Text by Gilliano Salvador and Andre DP Encarnacion, UP-MPRO

Photo by Asst. Prof. Joey dela Cruz

Students from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the University of the Philippines (UP) partnered on a vision screening project for students at Krus na Ligas Elementary School on Jan. 8, 2025.

The project featured 12 stations where students from PolyU, UP Diliman, and UP Manila conducted vision screenings, shared eye health tips, and distributed 200 free pairs of eyeglasses to students in need.

UP and HKPolyU students assess and assist elementary pupils for vision screening at Krus na Ligas Elementary School on Jan. 4. Photo by Jun Madrid, UP MPRO.

UP President Angelo Jimenez, along with PolyU officials led by Dr. Grace Ngai, head of PolyU’s Service-Learning and Leadership Office, attended the event. This initiative is the first in a series of collaborations between the two universities planned for 2025.

Last Dec. 5, 2024, Jimenez delivered the keynote address at the 2024 International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSCLE) Asia-Pacific Conference X International Conference on Service-Learning themed “Service-Learning in Asia-Pacific Contexts” on Dec. 5, 2024, at the PolyU campus. 

In his speech, he highlighted the history and significance of service-learning in the Philippines and UP, emphasizing its role in providing values education to students while deepening their understanding of the often harsh social complexities of society and the world. Jimenez also reaffirmed UP’s commitment to institutionalizing and promoting service-learning through the UP Strategic Plan 2023–2029.#

President Jimenez and Vice President for Academic Affairs Leo Cubillan meet with UP Manila delegates during the vision screening project at Krus na Ligas Elementary School.