Text by Charmaine Lingdas
Walk past the Office of the Dean at the College of Pharmacy and you’ll see what leadership looks like in action: the door always open, students dropping by with questions, staff helping them out, and faculty coming in to sort through paperwork. A quiet buzz of collaboration fills the room.
This open-door atmosphere says a lot about Dean Mac Ardy Gloria’s leadership, which is grounded in inclusion, transparency, respect, honesty, and fairness.
“I uphold an open-door policy, conduct consultative sessions and dialogues, and ensure decisions are based on data and policy,” said Dean Gloria. “These principles help balance diverse needs and sustain a participatory environment.”
It is a living spirit of his vision to INSPIRE, the strategic agenda that brings to the role of Inclusive governance, Nurturing environment, Sustainable resource generation, Professional and personal development, Impactful research, Responsive extension services, and Excellence in leadership.
A Vision Anchored in Excellence
“My vision is for the College to become the National Resource Center for pharmacy education, practice, workforce development, and pharmaceutical sciences,” he shared. “I want it to be a place where all stakeholders feel heard, supported, and motivated—ensuring leadership in education, conducting impactful research, and offering socially relevant extension services.”
At the core of Dean Gloria’s leadership is a commitment to uphold the College’s mission: Serving through Transformative Education and Translational Research, and to live up to its vision: Excellence in Pharmacy, from Science to Practice.
Even with just three years in office, Dean Gloria hopes to lay down a strong foundation—one that will carry his goals forward and help the College earn recognition as a CHED Center of Excellence.
Innovation in Education
When asked about the evolving needs in pharmacy education, Dean Gloria shared how the role of pharmacists has changed over the years. Before, pharmacy was mostly about making and producing medicines. Then it shifted to being more patient-focused, offering counseling and clinical services. Now, he said, the next step is thinking beyond individual patients and looking at the needs of the wider population. “Hindi lang enough na maibigay namin ‘yung gamot sa tamang pasyente. Kailangan naming ma-ensure na may access sila sa medicines that are affordable, of good quality, safe, and efficacious.”
Students engage in hands-on learning during a laboratory class at the UP College of Pharmacy.
He added that there are various fields of pharmacy practice that reflect the profession’s broad scope. “I’m also part of developing the Practice Standards for Pharmacists in the Philippines. We look at academic pharmacy, community pharmacy, hospital and institutional pharmacy, industrial pharmacy, clinical research and regulatory, manufacturing, drug discovery and development, and even public health pharmacy.”
To respond to these shifts, one of his first priorities is to update the BS Pharmacy and BS Pharmaceutical Sciences curricula. At the same time, new graduate programs are being developed, including the Master in Clinical Pharmacy, PhD in Clinical Pharmacy, and PhD in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. He also hopes to introduce a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences to support advanced learning and specialization across fields.
He said that the college is also working closely with industry partners, engaging in accreditation initiatives, and expanding its Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and micro-credential offerings to ensure that its academic programs remain relevant and responsive to the profession’s evolving needs. He also highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the College and the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“So hopefully, through my term, we will be able to support the implementation of the Pharmacy Education Roadmap. One of its specific domains is specialized career pathways or progression. By offering more graduate programs, we hope to address the expectations and needs of the pharmacy profession,” he said.
In line with these goals, He is expanding blended and hybrid learning and enhancing courses through interactive technology. He also plans to continue enriching service learning, strengthen internship programs, and create more opportunities for student exchanges and mentorship.
A Culture of Research and Relevance
Dean Gloria is committed to building a robust and relevant research culture that aligns with national and global priorities. Dean Gloria emphasizes the need for a research culture that is not only productive but also impactful.
“We will be aligning the College research agenda with national and local priorities. We’ll support the formation of research interest groups, even informal ones, especially if they have similar research interests. Then we’ll build capacity through training—particularly in methods development and proposal writing—and integrate research with extension services to ensure sustainability.”
Dean Gloria encourages faculty and students to pursue research that is needs-based and potentially patentable, while supporting them in publishing and presenting their work. He also stresses the value of consulting stakeholders to keep research relevant. Through a partnership with the Department of Health, for example, interns support DOH programs while student research can address evidence gaps identified by the agency. By connecting academic work with real-world needs, Dean Gloria hopes to produce research that shapes policy and strengthens the health system.
Sharing insights during a research presentation at UP Manila’s Science and Technology Week 2024.
Partnerships That Matter
To bridge classroom learning with real-world impact, Dean Gloria is actively reviewing and expanding the College’s partnerships with healthcare providers, industry leaders, and community organizations.
“We will review and expand partnerships through new MOUs and MOAs that are aligned to our goals. We also want to tap alumni and identify potential partners to hopefully sponsor labs and equipment. Consider securing diverse practice sites for internships and for our students—for them to be able to practice, work with them on research, and maybe invite them to be part of extension services, as lecturers or maybe as speakers for continuing professional development activities. And again, we ensure that these partnerships address real educational and community needs,” he said.
Dean Gloria plans to make the College’s extension work to go beyond the usual services. Plans are in place to offer consultancy, technical support, and even help shape health policies. Ongoing efforts like telepharmacy and lab services will be continued and expanded. For him, it’s about making sure the College stays connected to real health needs—and makes a lasting difference in communities and in policy.
Dean Mac Ardy Gloria joins UP Manila officials during the Memorandum of Agreement signing with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Building on a Strong Foundation
Dean Gloria shared that many of his plans are meant to sustain and build upon the foundation laid by his predecessor, while also introducing new projects aligned with his vision. One of his personal initiatives is to create a mini–Healthy University within the College.
“I truly envision having a parang botika dito po sa kolehiyo that can cater to the workforce—to the employees, initially—and that could also serve as a training site for our students,” he said. “When I try to look at different universities internationally po, kasama talaga sa College of Pharmacy ang pagkakaroon ng sariling training ground for students, and to cater for the needs of employees and even patients in the future. So hopefully, to come up with that Pharmacy Health and Wellness Center.”
He also acknowledged the longstanding concern over limited space. To address this, a proposal for a five-story annex building has been drawn up. The proposed site has already been identified, and once built, the space will house the Drug Information Center, the Drug Analysis and Research Laboratory (DARL), and the National Center for Drug Analysis.
“So, we have a lot of plans,” he added—plans not only for growth, but for improving the College’s capacity to serve as a training, research, and service hub for the country.
Giving Back to the University
Dean Gloria’s personal journey to the deanship was marked by sacrifice, grit, and purpose.
He shared that he had to juggle multiple responsibilities while completing his PhD. He assumed the role of Department Chair while still working on PhD. Prioritizing his service to the College over personal timelines.
“My original plan was to just finish the PhD and focus on research… but I think God had other plans for me. I finished my PhD in five years, pero three of those years, I gave to the College—as chair, as faculty, and as a servant.”
At the time, he had planned to step down after his term ended on June 4, 2025, so he could finally focus on himself. However, the opportunity to serve in a greater capacity changed his course.
“If I am able to serve at this age—at 34—maybe others will be inspired to also serve in whatever capacity that they can. Kasi at the end of the day, hindi naman siya about position; it’s about conviction, clarity, and community. It’s more of me trying to find ways to give back to the College, to the University, to society. Parang pag-assume ko po ng position natin ay doon ko rin maipapakita na I can inspire. And I think that is how I see the position—not necessarily to use it to show others who I am. But it’s more of, how do I serve? How do I give back? How do I use that position so that I can bridge and connect the concerns of the College to the higher administration?” he said.
Looking back on his academic journey, he traced a path that spanned several disciplines—earning his undergraduate degree in the College of Pharmacy, a master’s in public health at the College of Public Health, and Clinical Epidemiology at the College of Medicine. He later pursued further training in Health Technology Assessment (HTA) at Mahidol University, a field that was still unfamiliar in the Philippines at the time. With no national HTA system or Universal Health Coverage in place, he took a leap of faith, uncertain whether his specialization would remain relevant when he returned.
“So, in short, I was like a lost soul. I didn’t know how to contribute. But now everything made sense. With the Lord’s will, everything started to align. All the things I had learned I ended up using them in one area. It felt providential.”
He reflected on how his career path mirrors the very paradigm shifts he now advocates in pharmacy education.
Serving with Compassion
Dean Gloria’s leadership is deeply shaped by his own journey as a student at the College. As someone who didn’t have the privilege of staying in dorms, he had to commute daily—often juggling long hours, limited resources, and academic demands. During exam weeks, when early morning schedules made it hard to go home, he found himself spending the night in 24-hour fast food restaurants like Jollibee, McDonald’s, or Chowking. There, he stayed awake through the night, surrounded by bright lights and the quiet hum of people coming and going—doing whatever it took to get through another day.
These personal struggles taught him the realities many students face.
“This isn’t about glitz and glamour. It’s not rainbows and butterflies. I’ve had my fair share of challenges and suffering. But I learned that it really pays to be kind. To look at things and people with compassion. Because many people here—we all have different stories.”
Laying the Groundwork for the Future
Even with a three-year term, Dean Gloria is focused on building a foundation that will benefit the College far beyond his time in office. His goals include:
But more than the programs and physical infrastructure, Dean Gloria is determined to strengthen the culture and values that define the College.
