Text by Angelou C. Mendoza

Photos by Joseph A. Bautista

(From left) TUP officials HRD Manager Atty. Christopher M. Mortel, Director for Information Technology Associate Professor Julius A. Sareno, Director for Extension Services Dr. Benedicto N. Fortaleza, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Ryan C. Reyes, and Vice President for Planning and Development Dr. Connie C. Aunarios actively engaged during the open forum with UP Manila representatives.

Information, Publication, and Public Affairs Office (IPPAO) Director Cesar A. Perez, Jr. and Community Health and Development Program (CHDP) Director Anthony G. Cordero shared best practices of public relations and communication management strategy to assess possible areas of collaborations with TUP representatives. Other matters tackled were the consultation on human resource development matters when it comes to faculty research, teaching, and extension service load and avenues for academic growth in health sciences and engineering.

UP Manila officials and heads of the Central Administration offices engaged in a strategic discussion with the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) representatives on the quality standard practices of UPM in public relations held on May 27, 2024 at the UP Manila Board Room. 

Representatives from IPPAO were Director Perez and Supervising Administrative Officer Martin Racza. Director Perez discussed the background and the tasks assigned to his office to which the IPPAO staff complies, in accordance with the office’s updated Citizen’s Charter. 

“In essence, we undertake the dissemination of information, data banking, publication, and public information activities through newsletters, books, brochures, manuals, AV production. Social media platforms po ng university, yung tanggapan din po namin ang nagha-handle ng content. Kadalasan po may mayroon din mga symposium, forum, nagbibigay rin ng assistance sa iba-ibang units ng unibersidad kung halimbawa po tungkol po sa information and publication. At mayroon din kaming mga kinokolekta na tinatawag na Sustainable Development Goals o yung SDGs. […] Maliban po sa pagkalap ng mga kwento, articles, mga events, kasama rin po sa aming tanggapan ang pagtulong sa pag-publish ng journal na ito na based sa UP Manila – Philippine Journal of Health Research and Development (PJHRD),” Dr. Perez shared.

To further provide a variety of UP Manila’s public relations services, CHDP Director Cordero shared CHDP as a curricular public service and the community assignments of the University and the good public relations and partnership the program built with the local government units  (LGUs) and national government offices (NGOs) since 2007.  In line with this, he also addressed one of the meeting agenda – “UP’s PR-fortifying or PR-upscaling cooperation projects with selected UP institutional partners and potential cooperation with TUP.”

“Yung UP Manila CHDP po intentionally engages in public relations with the specific local partners, yun po yung intention nya – makapag-create ng magandang public relation kung sino man yung local partner, but not with the whole country or internationally. Since it was founded in 2007, UP Manila CHDP’s public relations work is very intentional with these partners, currently nandyan po sa province of Cavite and the four municipalities of Magallanes, Naic, Maragondon, and Ternate. So, why? Ito po kasi yung mission ng CHDP, it’s very much aligned with the mission of UP Manila which is participatory development. Ang pagtingin po sa community ay as a partner with the objective of a healthier and more empowered community,” said Director Cordero. 

For their part, the TUP representatives expressed their enthusiasm to impart to UP Manila their area of expertise on research on prototypes and capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models on clinical judgment on x-rays and other imaging tests.

TUP Human Resource Department Manager Christopher M. Mortel shared a piece of learning and practice they acquired from UPM during the discussion for faculty development. 

“Currently, yung requirements lang para maging tenured ka sa amin is earning a master’s degree and we are visiting our Merit Selection Plan, as part ng qualifications standards namin sa faculty, siguro isa sa pag-uusapan namin yung research capability ng faculty, considering na nasa academe. Talagang very important po iyon. Siguro isa sa mga magandang practice na gusto naming tularan sa UP,” Atty. Mortel said. 

The discussion cultivates the exchange of ideas leading to an equal learning experience for both universities.

The current UP Manila administration has been actively engaging in multi-institutional partnerships with local and international academic institutions, with the goal of sharing its expertise producing outputs with relevant impact in the society.

(From left) UPM IMS Director Marbert John C. Marasigan, CHDP Director Anthony Geronimo H. Cordero, HRDO Director Michael Antonio F. Mendoza, OILL Director Vivien Fe. F. Fadrilan-Camacho, and IPPAO Director Cesar A. Perez, Jr.

(From right) TUP Public Relations Officer Neilbert Gaviola Gajudo, Extension Services Director Benedicto N. Fortaleza, Information Technology Director Julius A. Sareno, HRD Manager Atty. Christopher M. Mortel, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Vice President for Planning and Development Dr. Connie C. Aunarios.