UP Visayas Cebu College - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) today signed into law Republic Act 9500, entitled “An Act to Strengthen the University of the Philippines as the National University”, also known as the New UP Charter of 2008.

The event marked triumph for UP’s 16-year struggle to have Act 1870 (or the University Charter of 1908) revised in consideration of its being outdated and obsolete in light of today’s developments in the University System.

RA 9500 honors UP with the title “National University”, setting it as, in PGMA’s own words - the Primus Inter Pares among Philippine State Universities. It effectively recognizes UP as a University System, while also democratizing its highest governing body - the Board of Regents (BOR) - by the inclusion of an Administrative Staff Regent among its members.

Furthermore, the New UP Charter effectively exempts UP’s Professors and Staff from the Salary Standardization Law, which will allow the BOR to craft more competitive compensation plans for UP’s underpaid, overworked, but highly dedicated and motivated faculty and personnel. This provision is only one of several new features in the updated law, that seeks to restore the University to its premier place among Asia’s - and even the World’s best academic institutions.

PHOTO CAPTION: Former UP Manila USC Chair Albert Francis E. Domingo ‘04, Senator Francis N. Pangilinan ‘81, and incumbent UP Diliman Centennial USC Chair Herminio C. Bagro III ‘02 at the Signing Ceremonies in UP Visayas Cebu College. They all played significant roles in the passage of RA 9500 - Senator Pangilinan ‘81 was the then Senate Bill’s primary sponsor and advocate, while Domingo ‘04 and Bagro ‘02 consulted student groups in their own campuses and attended Congressional hearings on the matter.

The results of the 2007 Bar Examinations came out last weekend. Congratulations to our new lawyer brods: Alfred “Pet” T. Pagayatan ‘95, Jeffrey Jefferson “Jepri” Y. Coronel ‘01, Avelino “Ave” D. Tolentino III ‘01, Juan Paolo “JP” E. Colet ‘04 and Vibenditho “Viben” J. Piñga ‘04!

Election results are out in Diliman. Herminio “Third” Bagro III ‘02 is the incoming Chairperson of the University Student Council (USC) for UP Centennial Year 2008-2009! This is the fourth time in five years that the frat has produced a USC Chairperson after Chrysanthus “Bojit” Herrera ‘06 and Albert Francis E. Domingo ‘04 in Manila in 2007 and 2005 respectively, and Michel Kristian “Kris” Ablan ‘00 in Diliman in 2004.

Victor Lorenzo “Bikoy” Villanueva ‘07 also finished as the No. 1 USC Councilor! This is the fourth time this decade that the frat has produced a No. 1 USC Councilor after Vincent Patrick “VP” Palafox ‘00 in 2000, Paolo Luis M. Gomez ‘03 in 2004 and Bagro in 2007. To add to the good news, Lester C. Yupingkun ‘07 won as Human Kinetics College Representative to the USC.

In UP Manila, Tristan Jegar P. Catindig ‘06 was elected USC Councilor.

Winning as councilors in their respective college student councils in Diliman were Ramon Miguel “Miggy” Abeleda ‘05 (Engineering), and Mario C. Cerilles, Jr. ‘07 (Social Sciences and Philosophy).

Our heartfelt gratitude to all those who supported us! We will forever be grateful!

Batch ‘68 and ‘78 are sponsoring a kick-off reunion entitled “Samba Nights: Saan Ka Ba Nuong ‘68/’78?” to be held on Saturday, February 23, 2008 at the Bykes Cafe, 2241 La Fuerza Bldg., Pasong Tamo cor. Sabio St., Makati City (b/w Don Bosco and EDSA, and besides Mazda). All brods are invited!

The Parole and Probation Administration (PPA) awarded and recognized Robert August C. Camarillo ‘98 last January 16, 2008 for being among the pioneers who jump-started a volunteer outreach program called the Volunteer Probation Aide that services the reintegration back to society at large of parolees and probationers nationwide.  From a limited number in the lower hundreds in 2004, the volunteers now number more than six thousand nationwide with a network all the way to the basic LGU level. Camarillo was trained on the matter in Japan under a grant from JICA through UNAFEI. He finished Behavioral Studies from UP in 2003 and worked with PPA thereafter. Though he is now with the private sector, he still supports the program as a volunteer lecturer to the ever increasing number of volunteers. Congratulations brod!

Edgar Credo Gumabon ‘58 last month received a privileged award from UNICEF Sweden. He, together with Helene Wikfalk, received the annual Years Volunteer award for their dedicated work in successfully building up one of Sweden’s most active and dedicated UNICEF-groups. Awarded in accordance with International Volunteers Day, UNICEF-Sweden’s Years Volunteer award is an annual recognition given to a group or individuals who have imparted an important contribution for UNICEF in Sweden. Congratulations brod! [Photo to the left shows Gumabon with Khalid Cruz ‘99 during the awarding]

The Commission on Appointments (CA) last month confirmed the appointment of two Upsilonians as ambassadors to Egypt and Jordan. Oscar G. Valenzuela ‘64 is now the Philippine Ambassador to Egypt, while Julius D. Torres ‘72 now heads the Philippine Embassy in Jordan. Congratulations brods! Click here for the news article regarding the CA appointments.

This article about Bintao, the upcoming musical on the life and death of Wenceslao Q. Vinzons ‘30, was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on 01/16/2008


The short, short life of Bintao Vinzons
MANILA, Philippines – The cultural scene of Baguio City perks up on the first month of the year with the premiere of the three-act musical “Bintao” based on the life and death of Wenceslao Q. Vinzons on the 26th.

Vinzons is the man after whom Vinzons Hall, the student center at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and a town in Camarines Norte, formerly Indan, are named.

Playwright Efren M. Yambot, a retired insurance executive and who, like Vinzons, is a member of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity, started researching the patriot’s life three years ago and found a paucity of materials. He stumbled on a master’s thesis on Vinzons written by a Far Eastern University student and took it from there.

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The University of the Philippines, on 8 January 2008, opened festivities marking its centennial. The day started with a huge motorcade from UP Manila in Padre Faura where the university was first established in 1908. The Manila convoy was joined by other motorcades originating from UP Baguio, UP Pampanga and UP Los Baños and converged with the UP Diliman contingent, entering the Diliman campus in a grand parade. UP Alumni Association President Ponciano E. Rivera Jr. ‘61 was among those who welcomed the delegations at Quezon Hall.

The Upsilon Sigma Phi joined the parade as part of the UP Diliman contingent, the only frat that marched to the Oblation. Being the oldest Greek-letter fraternity in the country and in Asia, we made sure to be part of this historic event!

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UP president Dr. Emerlinda Roman named the twelve UP Centennial Fellows who will deliver the “Self-Reflection Lectures: The View from Inside,” one of the four planned lecture series for the UP Centennial. Among them is University Professor Emeritus, Dr. Gemino H. Abad ‘55.

Dr. Abad is a multi-awarded poet and critic. He teaches English, comparative literature and creative writing at UP Diliman. He has served as secretary of the University and the Board of Regents (1977-1982), vice president for academic affairs (1987-1990), and director of the UP Institute of Creative Writing (formerly the UP Creative Writing Center) (1995-1998). He is a founding member of the Philippine Literary Arts Council, which puts out the Caracoa (the only poetry journal in English in Asia); and currently sits on the board of advisers of the UP Institute of Creative Writing and at the editorial board of the UP Press. He has received numerous literary awards, including the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas for lifetime achievement in poetry and literary criticism in 1996 and the UP Alumni Association Professional Award in Literature in 1997. He continues to teach as university professor emeritus at the College of Arts and Letters, and sit on several UP System committees.

Antonio M. Cailao ‘66 is newly appointed president and chief executive of state-owned Philippine National Oil Company. Cailao, who took his oath of office on September 1, is a veteran international banker from Citigroup. He has been given the task of overseeing the smooth privatization of two of the company’s subsidiaries, PNOC-Energy Development Corp. and PNOC-Exploration Corp.

Saeed “Apin” Daof ‘52 is now the chairman of Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA). Daof will bring significant contribution to the development of Southern Philippines particularly in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure, education, power, utilities, manufacturing and exploration of natural resources. Congratulations brods!