Text by Charmaine A. Lingdas
Photos by Sarah Hazel Moces S. Pulumbarit
The University of the Philippines Manila marked the start of October by highlighting the university’s research achievements and honoring teachers and mentors.
Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Johanna Patricia Cañal opened the program, which coincided with the 60th year of International Teachers’ Day. She emphasized that the celebration is not reserved only for faculty members but for everyone who has served as a mentor.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Michael L. Tee also pointed to the continuing need for more teachers at UP Manila. He said the university had written to the Department of Budget and Management to request additional items for teachers and representatives.
Chancellor Tee welcomed the good news as UP Manila maintained its good academic performance in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia, based on the 2026–2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings. In the tally, UP Manila ranked first among Philippine universities and eighth in ASEAN for the 4th consecutive year.
“Tayo ang number one university in the whole Philippines. We are number 8 in ASEAN,” he said.
The university’s research performance was underscored by its improved standing in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities rankings, UP Manila moved from #479 in the 2024–2025 edition to #447 in the 2026–2027 rankings, a gain of 32 places globally. Its ranking in Asia likewise improved from #114 to #112, while its Clinical Medicine ranking rose from #202 to #181. The university’s global score increased from 54.8 to 50.8. UP Manila retained its #1 ranking in normalized citation impact and #1 in the percentage of highly cited papers among the top 1% most cited, underscoring the continued strength of its research performance and citation impact.
UP Manila also emerged as the only Philippine university in the Best Global Universities Top 500 and the only Philippine university among the 10 Southeast Asian universities included in the Best Global Universities in Asia Top 500. Other notable indicators include #208 in regional research reputation, #148 in the percentage of total publications among the 10% most cited, and #131 in international collaboration. In Clinical Medicine, UP Manila ranked #69 in regional research reputation, #18 in the percentage of publications among the 10% most cited, #43 in international collaboration, and #25 in the percentage of highly cited papers among the top 1% most cited.
He also emphasized the role of research and international research output in the university’s standing.
“Tinitingnan tayo base sa research. Tinitingnan tayo sa output natin internationally, including research,” Chancellor Tee said, referring to research indicators such as Web of Science.
He credited the university’s research community and the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension for the gains in research performance, noting that UP Manila had reached the top position in the country multiple times.
Rather than resting on these achievements, the chancellor challenged the university community to set a higher target.
“Let us envision ourselves to be at least nasa top five within the next two years,” he said. “And I rely on all of you, lalo na sa ating mga REPS, sa ating mga project staff, project leaders, para dagdagan pa lalo ang ating mga research output.”
He called on representatives, project staff, and project leaders to further strengthen UP Manila’s research output and work toward a unified research agenda for the university.
As UP Manila begins another Foundation Month, the celebration underscored two continuing priorities for the university community: recognizing those who educate and mentor its people, and strengthening the research that advances its role as the country’s leading health sciences university. Incidentally, October also marks the occasion when UP Manila officially became known by its present name in 1983.
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