The University of the Philippines (UP) Manila held a unified flag raising ceremony on October 7, 2024, 8:00 AM, at the Sports Science and Wellness Center (SSWC). Hosted by the 2024 UP Manila Foundation Celebration Committee, this flag raising ceremony is part of the commemoration of the 42nd UP Manila Day and the University’s 45th Anniversary as the country’s autonomous Health Sciences Center, themed “Pagdiriwang ng Kaalaman Tungo sa Pangkalahatang Kalusugan.”
UP Manila Chancellor Michael L. Tee, who delivered the keynote message, said that it has been a year since the Board of Regents and the UP Community believed in the IDEA that he presented when he offered his services as a chancellor. These are Innovations for life-long learning dedicated to service, Discovery and research, Environment that nurtures our mind and body, and finally, Accessible UP leadership.
Revolving around IDEA, the Chancellor highlighted the various achievements of the University during his first-year term.
Innovations in Teaching and Learning:
The triumphs include the approval of the implementation of the Masters in Nursing Education, Masters in Physical Therapy, Masters in Data Sciences in Health, and Master of Science in Health Informatics (Medical Informatics), the introduction of the Masters in Forensic Sciences in the UP Manila College of Arts and Sciences through the signing of an agreement with Monash University, and the widening of the encompassment of deserving students who will be able to enroll in the School of Health Sciences.
UP Manila’s partners, the Department of Health (DOH), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Field Health are working hard with the University on how they can study to meet the Philippines’ needs for Health Financing, Data Management, and EMR, and to develop new ways to analyze data for Health Informatics and AI. New linkages also include the establishment of various partnerships with state universities and colleges (SUCs), as well as with private entities such as the Ayala Corporation and the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
Discovery and Research:
Achievements in discovery and research include the immense discoveries made in herbal medicine, led by the Institute of Herbal Medicine under Dr. Cecilia Nelia Maramba-Lazarte, and the efforts of Dr. S.E. Estrella. These include plants such as sambong, lagundi, ampalaya, and even akapulco. Commendable also is the steady and reliable assistance of the Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (TTBDO) but also to send to the market the fruits of our research.
“What we are doing to support the people of the country is to be used by the people of the country. That is what we are doing in Discovery and Research,” said Chancellor Tee.
He lauded the programs of the Vice Chancellor for Research, Prof. Leslie M. Dalmacio, through the programs in the Project Leadership Seminar, in the Research Integrity Caravan, which aims not only for the participants to be safe, but also to be trusted by all the research outputs of UP Manila.
Environment that Nurtures the Mind and Body
Besides Project Leadership, the administration was able to open more than 30 new items, including those which have been “sleeping” in the past 5 to 10 years. Dr. Tee expressed his thanks to Dr. Johanna Patricia D. Adevoso-Canal, the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, to Dr. Bernadette Heizel D. Manapat-Reyes, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, to the UP Manila Human Resource Development Office, and to the UP Manila Internal Audit Office headed by Atty. Raquel Asor.
Through the efforts of Dr. Jose V. Tecson III, Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development, there is no longer any need to buy water, as drinking fountains/stations have been installed in the College of Arts and Sciences, and will soon be placed in various areas around the University. This has also been made possible through the generosity of Maynilad and the Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity.
Dr. Tee also touted the present and upcoming increase in stipends, the installment of a new elevator and airconditioning units in the SSWC.
Putting emphasis on the importance of mental health, the Chancellor announced the increase of mental health counselors and mental health programs through the Healthy University Office.
Accessible Leadership
UP Manila assists higher educational institutions in their journey towards becoming (SUCs) through the College of Medicine and College of Nursing. The University also assists the Private Sector Advisory Council of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., wherein UP Manila is helping to address the lack of health workers in the fields of physical therapy, optometry, lab technology, and medtech.
To fight HIV, UP Manila crafted the National Guideline for the Higher Educational Institutes to Respond to the Growing Epidemic on HIV. In addition, the College of Public Health has produced booklets and initiatives to educate Filipino citizens. Dr. Tee hopes that in the next generation, the University will be able to create better policies and programs that will lead to a healthier youth for our country.
“I did not do [all of these] alone,” Dr. Tee stressed. “I asked around on what we need as a solution. And with your solutions, this is what we are doing and I hope that in the next two years you will help me to make this more important.”
