UP Centennial Theme: “Excellence, Service, and Leadership in the Next 100 Years”

UP Centennial Theme: “Excellence, Service, and Leadership in the Next 100 Years”

By: Jareliese Mauro

“Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan…”

To and fro, they raise their clenched fists and pound it in the air as they sing the last lines of “UP Naming Mahal” in the key of G major, with a tempo of 80 quarter notes in a minute. Capturing the “UP spirit” is the song–an amalgam from 7 renditions—which was first sung as “UP Beloved” back in 1917. The wind tickles their unwavering faces and sets in motion the grove of mahogany trees in close proximity. They look up to the symbolic icon which snags bits of color from the flouting sun: the UP Oblation. Seemingly lewd yet overwhelmingly emblematic in its meaning, a statue, whose model was Fernado Poe Sr., rooted in the middle of the school in Gordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City, imitates a man pushing himself towards the heavens with arms outstretched and heels almost elevated, mutely crying the veiled message: “Clothe me with knowledge!” Critics yell “scandalous” to the muscled figure clad only in a fig leaf but separating argument from innuendo, the UP Oblation, shrouded in mystery, is the expression of the State University’s alumni, forever dedicated in intellectual pursuits and in sacrificing oneself in the service of the country. The Oblation is also the foreground of the UP Centennial logo with a globe right behind the insignia (the map of the Philippines highlighted) embodying the University’s role in the world as the National University of the Republic of the Philippines.

Another image in this logo, behind the Oblation, is the Sablay, a sash proudly sported by UP students upon graduating. Denoting the academe’s pledge to remaining as the country’s “premier institution of higher learning” is the word “UP” inscribed in Alibata letters, etched across the sash in distinctive colors—forest green and maroon—the University’s official colors.

The UP Centennial Year, a yearlong celebration (from July 18, 2007 lasting through December 31, 2008), was declared by the chief of command herself, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, through Proclamation No. 913. As UP turns over a leaf…or a whole chapter of it, the entire community–both here in the Philippines and abroad–converge to commemorate its centennial year and to give the next century a warm welcome, considering it another opportunity for the school breed “scholars with academic credentials comparable to their counterparts in the best universities in the world.”

UP Manila, as an institution, is famous for excelling in the field of medicine, UP Los Baños for agriculture, and while other campuses are notable for their specialization, UP Cebu is reputed for developing a center of excellence in computer science and technology department, as awarded by CHED. UP Cebu Dean , Dr. Enrique Avila, explains that the school gears for the future by foster quality education. “Besides enhancing our computer science system, the administration would also like to improve the product design program for our Fine Arts students and better the communication design course of study for our Mass Communication learners to promote local heritage, culture and language. Cebu is considered as a business and industrial hub and UP is working on an MBA program as a response to this change. I’m also happy to say that one of our faculty members is working on including Arnis, an indigenous sport, in the P.E. syllabus,” Dr. Avila enthuses as he reports these changes.

While UP is known to have excellent general education programs and an environment of academic freedom with its independent and critical-minded students, President Emerlinda Roman of the entire UP system includes in her 10-point agenda a centennial project that puts UP Cebu in the spotlight. Through the concerted efforts of an appointed advisory council and the school’s administration, a 5-year developmental program was created which includes plans to further research and development projects, improve infrastructures and facilities, and modernize the library.

UP products may differ in profession or economic background but they are leaders and servers by a higher calling. What goes beyond furthering studies is excellence in a specialty making knowledge a tool for countrywide improvement through post graduate courses in Business Management and Education. UPVCC (College) has relentlessly developed leaders who make major and positive influence in the political arena (Political Science), performers from the Humanities Division who move the audience with the stroke of a pen or even with a work of art (Mass Communication and Fine Arts), movers and shakers of the country’s economy (Business Management) and innovators and brilliant thinkers from the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Division who fortify science and technology for the betterment of the nation (Biology, Math, Computer Science, and Psychology). 

Whether gospel truth or gobbledygook, reports on abolishing or downsizing UP Cebu High School program and its democratized access for the masses may have carried on but it is the determination of the iskolars ng bayan (mga isko at iska) to overcome obstacles, giving new meaning to the word “survivor.” UP high’s own theme “UP Tunob” for the centennial celebration reminds everyone that their quest to implement patriotic aspirations and take bold steps to toughen its rightful place as the leading ivory tower will still prevail.

Homecoming will be more than just former students and teachers exchanging Oprah-friendly clichés. Burning issues on excellence, service, and leadership will set off reverberations into the hearts of the true blue UPians as they continue to make a difference one step at a time. In this age where government scandals abound and inflation rate soars, where lives of the innocent are taken away without care and the deprived are barely living, there are unsung heroes who devote themselves to advance and unearth new-fangled areas of knowledge and serve Filipinos with efficient action plans.

In a smaller scale of things, the UP high school in Cebu had its own theme as well, Tunob, as conceptualized by the pioneering batch of 1975 indicating the notion of the alumni as those who have graduated or those who have “set foot” in the school even for just one school year. Its weeklong activity, from July 12 to 19, 2008, entailed career week conferences, sports tournaments, concert, CPRDC dancing inmates tour, fun shoot activity, and the much-awaited dinner at waterfront hotel. More prominently, the grand reunion was celebrated in the form of altruistic efforts from the alumni (The Nakatunobers) such as mangrove and tree planting, free medical and dental services, and other endeavors in the hopes of ‘giving back’ to the society its much needed help. Besides fellowship, another underlying goal for the UP Tunob grand reunion was to strengthen the alumni and consolidate its efforts to give all support the alma mater needs, a grateful move for UP high school for having produced such fine graduates through quality education. JPM

“Malayong lupain, amin mang marating,

‘Di rin magbabago ang damdamin…

‘Di rin magbabago ang damdamin.”

U.P. Naming Mahal

U.P. naming mahal
Pamantasang hirang
Ang tinig namin
Sana’y inyong dinggin

Malayong lupain
Amin mang marating
Di rin magbabago ang damdamin
Di rin magbabago ang damdamin

Luntian at pula
Sagisag magpakailanman
Ating ipagdiwang bulwagan ng dangal

Humayo’t itanghal, giting at tapang
Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan
Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan

PROGRAM of ACTIVITIES

TUNOB: UP Cebu High School Grand Reunion 2008

July 12-19, 2008

July 12 (Saturday)

Tunob Day

Registration, Motorcade, Opening

*Tunob*

Amazing Race and Other Games

Campus Tour and Other Activities

Fellowship Night

(with live band performances)

Venue: UP High School Grounds

July 14 (Monday)-July 17 (Thursday)

Career Week

July 14: “Healers and Caregivers”

July 15: “Leaders and Public Servants”

July 16: “Builders and Pioneers”

(Quiz Bowl in honor of Mr. Lutao)

July 17: “Artists and Entertainers”

July 18 (Friday)

UP High joins college-wide Homecoming

July 19 (Saturday)

GRAND ALUMNI DINNER

Venue: Waterfront Hotel, Lahug

For Inquiries on the UP High Grand Reunion, please contact Prof. May Christina G. Bugash (+639173205162,upnamingmahal@gmail.com) or visithttp://upnamingmahal.blogspot.com