Text by Charmaine A. Lingdas
Photos Courtesy of Media and Public Relations Office (MPRO)

The University of the Philippines (UP) Manila received nine awards at the 2026 Gawad Pangulo on June 26, 2026, at GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium, UP Diliman. The awards celebrate the University’s contributions to public service, research, education, innovation, and community engagement, reflecting the UP System’s core values of honor, excellence, and service.

Held as the culminating event of the month-long celebration of the University’s 118th Foundation Anniversary, the Gawad Pangulo recognizes individuals, organizations, institutions, and initiatives across the UP System that exemplify the University’s enduring commitment to honor, excellence, and service. This year’s theme is Tumutugon. Naglilingkod. Para sa Bayan.

UP President Angelo A. Jimenez emphasized that the true measure of excellence lies not merely in achievements or rankings, but in the positive impact created through public service, innovation, scholarship, and community engagement.

“The University has never been measured solely by accolades, rankings or accomplishments. They are important, of course, but while these are important, they are not the ultimate measure of our success. And let us be very clear about it: the true measure of excellence is impact,” he said. “It is found in knowledge that transforms lives, in innovations that solve real problems, in institutions that strengthen communities, in organizations that inspire service, in public servants who work with integrity, in alumni who continue to uplift others long after leaving the university.” 

UP Manila’s  College of Public Health (CPH) was awarded the Gawad Pangulo para sa Natatanging Akademikong Institusyon (Outstanding Academic Institution)for serving as the country’s foundation of public health education, research, and service. For nearly a century, the college has produced generations of public health leaders who have contributed to government, academia, international organizations, and civil society while strengthening public health systems in the Philippines and Southeast Asia through research, training, extension services, and evidence-based public health programs. 

UP Manila also earned recognition in the Natatanging Kawani (Outstanding Personnel) category through two awardees from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). Jesse E. Garcia of the UP Philippine General Hospital Office of the Director – Emergency Room Management Action Team was honored for more than 11 years of dedicated public service. His contributions to hospital management, emergency preparedness, employee welfare, and COVID-19 response initiatives, coupled with his commitment to transparent and merit-based institutional processes, helped strengthen organizational resilience and service delivery.

Meanwhile, Dr. Apolinario Erickson B. Berberabe of the UP Philippine General Hospital Office of the Deputy Director for Administration was recognized for his leadership as a physician, educator, and hospital administrator. He was cited for advancing transparent personnel policies, administrative reforms, employee welfare initiatives, and patient-centered governance that reinforced organizational stability and accountability within the hospital.

UP Manila student organizations also figured prominently among this year’s honorees of the Natatanging Organisasyong Pang Mag-aaral (Outstanding Student Organizations). The Hope Project received the Gawad Pangulo para sa Natatanging Organisasyong Pang-Mag-aaral for its sustained efforts to improve the lives of pediatric patients with chronic illnesses. Through hospital volunteerism, psychosocial support, charitable assistance, and the #InspireHope Movement, the organization has fostered active citizenship while creating lasting impact in the communities it serves.

Joining it among the awardees was the Phi Lambda Delta Sorority, recognized for cultivating physicians anchored on excellence, leadership, service, and sisterhood since its establishment in 1969. Through its socio-civic programs, particularly maternal and child health initiatives and the Milk Matters campaign promoting breastfeeding, the organization has advanced community health while nurturing academic excellence and leadership among medical students.

UP Manila’s alumni organizations likewise received the distinction of Natatanging Alumni (Outstanding Alumni) during the ceremony. The University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society in America (UPMASA) was recognized for its four decades of advancing medical education, research, and public service. Established in 1980, the non-profit network of UP College of Medicine alumni in America has consistently supported the College of Medicine through scholarships, research grants, medical missions, and community initiatives. In 2024 alone, UPMASA provided significant assistance for students, faculty, and institutional projects, reflecting its enduring commitment to strengthening medical education and healthcare through alumni engagement.

Also recognized under the Outstanding Alumni category was the PGH Care Society for Nurses, which addresses the mental health needs of healthcare workers through counseling, peer support, and psychosocial interventions grounded in empathy and shared experiences.

Completing UP Manila’s alumni awardees was the UP Manila College of Medicine Class of 1967, whose members have demonstrated sustained commitment to their alma mater through support for medical education, professorial chairs, institutional innovation, and socially responsive healthcare. Their lifelong dedication has strengthened academic excellence while promoting compassionate public service.

The Capacity Building, Development and Implementation of National Practice Guidelines for Evidence-Based, Informed Healthcare, led by the Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, received the inaugural Gawad Pangulo para sa Natatanging Serbisyo Publiko (Outstanding Public Service) for developing and updating evidence-based national medical practice guidelines that improve the quality and consistency of healthcare in the Philippines. Through partnerships with the Department of Health and the training of hundreds of healthcare professionals, the program has helped shape national health policies, insurance packages, and evidence-informed clinical decision-making that benefit healthcare providers, policymakers, and the Filipino public.

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