UP is officially the national university of the Philippines.
On April 29, 2008, just in time for the UP Centennial, “The University of the Philippines Charter of 2008” was enacted after several years in the legislative mill. In ceremonies held at the UP Visayas Cebu College Library Conference Hall, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed into law Republic Act 9500, “An Act to Strengthen the University of the Philippines as the National University,” which served as the culmination of years of efforts toward a charter more capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century.
Since its establishment on June 18, 1908, the University of the Philippines (UP) has maintained its place as the country’s national and premier institution of higher learning. It has produced leaders in both government and industry, trailblazers in the arts and humanities, and innovators in science and engineering.
The celebration of the UP Centennial has officially begun on July 18, 2007 and will last through the December 31, 2008, with the whole of 2008 having been declared the UP Centennial Year by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo through Proclamation No. 913.
The University of the Philippines is moving into the future with goals that are ever more expansive. Excellence takes the form of not only developing but also discovering new areas of knowledge. Service goes beyond conducting research to include designing workable and effective action plans. And leadership demands transforming the nation through pioneering endeavors that serve as blueprints for national development.
Concretely, this kinetic dash into the next century involves rationalizing UP’s program offerings, strengthening its position as the leading research university, firming up its science and technology programs, and developing a community of scholars with academic credentials comparable to their counterparts in the best universities in the world. For UP, the next century has just begun.
