Text by Charmaine A. Lingdas
Photos by Sarah Hazel Moces S. Pulumbarit
Student leaders from various colleges and organizations of the University of the Philippines Manila were officially sworn into office on Aug. 12, 2025, in a ceremony led by Chancellor Michael Tee and Office of Student Affairs (OSA) Director Assistant Professor Odessa Joson at the UP Manila Boardroom.
The gathering brought together the University Student Council (USC), local college councils, and the student publication Tagamasid, the official student publication of the College of Arts and Sciences, marking the start of their term as representatives of the student body. With their right hands raised, the officers pledged: “Lagi kong isasaisip ang kapakanan at interes ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Manila at ng mamamayang Pilipino.”
“Natutuwa ako na nandito tayong lahat upang makita ang ating administrasyon at makita ng pamunuan ang pagkilos ng mga estudyante na nagkakaisa tayo. Maraming salamat sa inyong pagdating, sana maging maganda ang ating samahan—lagi’t lagi para sa mga kapwa nating estudyante,” OSA Director Joson said, expressing hope for continued collaboration for the welfare of UP Manila students.
Chancellor Tee congratulated the new officers, describing them as leaders of today and the future. “Kayo ay mga potensyal na lider ng bukas, pero ngayon ay mga lider na kayo. Iba-iba lang tayo ng antas ng pinamumunuan, ngunit pare-pareho ang prinsipyo kung paano maging lider—at kailangan ninyo itong i-practice ngayon… kaya kayo pinili ng inyong mga kasamang mag-aaral bilang kanilang kinatawan.”
He said the administration aims to foster an environment that encourages more students to take on leadership roles. “It’s the kind of environment I would like to promote. Iniisip ko na pagkatapos ng taong ito, mas dumami pa sana ang mga estudyanteng hindi pa kasali na maisip nila, ‘OK pala tumakbo, OK pala sumali sa student leadership.’” He added, “If we don’t develop the students now, how will we develop the leaders of tomorrow?” He assured them that his office is always open for personal and organizational concerns.
Following the oath-taking, the session shifted into an open dialogue on student issues. Chancellor Tee noted that after hearing the needs of the student body, OSA Director Joson had initiated several programs—approved by the Chancellor’s Management Team—under the AKAP (Aruga at Kalinga, Alay ng Pamantasan) initiative. These include:
He urged student leaders to help promote existing scholarships, emphasizing, “Kasi kung may scholarship pero hindi nagagamit, bakit pa tayo hihingi?” He assured them that the university has the funds to support infrastructure needs such as buildings, roads, classrooms, laboratories, and reagents: “Hindi kulang ang pondo ng unibersidad… Wala akong interes na ipunin ang pera sa bangko; gusto kong gamitin ito sa laboratoryo at classroom upang maramdaman ninyo ang benepisyo.”
Tee also announced that donations from the University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society in America (UPMASA) will fund the purchase of three vans for student transportation. These will support activities such as the Community Health and Development Program rotation for MagNaMarTe. In addition, he aims for each campus of the School of Health Sciences to have its own vehicle, noting that some existing university cars have already been redeployed to SHS campuses.
On infrastructure, he gave updates on the Bobby de la Paz Building in front of Henry Sy Hall, which will be enhanced rather than removed to create a more conducive student environment. The library expansion is also underway—Phase 3 will cover the ground to seventh floors, Phase 4 the eighth to twelfth floors, with Phase 5 set to proceed simultaneously—promising significantly improved learning spaces once completed.
Other matters discussed included the difficulty of offering cheap dormitory meals, Annual Physical Examination and PhilHealth coverage, enrollment system challenges, the Information System on Key Operations for Learning and Academic Resources (ISKOLAR), facility repairs, and student fund allocation.
