November 29, 2022 — At the commemoration of its twin milestones: the 40th UP Manila Day and 43rd year of its autonomy as the Health Sciences Center, UP Manila honored its nine Gawad Chancellor (GC) awardees, 92 service awardees, and 24 retirees, for their contributions and service to the university and country.

The GC awardees were composed of 8 individuals representing different sectors and one student organization who were given a cash gift and plaque of appreciation.

In her message to the awardees, UP Manila Chancellor Carmencita Padilla emphasized to the younger members of our community to cherish the colorful history of UP Manila, the Health Sciences Center, and continue its rich legacy. 

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Human rights champion Atty. Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, in his keynote speech, urged his listeners to fight disinformation by calling out government officials who condone, spread, and encourage it. Being the biggest source of divisiveness linked to corruption in the Philippines, he asked the audience to work with students, student organizations, teachers and school administrators to push back against disinformation and partner with fact checkers to come up with innovative ways to combat the issue. He also suggested creating our own Code of Practice on Disinformation with the help of the academe, civil society, online platforms and leading tech  companies and players in the advertising industry – developing our own unifying narrative based on our language and our history that honors life, dignity, and love of country. He also persuaded the audience to help in educating others spot disinformation through fact-checking before sharing online.

“If truth, as my father once said, is the power of the powerless, disinformation is the power of the powerful. Given the proliferation of disinformation, we need to push back, and we need to do it now,” Atty. Diokno asserted.

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In her response on behalf of the awardees, Dr. Marissa N. Valbuena, UP College of Medicine professor, stated that UP Manila granted her professional and personal fulfillment, monetary rewards, health care, her children’s education, and the satisfaction of teaching and training future doctors and ophthalmologists which one will seldom see in private practice. 
January R. Kanindot