Text by Cherry Madrideo
Photos by Sarah Hazel Moces Pulumbarit

The University of the Philippines (UP) Manila and the University of Northern Philippines (UNP) initiated a formal academic collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 16, 2025, at the UP Manila Board Room.

UP Manila Chancellor Michael Tee welcomed the UNP officials and acknowledged UNP’s importance to Health Sciences as it significantly produced a high number of nursing graduates and nursing licensure passers. UNP officials, President Erwin Cadorna and UNP College of Medicine Dean Pablo Quedado, declared their appreciation for this historic partnership with UP Manila. They are hopeful that with UP Manila’s counsel, UNP would be guided with the creation of its new programs.

The MOU is directed at the development of the public health programs at UNP through faculty and program support and capacity-building strategies from UP Manila. Dean Quedado expressed UNP’s strong interest in launching a Master’s in Public Health program in the northernmost region through UNP. The program would preliminarily start under UNP’s College of Medicine and potentially evolve into a separate college. UP Manila’s officials—Vice Chancellor (VC) for Academic Affairs Bernadette Heizel Reyes, College of Public Health (CPH) Dean Fernando Garcia, and CPH Asst. Prof. Buenalyn Teresita Ramos-Mortel—offered their insights and provided their recommendations to President Cadorna and Dean Quedado. Chancellor Tee affirmed UP Manila’s commitment to support the initiative through faculty training and benchmarking activities. 

The MOU signing was facilitated and organized by the UP Manila Office of International and Local Linkages. CPH Linkages Coordinator, Asst. Prof. Geraldine Dayrit, served as the meeting facilitator.

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