Text by Jennifer Manongdo

Photo by Erlyn Pareja

The event was a venue for the hopefuls to present their programs to the UP Community.

Hopefuls for the next University of the Philippines (UP) Faculty Regent unveiled their vision and leadership plans in a hybrid forum on Nov. 18, 2024, via Zoom and at the College of Nursing Auditorium at the University of the Philippines Manila.

A former chancellor and former vice chancellor from UP Visayas, two professors, and a leader of the All UP Academic Employees Union showcased their vision and programs as they competed for the position of Faculty Regent of the UP System.

UP Manila Chancellor Michael Tee assured the candidates of UP Manila’s commitment to supporting faculty development following the AGILE strategy, Academic- Government-Industry Leadership Engagement. This framework promotes innovations in teaching and learning, discovery, and research through strategic and multidisciplinary partnerships.

“We recognize that the faculty merit promotion does not just look at teaching and research. While it is 40% teaching, and 30% research, there is always that 15% of personal growth. UP Manila takes pride in allowing or supporting our faculty with the necessary logistics for them to be able to do that personal development,” he said.

He appealed to the incoming Faculty Regent to help push for the promotion of deserving faculty members “as a way to retain the best and the brightest” professors in UP Manila.

The Candidates

The proposed plans of each candidate are as follows:

Ricardo Babaran is a former chancellor of the University of the Philippines Visayas from Nov. 2017 to Oct. 2020. Before this, he was vice chancellor for Research and Extension at the same university. If elected Faculty Regent, he plans to conduct the following activities:  

• A faculty needs assessment and an assessment of issues affecting faculty welfare
• A study on the effectiveness of the faculty promotion instrument 
• Diversification of the activities of the faculty
• Pursuit of tangible outcomes for greater societal impact through inter-research group collaborations
• Promotion of integrative programs as a strategy for inter-university partnerships 
• Exploration of possible two-way collaborations between UP and its national partners
• Support for national partnerships through UP’s international linkages.

Early Sol Gadong is presently the director-at-large of the All UP Academic Employees Union National Executive Board (2020-2024). Gadong was named one of the Ten Outstanding Women of Iloilo City for 2024. If elected Faculty Regent, she plans to conduct the following activities:  

• Expansion of eHOPE provisions to include additional annual physical exam coverage, counseling, and purchase of maintenance medicines.
• Push for sustainable transportation options for faculty members and support the fight for a higher UP budget
• Unite the faculty to push the Board for more plantilla items, livable wages, and responsive benefits, and a review and expansion of housing benefits. 
• On improving mental health, she plans to include provisions for an inclusive bereavement leave (e.g., for LGBTQ+ partnerships)
• Include psychotherapy services in eHope.

Patricia Anne Nazareno is an Associate Professor 6 at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science, College of Science at UP Cebu. Currently, she is also UP Cebu’s Quality Assurance Officer. If elected Faculty Regent, she plans to conduct the following activities:  

• Advocate for an increase in the number of faculty items, particularly at smaller constituent universities 
• Establish or strengthen a mentorship program that supports junior faculty members in teaching, research and publication, and service to the university 
• Engage retired UP professors, particularly those who have not applied for emeritus status 
• Support non-tenured faculty, particularly those having Ph.D. degrees
• Enhance the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod by tapping research funds to empower marginalized sectors and strengthen UP’s outreach impact and service to these communities
• Hold annual meetings with the faculty of Constituent Universities to discuss issues and gather feedback
• Advocate for professional development opportunities in quality assurance 
• Establish a Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Fund for faculty members affected by disasters.

Philip Ian Prieto Padilla is a former vice chancellor for Academic Affairs of UP Visayas and currently holds the position of assistant to the executive director for Core Facilities and Extension Services of the Philippine Genome Center under the Division of Biological Sciences of UP Visayas. If elected Faculty Regent, he plans to conduct the following activities:  

• Enable Quality Assurance culture in UP’s curricular programs
• Increase academic and research partnerships internally within and across Constituent Universities for public service (aimed at developing competencies and potential of faculty and aligned with their interests or specialization) 
• Harmonize faculty human resource development, including career and leadership training, succession planning, equitable faculty promotions, promoting health and well-being, and increased lifelong learning opportunities (financial literacy, HMOs) 
• Continue the building of the UP basic education units as incubators for new innovations in teacher education 
• Integrate new technologies in higher education with incorporation of multidisciplinary collaboration and experiential learning
• Increase support for laboratory upgrades of STEM laboratories across the system
• Strengthen academic support for creative technologies such as generative and digital arts, digital performance art, biotechnology and BioArt.

Encarnacion Emilia Yap is a former vice chancellor for Research and Extension of UP Visayas, from January 2024 to October 2024. Previously, she served as dean of UP Visayas College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences from November 2017 to December 2023. If elected Faculty Regent, she plans to conduct the following activities:    

• Launch programs to strengthen the culture of academic excellence, such as regular reviews of all existing academic programs and benchmarking of the different academic programs with other institutions in the neighboring countries 
• Enhance programs for research and innovation for development, public service, and policy formulation
• Conduct relevant and responsive research activities for the generation of new knowledge, creativity, innovations, public service, and policy recommendations 
• Advance initiatives for enhanced communication to achieve coordination and transparency in upholding the true voice of the academic personnel in the UP Board of Regents 
• Develop focused programs for the protection of academic freedom, human rights and dignity, physical and mental health, and well-being of the academic personnel.