University of the Philippines, Mindanao
Encyclopedia
The University of the Philippines Mindanao (UP Mindanao or UPMin) is the sixth constituent university (CU) of the University of the Philippines
System and is the only representative of the UP System
in the Mindanao
island, located at Mintal, Tugbok District, Davao City
.
The university was first named University of the Philippines in Mindanao to declare the arrival of the state university’s presence in Mindanao after a long period of waiting by eager alumni and students. This was later replaced to its present name due to the request of the UP System for formalities’ sake.
UP Mindanao was created on February 20, 1995 by Republic Act 7889, and formally created by the Board of Regents of the UP System
on March 23, 1995, with its main focus in Mindanao studies through an affirmative action program in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao to attract Muslims and Lumad students, aside from the marginalized and deserving students.
The university offers nine undergraduate degree programs and one graduate program heavily inclined in research through its two colleges and one school; the university is the one of its kind in the Philippines to have a discipline in Agribusiness Economics (ABE), and is one of the three worldwide to have such a degree program.
As of 2007, the Philippines' Commission on Higher Education (CHED) awarded a National Center of Development (COD) to UPMin in Information Technology (College of Science and Mathematics). Currently the university is developing itself to become a Center of Culture and Languages, engaging in activities enriching the Filipino and ethnic languages and Mindanao through literature and translation; the university is also an active member of the Davao Colleges and Universities Network (DCUN) in the field of cultural integration and development.
The university also aims to become the best science university in Southern Philippines with the UP Mindanao Science and Technology Park Consortium; the university’s long term plan is to transform UPMin to a “green university town”, the only one of its kind in the UP system and in the Philippines.
.
The university is directly administered by the Chancellor, assisted by the Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs and Administration.
The University Council is composed of the Chancellor, university professors, professors, associate professors, and assistant professors of the various degree-granting units of that university. The Chancellor serves as Chairperson and the University Registrar as Secretary.
The Council has the power to prescribe the courses of study and rules of discipline, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents. The Council is also authorized to fix the requirements for admission to any college of the University as well as those for graduation and the receiving of a degree. The Council is empowered to recommend to the Board of Regents students or others to be recipients of degrees. The Council exercises disciplinary power over the students through its Chancellor or Executive Committee within the limits prescribed by the rules of discipline approved by the Board Regents.
The Executive Committee, which counts as members the Deans of the various degree-granting units of the constituent university, also acts in an advisory capacity to the Chancellors in all matters pertaining to their offices for which they seek its advice.
The President of the University is an ex officio member of the University Council of each constituent university and presides over its meetings whenever present.
College of Science and Mathematics (Dean: Dr. Reynaldo G. Abad)
School of Management (Dean: Dr. Sylvia B. Concepcion)
College of Science and Mathematics (CSM)
School of Management (SOM)
at Sto. Niño and the Mindanao Science Centrum at Bago Oshiro, are also within Barangay Mintal, further defining the area as a "academic and research hub".
With the establishment of UPMin in Mintal, this sleepy barangay has been rapidly turned into a small university town within Davao City
, with businesses and establishments built around the university accommodating to the needs of the students and faculty. Furthermore, the UP Mindanao Land Use and Master Development Plan aims to create UP Mindanao a "Green University Town", being a "garden" campus with emphasis on the Mindanaoan culture, with each building reflecting each ethnolinguistic group in Mindanao
Like in UP Diliman, UPMin has its own jeepney transportation network (“UPMin Ikot”) supported by motorcycles and tricycles called "HH" or "Habal-habal" and "Princess", respectively. They usually ply the Admin-Kanluran, Admin-Sitio Basak, Admin-Mintal and Kanluran-Mintal routes.
Most of the events are organized by the UP Mindanao University Student Council (USC) and student organizations, and are supported by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA); other events are also hosted by courses and student organizations, notably course-based organizations, fraternities and sororities.
This event was controversial in 2008 when freshmen from the Communication Arts program were booed upon by the upperclassmen which resulted to the event (and all student-organized activities thereafter) being suspended by the Chancellor in the same year after a complaint was filed by one of the parents, but was reinstated in 2009 through the efforts of the University Student Council.
For the 2009 and 2011 Freshmen Night, the celebrations of both the Torch and Freshmen Night were simultaneously conducted.
This event is organized by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) under the Department of Social Sciences (DSS) and the Dalub-aral na may Ugnayan, Galing at Organisadong Ningas na Ginagabayan ng Antropolohiya (DUGONG-ANTRO) student organization.
In 2010, the Christmas celebrations were officially opened with the lighting of the University Christmas Tree, constructed with lanterns from the different student organizations, at the Kalimudan Student Center.
In 2011, the celebrations for Kasadya will be held at the campus, a break from the traditional venue at Peoples' Park.
Tatak UPMin, a student organization fair headed by the University Student Council, is the highlight of the festivities; this is actually a beauty pageant with a twist: male students from the different student organizations portraying their respective female "alter-egos".
Several dormitories and apartments are also near the campus, located mostly at Sitio Basak and Mintal, where most of the upperclassmen coming in and outside Davao City reside.
Due to the 2009 Code of Student Conduct, many of the organizations, mostly course-based and regional, were disbanded due to the stringent requirements of the said code, and sadly the arts and culture life has been waning as a result.
On November 24 and November 25, 1989, the UPAA Davao Chapter hosted the 12th UP Alumni Institute with Senator Vicente Paterno as keynote speaker. Then UP President Jose Abueva
, who attended the conference, was confronted with the strong and united voice of about 630 alumni in attendance as well as media and the business sector, all clamoring for a resolution that would promote the establishment of a "UP in Mindanao" in Davao City. The resolution was unanimously approved and adopted by the Institute on November 25, 1989. This was submitted to the UPAA national and endorsed by the UP Board of Regents.
The vision of a UP in Mindanao began to materialize when, on the third regular session of the House of Representatives on April 30, 1990. 1st District Representative Prospero Nograles
introduced House Bill 30358, also known as "Act to Establish the University of the Philippines in Mindanao". A public hearing on House Bill 30358 was conducted by Senator Edgardo Angara
(then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education) on October 12, 1990 at the Davao Chamber of Commerce. It was sponsored by Representatives Prospero Nograles
and Rodolfo del Rosario of Davao del Norte
. A strong sentiment for the establishment of a UP in Mindanao pervaded during the public hearing.
To alleviate the strong clamor for a UP Mindanao, Abueva created instead the UP Consortium System, much like the UP Open University. When Abueva's term ended, President Fidel V. Ramos appointed Emil Q. Javier
as UP President. It turned out that Ramos had already instructed Javier to create a fact-finding committee composed of Regents Oscar Alfonso, Vice-President for Planning Fortunato dela Peña, Atty. Carmelita Yadao-Guno, and Rogelio V. Cuyno.
(USEP) and Bago Oshiro, Mintal. After receiving the committee report, Javier did not pursue the plan to convert USEP into UP Mindanao due to demonstrations conducted by USEP faculty and staff. Instead, he opted for a congressional action. At the same time, the committee also talked with Bureau of Plant Industry
director Nerios Roperos for the segregation of 204 hectares of the BPI area in Bago Oshiro for the UP Mindanao campus. The task of pursuing UP Mindanao was given to Representative Elias B. Lopez, as he is the only UP alumnus among the Davao Representatives.
Finally, RA 7889, the Bill creating UP Mindanao was finally enacted into law on February 20, 1995. On March 22 of the same year, the Board of Regents passed a resolution officially creating the University of the Philippines Mindanao. To emphasize the importance of RA 7889 to the Mindanaoans, a re-enactment of the signing was held at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
, with President Ramos himself in attendance.
The Lee Business Center in Juan Luna Street corner J. de la Cruz Street (the so-called Ladislawa Campus) and the Casa Mercado Building in Matina served as UP Mindanao's home from March to September, 1995 and from September 1995 to January 1996.
On February 20, 1998, the U.P. Oblation
was installed at the Bago Oshiro campus during the University's 3rd Foundation Anniversary. The Board of Regents granted full autonomy to UP Mindanao on February 26, 1998, making it the sixth and latest constituent unit of the UP System. Dean Rogelio V. Cuyno, was elevated as it First Chancellor on December 11, of the same year. The second University Chancellor of the University was Prof. Ricardo M. de Ungria, who was installed on September 21, 2001. Succeeding him is the present Chancellor Dr. Gilda C. Rivero, who was installed on July 30, 2007. Her two vice chancellors are Dr. Emma Ruth V. Bayogan, Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Prof. Miguel D. Soledad was appointed as Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Administration starting June 2, 2008 with Prof. Soledad’s appointment eventually approved by the Board of Regents on its 1233rd Meeting.
The University was also on closely guarded by the National Police, the Army and some ROTC corps during the visit of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the laying-down of the capsule for the Biotechnology Complex at CSM; many protesters, mostly from UPMin and some from other universities within the region, rallied at the Administration Building and barricaded Kanluran Road so as to block the passage of the Presidential convoy.
The most recent setback of the University was the uprooting of the Bt Eggplant samples by personnel from the City Agriculturist's Office while the whole community was at the Peoples' Park for the Kasadya celebrations last December 17, 2010. The issue was with the concerns of biological safety of the genetically-modified samples to the environment, which was deliberated three months before the said uprooting.
Recently, the road system of UPMin has been improved, with the concreting of the Mindanao Avenue, directly connecting the Administration Building (and UPMin itself) to Mintal (via the Mintal-Basak Road Network) and downtown Davao (via the Davao-Bukidnon Highway System), the repair of the Oblation Circle and the so-called "Abortion Road" (which was, until recently, the only road connecting Admin to the external road network via Kanluran Road). The School of Management's Administration and Corporate Center also reached its final phase of construction last January and will be operational in May 2011; during this time, UP Mindanao's address will be solely at Mintal, Tugbok District, Davao City.
The House of Representatives, under the Committee on Higher and Technical Education, approved on February 10, 2010, House Bill 3076 (An act providing for the Development Fund for the Medium-Term Development Plan of UP Mindanao) authored by First District Congressman Karlo Alexei B. Nograles providing UPMin with PhP1.2 billion for the construction of vital facilities set out by the UP Mindanao Land Use and Master Development Plan of 2009, including the CHSS and SOM Buildings, Student Dormitory, DOST-SEI-CSM Biotechnology Facility, among others, spread over four years.
The testimonial ceremony for President
Emerlinda R. Roman was held at UPMin SOM Campus (at F. Iñigo, popularly known inside UPMin as "UP Anda") last February 4, 2011.
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
System and is the only representative of the UP System
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
in the Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
island, located at Mintal, Tugbok District, Davao City
Davao City
The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines....
.
The university was first named University of the Philippines in Mindanao to declare the arrival of the state university’s presence in Mindanao after a long period of waiting by eager alumni and students. This was later replaced to its present name due to the request of the UP System for formalities’ sake.
UP Mindanao was created on February 20, 1995 by Republic Act 7889, and formally created by the Board of Regents of the UP System
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
on March 23, 1995, with its main focus in Mindanao studies through an affirmative action program in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao to attract Muslims and Lumad students, aside from the marginalized and deserving students.
The university offers nine undergraduate degree programs and one graduate program heavily inclined in research through its two colleges and one school; the university is the one of its kind in the Philippines to have a discipline in Agribusiness Economics (ABE), and is one of the three worldwide to have such a degree program.
As of 2007, the Philippines' Commission on Higher Education (CHED) awarded a National Center of Development (COD) to UPMin in Information Technology (College of Science and Mathematics). Currently the university is developing itself to become a Center of Culture and Languages, engaging in activities enriching the Filipino and ethnic languages and Mindanao through literature and translation; the university is also an active member of the Davao Colleges and Universities Network (DCUN) in the field of cultural integration and development.
The university also aims to become the best science university in Southern Philippines with the UP Mindanao Science and Technology Park Consortium; the university’s long term plan is to transform UPMin to a “green university town”, the only one of its kind in the UP system and in the Philippines.
Organization
| Chancellors of the University of the Philippines Mindanao |
| Prof. Rogelio V. Cuyno, 1998–2001 |
| Prof. Ricardo M. de Ungria, 2001–2007 |
| Dr. Gilda C. Rivero, 2007–present |
Administration
UP Mindanao is governed by the 11-member Board of Regents composed of the UP President, the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the chairpersons of the Committee of Higher Education of the Senate and the House of Representatives, four regents representing the student, faculty, alumni and staff sectors, and three regents who are appointed by the President of the PhilippinesPresident 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...
.
The university is directly administered by the Chancellor, assisted by the Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs and Administration.
The University Council is composed of the Chancellor, university professors, professors, associate professors, and assistant professors of the various degree-granting units of that university. The Chancellor serves as Chairperson and the University Registrar as Secretary.
The Council has the power to prescribe the courses of study and rules of discipline, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents. The Council is also authorized to fix the requirements for admission to any college of the University as well as those for graduation and the receiving of a degree. The Council is empowered to recommend to the Board of Regents students or others to be recipients of degrees. The Council exercises disciplinary power over the students through its Chancellor or Executive Committee within the limits prescribed by the rules of discipline approved by the Board Regents.
The Executive Committee, which counts as members the Deans of the various degree-granting units of the constituent university, also acts in an advisory capacity to the Chancellors in all matters pertaining to their offices for which they seek its advice.
The President of the University is an ex officio member of the University Council of each constituent university and presides over its meetings whenever present.
Colleges and Degree-Granting Units
UP Mindanao is composed of two colleges and one school: the College of the Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), focusing on the cultural diversity of Mindanao; the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM), studying the local flora and pioneering scientific development; and the School of Management (SOM), undertaking research on supply chain management.Degree-Granting Units
College of Humanities and Social Sciences (Dean: Prof. Maria Araceli Dans-Lee)- Department of Architecture
- Discipline in Architecture
- Department of Humanities
- Discipline in Communication Arts
- Media Arts
- Speech Communication
- Discipline in Creative Writing
- Discipline in Communication Arts
- Department of Human Kinetics
- Discipline in Physical Education
- Department of Social Sciences
- Discipline in Anthropology
- Discipline in Psychology
- Discipline in Social Sciences
College of Science and Mathematics (Dean: Dr. Reynaldo G. Abad)
- Department of Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies
- Discipline in Animal Science
- Discipline in Biology
- Discipline in Crop Science
- Discipline in Ecology
- Discipline in Microbiology
- Discipline in Wildlife
- Discipline in Zoology
- Department of Food Science and Chemistry
- Discipline in Chemistry
- Discipline in Food Science and Technology
- Department of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science
- Discipline in Applied Mathematics
- Discipline in Computer Science
- Discipline in Mathematics
- Discipline in Physics
- Discipline in Statistics
School of Management (Dean: Dr. Sylvia B. Concepcion)
- Discipline in Agribusiness Economics
- Discipline in Management
- Graduate Program in Management
Academic Programs
College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS)- Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology (BAA)
- Bachelor of Science in Architecture (BSA)
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts (BACA)
- Major in Media Arts
- Major in Speech and Corporate Communication
- Bachelor of Arts in English (BAE)
- Major in Creative Writing
College of Science and Mathematics (CSM)
- Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics (BSAM)
- Major in Operations Research
- Bachelor of Science in Biology (BSB)
- Major in Cell Biology
- Major in Ecology
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS)
- Bachelor of Science in Food Technology (BSFT)
- Specialization in Food Business
- Specialization in Food Processing
- Specialization in Food Science
School of Management (SOM)
- Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Economics (BSABE)
- Master in Management (MM)
- Diploma and Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning (MAURP)
Campus
Even before the establishment of UPMin, Barangay Mintal, notably the area of Bago Oshiro, is one of the agriculture research centers within Davao, housing many of the Department of Agriculture's research centers. Centers for scientific education and research, notably the Philippine Science High School - Southern Mindanao CampusPhilippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus
Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus is the first regional campus of the Philippine Science High School System, a public science high school system in the Philippines under the Department of Science and Technology...
at Sto. Niño and the Mindanao Science Centrum at Bago Oshiro, are also within Barangay Mintal, further defining the area as a "academic and research hub".
With the establishment of UPMin in Mintal, this sleepy barangay has been rapidly turned into a small university town within Davao City
Davao City
The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines....
, with businesses and establishments built around the university accommodating to the needs of the students and faculty. Furthermore, the UP Mindanao Land Use and Master Development Plan aims to create UP Mindanao a "Green University Town", being a "garden" campus with emphasis on the Mindanaoan culture, with each building reflecting each ethnolinguistic group in Mindanao
Existing
- Administration Building (Admin) – houses the Administrative Offices and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) and School of Management (SOM) classrooms. Designed by Francisco C. Santos, Jr. after the Quezon Hall (Administration Building) of UP Diliman, and is inspired by Bagobo architecture and design (notably on the façade and floor tiles).
- Academic Building I (Kanluran) – houses the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) and the DOST-SEI Regional Biotechnology Laboratory; first constructed by the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) and later renovated and refurbished by the UPMin administration. Aptly named "Kanluran" due to its western location in the map, and because of an urban legend surrounding the building itself.
- Science and Technology Dormitory (Dorm Annex) – located at the CSM Complex, houses dormitory rooms (for around 50 occupants).
- Human Kinetics Center (HKC) – located east of the Administration Building, houses the University's Physical Education department. Donated by Senator Robert Jaworski on 2003 (was also called "Jaworski Hall" after its completion).
- Mindanao Avenue and Oblation Circle – inspired from UP Diliman's University Avenue, the Mindanao Avenue connects the Administration Building directly into the road network of Mintal-Sitio Basak. Enshrines the OblationU.P. OblationThe Oblation is a concrete statue by Filipino artist Guillermo E. Tolentino which serves as the iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines...
statue that is the iconic figure of the UP System. - Maguindanao Road (Kanluran Road) – the largest and the main road in the university; connects the Administration Building and EBL Dorm with Kanluran. Has a distance of 1.1 kilometers (from Admin to Kanluran).
- School of Management Building (SOM) – houses the School of Management's (SOM) administration and staff. Also houses classrooms and an audio-visual room.
- Elias B. Lopez Hall (EBL Hall, Dorm) – houses the Student Housing Services office, dormitory rooms (which houses about 250 occupants), the University Clinic and the Interactive Learning Center-Learning Resource Center. Named after Congressman Elias B. Lopez, the so-called "Father of UP in Mindanao" for being the main proponent of the establishment of UPMin.
- Kalimudan Student Center (Kalimudan) – opened on August 2010, Kalimudan houses commercial establishments and related facilities.
- University Student Council (USC) House – main office of the UP Mindanao University Student Council; also used by major student organizations for meetings and forums.
- Himati Office – main office of Himati, the official student publication of UP Mindanao.
- UPMin Infirmary – donated by the Beta Sigma Fraternity through the Betans Spirit Foundation; caters the medical needs of UP Mindanao constituents and of the neighboring communities of Bago Oshiro and Sitio Basak.
Under construction
- Main Library (to be finalized) – envisioned to be the most eco-friendly academic institution in Metro Davao, the new Main Library Building (Main Lib) features a carillon with an observation deck on the top floor and elevators, giving students a panoramic, 360-degree view of UP Mindanao, Mintal and Davao City. The structure also boasts an open amphitheater for literary presentations and other related activities.
Under Development
- Academic Core
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences Complex
- College of Science and Mathematics Complex
- School of Management Complex
- Mindanao Research and Development Center
- Center For Advanced Research in Mindanao (CARIM) Building
- Student Housing Facilities
- Additional student housing facilities (dormitories, housing complexes)
- UP Mindanao Road Network
- Mindanao Ring (circumferential road connecting all academic complexes with other facilities)
- Pedestrian network
- protected walkways
- bikeways
- handicap facilities
- Executive Housing facilities
- Commercial facilities
- Forest park and manmade lagoon
- Davao City Sports Complex
Retired
- SOM Building (UP Mindanao City Campus, UP Anda)- located in F. Iñigo Street (formerly Anda Street) in downtown Davao City, housed in the old Terazza Milesa building; classes for the School of Management (SOM) major subjects and Masters Degrees are held here. Also houses the UP Open University Davao office. This building was an old hotel rented by the former UPMin Administration for their offices and an extension campus while they moved from the old Ladislawa campus. Upon the completion of the SOM Building at the main campus, the remaining facilities has been moved into the new building at Mintal.
- Main Library Building (Main Lib) - formerly the UP Mindanao Cultural Center; was the old "convenience center" by the 66th Engineering Brigade, given to UPMin when the former left Mintal for deployment. The building houses the main book collections of the University and the School of Management (SOM) library. Due to the construction of the Mindanao Avenue, the structure was demolished and its contents moved to the Interactive Learning Center-Learning Resource Center building (ILC-LRC), Elias B. Lopez Residential Hall, and Kalimudan Student Center for the time being, until the new Main Library building is constructed.
Student Life
As with the other UP units, the University is home to many student organizations that sponsor many activities, most notably during the month of July, December and February. These organizations also foster camaraderie and excitement in a major university that is quite distant from downtown Davao.Like in UP Diliman, UPMin has its own jeepney transportation network (“UPMin Ikot”) supported by motorcycles and tricycles called "HH" or "Habal-habal" and "Princess", respectively. They usually ply the Admin-Kanluran, Admin-Sitio Basak, Admin-Mintal and Kanluran-Mintal routes.
Special Events
Even though the university is considered "young" in its academic history, due to the efforts made by the students and academe, and due in part to its isolation to urban Davao, UPMin has strived to become a cultural melting pot in the whole Davao region. Most of the traditions practiced were borrowed from other constituent units, but were given a cultural twist, adding Mindanaoan elements to the events. Because of these unique cultural elements, such events draw an enormous crowd not only from the UPMin student body, but also from other schools and universities as well.Most of the events are organized by the UP Mindanao University Student Council (USC) and student organizations, and are supported by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA); other events are also hosted by courses and student organizations, notably course-based organizations, fraternities and sororities.
University Convocation
During the first day of classes for every academic year, the whole community gather at the Atrium to welcome the freshmen with an acquaintance ceremony, in which members of the administration, faculty, heads of the colleges, staff and students are introduced. The administration, upperclassmen and alumni then give an inspirational message for the new members of the student body.The freshman with the highest University-predicted Grade (UPG) will then give his message and lead the batch during the oath-taking. Usually, the University Student Council also conducts an oath-taking ceremony for the new student government elected during the preceding academic year.Torch Night
Usually done during June or July, the Torch Night involves the symbolic passing of the lit torch (symbolizing responsibility and privilege as "Iskolar ng Bayan") and group presentations between the courses, which is then sort-of an introduction between the freshmen batch with their upperclassmen.This event was controversial in 2008 when freshmen from the Communication Arts program were booed upon by the upperclassmen which resulted to the event (and all student-organized activities thereafter) being suspended by the Chancellor in the same year after a complaint was filed by one of the parents, but was reinstated in 2009 through the efforts of the University Student Council.
Freshmen Night
One of the highlights during the academic year, the Freshmen Night is held weeks after the Torch Night, where all freshmen, with the help of their upperclassmen, compete in a pagaent (Search for UPMin Isko and Iska) and a dance competition.For the 2009 and 2011 Freshmen Night, the celebrations of both the Torch and Freshmen Night were simultaneously conducted.
Dula
Dula, a Cebuano word meaning "play", is the university-wide sportsfest, preceded by college-based sportsfests (Dula-dula for the CSM and SOM, and Hampang for the CHSS). Done usually in the middle of the semester (August/September), students get together with their teachers in the spirit of enjoyment, sportsmanship and camaraderie. The highlight of the competitions is the Cheerdance Competition, the climax of intercollegiate rivalry between CHSS, CSM and SOM, drawing huge crowds from other universities and is commonly featured in the local media.Deviance Day
Usually held at the last week of November or the first week of December, this event involves students, faculty and staff dressing up with their "not-so-everyday" attires; male students usually wear female clothes during this day, as well as other students and teachers wearing sleeping gowns, costumes and formal dress, with some going to the extreme: wearing almost nothing at all. This is then highlighted by a Search for Mr. and Ms. Deviance in the evening.This event is organized by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) under the Department of Social Sciences (DSS) and the Dalub-aral na may Ugnayan, Galing at Organisadong Ningas na Ginagabayan ng Antropolohiya (DUGONG-ANTRO) student organization.
Kasadya
A Cebuano word meaning "joy, happiness," Kasadya is the highlight of the university-wide Christmas celebration that starts during the last month of November and ends before the Christmas break; the affair features a lantern parade made by the university constituents and other sectors in UP Mindanao, and Pasiklaban, a skit contest for students and alumni sponsored by the UP Alumni Association-Davao.In 2010, the Christmas celebrations were officially opened with the lighting of the University Christmas Tree, constructed with lanterns from the different student organizations, at the Kalimudan Student Center.
In 2011, the celebrations for Kasadya will be held at the campus, a break from the traditional venue at Peoples' Park.
UP Mindanao Anniversary Celebrations
A month-long event, this commemorates the foundation of UP in Mindanao as a constituent university with the UP System on February 20. Cultural and civic events are conducted during this time, spearheaded by the administration, while the respective colleges celebrate their foundation weeks during this period. Honorable students, faculty and staff are also given recognition during the Recognition Day (held during the third week of February). Many organizations and courses also celebrate their own foundation celebrations during the month, with a week-long Orgs Fair organized by the University Student Council to support the endeavor.Tatak UPMin, a student organization fair headed by the University Student Council, is the highlight of the festivities; this is actually a beauty pageant with a twist: male students from the different student organizations portraying their respective female "alter-egos".
Housing
The Elias B. Lopez Hall (EBL Hall) serves as the student residence center of the university, administered by the Student Housing Section (SHS) under the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). Most residents are freshmen and upperclassmen with official residences outside Davao City. In the near future, the Science and Technology Dormitory (the Dorm Annex) will be also used, catering students from the College of Science and Mathematics.Several dormitories and apartments are also near the campus, located mostly at Sitio Basak and Mintal, where most of the upperclassmen coming in and outside Davao City reside.
Student Organizations and Institutions
All student organizations are under the auspices of the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) and are duly recognized as such by the University Council and University Student Council (USC), the highest student policy-making body in the campus.Due to the 2009 Code of Student Conduct, many of the organizations, mostly course-based and regional, were disbanded due to the stringent requirements of the said code, and sadly the arts and culture life has been waning as a result.
- Publications
- Madayaw, the official publication of UP Mindanao
- Himati, the official student publication of UP Mindanao
- Political
- Student Councils
- UP Mindanao University Student Council
- UP Mindanao CHSS Student Council
- UP Mindanao CSM Student Council
- UP Mindanao University Student Council
- Political Alliances
- Alyansa ng mga Aktibong Kabataan ng UP Mindanao (ANAK-UPMin)
- Tigum sa mga Napamatud-an, Kasaligan, ug Organisadong Iskolar ng Bayan (TINGUG-Iskolar ng Bayan)
- League of Filipino Students (LFS)
- Anakbayan UP Mindanao
- Student Councils
- Performing Arts
- UP Mindanao Dance Ensemble, the official dance troupe of UPMin
- Katingugan, the official choral ensemble of UPMin
- UP Mindanao Association of Musicians Playing Loud Instruments (UPMin AMPLI)
- Course-Based
- BS Agribusiness Economics
- Society of Agribusiness Economists' (SOABE)
- BA Anthropology
- Dalub-aral na may Ugnayan, Galing at Organisadong Ningas na Ginagabayan ng Antropolohiya (DUGONG-ANTRO)
- BS Applied Mathematics
- Society of Math Majors (SMM)
- BS Architecture
- Architecture Student Council (ASC)
- United Architects of the Philippines-Student Auxiliary (UAP-SA)
- Junior Philippine Institute of Architecture (JPIA)
- BS Biology
- Biology Society (BioS)
- BA Communication Arts
- Communicators' Guild (CommGuild)
- BS Computer Science
- Society of Programmers and Refined Computer Scientists (SPARCS)
- BA English
- Literary Circle in Mindanao (former Literary Society)
- BS Food Technology
- Philippine Association of Food Technologists, Inc. - Lambda Chapter (PAFT-λ)
- BS Agribusiness Economics
- Fraternities and Sororities
- UP Beta Sigma (βΣ) Fraternity
- UP Sigma Beta (Σβ) Sorority
- Alpha Phi OmegaAlpha Phi OmegaAlpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
Philippines, Lambda Nu Chapter - UP Omega Alpha Fraternity and Sorority
- Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and Sorority
- UP Latagaw-Lamdag Society (UPLLS)-UP Latagaw Brotherhood & UP Lamdag Sisterhood
- Pi Sigma-Pi Sigma Delta Confraternity
- Athletic
- Siki Ni Obli
- UP Mindanao Maroon Spikers' Club
- Religious Organizations
- Christian Organizations
- CFC-Youth For Christ
- EKKLESIA-UP Mindanao Chapter (E-UPMin)
- Jesus Disciple Movement (JDM)
- Philippine Student Alliance Lay Movement (PSALM)
- UP Mindanao Navigators Ministries (UPMin NAVS)
- Lakas Angkan (LA)
- Youth to the Nations (Y2DN)
- Islamic Organizations
- UP Mindanao Association of Muslim Students (UPMAMS)
- Christian Organizations
- Others
- UP Mindanao Debate Society
- Rotaract Club of UP Mindanao (school branch of the Rotary Club of Davao)
- Former groups
- Kombuyahan, the performing arts company of UPMin CHSS, which is divided into groups:
- Bayla Vinta (Dance Division)
- Katingugan (Music Division), which has subdivisions:
- Koro Kantahanay (choral ensemble)
- Ihip (wind instrument division)
- Kwerdas (stringed instrument division)
- Teklado (instrumental ensemble)
- Teatro Lambigit (Theater Arts Division)
- Kirim (Literary Arts Division)
- Lantaw (Film Division)
- Litok (Speech & Language Division)
- Mitandi (Visual Arts Division)
- Valde Men's Congregato
- Society of Basketball Enthusiasts (SBE)
- Regional- and Ethnolingual-based Organizations
- Kombuyahan, the performing arts company of UPMin CHSS, which is divided into groups:
A vision of “UP in Mindanao"
The UP Alumni Association-Davao Chapter, which was established on December 3, 1949, clamored for the creation of a “UP in Mindanao” for more than two decades; as early as 1961, the UP Summer School already offered extension courses in Law, Business Administration and Education, with the old location of the Davao Central Elementary School as venue.On November 24 and November 25, 1989, the UPAA Davao Chapter hosted the 12th UP Alumni Institute with Senator Vicente Paterno as keynote speaker. Then UP President Jose Abueva
José Abueva
Dr. José Veloso Abueva is former president of the University of the Philippines. A Ten Outstanding Young Men awardee for political science in 1962, he has devoted much of his career in academic circles...
, who attended the conference, was confronted with the strong and united voice of about 630 alumni in attendance as well as media and the business sector, all clamoring for a resolution that would promote the establishment of a "UP in Mindanao" in Davao City. The resolution was unanimously approved and adopted by the Institute on November 25, 1989. This was submitted to the UPAA national and endorsed by the UP Board of Regents.
The vision of a UP in Mindanao began to materialize when, on the third regular session of the House of Representatives on April 30, 1990. 1st District Representative Prospero Nograles
Prospero Nograles
Prospero C. Nograles is the former Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. He was elected as the Speaker of the House on February 5, 2008, the first ever elected Speaker from Mindanao in a hundred years in Philippine legislative history...
introduced House Bill 30358, also known as "Act to Establish the University of the Philippines in Mindanao". A public hearing on House Bill 30358 was conducted by Senator Edgardo Angara
Edgardo Angara
Edgardo Javier Angara is a Filipino politician who served as President of the Senate of the Philippines from 1993-1995. He is currently serving his fourth term in the Senate which ends in 2013.-Early life and career:...
(then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education) on October 12, 1990 at the Davao Chamber of Commerce. It was sponsored by Representatives Prospero Nograles
Prospero Nograles
Prospero C. Nograles is the former Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. He was elected as the Speaker of the House on February 5, 2008, the first ever elected Speaker from Mindanao in a hundred years in Philippine legislative history...
and Rodolfo del Rosario of Davao del Norte
Davao del Norte
Davao del Norte , and once known simply as Davao, is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Tagum City. It borders the province of Agusan del Sur to the north, Bukidnon to the west, Compostela Valley to the east, and the city of Davao to the south...
. A strong sentiment for the establishment of a UP in Mindanao pervaded during the public hearing.
To alleviate the strong clamor for a UP Mindanao, Abueva created instead the UP Consortium System, much like the UP Open University. When Abueva's term ended, President Fidel V. Ramos appointed 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....
as UP President. It turned out that Ramos had already instructed Javier to create a fact-finding committee composed of Regents Oscar Alfonso, Vice-President for Planning Fortunato dela Peña, Atty. Carmelita Yadao-Guno, and Rogelio V. Cuyno.
Establishment
The committee came to Davao for an ocular inspection of the University of Southeastern PhilippinesUniversity of Southeastern Philippines
-About USeP:The University of Southeastern Philippines is a regional state university created in 1978 through Batas Pambansa Bilang 12...
(USEP) and Bago Oshiro, Mintal. After receiving the committee report, Javier did not pursue the plan to convert USEP into UP Mindanao due to demonstrations conducted by USEP faculty and staff. Instead, he opted for a congressional action. At the same time, the committee also talked with Bureau of Plant Industry
Bureau of Plant Industry (Philippines)
The Philippines' Bureau of Plant Industry , abbreviated as BPI, is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Agriculture responsible for serving and supporting the Philippine plant industry sector.-History:On January 1, 1930 by virtue of Act 3639 of the Philippine Legislature,...
director Nerios Roperos for the segregation of 204 hectares of the BPI area in Bago Oshiro for the UP Mindanao campus. The task of pursuing UP Mindanao was given to Representative Elias B. Lopez, as he is the only UP alumnus among the Davao Representatives.
Finally, RA 7889, the Bill creating UP Mindanao was finally enacted into law on February 20, 1995. On March 22 of the same year, the Board of Regents passed a resolution officially creating the University of the Philippines Mindanao. To emphasize the importance of RA 7889 to the Mindanaoans, a re-enactment of the signing was held at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and commonly abbreviated as BSP is the central bank of the Philippines. It was rechartered on July 3, 1993, pursuant to the provision of the 1987 Philippine Constitution and the New Central Bank Act of 1993...
, with President Ramos himself in attendance.
The Lee Business Center in Juan Luna Street corner J. de la Cruz Street (the so-called Ladislawa Campus) and the Casa Mercado Building in Matina served as UP Mindanao's home from March to September, 1995 and from September 1995 to January 1996.
From Ladislawa to Bago Oshiro, then Mintal
On June 1996, the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Management were created. After a year, the CAS was split into the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Science and Mathematics. The School of Management was retained.On February 20, 1998, the U.P. Oblation
U.P. Oblation
The Oblation is a concrete statue by Filipino artist Guillermo E. Tolentino which serves as the iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines...
was installed at the Bago Oshiro campus during the University's 3rd Foundation Anniversary. The Board of Regents granted full autonomy to UP Mindanao on February 26, 1998, making it the sixth and latest constituent unit of the UP System. Dean Rogelio V. Cuyno, was elevated as it First Chancellor on December 11, of the same year. The second University Chancellor of the University was Prof. Ricardo M. de Ungria, who was installed on September 21, 2001. Succeeding him is the present Chancellor Dr. Gilda C. Rivero, who was installed on July 30, 2007. Her two vice chancellors are Dr. Emma Ruth V. Bayogan, Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Prof. Miguel D. Soledad was appointed as Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Administration starting June 2, 2008 with Prof. Soledad’s appointment eventually approved by the Board of Regents on its 1233rd Meeting.
At Present
During the first year of Chancellor Rivero's administration, the general tuition fee was increased due to the TOFI, resulting in a Php600-per-unit calculation of matriculation, which infuriated many regular, outgoing and incoming students due to the high fees, coupled with a few "miscellaneous" fees like cultural and internet fees.The University was also on closely guarded by the National Police, the Army and some ROTC corps during the visit of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the laying-down of the capsule for the Biotechnology Complex at CSM; many protesters, mostly from UPMin and some from other universities within the region, rallied at the Administration Building and barricaded Kanluran Road so as to block the passage of the Presidential convoy.
The most recent setback of the University was the uprooting of the Bt Eggplant samples by personnel from the City Agriculturist's Office while the whole community was at the Peoples' Park for the Kasadya celebrations last December 17, 2010. The issue was with the concerns of biological safety of the genetically-modified samples to the environment, which was deliberated three months before the said uprooting.
Recently, the road system of UPMin has been improved, with the concreting of the Mindanao Avenue, directly connecting the Administration Building (and UPMin itself) to Mintal (via the Mintal-Basak Road Network) and downtown Davao (via the Davao-Bukidnon Highway System), the repair of the Oblation Circle and the so-called "Abortion Road" (which was, until recently, the only road connecting Admin to the external road network via Kanluran Road). The School of Management's Administration and Corporate Center also reached its final phase of construction last January and will be operational in May 2011; during this time, UP Mindanao's address will be solely at Mintal, Tugbok District, Davao City.
The House of Representatives, under the Committee on Higher and Technical Education, approved on February 10, 2010, House Bill 3076 (An act providing for the Development Fund for the Medium-Term Development Plan of UP Mindanao) authored by First District Congressman Karlo Alexei B. Nograles providing UPMin with PhP1.2 billion for the construction of vital facilities set out by the UP Mindanao Land Use and Master Development Plan of 2009, including the CHSS and SOM Buildings, Student Dormitory, DOST-SEI-CSM Biotechnology Facility, among others, spread over four years.
The testimonial ceremony for 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....
Emerlinda R. Roman was held at UPMin SOM Campus (at F. Iñigo, popularly known inside UPMin as "UP Anda") last February 4, 2011.
See also
- List of University of the Philippines people
- University of the Philippines System history
- UP College Admission Test
- Himati, The Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Mindanao