Behind the Scenes: Preparations for UP Centennial
By Hannah Joy Castillo, Katherine Lopez, Sheryl Macatangay, Celia Nachura, Frances Olayon

The University of the Philippines is celebrating its one hundredth birthday. Yes, it has been a century. A century that witnessed the births of the greatest minds of this country; a century filled not only with achievements and discoveries but also with the struggles that made history and shaped the nation

Being the premier state university and boasting of what UP President Roman calls “pre-eminence,” it is just decent if UP celebrates its centenary with a bang. The UP administration is very eager at proposing and implementing its projects, looking forward to a more glorious new century for the University.

Preparations for UP’s centenary officially began in 1998 thru Proclamation No. 1150 of then President Fidel V. Ramos, made in the City of Manila on January 9.

Declaring the period 1998-2008 as the “University of the Philippines Decade,” the proclamation thereby directed all related government agencies and offices to extend full support and cooperation to the UP system to ensure the success of its projects and undertakings within the said decade.

Ramos recognized UP as the primary national resource for the education and training of outstanding men and women, who, according to him, have advanced the highest interests of the people through invaluable contributions to the progress and welfare of the nation.

The modernization program that UP embarked on as stated in its Strategic Plan 2008 was launched in 1998 as well, the start of the decade (1998-2008) which UP has scheduled as the start of ten years of preparation for its centennial this year.

The UP decade, as accounted in the Proclamation, will serve as “a landmark commemoration of the struggle for national independence as reflected in the achievements of the University as a community of Filipino scholars and a period of transition to a highly modernized center of learning of the new century.”

Ramos further believed that the projects and activities of the University to be undertaken during the said decade will generate tremendous positive impact on the long-term interests of the nation. That is why he enjoins both private and public sector to support the preparations.

University of the Philippines Centennial Year

After presenting the UP Plan 2005-2011 to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her cabinet on June 7, 2005, UP President Emerlinda Roman submitted her request to declare 2008 as the UP Centennial Year.

Signed by President Arroyo on September 6, 2005, Proclamation No. 913 declares, indeed, 2008 as the UP Centennial Year, and provides for the creation of a Centennial Commission that will administer preparations for the different activities this year.

Arroyo recognized that UP has made significant contributions to the knowledge, culture and intellectual life of the nation since its foundation in 1908 and that in order to enhance awareness of such contributions, the planned activities and festivities must be given support.

The UP Centennial Commission was thereby created, composed of 12 members who are alumni of the University appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the UP President, to formulate and implement plans for the occasion and to hold a fund raising campaign.

Arroyo also thereby directed the Postmaster General to design, print and issue a special stamp that commemorates the occasion.

She likewise granted Php100 million as support to UP’s lineup of centennial projects, thereby released by the Secretary of Budget and Management in three modes: Php 35 million each in 2006 and 2007, and Php 30 million in 2008.

Centennial Budget

In her investiture speech on July 21, 2005, Roman said the target budget for the UP Centennial is five billion pesos, half of which will come from the national government and the other half from the private sector.

She added that since Feb. 2005, the fund raising has been going on.

“All the deans and chancellors are doing the fund raising,” Roman said.

Roman said that in 2006 and 2007, 800 million pesos and “close to 400 million” pesos were added to the UP budget, respectively.

“So that’s 1.2 billion [pesos] for the two years,” she said. “Now, for this 2008, over and above the regular budget that we also got, I think we will get something like 1.5 or 1.6 billion [pesos].”

Roman said a part of the 800 million was used for the construction of the National Science Complex in the College of Science. A part of it also went to UP Visayas for the research about the Guimaras Oil Spill in August 11,2006 Philippine General Hospital and the construction of the Media Center in the College of Mass Communication.

The additional budget given in 2007, on the other hand, was mostly for scholarships for masteral students, according to Roman.

Roman said, however, that the UP administration is still waiting for the approval and release of the additional budget.

This implies that the UP budget has increased in the past two years. “We are fortunate because the government has been very receptive, because I think they see they are also doing our best to raise money, and so they are trying to match our efforts.”

Despite this increase in the budget, the tuition and other fee increases (ToFI) was implemented in July 2007 affecting incoming freshmen. From 300 pesos per unit, tuition became 1000 pesos per unit.

Moreover, the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) was restructured, with the previous nine brackets being reduced to only five.

Roman said the additional 800 million and 400 million pesos added to the UP budget in 2006 and 2007 were only for the capital outlay and do not cover the maintenance and other operating expenses.

Also, Roman said the ToFI was implemented to increase the stipends for students and for modernization.

“Kulang na kulang naman ang 1,000 [pesos] a month,” Roman said. Under the restructured STFAP, the standard stipend is 12,000 pesos per semester.

Regarding the other half of the Centennial budget, Roman said efforts are underway for it to be raised.

“On our side, we have also been doing our fund raising. By our data’s account, it’s close to a billion yung nakukuha na namin,” Roman said. These are in form of faculty development (professorial chairs), equipment donation, scholarships, donations of art pieces, research grants from private and government agencies, travel grants, among others.

Roman said this is based on reports from various UP campuses, but they are still being double-checked for accuracy of the figures.

UP is also expected to profit from the ongoing Ayala project – the construction of a Science and Technology Park along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City. The land is leased to Ayala Land Inc.

“We get a share of the rent that they will get,” Roman said. “They plan to give us an advance [of] 100 million [pesos] also this June in commemoration of the Centennial.”

Roman said all the fund raising efforts will benefit UP. “Everything will go to UP,” she said.

Out of the five billion pesos they are projected to raise, two billion pesos will go to faculty development.

“Part of it can go to faculty development [which means] allowing our faculty to study abroad and locally. Part of it can go to giving them additional allowances kasi ang baba-baba talaga ng sweldo ng faculty,” she said, adding that the highest paid faculty member gets only 33,000 pesos per month.

Meanwhile, 2.15 billion pesos will go to the modernization - new buildings, new facilities, additional subscriptions to online databases, among others, and 300 million will go to scholarships.

“This is on top of the socialized tuition,” Roman said.

Roman said at present, there are 100 scholarships available for UP Diliman students since 2005. Half a million is also allotted for artists and athletes of UP, Roman said.

Frank Cornejo, executive director of UP Alumni Association, said 300,000 pesos was left from funds used for the kick-off, and “it will be used to help the UP Basketball team.”

“Malaki kailangan doon para mabuhay ang ating basketball palyers. Walang sasakyan. Nagpa-public [transportation] sila. Di katulad ng mga [taga-] Ateneo, La Salle. Naka-coaster. Yung ating mga basketball [players] kung saan-saan kumakain lang… so how can you play na ganun mga kalaban mo, pampered,” Cornejo said.

The UPAA handled the Centennial Kick-off last Jan. 8.

“The kick-off is supposed to be a UP affair but they requested UPAA to handle it. And the UPAA accepted it because there are many frat leaders who volunteered to help. Tau Alphans, sigma Rhoans, APO, Upsilon [Sigma Phi]. And Beta Sigma,” said Frank Cornejo, executive director of UPAA.

To raise funds for the kick-off, . Cornejo said Roman gave 500,000 pesos to UPAA, and the UPAA also looked for sponsors for the fireworks, t-shirts and meals for the kick-off. Cornejo added that some people donated 10,000 pesos and 50,000 pesos.

“A certain Manuel Zamora gave 50,000 [pesos],” Cornejo said.

He added that the meals were sponsored by Chancellor’s budget, and that they also earned Light-A-Tree project, where one’s name or organization, written on a streamer, will be hanged on trees along the academic oval for 5,000 pesos each tree.

“Mahigit 100 yung nag-sign up dun. We invited the organizations [and asked them] ‘would you like to put your name there and sponsor a tree? For 5000?’ Upsilon and Beta Sigma [got] five each. 25, 000 yun,” Cornejo said.

Other Centennial Projects

Roman also mentioned in her investiture speech that one of the UP Centennial projects will be the establishment of a UP presence in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig “to bring the professional colleges closer to their projected constituents.

“[Unfortunately], we could not find a building,” said Roman, adding that UP cannot afford to buy land in Fort Bonifacio.

According to the University of the Philippines Website, UP is negotiating with Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay to establish UP presence in Makati. Roman also said they have asked Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to print the Oblation on 100-peso bills, which will come out in May.

“Bangko Sentral agreed to do everything for free,” Roman said.

Roman said the “uncut” version of the 100-peso bills – four bills together in a booklet – will be sold as collector’s item for 1000 pesos each booklet, 500 pesos of which will go to UP.

“If we sell 10,000 copies of that, we will get five million [from there]. That we will add up to our fund-raising,” Roman said.

Roman said the 100-peso bills will replace the commemorative stamps as part of the UP Centennial, mentioned in Roman’s investiture speech because the Postmaster General charged 500,000 pesos for the stamps. The plan to have commemorative stamps was then cancelled.

“[But] two months ago, sumulat ang Philippine Postal Corporation. Sabi nila ‘please reconsider. This time we will not charge you anymore. Gagawin na lang naming parang collector’s item,” Roman said. She added that 72,000 copies of stamps will be bought and placed in the museum.

Roman’s vision: UP in the next 100 years

The theme for the UP Centennial is “Excellence, Service and Leadership for the next 100 years.” How does UP President Roman envision UP for the next 100 years?

“We want to see a very distinguished Filipino university that is able to compete in a highly-globalized, highly complex and technologically-advanced world.

Roman said the top 50 universities in the world are “well-endowed financially.”

“In other words, given the budget that we are having, talagang mahirap tayo mag-compete. My own view, and some faculty members in UP share this with me, that despite the budget constraints, we are doing well,” Roman said.

Roman said she is hoping that the government will give high priority to education so “we can really advance the frontiers of knowledge, so that our people will benefit from it.”

In the field of science, Roman said research is hampered by financial constraints. “We need laboratories. We need library resources. We need the materials for research,” Roman said.

She added, “If we have all the facilities and a very enabling environment for us to discover and to innovate, the Philippines can become very, very competitive. And what we’d like is for UP to play a very critical role in making this country competitive in terms of the development of human resources, in terms of discovery, innovations, [and] inventions.”

But for the All-UP Academic Employees Union, UP’s Centennial cab also be celebrated through an alternative theme:Radikal na Sentenaryo.

Security preparations

Prior to the January 8 kick-off party,there has been a memo issued to all deans and unit heads to enjoin themselves in the celebration of the university’s centennial.

To take care of the campus security is the UP Diliman Police (UPDP), with the help of the Special Services Brigade (SSB) and the Supervisory Team of Private Security, both under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs.

Prior to the actual event were meetings and consultations among these groups to prepare for their respective assignments.

The SSB even decided to employ 28 guards on extra duty besides the 18 on regular duty, said Sgt. Narciso T. Domino, SSB Team Leader. The SSB guards secured the areas covered by the affair—from the University Avenue to the Academic Oval and Quezon Hall.

The UPDP, on the other hand, is assigned to attend to traffic supervision and control, as well as to ensure the orderly flow of vehicles in the alternate routes since the Oval was closed, said Maj. Bernie Baltazar, UPDP OIC.

They also deployed personnel in intersections and parking areas to look after the “bukas-kotse” and “basag-salamin” gangs in campus.

The celebration was generally peaceful, both units claimed. Only an incidence of loss of some personal belongings in the amphitheater was reported to the UPDP, which were apparently impossible to recover.

The SSB said they were able to tame down activist-visitors through a “verbal agreement,” arguing that the event is nothing but a celebration of the centennial.

Chancellor Sergio Cao, thru a “text [message]” to Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Dr. Grace Gregorio, reportedly extended his greetings to the security units for “a job well-done.”

In UP Los Baños

The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) is one with the whole UP community’s centennial celebration. As one of the constituent universities, UPLB’s celebration exhibits the three pillars of the UP Centennial Theme – “excellence, service and leadership for the next 100 years.”

But the Los Baños campus wants to give a unique blast to welcome the 100 years of the state university. So, they established their own theme but not separate from that of the whole UP community – UPLB’s “Distinctive Excellence.”

Dr. Emmanuel Abraham, Assistant to the Chancellor and Director of the Office of Alumni Relations, enunciated that UPLB highlights leadership, excellence and service in support to UP Centennial’s Theme. Having said that UPLB does not only settle for excellence, but strives for its distinctive excellence, Dr. Abraham uttered the definition of the University of the Philippines Los Baños’ Distinctive Excellence.

He said, “As one of the constituent units, we tried to give our own flavor also in the celebration. Distinctive excellence is what we do best in a niche that sets us apart from others. It is the collective expression of a culture of instruction, research and community service grounded on the principles of science and social responsibility. It is the standard of greatness that we established in the academic and research world that others look upon for guidance and inspiration.”

Dr. Abraham boasts of their theme as being very specific on their heritage where they look at the past linked up to what they can contribute in the future. He speaks of leaving a legacy priding their foundation on science and social responsibility

The Los Baños campus has been able to express their excellence in the areas of agriculture, biotechnology and environment. These fields are distinct to them. Also, they try to highlight the culture and the arts especially of the Southern Tagalog Region.

Preparations for the Kick-off

In less than a month’s preparation, UPLB was able to mobilize 1,000 contingents during the Centennial Kick-off at UP Diliman in January 8. UPLB found the participation of their students, faculty and alumni the most important factor in the kick-off.

Dr. Abraham referred to their efforts for the kick-off as “a labor of love”. Within a short notice, the campus according to Dr. Abraham was not able to gather funds from sponsorships and donations.

Dr. Abraham shares, “Ang basic na naging input ng administration dun was to provide the transportation, partly. Because some others were college-based, mga sasakyan ng kolehiyo.” When asked, he did not relay how much the administration gave the campus for its transportation needs.

He narrated that the students were very excited about participating in the kick-off at the flagship campus. Organizers were surprised that the numbers of the contingents going to Diliman doubled the morning of the event. They were expecting a number of 400 but they left with a group of 800. This group left Los Baños in rented jeepneys and buses and college-based vehicles. Some 200 went directly to UP Diliman to support the event.

“Meron na kaming ginagawa that I think found a venue for expression doon sa motorcade,” Abraham said. One of which was “Isang Daan,” the centennial theme song of UPLB composed by Angelica Dayao that won at ELBI 19.09 last September 2007.

UPLB dressed-up a vehicle that would serve as the campus’ lead vehicle. However, the float was later on used by UP Manila during the motorcade. “Kahit small contribution, we came ready to serve also,” Dr. Abraham added.

College-based activities, funded by each colleges’ individual chests, are to be expected from the University of the Philippines’ campus at Los Baños the whole centennial year

In UP Manila

As a constituent university, UP Manila adopts the theme - , “Excellence, Service and Leadership for the next 100 years” - as its own.

However, the students of UP Manila, led by the party ASAP-Katipunan offered an alternative theme, “UP @ 100: Itigil ang Kumersalisasyon, Ipaglaban si Oblation: Isang Daang Taon ng Pakikibaka ng mga Iskolar ng Bayan para sa Karapatan ng Sambayanan.” Although it is lengthier than the official theme, outgoing USC Councilor Patricia Cielo believes it captures “the historic role of UP as the nation's primary social conscience and architect.”

UPM’s Participation in the Kick-off

It all began in Padre Faura. One hundred years and seven constituent universities later, it is only fitting that the University of the Philippines begin their centennial celebrations back at UP Manila. On January 8, 2008, Mass was celebrated at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Chapel and there was a short program to launch the centennial celebrations.

A great number of delegates from UP Manila went on to participate in the celebrations that followed in UP Diliman, including representatives from the seven colleges, National Institute of Health and PGH. All in all, Cielo estimated roughly 5,000 people from UP Manila at the centennial kick-off.

While the Centennial Commission provided jeepneys to transport the delegates from Manila to Diliman, they were only able to supply one jeepney for each department. Should this prove to be insufficient, the college or department would have to fund for additional jeepneys for their other delegates.

Many people however were not provided transportation for the trip back to Manila, since the jeepneys were only rented until seven o’clock, and the celebrations lasted until almost eleven o’clock. UP Manila performers had to rent their own jeepneys to take them home with their bulky instruments.

UPV kick-off celebration

The University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) celebrated UP’s centennial on the 26th of January. Titled “Bayle sa Kalye,” it was celebrated during the “Kasadyahan,” one of the activities of the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City.

Senator Francis Pangilinan was reportedly the guest of honor with President Roman joined by VP for Academic Affairs Amelia Guevara, VP for Public Affairs Cristina P. Hidalgo, and VP for Legal Affairs Marvic Leonen.

“On the day of the kick-off parade, all Miagao-based UPV students assembled at around 10 a.m. at the UPV Dormitory area (Balay Lampirong). The UPV Transporation committee hired at most 24 jeepneys to accommodate an estimated 400 students going to Iloilo City,” said UPV student Coleen Servando.

They jumped-off from UPV Miagao at 11:30 with 26 vehicles in convoy, including the car of the transportation committee and the truck of the sound system that played the “UP Ang Galing Mo” centennial theme song from Miagao to Iloilo City, she added.

The bayle dance parade started at 2 p.m. and moved from Plaza Libertad to the Freedom Grandstand, turned right upon reaching the Obelisk and passed by the Amigo Terrace Hotel to the Provincial Capitol. It then turned left at Gen. Luna Street, passed by the Atrium, and straight ahead to St. Paul’s Hospital and the University of San Agustin

It turned left again at Jaladoni St. and turned right shortly at Delgado St. going to Infante Avenue. At Infante Ave., the parade which was composed of marshalls, the Colors, UPV officials, alumni, UPV Administrative Staff, the core group of dancers, the mobile sound system, students and student organizations, and the medical team stopped at the UPV Infante gate and rested at the UPV Quadrangle.

The bayle would commence the year-long celebrations of the UP system including the 61st Anniversary Celebration of UP in Iloilo in July this year, said UPV Chancellor Glenn Aguilar. The UPV Centennial Raffle, featuring a new Toyota Vios as its grand prize, was also launched during the program, according to the UPV official website, the proceeds of which will be used to fund UPV’s projects.

The participants were wearing white shirts with the UP and UP centennial logos. They waved maroon, green, and golden yellow cloths cut into banderitas, scarves, and flaglets. A contest among the different academic groups was also held during the parade with the categories namely, Best in Gimmickry, Best Mascot, and Most number of participants.

An estimated 6,000 people, mostly UP alumni from Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and the Negros provinces, including Iloilo City Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog reportedly attended the kick-off.

As a gesture still symbolic of the centennial, the Admin Officials released 100 balloons after the program.