University of the Philippines, Los Baños
Encyclopedia
The University of the Philippines Los Baños (also referred to as UPLB, UP Los Baños, and Elbi) is a public university located in the towns of Los Baños
and Bay
in the province of Laguna
, some 64 kilometers southeast of Manila
. It traces its roots to the UP College of Agriculture (UPCA), which was founded in 1909 by the American colonial government to promote agricultural education and research in the Philippines
. American botanist Edwin Copeland
served as its first dean. UPLB was formally established in 1972 following the union of UPCA with four other Los Baños and Diliman-based University of the Philippines
(UP) units.
The university has played an influential role in Asian agriculture and biotechnology due to its pioneering efforts in plant breeding and bioengineering, particularly in the development of high-yielding and pest-resistant crops. In recognition of its work, it was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award
for International Understanding in 1977. Nine research centers are recognized as Centers of Excellence by presidential decree. UPLB hosts a number of local and international research centers, including the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI), ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
, World Agroforestry Centre, and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture
(SEARCA).
UPLB offers more than 100 degree programs in various disciplines through its nine colleges and two schools. As of October 2010 the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED) has accredited eight academic units as Centers of Excellence and two as Centers of Development, giving the campus the largest number of Centers of Excellence (research and academic units combined) among all universities in the country.
While UPLB alumni have been recognized in a wide range of fields, most students specialize in agriculture and natural sciences. Alumni include 13 scientists awarded the title National Scientist of the Philippines
, members of the UN IPCC
(winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize
), Palanca Award
winners, as well as political and business leaders.
, the highest governing body of the university. Edwin Copeland, an American
botanist and Thomasite from the Philippine Normal College in Manila, served as its first dean. Classes began in June 1909 with five professors, and 12 students initially enrolled in the program. The Forestry School was established a year later.
During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines
beginning in 1941, UPCA was closed and the campus converted into an internment camp for allied nationals and headquarters of the Japanese army. For three years, the college was home to more than 2,000 civilians, mostly Americans, that were captured by the Japanese. In 1945, as part of the effort to liberate the country, the US Army sent 130 11th Airborne Division paratroopers to Los Baños to rescue the internees. Only four paratroopers and two Filipino
guerrillas were killed in the raid. However, Japanese reinforcements arrived two days later, destroying UPCA facilities and killing some 1,500 Filipino civilians in Los Baños soon afterwards.
UPCA became the first unit of the University of the Philippines to open after the war when it resumed classes on July 25, 1945, with Leopoldo Uichangco as dean. However, only 125 (16 percent) of the original students enrolled. It was even worse for the School of Forestry, which only had nine students. Likewise, only 38 professors returned to teach. UPCA used its ₱
470,546 (US$10,800) share in the Philippine-US War Damage Funds (released in 1947) for reconstruction.
Further financial endowments from the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) and the Mutual Security Agency (MSA) allowed the construction of new facilities, while scholarship grants, mainly from the Rockefeller Foundation
and the International Cooperation Administration-National Economic Council, helped fund training of UPCA faculty. From 1947 to 1958, a total of 146 faculty members had been granted MS and PhD scholarships in US universities.
Dioscoro Umali became UPCA dean in 1959. Umali's administration oversaw the creation of IRRI, SEARCA (of which he was the first director), and the Department of Food Science and Technology. New facilities were also constructed under his Five-Year Development Program.
In 1972, UPCA requested Philippine President
Ferdinand Marcos
to allow the college to secede from the University of the Philippines due to the alleged withholding of its budget and the disapproval of curricular proposals. However, UP President
Salvador P. Lopez
strongly opposed the idea. A survey found that there was very little support for complete independence at UPCA. As a compromise, Lopez proposed the transformation of UP into a system of autonomous constituent universities. Finally, on November 20, 1972, PD No. 58 was signed, establishing UPLB as UP's first autonomous campus, with UPCA, College of Forestry, Agricultural Credit and Cooperatives Institute, Dairy Training and Research Institute, and the Diliman-based Agrarian Reform Institute as its first academic units. New colleges and research centers were created over the next few years, while the College of Veterinary Medicine was likewise transferred to UPLB from UP Diliman.
In 2010 Chancellor Luis Rey Velasco's administration oversaw the implementation of a policy allowing for larger lecture classes to improve the "absorptive capacity" of the university by more than 500 students and to give them better access to some of the more seasoned professors. It increased the class size of 25 to 40 students to a much larger 120 to 175 for general education and foundation courses. The policy has been criticized by various groups in UPLB.
, and Quezon
. UPLB's equipment and facilities are worth some ₱10.6 billion (US$244 million) according to official estimates.
Leandro Locsin
. Other notable landmarks include the iconic Oblation, Alumni Plaza, Freedom Park, and Baker Memorial Hall.
Numerous congregations can be found near UPLB. These include the United Church of Christ in the Philippines
Church Among the Palms, the Catholic parish
es of St. Therese of the Child Jesus
and San Antonio de Padua
, and Victory Los Baños
. Other amenities include banks (including LBP
, Plantersbank, and PNB
) and malls, such as Robinsons Town Mall Los Baños
. Security is provided by the University Police Force and the Community Support Brigade in addition to the police force of the local government.
UPLB is designated as caretaker of the 4347 ha (10,741.7 acre) Makiling Forest Reserve
(often referred to as the "upper campus," in contrast to the "lower campus" set at the foot of Makiling). It houses facilities of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources, College of Public Affairs, and the University Health Service, among others. The reserve is home to diverse flora and fauna, and has more tree species than the continental United States (an area 32 times bigger than the Philippines). It serves as an outdoor laboratory for students, mainly from the College of Forestry and Natural Resources.
s: the Laguna-Quezon Land Grant, La Carlota Land Grant, and Laguna Land Grant.
The 5719 ha (14,131.9 acre) Laguna-Quezon Land Grant is located in the towns of Real, Quezon
, and Siniloan, Laguna
, and was acquired in February 1930. It covers some portions of the Sierra Madre
mountain range, and currently hosts the university’s Citronella
and lemongrass plantations. The 705 ha (1,742.1 acre) La Carlota Land Grant is situated in Negros Occidental, a province in the Western Visayas region. Acquired in May 1964, it houses the PCARRD-DOST
La Granja Agricultural Research Center, which serves as a research center for various upland crops. Meanwhile, the 3336 ha (8,243.4 acre) Laguna Land Grant located in Paete, Laguna
, also acquired in 1964, is mostly undeveloped. Numerous parties have expressed interest in developing the land grants; however, UPLB has not entertained the potential investors due to the "lack of a solid development plan."
As part of the University of the Philippines System, UPLB is governed by the 11-person UP Board of Regents, which is jointly chaired by the head of the Commission on Higher Education
and the UP president.
The Board of Regents has the authority to approve the institution, merger, and abolition of degree programs as recommended by the UP president. It also has the power to confer degrees. The UP president, who is appointed by the Board of Regents, is the university's chief executive officer and the head of the faculty.
UPLB is administered by a chancellor who is elected by the UP Board of Regents to a three-year term. The chancellor may only serve for up to two terms. Under him are five vice-chancellors specializing in administration, community affairs, instruction, planning and development, and research and extension.
The current chancellor is Rex Victor Cruz, the eighth to hold the office. He assumed the post on November 25, 2011.
UPLB, through the UP System, is a member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities
, a consortium of leading research universities in the Asia-Pacific region.
This amount excludes research funding from other sources, which was valued at ₱233 million (US$5.37 million) in 2010. The biggest source was Philippine government agencies, at ₱136 million (US$3.13 million), with the PCASTRD-DOST as the largest contributor. This represents a 32 percent decrease from the previous year. Meanwhile, contributions from international and local private agencies increased 101 percent and 71 percent respectively. In all, outside sources contributed some ₱98 million (US$2.26 million).
To prepare for its centennial year, UPLB launched several Centennial Fund campaigns, the largest being the Centennial Building Fund, which aims to raise ₱2 billion (US$46.1 million) for the "construction, repair and maintenance of academic buildings and dormitories". Other Centennial Funds include the Centennial Celebration Fund and the Centennial Artists Endowment fund. As of April 2007, the Centennial Funds collected some US$7,672 and ₱53,700 (US$1,240).
s (CSCs), it assembles as the Student Legislative Chamber and acts as the highest policy-making body of the USC. The USC is composed of a chairperson, vice-chairperson, 10 councilors, a representative for each college/school with less than 500 students, and an additional college representative for every 500 students in excess of the first 500. Members are given one-year terms. CSCs have a similar structure, but with a different number of councilors based on the student population. Its first automated elections were done in 2011.
The Student Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) is responsible for sanctioning erring students. Common offenses include student misconduct and fraternity rumbles. The SDT is composed of a chairperson, two appointees of the chancellor, a student juror, and a parent juror.
UPLB offers 27 undergraduate and 82 graduate degree programs through its nine colleges and two schools. Majority of the programs award science degrees. It also awards high school diplomas through the University of the Philippines Rural High School
(UPRHS), a subunit of the College of Arts and Sciences, which acts as a laboratory
for its BS Math and Science Teaching students.
The College of Arts and Sciences has the largest student population and the largest number of undergraduate degree programs (11), while the College of Forestry and Natural Resources has the least number of programs (one).
BS Agricultural Biotechnology, introduced in 2010, is UPLB's newest undergraduate degree program. Several degree programs that have been proposed include Chancellor Aspiras's BA History
, BA Political Science
and BS Landscape
Horticulture
, and National Scientist
Teodulo M. Topacio Jr.'s comparative
medicine
program.
(UPCAT). Examinees that select UPLB as their preferred campus and garner a University Predicted Grade (UPG) within the standard cut-off are automatically eligible for admission. Those who do not automatically qualify may file an appeal for reconsideration if their UPG is within the actual cut-off, though the appeal process does not guarantee admission. The cut-off scores may be adjusted according to a variety of factors. In 2010, UPLB had a standard UPG cut-off of 2.42 while the actual cut-off was 2.8 (this actual cut-off was retained in 2011). Seventy percent of slots are given to incoming freshmen with the highest scores, while the remaining thirty percent are given to public high school students and members of minority groups. Before the UPCAT was used for admission, UPCA only admitted the top 5 percent of Philippine high school graduates.
High school freshman admission, on the other hand, is determined by the eight-hour long UPRHS Entrance Examination. Only the top 125 examinees are admitted. Sophomore transferees take the two-day UPRHS Validation Examination, and are admitted depending on the slots available.
UPLB has a substantial no-show rate, with 42 percent of qualifiers opting not to enroll. The figures are worse for BS Forestry and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programs, with no-show rates of 65 percent and 62 percent, respectively. Other programs with poor enrollment numbers include BS Agriculture
, BS Agricultural Engineering
, and BS Agricultural Chemistry
.
Normally, a student who completes the program may graduate with honors
if his general weighted average (GWA) is 1.75 or above. The title summa cum laude is awarded to graduates who obtain a GWA of 1.20 or above, magna cum laude to graduates with a GWA of 1.45 to 1.20, and cum laude to graduates with a GWA of between 1.75 and 1.45. As of 2011 there have been 30 summa cum laudes who have graduated from UPLB.
Graduates wear a black cap and gown
, as opposed to the graduates of other UP constituents, who wear the sablay.
The current rates were introduced in 2007. Previously, base tuition was only ₱300 per unit (since 1989). Library and miscellaneous fees were also increased in 2007, from ₱400 (US$9) per student to ₱1,100 (US$25) and ₱2,000 (US$46), respectively. New fees, such as internet and energy fees, were introduced. The USC sees the over 300 percent increase in tuition as the reason for the low enrollment rate and high student loan levels, which totaled some ₱14 million (US$326,000) in 2007. Additionally, it criticizes the STFAP for allegedly being ineffective. Upon its introduction in 1989, only 16 percent of students received discounts. The number fell to 12 percent in 2007.
, chemistry
, forestry
, information technology
, mathematics
, and veterinary medicine
. It is a Center of Development in environmental science
and statistics
. In addition, the Institute of Biological Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, and Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics have been recognized since 1983 as National Centers of Excellence in the Basic Sciences via presidential decree. Other Centers of Excellence by virtue of presidential decree are the Farming Systems and Soil Resources Institute, the Institute of Animal Science, the Institute of Food Science and Technology, the Institute of Plant Breeding, the National Crop Protection Center, and the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.
) and the World Bank
. It is a contributor to the International Information System for Agricultural Services and Technology
, contributing nearly 30,000 titles between 1975–2010.
195,282 of these volumes are housed at the Main Library, while the rest are in unit libraries. The Main Library also houses theses, digital sources, and 1,215 serial titles, among other materials. It has a total floor area of 6336 m² (68,200.1 sq ft) and a seating capacity of 510, making it the largest library in UPLB.
One of UPLB's unit libraries is the College of Veterinary Medicine-Animal and Dairy Sciences Cluster Library. It has 17,798 volumes and 198 serial titles, and a total floor area of 609.25 m² (6,557.9 sq ft). It claims to hold the largest collection on veterinary and animal science
s in the country.
UPLB manages the Museum of Natural History, which was established in 1976 at the foothills of Mt. Makiling. It holds over 200,000 biological specimens, including half of the samplings from the Philippine Water Bug Inventory Project. More than half of the specimens belong to the entomological
collection. While most of its collections are in its main building, some are housed in other UPLB units.
, the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
, the International Rice Research Institute
, the World Fish Center, the World Agroforestry Center, and the Asia Rice Foundation. Local research institutions such as the Philippine Carabao Center as well as bureaus of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Science and Technology have offices at the university. The main office of IRRI's Philippine counterpart, the Philippine Rice Research Institute
, used to be located at UPLB but was transferred to the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija in 1990. It continues to maintain a research office at the university.
Two UPLB-published journals, the Philippine Agricultural Scientist and the Philippine Journal of Veterinary Medicine, are listed in the SCImago Journal Rank
ings. SCImago gave these an h-index
(a measure of "actual scientific productivity" and "apparent scientific impact") of 5 and 1, respectively, for 2009. These journals are also listed in the ISI Web of Knowledge, along with three other UPLB-published journals: the Philippine Entomologist, Philippine Journal of Crop Science, and Asia Life Sciences.
UPLB operates a 155 ha (383 acre) Science and Technology Park. As of February 2010, the park has hosted four companies engaged in biotechnology. The park serves as a location for the commercialization and application of UP technologies.
One of the earliest innovations of UPLB was the production of CAC 87 sugar cane in 1919. This high-yielding variety is resistant to fiji
and mosaic viruses, and produces more sucrose
than other varieties. Its derivatives significantly increased sugar cane production in the Philippines
. Between 1921 and 1939, cattle, poultry, and swine breeding programs produced new breeds, namely the Philamin (a hybrid of the Hereford
, Nellore
and native cattle), Berkjala (a variety of the Berkshire
and local Jala-Jala
pig, resistant to hog cholera) and the Los Baños Cantonese chicken, which produces more eggs.
Research in the 1960s allowed for the efficient mass production of macapuno (a type of coconut with jelly-like meat), while studies started in 1998 that produced delayed-ripening papaya continue to this day. The research is credited for the increase in Philippine papaya production, with the 75896 metric tons (83,661 ST) production of 2000 rising to 164100 metric tons (180,889.3 ST) in 2007.
In 2009, UPLB researchers funded by the Department of Agriculture
developed an abacá
variety that is resistant to the abacá bunchy top virus. The virus, first detected in 1915 at Silang, Cavite
, has since spread to various provinces in the country, and damaged more than 8000 ha (19,768.4 acre) of abacá plantations in 2002 alone. The university is working further to make it resistant to mosaic and abacá bract mosaic viruses.
In July 2010, UPLB announced that the Leucinodes orbonalis
-resistant Bacillus thuringiensis
(Bt) eggplant variety that it has been developing with Cornell University
and Mahyco was ready for commercialization. On February 17, 2011, Filipino and Indian
Greenpeace
activists trespassed UPLB's Bay
research farm and uprooted two Bt eggplants and more than 100 non-genetically modified eggplants. The National Academy of Science and Technology and ranking UPLB officials condemned the incident, and have taken legal action.
research have been conducted at the university. Studies conducted in the 1930s found that gasoline with 15-20 percent ethanol
, dubbed "gasanol", was more efficient than pure gasoline. Biofuel research in 2007 under the National Biofuel Program has considered new sources of biofuels, such as coconuts, Moringa oleifera
, and sunflower seeds. Efforts have been concentrated on the Jatropha curcas
due to its low maintenance and fast yield. Other fuels, such as coconut biofuel, were found to be too costly. Biofuels from Sorghum bicolor
and Manihot esculenta crantz
are also being studied.
In 2009, PCAMRD-DOST granted ₱4.5 million (US$104,000) to Milagros R. Martinez-Goss of UPLB to fund her research on biofuels from Chlorella vulgaris
. Interest was sparked by a 2007 Massey University
study showing that microalgae can produce as much as 136,900 liters of oil per hectare compared with only 1,892 liters per hectare (168 gallons per acre) from Jatropha. PCASTRD-DOST awarded UPLB ₱10 million (US$230,000) in 2010 for research in biofuels from grass and wood, which are expected to be viable within five to 10 years.
for 2010 with a deficit of ₱586,465.59 (US$13,600). according to official estimates. UPLB is currently building two new dormitories with 2000 square metres (21,527.8 sq ft) of floor area. The new dormitories are expected to accommodate 192 persons annually.
, respectively. Regional organizations were not recognized by UPLB prior to September 2008, when the University of the Philippines
Board of Regents
repealed Chapter 72 Article 444 of the 1984 University of the Philippines Code, which states that "organizations which are provincial, sectional or regional in nature shall not be allowed in the University System." Likewise, Section 3 of the code states that "the University of the Philippines System is a public, secular, non-profit institution of higher learning." Due to this, religious organizations have had some difficulty in becoming recognized. Only recognized organizations are allowed to use UPLB facilities.
Every October 10, UPLB celebrates Loyalty Day, which has also become UPLB's alumni homecoming
. The celebration commemorates events in 1918, when more than half of students and faculty (193 out of 300 students and 27 out of 32 faculty), including two women, enlisted in the Philippine National Guard
for service in France
during World War I
. The volunteers never saw action, as the Allied Forces signed an armistice with Germany during the same year, essentially ending the war.
The university holds a major campus fair, known as "Feb Fair", during Valentine's week. The fair was initially held to express opposition to martial law
under Philippine President
Ferdinand Marcos
, who abolished student organizations and student councils.
UPLB Perspective is the official student publication
of UPLB. The university administration has been repeatedly criticized for allegedly interfering in the selection process of its editor-in-chief. Other campus publications include UPLB Horizon and UPLB Link. Meanwhile, the College of Development Communication (CDC) publishes the experimental community newspaper Los Baños Times.
CDC runs the radio station DZLB
1116. Founded in August 1964 with a broadcast power of 250 watts at 1210 kHz, the station serves as a distance education tool and training facility. It currently operates through a five-kilowatt transmitter located near the main gate of the campus. The station was the 1994 recipient of the KBP Golden Dove Award for Best AM Radio Station as well as a Catholic Mass Media Award for Best Educational Radio Program in 2010.
, Dolores Ramirez, Francisco Santos
, Teodulo Topacio, Dioscoro L. Umali
, and Jose R. Velasco
. All of them held academic posts in the university, while three of them were College of Agriculture deans.
Emil Q. Javier
, president of the University of the Philippines
from 1993 to 1999, and Emerlinda Roman
, the first female UP President, graduated from UPLB. Alumni who held ranking administrative posts at other universities include Rommel Banlaoi
(Vice President for Administrative Affairs of National Defense College of the Philippines
), Alexander Flor
(University of the Philippines Open University dean), and Cristina Padolina
(president of Centro Escolar University
since 2006).
Members of the Congress of the Philippines
who graduated at UPLB include Teodoro Casiño
, Maria Valentina Plaza, Isidro Ungab
, and Juan Miguel Zubiri
. Nicanor Perlas
, an agriculture graduate from UPLB, ran for the Philippine presidential election, 2010
. Both of its honorary degree recipients held influential roles in their respective countries' politics. They are Salim Ahmed Salim
, former Prime Minister of Tanzania, and Sirindhorn, Princess of Thailand.
While most alumni are specialists in agriculture and related disciplines, there are also those in the performing arts
, such as Nilo Alcala
(a musical composer), Terence Guillermo
(a theater actor), and Sabrina (a bossa nova
singer).
Los Baños, Laguna
The Nature and Science City of Los Baños is a 1st class urban city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 98,631 inhabitants in 17,030 households...
and Bay
Bay, Laguna
Bay is a 3rd class also considered as 2nd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 60,756 inhabitants in 15,194 households...
in the province of Laguna
Laguna province
Laguna is a province of the Philippines found in the CALABARZON region in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz and the province is located southeast of Metro Manila, south of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna almost completely surrounds Laguna de Bay,...
, some 64 kilometers southeast of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. It traces its roots to the UP College of Agriculture (UPCA), which was founded in 1909 by the American colonial government to promote agricultural education and research in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. American botanist Edwin Copeland
Edwin Copeland
Edwin Bingham Copeland was an American botanist and agriculturist. In 1909, he founded the Philippines College of Agriculture at Los Baños, Laguna—what is now known as the University of the Philippines, Los Baños, and served as its dean and also as a professor of plant physiology for eight...
served as its first dean. UPLB was formally established in 1972 following the union of UPCA with four other Los Baños and Diliman-based University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
(UP) units.
The university has played an influential role in Asian agriculture and biotechnology due to its pioneering efforts in plant breeding and bioengineering, particularly in the development of high-yielding and pest-resistant crops. In recognition of its work, it was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award
Ramon Magsaysay Award
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered Asia's Nobel...
for International Understanding in 1977. Nine research centers are recognized as Centers of Excellence by presidential decree. UPLB hosts a number of local and international research centers, including the International Rice Research Institute
International Rice Research Institute
The International Rice Research Institute is an international NGO. Its headquarters are in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, and it has offices in sixteen countries...
(IRRI), ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
The ASEAN CENTRE FOR Biodiversity is an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence that facilitates cooperation and coordination among the members of ASEAN, and with relevant national governments, regional and international organizations on the Conservation and Sustainable use of biological...
, World Agroforestry Centre, and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture
SEARCA is one of the 20 centers of excellence of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization...
(SEARCA).
UPLB offers more than 100 degree programs in various disciplines through its nine colleges and two schools. As of October 2010 the Commission on Higher Education
Commission on Higher Education (Philippines)
The Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines, , abbreviated as CHED. The CHED is attached to the Office of the President for administrative purposes...
(CHED) has accredited eight academic units as Centers of Excellence and two as Centers of Development, giving the campus the largest number of Centers of Excellence (research and academic units combined) among all universities in the country.
While UPLB alumni have been recognized in a wide range of fields, most students specialize in agriculture and natural sciences. Alumni include 13 scientists awarded the title National Scientist of the Philippines
National Scientist of the Philippines
The rank and title of National Scientist of the Philippines is the highest award accorded to Filipino scientists by the Philippine government.The award was created on December 16, 1976 by President Ferdinand Marcos through Presidential Decree Nos. 1003 and 1003-A, which also created the National...
, members of the UN IPCC
IPCC
IPCC may refer to:*Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, of the United Nations*Independent Police Complaints Commission, of England and Wales*Irish Peatland Conservation Council...
(winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
), Palanca Award
Palanca Awards
The Palanca Awards or Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature is the Philippines' most prestigious and most enduring literary awards and is dubbed as the "Pulitzer Prize" of the Philippines...
winners, as well as political and business leaders.
History
UPLB was originally established as the UP College of Agriculture (UPCA) on March 6, 1909, by the UP Board of RegentsBoard of Regents
In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...
, the highest governing body of the university. Edwin Copeland, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
botanist and Thomasite from the Philippine Normal College in Manila, served as its first dean. Classes began in June 1909 with five professors, and 12 students initially enrolled in the program. The Forestry School was established a year later.
During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines
Japanese occupation of the Philippines
The Japanese occupation of the Philippines was the period in the history of the Philippines between 1942 and 1945, when the Empire of Japan occupied the previously American-controlled Philippines during World War II....
beginning in 1941, UPCA was closed and the campus converted into an internment camp for allied nationals and headquarters of the Japanese army. For three years, the college was home to more than 2,000 civilians, mostly Americans, that were captured by the Japanese. In 1945, as part of the effort to liberate the country, the US Army sent 130 11th Airborne Division paratroopers to Los Baños to rescue the internees. Only four paratroopers and two Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
guerrillas were killed in the raid. However, Japanese reinforcements arrived two days later, destroying UPCA facilities and killing some 1,500 Filipino civilians in Los Baños soon afterwards.
UPCA became the first unit of the University of the Philippines to open after the war when it resumed classes on July 25, 1945, with Leopoldo Uichangco as dean. However, only 125 (16 percent) of the original students enrolled. It was even worse for the School of Forestry, which only had nine students. Likewise, only 38 professors returned to teach. UPCA used its ₱
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
470,546 (US$10,800) share in the Philippine-US War Damage Funds (released in 1947) for reconstruction.
Further financial endowments from the United States Agency for International Development
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
(USAID) and the Mutual Security Agency (MSA) allowed the construction of new facilities, while scholarship grants, mainly from the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
and the International Cooperation Administration-National Economic Council, helped fund training of UPCA faculty. From 1947 to 1958, a total of 146 faculty members had been granted MS and PhD scholarships in US universities.
In 1972, UPCA requested Philippine President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
to allow the college to secede from the University of the Philippines due to the alleged withholding of its budget and the disapproval of curricular proposals. However, UP President
President of the University of the Philippines
The President of the University of the Philippines is elected for a single six-year term by the University's twelve-member Board of Regents. As of 2005, two Americans and 17 Filipinos served as President of the University of the Philippines....
Salvador P. Lopez
Salvador P. López
Salvador Ponce Lopez, born in Currimao, Ilocos Norte, was an Ilokano writer, journalist, educator, diplomat, and statesman....
strongly opposed the idea. A survey found that there was very little support for complete independence at UPCA. As a compromise, Lopez proposed the transformation of UP into a system of autonomous constituent universities. Finally, on November 20, 1972, PD No. 58 was signed, establishing UPLB as UP's first autonomous campus, with UPCA, College of Forestry, Agricultural Credit and Cooperatives Institute, Dairy Training and Research Institute, and the Diliman-based Agrarian Reform Institute as its first academic units. New colleges and research centers were created over the next few years, while the College of Veterinary Medicine was likewise transferred to UPLB from UP Diliman.
In 2010 Chancellor Luis Rey Velasco's administration oversaw the implementation of a policy allowing for larger lecture classes to improve the "absorptive capacity" of the university by more than 500 students and to give them better access to some of the more seasoned professors. It increased the class size of 25 to 40 students to a much larger 120 to 175 for general education and foundation courses. The policy has been criticized by various groups in UPLB.
Campus
The UPLB campus consists of 14665 ha (36,238 acre) spread across the provinces of Laguna, Negros OccidentalNegros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
, and Quezon
Quezon
-History:Originally, what now forms Quezon was divided among the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija. The area was first explored by Juan de Salcedo in 1571-1572, during his expedition from Laguna to Camarines provinces....
. UPLB's equipment and facilities are worth some ₱10.6 billion (US$244 million) according to official estimates.
Los Baños campus
The 1098 ha (2,713.2 acre) Los Baños campus houses UPLB's academic facilities, as well as experimental farms for agriculture and biotechnology research. The more prominent buildings in the Los Baños campus, such as the Dioscoro L. Umali Hall, Main Library, and Student Union were designed by National Artist for ArchitectureArchitecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
Leandro Locsin
Leandro Locsin
Leandro V. Locsin was a Filipino architect, artist, and interior designer, known for his use of concrete, floating volume and simplistic design in his various projects. An avid collector, he was fond of modern painting and Chinese ceramics. He was proclaimed a National Artist of the Philippines...
. Other notable landmarks include the iconic Oblation, Alumni Plaza, Freedom Park, and Baker Memorial Hall.
Numerous congregations can be found near UPLB. These include the United Church of Christ in the Philippines
United Church of Christ in the Philippines
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines is a Christian denomination in the Philippines...
Church Among the Palms, the Catholic parish
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
es of St. Therese of the Child Jesus
St. Therese of the Child Jesus
St. Therese of the Child Jesus is a Catholic elementary school located in Mississauga, Ontario. It was founded in 1997 and currently educates approximately 700 children. This school offers an Extended French Program. The team name for the school is the St. Therese Thunder, and the school colours...
and San Antonio de Padua
Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
, and Victory Los Baños
Victory Christian Fellowship
Victory Metro Manila is a non-denominational Evangelical church based in the Philippines and a founding member of the Every Nation Churches and Ministries, a worldwide movement of churches...
. Other amenities include banks (including LBP
Land Bank of the Philippines
Land Bank of the Philippines , also known as LANDBANK or by its initials, LBP, is a bank in the Philippines owned by the Philippine government with a special focus on serving the needs of farmers and fishermen...
, Plantersbank, and PNB
Philippine National Bank
The Philippine National Bank is one of the largest banks in the Philippines, ranking fourth in terms of assets...
) and malls, such as Robinsons Town Mall Los Baños
Robinsons Malls
Robinsons Malls is the second largest shopping mall and retail operator in the Philippines. It was incorporated on September 9, 1997 by Chinese Filipino entrepreneur John Gokongwei, Jr. to develop, conduct, operate and maintain the Robinsons commercial shopping centers and all businesses related...
. Security is provided by the University Police Force and the Community Support Brigade in addition to the police force of the local government.
UPLB is designated as caretaker of the 4347 ha (10,741.7 acre) Makiling Forest Reserve
Mount Makiling
Mount Makiling, also rarely Mount Maquiling, is a potentially active volcano in Laguna province on the island of Luzon, Philippines. It rises to 1,090 m above mean sea level.-Legend:...
(often referred to as the "upper campus," in contrast to the "lower campus" set at the foot of Makiling). It houses facilities of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources, College of Public Affairs, and the University Health Service, among others. The reserve is home to diverse flora and fauna, and has more tree species than the continental United States (an area 32 times bigger than the Philippines). It serves as an outdoor laboratory for students, mainly from the College of Forestry and Natural Resources.
Land grants
UPLB has three major land grantLand grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...
s: the Laguna-Quezon Land Grant, La Carlota Land Grant, and Laguna Land Grant.
The 5719 ha (14,131.9 acre) Laguna-Quezon Land Grant is located in the towns of Real, Quezon
Real, Quezon
Reál is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 33,073 people. This coastal town, located on the eastern shores of Luzon facing the Philippine Sea is noted for its rural beach resorts....
, and Siniloan, Laguna
Siniloan, Laguna
Sinilóan is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 34,877 people in 6,159 households....
, and was acquired in February 1930. It covers some portions of the Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre (Philippines)
The Sierra Madre is a mountain range in The Philippines. It is located along the north-eastern coast of Luzon Island, running north/south. Quezon National Forest Park is situated in the range.-Geography:...
mountain range, and currently hosts the university’s Citronella
Citronella (genus)
Citronella is a genus of trees and shrubs in the Cardiopteridaceae family, it lies in 25 species occurring mostly in tropical climates. Earlier the genus was treated in Icacinaceae family.-Cultivation and uses:Few species have been cultivated...
and lemongrass plantations. The 705 ha (1,742.1 acre) La Carlota Land Grant is situated in Negros Occidental, a province in the Western Visayas region. Acquired in May 1964, it houses the PCARRD-DOST
Department of Science and Technology (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Science and Technology , abbreviated as the DOST, is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for the coordination of science and technology-related projects in the Philippines and to formulate policies and projects in the fields of science...
La Granja Agricultural Research Center, which serves as a research center for various upland crops. Meanwhile, the 3336 ha (8,243.4 acre) Laguna Land Grant located in Paete, Laguna
Paete, Laguna
Paete is a 4th class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 24,696 people in 5,101 households....
, also acquired in 1964, is mostly undeveloped. Numerous parties have expressed interest in developing the land grants; however, UPLB has not entertained the potential investors due to the "lack of a solid development plan."
Organization and administration
| University of the Philippines Los Baños Chancellors | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tenure of office |
| Abelardo G. Samonte | 1973–1978 |
| Emil Q. Javier Emil Q. Javier Emil Q. Javier was the 16th President of the University of the Philippines between 1993 and 1999. He was born on September 11, 1940, in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, Philippines and attended Cornell University.... |
1979–1985 |
| Raul P. De Guzman | 1986–1991 |
| Ruben Aspiras | 1991–1993 |
| Ruben L. Villareal | 1993–1999 |
| Wilfredo P. David | 1999–2005 |
| Luis Rey I. Velasco | 2005–2011 |
| Rex Victor Cruz | 2011–present |
| |
|
| References | |
As part of the University of the Philippines System, UPLB is governed by the 11-person UP Board of Regents, which is jointly chaired by the head of the Commission on Higher Education
Commission on Higher Education (Philippines)
The Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines, , abbreviated as CHED. The CHED is attached to the Office of the President for administrative purposes...
and the UP president.
The Board of Regents has the authority to approve the institution, merger, and abolition of degree programs as recommended by the UP president. It also has the power to confer degrees. The UP president, who is appointed by the Board of Regents, is the university's chief executive officer and the head of the faculty.
UPLB is administered by a chancellor who is elected by the UP Board of Regents to a three-year term. The chancellor may only serve for up to two terms. Under him are five vice-chancellors specializing in administration, community affairs, instruction, planning and development, and research and extension.
The current chancellor is Rex Victor Cruz, the eighth to hold the office. He assumed the post on November 25, 2011.
UPLB, through the UP System, is a member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities
Association of Pacific Rim Universities
The Association of Pacific Rim Universities , formed in 1997, is a consortium of leading research universities in the Pacific Rim. APRU aims to foster education, research and enterprise thereby contributing to the economic, scientific and cultural advancement in the Pacific Rim...
, a consortium of leading research universities in the Asia-Pacific region.
Funding
According to UP's financial statement for 2009, UPLB has ₱3.3 billion (US$76 million) in cash reserves. It was allotted ₱1.16 billion (US$26.7 million)—the third largest, after Diliman and Manila—from the ₱4.8-billion (US$110-million) national government subsidy for the UP System.This amount excludes research funding from other sources, which was valued at ₱233 million (US$5.37 million) in 2010. The biggest source was Philippine government agencies, at ₱136 million (US$3.13 million), with the PCASTRD-DOST as the largest contributor. This represents a 32 percent decrease from the previous year. Meanwhile, contributions from international and local private agencies increased 101 percent and 71 percent respectively. In all, outside sources contributed some ₱98 million (US$2.26 million).
To prepare for its centennial year, UPLB launched several Centennial Fund campaigns, the largest being the Centennial Building Fund, which aims to raise ₱2 billion (US$46.1 million) for the "construction, repair and maintenance of academic buildings and dormitories". Other Centennial Funds include the Centennial Celebration Fund and the Centennial Artists Endowment fund. As of April 2007, the Centennial Funds collected some US$7,672 and ₱53,700 (US$1,240).
Student government
The University Student Council (USC) is the "highest governing body of all UPLB students." Together with college student councilStudent council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
s (CSCs), it assembles as the Student Legislative Chamber and acts as the highest policy-making body of the USC. The USC is composed of a chairperson, vice-chairperson, 10 councilors, a representative for each college/school with less than 500 students, and an additional college representative for every 500 students in excess of the first 500. Members are given one-year terms. CSCs have a similar structure, but with a different number of councilors based on the student population. Its first automated elections were done in 2011.
The Student Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) is responsible for sanctioning erring students. Common offenses include student misconduct and fraternity rumbles. The SDT is composed of a chairperson, two appointees of the chancellor, a student juror, and a parent juror.
Academics
| Unit | Foundation | | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| College of Agriculture | 1909 | |
| College of Arts and Sciences | 1972 | |
| College of Development Communication | 1954 | |
| College of Economics and Management | 1975 | |
| College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology | 1912 | |
| School of Environmental Science and Management | 1977 | |
| College of Forestry and Natural Resources | 1910 | |
| Graduate School | 1972 | |
| College of Human Ecology | 1974 | |
| College of Public Affairs | 1998 | |
| College of Veterinary Medicine | 1908 |
UPLB offers 27 undergraduate and 82 graduate degree programs through its nine colleges and two schools. Majority of the programs award science degrees. It also awards high school diplomas through the University of the Philippines Rural High School
University of the Philippines Rural High School
The University of the Philippines Rural High School was established as a subsidiary of the Department of Agricultural Education of the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture, pursuant to Sec.4 of Act 3377 of the Philippine Legislature which was approved on December 3, 1927...
(UPRHS), a subunit of the College of Arts and Sciences, which acts as a laboratory
Laboratory school
A laboratory school or demonstration school is an elementary or secondary school operated in association with a university, college, or other teacher education institution and used for the training of future teachers, educational experimentation, educational research, and professional...
for its BS Math and Science Teaching students.
The College of Arts and Sciences has the largest student population and the largest number of undergraduate degree programs (11), while the College of Forestry and Natural Resources has the least number of programs (one).
BS Agricultural Biotechnology, introduced in 2010, is UPLB's newest undergraduate degree program. Several degree programs that have been proposed include Chancellor Aspiras's BA History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, BA Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and BS Landscape
Landscaping
Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including:# living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.#...
Horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, and National Scientist
National Scientist of the Philippines
The rank and title of National Scientist of the Philippines is the highest award accorded to Filipino scientists by the Philippine government.The award was created on December 16, 1976 by President Ferdinand Marcos through Presidential Decree Nos. 1003 and 1003-A, which also created the National...
Teodulo M. Topacio Jr.'s comparative
Comparative biology
Comparative biology is a multidisciplinary approach to understanding organismic diversity that uses natural variation and disparity to elucidate phylogenetic history. Comparative biologists attempt to understand the diversity and complexity of life at all levels—from genes, to anatomy, to...
medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
program.
Admission and graduation
UPLB admits more than 2,500 students and produces about 1,800 graduates every year. Undergraduate admission is determined by the University of the Philippines College Admission TestUniversity of the Philippines College Admission Test
The University of the Philippines College Admission Test, commonly known as UPCAT, is part of the admission requirements of the University of the Philippines, administered to graduates of Philippine and foreign high schools...
(UPCAT). Examinees that select UPLB as their preferred campus and garner a University Predicted Grade (UPG) within the standard cut-off are automatically eligible for admission. Those who do not automatically qualify may file an appeal for reconsideration if their UPG is within the actual cut-off, though the appeal process does not guarantee admission. The cut-off scores may be adjusted according to a variety of factors. In 2010, UPLB had a standard UPG cut-off of 2.42 while the actual cut-off was 2.8 (this actual cut-off was retained in 2011). Seventy percent of slots are given to incoming freshmen with the highest scores, while the remaining thirty percent are given to public high school students and members of minority groups. Before the UPCAT was used for admission, UPCA only admitted the top 5 percent of Philippine high school graduates.
High school freshman admission, on the other hand, is determined by the eight-hour long UPRHS Entrance Examination. Only the top 125 examinees are admitted. Sophomore transferees take the two-day UPRHS Validation Examination, and are admitted depending on the slots available.
UPLB has a substantial no-show rate, with 42 percent of qualifiers opting not to enroll. The figures are worse for BS Forestry and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programs, with no-show rates of 65 percent and 62 percent, respectively. Other programs with poor enrollment numbers include BS Agriculture
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture
The Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, usually abbreviated as either B.Sc. or B.S.A. or BScAg, is the first undergraduate degree awarded by university faculty of agriculture and agricultural colleges. The program is 4 years of study above Grade 12 High School graduation.The B.Sc. degree differs...
, BS Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural engineering
Agricultural engineering is the engineering discipline that applies engineering science and technology to agricultural production and processing...
, and BS Agricultural Chemistry
Agricultural chemistry
Agricultural chemistry is the study of both chemistry and biochemistry which are important in agricultural production, the processing of raw products into foods and beverages, and in environmental monitoring and remediation...
.
Normally, a student who completes the program may graduate with honors
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
if his general weighted average (GWA) is 1.75 or above. The title summa cum laude is awarded to graduates who obtain a GWA of 1.20 or above, magna cum laude to graduates with a GWA of 1.45 to 1.20, and cum laude to graduates with a GWA of between 1.75 and 1.45. As of 2011 there have been 30 summa cum laudes who have graduated from UPLB.
Graduates wear a black cap and gown
Academic dress
Academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them...
, as opposed to the graduates of other UP constituents, who wear the sablay.
Tuition and financial aid
The base tuition fee per unit in UPLB is ₱1,000 (US$23). As with all UP constituents, UPLB implements the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP). Under the program, students with annual family incomes between ₱1,000,000 (US$23,000) and ₱500,000 (US$11,500) are charged the base tuition fee, while those with annual family incomes above ₱1,000,000 are charged ₱1,500 (US$35) per unit. Students with annual family incomes between ₱500,000 and ₱135,000 (US$3,110) are charged ₱600 (US$14) per unit; those who have between ₱135,000 and ₱80,000 (US$1,840) are charged ₱300 (US$7); while those who have below ₱80,000 are not charged any fees. Additional financial assistance may be accessed through the Student Loan Board, which pays up to 80 percent of the tuition. Scholarship and loan programs are also offered by some UPLB units, such as the College of Veterinary Medicine.The current rates were introduced in 2007. Previously, base tuition was only ₱300 per unit (since 1989). Library and miscellaneous fees were also increased in 2007, from ₱400 (US$9) per student to ₱1,100 (US$25) and ₱2,000 (US$46), respectively. New fees, such as internet and energy fees, were introduced. The USC sees the over 300 percent increase in tuition as the reason for the low enrollment rate and high student loan levels, which totaled some ₱14 million (US$326,000) in 2007. Additionally, it criticizes the STFAP for allegedly being ineffective. Upon its introduction in 1989, only 16 percent of students received discounts. The number fell to 12 percent in 2007.
Accreditation
UPLB is identified by the Commission on Higher Education as a Center of Excellence in agricultural engineering, agriculture, biologyBiology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, and veterinary medicine
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
. It is a Center of Development in environmental science
Environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
and statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
. In addition, the Institute of Biological Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, and Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics have been recognized since 1983 as National Centers of Excellence in the Basic Sciences via presidential decree. Other Centers of Excellence by virtue of presidential decree are the Farming Systems and Soil Resources Institute, the Institute of Animal Science, the Institute of Food Science and Technology, the Institute of Plant Breeding, the National Crop Protection Center, and the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.
Libraries and collections
As of 2007, UPLB's 12 libraries, collectively referred to as the University Library, hold a total of 346,061 volumes. It periodically receives publications from United Nations agencies (including the UNFAO, UN-HABITAT and UNUUnited Nations University
The United Nations University is an academic arm of the United Nations established in 1973, which serves purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The UNU undertakes research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of...
) and the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
. It is a contributor to the International Information System for Agricultural Services and Technology
AGRIS
AGRIS is a global public domain Database with 2.6 million structured bibliographical records on agricultural science and technology. The Database is maintained by FAO, and its content is provided by more than 150 participating institutions from 65 countries...
, contributing nearly 30,000 titles between 1975–2010.
195,282 of these volumes are housed at the Main Library, while the rest are in unit libraries. The Main Library also houses theses, digital sources, and 1,215 serial titles, among other materials. It has a total floor area of 6336 m² (68,200.1 sq ft) and a seating capacity of 510, making it the largest library in UPLB.
One of UPLB's unit libraries is the College of Veterinary Medicine-Animal and Dairy Sciences Cluster Library. It has 17,798 volumes and 198 serial titles, and a total floor area of 609.25 m² (6,557.9 sq ft). It claims to hold the largest collection on veterinary and animal science
Animal science
Animal Science is described as "studying the biology of animals that are under the control of mankind". Historically, the animals studied were farm animals, including livestock and horses, but courses available now look at a far broader area to include companion animals, for example dogs, cats and...
s in the country.
UPLB manages the Museum of Natural History, which was established in 1976 at the foothills of Mt. Makiling. It holds over 200,000 biological specimens, including half of the samplings from the Philippine Water Bug Inventory Project. More than half of the specimens belong to the entomological
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
collection. While most of its collections are in its main building, some are housed in other UPLB units.
Research
UPLB hosts a number of international research institutes, including the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in AgricultureSoutheast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture
SEARCA is one of the 20 centers of excellence of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization...
, the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
The ASEAN CENTRE FOR Biodiversity is an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence that facilitates cooperation and coordination among the members of ASEAN, and with relevant national governments, regional and international organizations on the Conservation and Sustainable use of biological...
, the International Rice Research Institute
International Rice Research Institute
The International Rice Research Institute is an international NGO. Its headquarters are in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, and it has offices in sixteen countries...
, the World Fish Center, the World Agroforestry Center, and the Asia Rice Foundation. Local research institutions such as the Philippine Carabao Center as well as bureaus of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Science and Technology have offices at the university. The main office of IRRI's Philippine counterpart, the Philippine Rice Research Institute
Philippine Rice Research Institute
The Philippine Rice Research Institute is one of the Philippines' rice research institutes, and collaborates with the International Rice Research Institute also headquartered in the Philippines. PhilRice plays a key role in building and sustaining a competitive rice economy through research into...
, used to be located at UPLB but was transferred to the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija in 1990. It continues to maintain a research office at the university.
Two UPLB-published journals, the Philippine Agricultural Scientist and the Philippine Journal of Veterinary Medicine, are listed in the SCImago Journal Rank
SCImago Journal Rank
SCImago Journal Rank is a measure of scientific influence of scholarly journals that accounts for both the number of citations received by a journal and the importance or prestige of the journals where such citations come from. The SJR indicator is a variant of the eigenvector centrality measure...
ings. SCImago gave these an h-index
H-index
The h-index is an index that attempts to measure both the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar. The index is based on the set of the scientist's most cited papers and the number of citations that they have received in other publications...
(a measure of "actual scientific productivity" and "apparent scientific impact") of 5 and 1, respectively, for 2009. These journals are also listed in the ISI Web of Knowledge, along with three other UPLB-published journals: the Philippine Entomologist, Philippine Journal of Crop Science, and Asia Life Sciences.
Biotechnology research
One of the earliest innovations of UPLB was the production of CAC 87 sugar cane in 1919. This high-yielding variety is resistant to fiji
Fiji disease virus
Fiji disease virus belongs to the reoviridae family and infects plants. It is one of the few plant viruses in the Reoviridae family. The type species of the genus Fijivirus, it is presently the only known member of Fijivirus group 1....
and mosaic viruses, and produces more sucrose
Sucrose
Sucrose is the organic compound commonly known as table sugar and sometimes called saccharose. A white, odorless, crystalline powder with a sweet taste, it is best known for its role in human nutrition. The molecule is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose with the molecular formula...
than other varieties. Its derivatives significantly increased sugar cane production in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Between 1921 and 1939, cattle, poultry, and swine breeding programs produced new breeds, namely the Philamin (a hybrid of the Hereford
Hereford (cattle)
Hereford cattle are a beef cattle breed, widely used both in intemperate areas and temperate areas, mainly for meat production.Originally from Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom, more than five million pedigree Hereford Cattle now exist in over 50 countries...
, Nellore
Nellore
Nellore , is a city and headquarters of Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore District, formerly Nellore district.And in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Ancient name of Nellore was "Vikrama Simhapuri"....
and native cattle), Berkjala (a variety of the Berkshire
Berkshire (pig)
Berkshire pigs are a rare breed of pig originating from Berkshire in England.Herds of the breed are still maintained in England by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust at Aldenham Country Park, Hertfordshire, and by the South of England Rare Breeds Centre in Kent. The Berkshire is listed as 'vulnerable',...
and local Jala-Jala
Jala-Jala, Rizal
Jalajala is a 4th class municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 28,738 people in 4,759 households.-Etymology:...
pig, resistant to hog cholera) and the Los Baños Cantonese chicken, which produces more eggs.
Research in the 1960s allowed for the efficient mass production of macapuno (a type of coconut with jelly-like meat), while studies started in 1998 that produced delayed-ripening papaya continue to this day. The research is credited for the increase in Philippine papaya production, with the 75896 metric tons (83,661 ST) production of 2000 rising to 164100 metric tons (180,889.3 ST) in 2007.
In 2009, UPLB researchers funded by the Department of Agriculture
Department of Agriculture (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Agriculture , abbreviated as DA, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for boosting the income of farmers as well as reducing the incidence of poverty in the rural sector, as stipulated inthe Government's Medium Term Philippine...
developed an abacá
Abacá
Abacá, Musa textilis is a species of banana native to the Philippines, grown as a commercial crop in the Philippines, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. The plant is of great economic importance, being harvested for its fibre, once generally called Manila hemp, extracted from the trunk or pseudostem. On...
variety that is resistant to the abacá bunchy top virus. The virus, first detected in 1915 at Silang, Cavite
Silang, Cavite
The Municipality of Silang is a first class landlocked municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2009 census, it has a population of 234,285 people in an area of . Silang is located in the eastern section of Cavite...
, has since spread to various provinces in the country, and damaged more than 8000 ha (19,768.4 acre) of abacá plantations in 2002 alone. The university is working further to make it resistant to mosaic and abacá bract mosaic viruses.
In July 2010, UPLB announced that the Leucinodes orbonalis
Leucinodes orbonalis
The Eggplant Fruit and Shoot Borer or Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer is a moth species in the genus Leucinodes. It is found throughout the tropics in Asia and Africa and is a minor pest in the Americas....
-resistant Bacillus thuringiensis
Bacillus thuringiensis
Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium, commonly used as a biological pesticide; alternatively, the Cry toxin may be extracted and used as a pesticide. B...
(Bt) eggplant variety that it has been developing with Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and Mahyco was ready for commercialization. On February 17, 2011, Filipino and Indian
Indian people
Indian people or Indisians constitute the Asian nation and pan-ethnic group native to India, which forms the south of Asia, containing 17.31% of the world's population. The Indian nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the rich and complex history of India...
Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
activists trespassed UPLB's Bay
Bay, Laguna
Bay is a 3rd class also considered as 2nd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 60,756 inhabitants in 15,194 households...
research farm and uprooted two Bt eggplants and more than 100 non-genetically modified eggplants. The National Academy of Science and Technology and ranking UPLB officials condemned the incident, and have taken legal action.
Biofuel research
Pioneering efforts in biofuelBiofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
research have been conducted at the university. Studies conducted in the 1930s found that gasoline with 15-20 percent ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
, dubbed "gasanol", was more efficient than pure gasoline. Biofuel research in 2007 under the National Biofuel Program has considered new sources of biofuels, such as coconuts, Moringa oleifera
Moringa oleifera
Moringa oleifera, the word Moringa probably came from dravidian language Tamil and commonly referred to as "Shojne" in Bengali, "Munagakaya" in Telugu,"Shenano" in Rajasthani,...
, and sunflower seeds. Efforts have been concentrated on the Jatropha curcas
Jatropha curcas
Jatropha curcas is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, that is native to the American tropics, most likely Mexico and Central America. It is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, becoming naturalized in some areas...
due to its low maintenance and fast yield. Other fuels, such as coconut biofuel, were found to be too costly. Biofuels from Sorghum bicolor
Sorghum bicolor
Sorghum bicolor, commonly called sorghum and also known as durra or jowari, is a grass species cultivated for its edible grain. Sorghum originated in northern Africa, and is now cultivated widely in tropical and subtropical regions. S. bicolor is typically an annual, but some cultivars are...
and Manihot esculenta crantz
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
are also being studied.
In 2009, PCAMRD-DOST granted ₱4.5 million (US$104,000) to Milagros R. Martinez-Goss of UPLB to fund her research on biofuels from Chlorella vulgaris
Chlorella
Chlorella is a genus of single-celled green algae, belonging to the phylum Chlorophyta. It is spherical in shape, about 2 to 10 μm in diameter, and is without flagella. Chlorella contains the green photosynthetic pigments chlorophyll-a and -b in its chloroplast...
. Interest was sparked by a 2007 Massey University
Massey University
Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
study showing that microalgae can produce as much as 136,900 liters of oil per hectare compared with only 1,892 liters per hectare (168 gallons per acre) from Jatropha. PCASTRD-DOST awarded UPLB ₱10 million (US$230,000) in 2010 for research in biofuels from grass and wood, which are expected to be viable within five to 10 years.
Student life
In 2008, 2,170 students were housed in the eight dormitories managed by UPLB. Beginning in the school year 2011–2012, fees for all UPLB dormitories will increase by at least 25 percent from the previous rate of ₱350 (US$8) a month. As with the previous dormitory fee increase of 221 percent in 1997, making the dormitories "financially self-supporting" was one of the reasons cited by the University Housing Office for the revision. The move was widely criticized by various groups. The University Housing Office projects ₱13,818,000 (US$322,000) in revenueRevenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
for 2010 with a deficit of ₱586,465.59 (US$13,600). according to official estimates. UPLB is currently building two new dormitories with 2000 square metres (21,527.8 sq ft) of floor area. The new dormitories are expected to accommodate 192 persons annually.
Student organizations and activities
As of 2008, there are 154 recognized student organizations in UPLB. Of these, 77 are academic, 23 are civic, 12 are regional, and 2 are religious, while 11 and 15 are fraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
, respectively. Regional organizations were not recognized by UPLB prior to September 2008, when the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
Board of Regents
Board of Regents
In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...
repealed Chapter 72 Article 444 of the 1984 University of the Philippines Code, which states that "organizations which are provincial, sectional or regional in nature shall not be allowed in the University System." Likewise, Section 3 of the code states that "the University of the Philippines System is a public, secular, non-profit institution of higher learning." Due to this, religious organizations have had some difficulty in becoming recognized. Only recognized organizations are allowed to use UPLB facilities.
Every October 10, UPLB celebrates Loyalty Day, which has also become UPLB's alumni homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
. The celebration commemorates events in 1918, when more than half of students and faculty (193 out of 300 students and 27 out of 32 faculty), including two women, enlisted in the Philippine National Guard
Philippine National Guard
The Philippine National Guard was a militia that was created by the Philippine Assembly in 1917 to serve under General John Pershing in Europe during World War I. It had 25,000 soldiers when it was absorbed by the National Army...
for service in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The volunteers never saw action, as the Allied Forces signed an armistice with Germany during the same year, essentially ending the war.
The university holds a major campus fair, known as "Feb Fair", during Valentine's week. The fair was initially held to express opposition to martial law
Martial Law in the Philippines
Martial law in the Philippines refers to the period of Philippine history where Philippine Presidents declare a proclamation to control unpacified places under the rule of Military, it is usually given when threatened by popular protests, or to crack down on the opposition...
under Philippine President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
, who abolished student organizations and student councils.
Media
The militantMilitant
The word militant, which is both an adjective and a noun, usually is used to mean vigorously active, combative and aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in 'militant reformers'. It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier"...
UPLB Perspective is the official student publication
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
of UPLB. The university administration has been repeatedly criticized for allegedly interfering in the selection process of its editor-in-chief. Other campus publications include UPLB Horizon and UPLB Link. Meanwhile, the College of Development Communication (CDC) publishes the experimental community newspaper Los Baños Times.
CDC runs the radio station DZLB
DZLB
Radyo DZLB is a radio station located in Los Baños, Laguna in the Philippines. It owned and operated by the University of the Philippines Los Baños - College of Development Communication. Its studio is located the DZLB Broadcast Studio, 2nd Floor College of Development Communication Building, UP...
1116. Founded in August 1964 with a broadcast power of 250 watts at 1210 kHz, the station serves as a distance education tool and training facility. It currently operates through a five-kilowatt transmitter located near the main gate of the campus. The station was the 1994 recipient of the KBP Golden Dove Award for Best AM Radio Station as well as a Catholic Mass Media Award for Best Educational Radio Program in 2010.
People
People associated with the university include alumni, faculty, and honorary degree recipients. Thirteen of them are National Scientists of the Philippines, namely Clare R. Baltazar, Julian Banzon, Gelia T. Castillo, Pedro Escuro, Francisco Fronda, Bienvenido Juliano, Ricardo Lantican, Eduardo QuisumbingEduardo Quisumbing
Eduardo Quisumbíng y Argüelles was a leading authority of plants in the Philippines.-Education:He earned his BSA at University of the Philippines Los Baños in 1918, his MS at the University of the Philippines Los Baños in 1921, and Ph. D...
, Dolores Ramirez, Francisco Santos
Francisco Santos
XeskoFrancisco Santos's primary nom d'art or alter ego.Alan J. BantaThe heteronym Alan J. Banta is described as a civil engineer, born in the year of 1952 in Kakamas, a village located in the Northern Cape, South Africa but living and working in Angola. After independence, in 1975, remained in the...
, Teodulo Topacio, Dioscoro L. Umali
Dioscoro L. Umali
Dioscoro L. Umali was a National Scientist of the Philippines and is known as "the Father of Philippine Plant Breeding." He was awarded several international honors and distinctions for his outstanding achievements and improvements of rice, corn and other economic plants...
, and Jose R. Velasco
Jose R. Velasco
Jose R. Velasco was a Filipino plant physiologist and agricultural chemist noted for his research on soil and plant nutrition and on coconut diseases. In 1998, he was recognized as a National Scientist of the Philippines....
. All of them held academic posts in the university, while three of them were College of Agriculture deans.
Emil Q. Javier
Emil Q. Javier
Emil Q. Javier was the 16th President of the University of the Philippines between 1993 and 1999. He was born on September 11, 1940, in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, Philippines and attended Cornell University....
, president of the University of the Philippines
President of the University of the Philippines
The President of the University of the Philippines is elected for a single six-year term by the University's twelve-member Board of Regents. As of 2005, two Americans and 17 Filipinos served as President of the University of the Philippines....
from 1993 to 1999, and Emerlinda Roman
Emerlinda Roman
Dr. Emerlinda Ramos–Roman is a Filipino academic. She was the President of the University of the Philippines from 2005 to 2011...
, the first female UP President, graduated from UPLB. Alumni who held ranking administrative posts at other universities include Rommel Banlaoi
Rommel Banlaoi
Rommel C. Banlaoi is an internationally acknowledged Filipino expert on terrorism research and security studies. He is currently the Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research and Head of its Center for Intelligence and...
(Vice President for Administrative Affairs of National Defense College of the Philippines
National Defense College of the Philippines
The National Defense College of the Philippines is an educational, training, and research agency of the Philippine government responsible for providing continued and intensive studies of the diverse problems relating to national defense and security...
), Alexander Flor
Alexander Flor
Alexander G. Flor is a Filipino academic known for his transdisciplinary approach to communication and as a pioneer of the Los Baños school of development communication, contributing to the field's understanding and application of ethnovideography, distance learning, strategic communication,...
(University of the Philippines Open University dean), and Cristina Padolina
Cristina Padolina
Maria Cristina Damasco-Padolina is the current and seventh President and Chief Academic Officer of Centro Escolar University in Manila, Philippines.-Career:...
(president of Centro Escolar University
Centro Escolar University
Centro Escolar University is a private university in the Philippines. It was founded on June 3, 1907 by two women, Librada Avelino and Carmen de Luna, and was originally called Centro Escolar de Señoritas. It became a university in 1933...
since 2006).
Members of the Congress of the Philippines
Congress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
who graduated at UPLB include Teodoro Casiño
Teodoro Casiño
Teodoro A. Casiño is a Filipino partylist representative, writer and journalist. He is a member of the House of Representatives for Bayan Muna in the 14th Congress of the Philippines.-Early Biography:...
, Maria Valentina Plaza, Isidro Ungab
Isidro Ungab
Isidro T. Ungab is a Filipino politician, a former banker, and a former local legislator of the City of Davao. He was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, representing the Third District of Davao City beginning in 2007.Ungab attended the University of the...
, and Juan Miguel Zubiri
Juan Miguel Zubiri
Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri is a Filipino politician who served as a Congressman representing the third district of Bukidnon for three consecutive terms, and was the Senate of the Philippines Majority Leader, replacing Senator Francis Pangilinan on November 17, 2008...
. Nicanor Perlas
Nicanor Perlas
Nicanor Jesus "Nicky"/"Nick" Pineda Perlas, III is a Filipino activist and a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award in 2003. He was a Philippine presidential aspirant for the 2010 presidential elections but lost to Liberal Party's President Benigno C...
, an agriculture graduate from UPLB, ran for the Philippine presidential election, 2010
Philippine presidential election, 2010
-Timeline:The COMELEC-mandated election period for this election was from January 10 to June 9, 2010.-2008:*August 26 - Then Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando announces bid for presidency....
. Both of its honorary degree recipients held influential roles in their respective countries' politics. They are Salim Ahmed Salim
Salim Ahmed Salim
Salim Ahmed Salim a Tanzanian diplomat who has worked in the international diplomatic arena since the early 1960s. Salim is married to Amne and they have three children: Maryam, Ali and Ahmed....
, former Prime Minister of Tanzania, and Sirindhorn, Princess of Thailand.
While most alumni are specialists in agriculture and related disciplines, there are also those in the performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
, such as Nilo Alcala
Nilo Alcala
Nilo Alcala is a Filipino composer, arranger, and singer..-Biography:Alcala is a recipient of a number of recognitions, including the 2009 POLYPHONOS Young Composer Award given by the Seattle-based vocal ensemble, The Esoterics. He also received a Young Composer Award from the Asian Composers...
(a musical composer), Terence Guillermo
Terence Guillermo
Terence Guillermo, Kids Performing's Director of Vocal and Musical Theatre, headed the maiden production of Kids Performing Repertory Theatre , NARNIA, THE MUSICAL: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as Producer – Director in 2009. is Singapore's premiere performing arts school...
(a theater actor), and Sabrina (a bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
singer).