation against a giant eye woven with colored threads that represent diverse ways of seeing. This eye watches over a field of outlines of children at play lining the plaza—representing those who have been lost in senseless conflict, and glowing against the darkness. The University here is represented as an entity watching over the people and an initiator of movements that level the playing field “against threats to society and those who do not play fair.” UP Diliman’s 2017 Christmas season began with the annual Pag-iilaw on November 24, with the Oblation Plaza decked out in “Mulat” by Toym Imao. (Photo by Arlyn Romualdo, UP MPRO) “There are two important images—children and an eye,” Tiatco says. “The kids are happily playing and a huge eye is watching over the kids. Sort of saying that we are responsible for the children. We should take care of our kids. We mould our children—their becoming is our responsibility.” While the mere presence of these structures no doubt inspire wonderment due to their sheer immensity and craftsmanship, Tiatco hopes to emphasize their more functional community role. “While it is true that they are symbolic, I want to emphasize that these are installation arts,” he says. “These art objects are necessary because they help us reflect about the world we live in, and about UP Diliman.” More specifically, their presence allows us, the beholders, to “defamiliarize” ideas and situations that we believe to be commonsensical. “Most of the time, we only recognize the importance of an object when we start defamiliarizing them,” Tiatco emphasizes. “I think that’s what these huge installations have been trying to do since 2015.” ——————– Email the author at upforum@up.edu.ph.
https://up.edu.ph/databases-vs-filipino-cancers/	Databases vs. Filipino Cancers – University of the Philippines	Databases vs. Filipino Cancers Databases vs. Filipino Cancers August 17, 2018 \| Written by Andre DP Encarnacion Biologist and informatics expert Joeriggo Reyes. (Photo by El Bacani, UP MPRO) Sitting alone in an office built for two, Joeriggo Reyes may not appear at first to be part of a multidisciplinary team tackling one of the world’s deadliest diseases. The lab gowns or sequencing machines that one typically associates with biological scholarship are nowhere in sight. From his room at UP Diliman’s Institute of Mathematics, however, this biologist and informatics expert finds himself at the crossroads of contemporary cancer research. As the lead builder of the scientific database for a CHED-Philippine California Advanced Research Institute (PCARI)-funded project, Reyes’ office is the convergence point for data produced by four groups from the Philippines and the US. Once done, it will house information from laboratories in UP Los Baños, the University of California Davis, UP Diliman, and the Lung Center of the Philippines. These researchers—united more by a common vision and fiber optic cables than physical proximity—are using their expertise in systems biology, medicine and chemistry to unlock the secrets of lung cancer, a disease that claims ten Filipinos per hour, according to the World Health Organization. While building a freely accessible storehouse for researchers sounds like the least glamorous part of the job, Reyes finds his role perhaps the most reflective of how 21st-century science can be done. Scientists today are increasingly relying on large data sets to bring together previously isolated subjects, and to model the interacting components that make up complex phenomena like cancer. At the heart of these efforts is the database—where researchers can access massive amounts of data uploaded by their peers and predecessors to solve previously intractable problems. Reyes hopes the repository he is building will not only benefit his fellow project proponents, but other scientists working towards the next generation of breakthroughs in Philippine biomedical research. What is a database? While a project that marries biology and information technology can sound daunting, describing a database in itself is fairly straightforward. “A simple example of a database is a Microsoft Excel file,” says Reyes. “In an Excel file, you have rows and you have columns. And in these you have attributes like people’s names and birthdays. That’s a simple database, and we just work to make more complex ones.” These more complex databases have now become staples of increasingly multi-part and sophisticated biological research. One example is the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) of the US National Institutes of Health, with its BLAST algorithm. Visualized interactions of the cancer-correlated protein EFGR from STRING database. Visit: https://string-db.org/ “BLAST connects to the repository of all the genetic data of the NCBI,” Reyes explains. “Different institutions from the US, Japan and Europe formed a consortium to ensure that whatever data they have is available to the outside world. So, everyone’s seeing the same thing.” In principle, whenever an experimenter from anywhere in the world sequences a gene (or a genome), one can always use BLAST to look up similar ones within the database. “That way,” Reyes says, “you can identify your gene or your protein, or make an intelligent guess as to its structure or function.” The process applies even to other types of molecular data, such as mass spectrometry fingerprints for proteins and metabolites. A many-part machine The need for an in-house database that is comprehensive and easy to use becomes obvious, given the scale and complexity of Reyes’s project. Communicating mostly over Skype, each of his fellow researchers in the Glycoproteomics of Filipino Lung Cancer Cell Lines for Biomarker Discovery and Anti-Cancer Screening of Natural Products team makes unique data contributions, working autonomously on components that, in sum, contributes to the achievement of broader aims. In total, the project lays the foundation for future research that will allow clinicians to profile a patient and tell, in the shortest time possible, whether he or she has lung cancer, and what therapeutic regimen might be most effective. It will also help us develop drugs that target multiple genes, tailored specifically to the local population. One component of the project, headed by Dr. Francisco Heralde of the Lung Center of the Philippines, will collect tumor tissue and blood samples from Filipino lung cancer patients, and establish cell lines for them. Why is this important? Reyes says the majority of work done on lung cancer so far has used European and American samples. “We have our own sets of mutations, our own genetic profile.” And these samples will both help establish if Filipinos do indeed have unique cancer biomarkers, and help clarify how we might respond differently to therapies, given these profiles. In another component, researchers will be using techniques offered by the UC Davis laboratory of Dr. Carlito Lebrilla, an expert in glycosylation—the attachment of carbohydrates to molecules like proteins. Some of these “glycoproteins” in turn perform functions vital to the cell, such as sending and receiving signals. Lebrilla’s team found out that several types of cancers could be differentiated by analyzing the types and abundance of these carbohydrates or “glycans.” Profiles of these glycans in collected patient samples will be made, in addition to profiles of genetic variation and gene expression to determine how glycosylation errors come about and how these might be diagnostic “markers” which future therapies can target. Reyes skims over large data sets. (Photo by El Bacani, UP MPRO) The third component, led by chemists Dr. Ruel Nacario and Dr. Gladys Completo from UP Los Baños, in collaboration with Dr. Isagani Padolina of Pascual Pharma Corp. R&D Lab will characterize and identify plant extracts from the Makiling area that can help prevent or treat lung cancer. Compounds isolated from these plants will be screened for bioactivity against known cancer cell lines, and those previously collected. A computational team, including Reyes and led by mathematician Dr. Jomar Rabajante, will also try to model the broader cancer network involving genes, their expression, and the interactions between them based on all the collected data. Underpinning all these efforts and constantly fed by information produced by team members will be the project’s database. And while access to this invaluable repository might be limited to the team at this time, it will be available to the world once the project is complete. Thinking in systems For Reyes, advances in technology have irrevocably changed how science is done. Databases like BLAST, KEGG and the one he is helping build, now allow scientists to think bigger and bridge disciplines once considered distinct. “Nowadays, we cannot live in isolation,” he says. “In order to solve scientific questions, you probably have to have a multi-disciplinary team like our project does. It’s invigorating to be in the middle of such a team.” For Reyes, this multidisciplinary and collaborative approach is key to sustaining local scientific progress. Joeriggo Reyes drawing up the interactions between genes and proteins in cancer. (Photo by El Bacani, UP MPRO) Reyes expects their effort to soon be joined by younger researchers, trained from high school onwards to think more broadly about scientific problems. “I don’t know how biology in high schools is taught now, but I think it should include a sense of thinking in systems. That there is so much more beyond the textbook.” On this note, organizations such as the US-based Institute for Systems Biology are introducing systems biology concepts to K-12 students there. If applied in the Philippines, this orientation should produce versatile students that are better prepared for the interdisciplinary and data-driven nature of contemporary research. And when they graduate, the database prepared by Joeriggo Reyes and his colleagues should be there to help that generation’s brightest to make their own breakthroughs.
https://up.edu.ph/infinity-walk-proponents-break-ground/	“Infinity Walk” proponents break ground – University of the Philippines	“Infinity Walk” proponents break ground “Infinity Walk” proponents break ground February 21, 2020 \| Written by Fred Dabu University of the Philippines (UP) and Tau Alpha fraternity officials lower the time capsule during the groundbreaking rites for the “Tau Alpha Infinity Walk”. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO. University of the Philippines (UP) and Tau Alpha fraternity officials marked the start of the construction of the pathway that will connect Quezon Hall to the Main Library of UP Diliman with the ceremonial groundbreaking and laying of the time capsule on January 31, 2020 at the lagoon area facing the Carillon. Dubbed as the “Tau Alpha Infinity Walk”, this legacy project coincides with the fraternity’s 90th anniversary celebrations and will benefit the UP Diliman community as well as the visitors of the campus. The project features a promenade or walkway across the lagoon, a plaza for showcasing artworks and cultural activities, tunnels with vaulted ceilings, and rockscape and waterworks that complement the biodiversity and enhance the natural beauty of the lagoon. The completed project will be turned over to UP in 2022. President Norberto P. Mendoza of the Tau Alpha Foundation said this legacy project would benefit the entire UP community. Chairperson Antonio A. Turalba, Sr. of the Tau Alpha Legacy Project Committee said they presented their conceptual plan and Memorandum of Agreement to UP officials in May and these were approved by the UP Board of Regents in June 2019. He said their design took into consideration the biodiversity in the lagoon to enhance the area, preserve trees and plants, and continue to attract migratory birds. He added that everyone could be proud of the project, as it was also the fraternity’s way of giving back to UP, the institution that had molded them into who they are today. Officials of the University of the Philippines (UP) and Tau Alpha fraternity. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO. UP President Danilo L. Concepcion commended the University’s alumni for partnering with UP for projects such as this. He added that the Tau Alpha legacy project was the newest of the many infrastructures being contributed by fraternities such as the Upsilon Sigma Phi, Beta Epsilon, and Epsilon Chi that supported UP’s goals of having a world class campus. Engr. Mario G. Montejo, former Secretary of Science and Technology, thanked UP officials for this opportunity and lauded fellow alumni here and abroad for supporting the project. He added that the project involved UP’s alumni engineers, architects, designers, and managers, and that the fraternity’s commitment to UP went beyond the “Infinity Walk” legacy project. Engr. Mario G. Montejo. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO. Also present were UP officials: Vice President for Development Elvira A. Zamora, Vice President for Legal Affairs Hector Danny Uy, Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs Jose Wendell P. Capili, Dean Bernadette L. Abrera of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, Executive Director Romy S.A. Carlos of the UP Alumni Association, Student Regent John Isaac B. Punzalan, and the residents and alumni of Tau Alpha. A dinner program was held to cap the event at the University’s Ang Bahay ng Alumni. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO.
https://up.edu.ph/up-hosts-conference-on-philippine-strategic-outlook/	UP hosts conference on Philippine strategic outlook – University of the Philippines	UP hosts conference on Philippine strategic outlook UP hosts conference on Philippine strategic outlook March 2, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office Conference participants discuss strategic forecasts in view of the rise of China as a global superpower. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) The Strategic Studies Program (SSP) of the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS) and the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea (UP IMLOS) hosted the “3rd Katipunan Conference: The Philippine Strategic Outlook 2018 – 2019” on February 27 to 28, 2018 at the UP Law Center in UP Diliman, Quezon City. This two-day conference featured panel discussions on current and emerging issues affecting Filipinos. Resource speakers tackled a wide range of topics, such as: shifting power dynamics in Asia, ICT and strategic advantage, climate change, maritime and regional security, economic and political stability, and forecasts from various stakeholders’ perspectives. Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., National Security adviser and director general of the National Security Council, delivered the keynote address at the conference. Panelists were: Dr. Aileen S.P. Baviera (Asian Center, UP Diliman); Dr. Emmanuel C. Lallana (IdeaCorp.); Dr. Herbert V. Docena (Department of Sociology, UP Diliman); Jaime B. Naval (SSP); Dr. Jay L. Batongbacal (UP IMLOS); Julio S. Amador III (ASEAN Studies Center, New Era University); Ma. Anna Rowena Luz G. Layador-Roaquin (Department of Political Science, UP Diliman); Dr. Gilberto M. Llanto (Philippine Institute for Development Studies); Ramon C. Casiple (Institute for Political and Electoral Reform); Dr. Antoinette R. Raquiza (Asian Center, UP Diliman); Rear Admiral Rommel Jude G. Ong (Naval Inspector General, Armed Forces of the Philippines); George T. Siy (Convergence Realty & Development Corp.); Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil-Mercado (Deputy Cabinet Secretary, Office of the President); Dr. Henry Chan Hing Lee (East Asia Institute, National University of Singapore); and Dr. Aries A. Arugay (SSP, UP CIDS). Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. (Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO) Launched in 2015, the Katipunan Conference serves as a venue where scholars, practitioners, stakeholders, and decision makers from government, non-government, business, and the academic sectors can exchange views on strategic issues affecting the country. Conference presentations and outputs are posted or published by the UP CIDS (http://cids.up.edu.ph). (Fred Dabu, UP MPRO) Click here for more photos of the event.
https://up.edu.ph/filipino-migrant-workers-documentary-free-screening-on-august-3/	UP CIDS presents Italian documentary on Filipino migrant workers – University of the Philippines	UP CIDS presents Italian documentary on Filipino migrant workers UP CIDS presents Italian documentary on Filipino migrant workers July 25, 2018 \| Written by UP Media and Public Relations Office The public is invited to attend the film screening of Filipinos in the Eyes of an Italian by Italian journalist Francesco Conte, a documentary on Filipino migrant workers in Italy, on August 3, 2018 (Friday), 2:00-5:00 PM, at the UP CIDS Conference Hall, Lower Ground Floor, Ang Bahay ng Alumni UP Diliman. In this film, Francesco Conte depicts an in-depth portrait of Filipinos in Italy where they tell their own stories and talk of the challenges and fulfillments of living and working in Italy. After the film presentation, a panel discussion led by Ambassador Pete Chan (former Consul General in Milan), Fr. Graziano Gavioli and Dr. Maruja M.B. Asis (both from the Scalabrini Migration Center) will take on topics concerning the situation and issues Filipino migrant workers face in Italy. This is event is organized by the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies, Philippine Italian Association, UP Department of Political Science, and the Scalabrini Migration Center. For inquiries, please contact Jesam Jimenez at pspc.cids@up.edu.ph or through telephone number 981-8500 loc. 4266.