UP President Alfredo Pascual;
Honorable members of the Board of Regents;
UP System officers, including the University and BOR Secretary;
UP Manila Chancellor Ramon L. Arcadio, the vice chancellors and members of the Chancellors Advisory Committee;
Distinguished guests;
Mga kapwa faculty at researchers;
Mga mag-aaral;
Mga research personnel and staff;
Mga kawani ng UP Manila;
Mga kababayan at kaibigan;
I am deeply honored and humbled by my appointment by the Board of Regents on recommendation of the President of the University of the Philippines as the 8th chancellor, University of the Philippines Manila.
Nationally relevant and globally competitive, this is our team’s main thrust.
UP Manila is the oldest of the 7 autonomous constituent universities found in 12 campuses throughout the Philippine arhipelago.
UP Manila remains proud of its century-old tradition of honor and excellence.
UP Manila recognizes the achievements of its 9 academic colleges and units as well as its service institutions, notably the Philippine General Hospital, the National Institutes of Health, the National Teachers Training Center for the Health Professions, Center for community medicine and the pioneering National Telehealth Center and Medical Informatics Unit.
In terms of passing rates and topnotchers in board and certifying examinations, UP Manila ranks among the best in the country.
UP Manila is distinguished by its pioneering and innovative academic programs, relevant researches responsive to the country’s major health problems, and significant community services that benefit marginalized sectors of our society. Indeed, the health center of last resort for them (aptly beside the court of last resort).
Today, we are faced by the challenges in a global community. Our country has great problems that can only be solved by a united and concerted effort that will address them.
The university led by our new president Alfredo E. Pascual has come up with a vision for UP: One University, One UP.
We envision a great university leading in the development of a globally competitive community by bolstering academic excellence and operational excellence.
The University of the Philippines ranks 62nd in Asia and 332 in the world… But we all know that we can be better and are, indeed, at par with great universities.
After all, we have produced numerous alumni who are dominant in their respective fields not only here in the Philippines but also in the international scene.
That is why we must continue UP Manila’s legacy of great minds and heartfelt clinical service, a unique niche of UP Manila.
I call on all of us to surpass ourselves.
We are already on the doorstep of joining the march of nations, especially the world’s leading universities.
The achievements of Chancellor Arcadio and his team have helped put UP Manila on a secure path.
The School of Health Sciences---one of Chancellor Arcadio’s flagship programs that brings health service to underserved communities.
The Faculty Medical Arts Building--- the newest PGH facility with state-of-the-art equipment that gives continuous unparalleled service to Filipinos by expert research and evidence-based faculty practitioners who have produced the best doctors in the country. These are just few of the accomplishments of Chancellor Arcadio.
We shall strengthen and expand what past administrations have done.
Most importantly, the vision and mission of our UP Manila team is to go beyond the status quo of being the best teaching and research university.
Let us surpass ourselves and be an entrepreneurial national university.
To be an entrepreneur is to develop cutting edge, out-of- the box ideas and programs.
To be an entrepreneur is to take risks and defy limitations.
To be an entrepreneur is to transform and revolutionize what is here today and be excited with what tomorrow brings.
All of these make an entrepreneur. But what makes UP Manila above the rest is that constant goal to be of service to our countrymen and the world.
How do we become entrepreneurs? We have to be nationally relevant as we are also globally competitive.
As of August 31st, we are a formidable 11, 390-strong student, faculty, and staff in UP Manila. We must all collaborate to reinvent UP Manila.
It is a known fact that UP will continue to lack government subsidy despite our transformation into the national university in 2008.
We cannot and must not rely only on what the government gives.
We must be responsible for our own growth and advancement.
Let’s make use of imaginative applied research and innovative patents that will help bolster capabilities of UP Manila and encourage industry partners to invest in us.
We will do a systems audit of programs, personnel and physical plant. From this review will come corrective measures to improve output and ensure cost efficiency.
We foresee a computerized UP Manila with an improved information and computer technology following the system-wide initiative.
With infrastructure in place, we can provide quick, efficient, better service to our clientele, patients, and academic community.
This will also provide the much needed databases to our researchers and students, let alone global communication to world centers of excellence.
Together with computer infrastructure, we shall not forget to provide our students and employees with decent support services and living quarters.
We must develop and harness available idle UP Manila real estate properties in Baguio, Tacloban, and Koronadal, just to name a few. These properties can increase cash flow for better research and service.
Significantly, UP Manila’s prized properties are, indeed, its gifted students, expert faculty, and hard-working employees.
Our future graduates must come out with adequate, appropriate tools that will prepare them for their careers and life in a highly competitive world.
Hence, improved student curricula and graduate programs will serve the needs of industry partners and increase student and alumni employment opportunities.
Faculty and employee benefits and innovative compensation packages shall make for happier and more productive employees.
An important asset in our march to modernity is our research capability reposed in our outstanding scientists, faculty and university researchers.
Our modern and continually updated research capabilities must provide world-class output keeping close collaboration with top-rate universities and research centers abroad, not mentioning our Balik- scientists.
We shall pursue plans to come up with health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that will provide our employees and students an affordable and available health plan. Such HMO may even be marketed to the UP System and the public-at-large.
Additionally, we shall have innovative, developmental, educational programs, and scholarships making use of return service agreements, among other programs.
Harnessing unique UPM health science much vaunted expertise and sustainable researches both basic and applied will result in increased international publications as well as utility to our partner industries, Let alone improved international ranking that prospective international students and faculty look for.
All on top of better service to our underprivileged patients.
Public and private partnership will produce an entrepreneurial university that must be taken seriously as seen in Europe and North America.
We shall strengthen our alumni initiatives … encourage the culture of giving back to our alma mater and the future generations… Even as we rekindle our commitment to our alumni.
We will show our alumni and industry partners that UP Manila is worth investing in.
We shall convince the private sector and industry partners that our health science expertise and manpower are world-class, indeed. We must establish a track record not only in research but also globally competitive health services and education.
We plan to establish unique unrestricted endowment funds from successful alumni and private sectors as in the pharmaceutical and banking industries.
To be an entrepreneurial university, we must start early and prepare our bright and promising graduates, employees, and staff to a lifelong fulfilling career.
Join UP Manila in its determined bid to push the country into the 21st century.
My team and I will lead a democratic, participative, and transparent governance.
We are open to listen to your ideas.
Instead of going abroad, we must figure out ways to bring in investors to keep our brightest and best graduates in the country and remain with their families.
UP Manila, the health sciences center, must lead in developing globally competitive health process services that will attract foreign patients and investors.
Finally, nationally relevant and globally competitive up manila will only happen if we put our hearts and minds together. Our vision must be bright and clear.
Our leadership must keep an even keel so that our community will respond correctly.
Our transparent governance will inspire our students, faculty and staff to give of their best.
Our plans will rally the UP Manila campus to a bright green future harnessing our man-made and natural resources while preserving the environment for future generations.
Our ideas will sprout and grow as our country tries to catch up with the rest of the 21st century world.
With divine guidance, may God bless our only country and our one UP.
Salamat po. Mabuhay tayong lahat!
