The University of the Philippines: A Century of Academic Excellence and National Service (1908-Present)

The University of the Philippines: A Century of Academic Excellence and National Service (1908-Present)

Establishment and Early Years (1908-1941)

On June 18, 1908, the University of the Philippines (UP) was formally established through Act No. 1870 of the Philippine Assembly, marking a pivotal moment in the history of higher education in the Philippines. This legislative act authorized the Governor-General to establish the university in Manila "or at any point he may deem most convenient," with the mandate to provide "advanced instruction in literature, philosophy, the sciences and arts, and to give professional and technical training" to all qualified students regardless of "age, sex, nationality, religious belief and political affiliation" . The creation of UP was the culmination of efforts by the American colonial government to establish a complete system of education in the Philippines, as recommended by Secretary of Public Instruction W. Morgan Shuster to the Philippine Commission .

The university began operations with three initial colleges: the College of Fine Arts, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Medicine and Surgery (which had actually been established earlier in 1905 as the Philippine Medical School). These were all located along Padre Faura and R. Hidalgo streets in Manila. Simultaneously, the School of Agriculture was established in Los Baños, Laguna, reflecting the agricultural nature of the Philippine economy at the time . Judge Newton W. Gilbert served as the university's first president, overseeing these fledgling academic units .

In its first year, UP had only 67 students, but enrollment grew steadily, reaching 7,849 by 1928 . This rapid growth necessitated expansion, and in the following years, UP added several important colleges: the College of Veterinary Medicine (1910), College of Engineering (1910), College of Law (1910), and the Conservatory of Music under President Ignacio Villamor, who became the first Filipino to lead the university in 1915 . Villamor's administration also saw the establishment of the University High School and the College of Education, demonstrating UP's commitment to developing a comprehensive educational system .

The 1930s were a period of both growth and challenge for UP. In 1935, the iconic Oblation statue, created by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino and inspired by Jose Rizal's "Mi Ultimo Adios," was installed at the Manila campus, becoming an enduring symbol of the university's ideals . However, the limited space in Manila was becoming increasingly problematic. Recognizing this constraint, the UP Board of Regents in 1939 acquired a 493-hectare tract of land in Diliman, then part of Quezon City, for a new campus. Construction began immediately but would be interrupted by the outbreak of World War II .

World War II and Post-War Reconstruction (1942-1949)

The Japanese invasion in 1941 and subsequent occupation of the Philippines had devastating effects on UP. Most colleges were forced to close, with only the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Engineering maintaining limited operations . The Japanese Imperial Army occupied key buildings in both Manila and the partially constructed Diliman campus, using them as military barracks . The College of Agriculture in Los Baños was similarly occupied, severely disrupting academic activities .

After liberation in 1945, UP faced the enormous task of reconstruction. President Bienvenido Ma. Gonzalez successfully secured a ₱13 million grant from the US-Philippines War Damage Commission to rebuild damaged facilities and construct new ones . This funding allowed the university to accelerate development of the Diliman campus, which had been planned before the war. A comprehensive master plan was created in 1949, guiding the construction of essential buildings like the University Library (Gonzalez Hall), the College of Engineering (Melchor Hall), and the Administration Building (Quezon Hall) .

The formal transfer of UP's main operations from Manila to Diliman occurred on February 12, 1949, a date now considered the founding of UP Diliman. This momentous event was marked by a symbolic motorcade carrying the Oblation statue from Padre Faura to its new home in front of Quezon Hall . The transfer consolidated UP's administrative functions in Diliman while maintaining regional units in Manila, Los Baños, Baguio and Cebu . The 1949 commencement exercises held at the Sunken Garden were the first to take place in the new campus, cementing Diliman's status as UP's flagship location .

Growth and Transformation (1950s-1960s)

The 1950s and 1960s were decades of remarkable expansion and academic innovation for UP. Under President Vicente Sinco, the university introduced the groundbreaking General Education (GE) Program in 1958, a series of core courses required for all undergraduates that aimed to provide broad intellectual foundations before specialization . This led to the reorganization of the College of Liberal Arts into the University College (for GE courses) and the College of Arts and Sciences (for major courses) .

During this period, UP established numerous institutes that would become centers of excellence: the Institute of Public Administration (1952, now National College of Public Administration and Governance), the Statistical Center (1953, now School of Statistics), the Asian Studies Institute (1955, now Asian Center), and the Institute of Library Science (1961, now School of Library and Information Studies) . The physical campus also grew with iconic structures like the Main Library (completed 1950), Quezon Hall (1951), the Carillon Tower (1952), and the architecturally significant Parish of the Holy Sacrifice (1955) .

President Carlos P. Romulo's administration (1962-1968) further enhanced UP's research capabilities with the creation of the Population Institute (1964), Law Center (1964), Institute of Mass Communication (1965), College of Business Administration (1965), and Computer Center (1966) . These developments transformed UP from primarily a teaching institution into a major research university and policy think tank, with faculty increasingly serving as government advisers .

The Marcos Era and Activism (1970s-1980s)

The 1970s were perhaps the most turbulent decade in UP's history, as the university became the epicenter of student activism against the Marcos regime. The "First Quarter Storm" of 1970 saw massive protests against government policies, followed by the dramatic "Diliman Commune" in February 1971 when students barricaded the campus in response to oil price hikes and military presence . For nine days, UP declared itself a "liberated zone," with students controlling campus radio station DZUP and publishing their own newspaper, Bandilang Pula ("Red Flag") .

Despite these challenges, UP continued to grow under President Salvador P. Lopez, who implemented a system of democratic consultation in university governance and reorganized UP into a system of autonomous units . The 1970s saw the establishment of UP Los Baños (1973), UP Manila (1977), and UP Visayas (1979) as autonomous universities within the system . A ₱150 million infrastructure grant facilitated construction of key facilities like the Asian Institute of Tourism, Third World Studies Center (1977), and National Engineering Center (1978) .

The 1980s brought further decentralization, with UP Diliman being declared an autonomous unit in 1983 (formalized in 1985) . President Edgardo Angara's Diamond Jubilee Project raised over ₱80 million for faculty development, while academic reorganization split the College of Arts and Sciences into three distinct colleges: Science, Arts and Letters, and Social Sciences & Philosophy .

Modernization and Global Recognition (1990s-Present)

The post-Marcos era saw UP adapting to globalization and technological change. The 1990s witnessed the creation of the Sentro ng Wikang Filipino (1990) to promote Filipino language intellectualization, the University Center for Women's Studies (1990), and two new constituent universities: UP Open University (1995) and UP Mindanao (1995) . The decade also saw the establishment of the Materials Science and Engineering Center (1995) and National Graduate School of Engineering (1997), reflecting UP's growing emphasis on science and technology .

The new millennium brought significant changes, including the Revitalized General Education Program (2001) emphasizing interdisciplinary learning . UP's centennial in 2008 was marked by the passage of Republic Act No. 9500, the new UP Charter that formally declared UP as the "national university" and strengthened its institutional autonomy . Subsequent years saw UP Baguio (2002) and UP Cebu (2016) elevated to constituent university status, completing the current system of eight constituent universities.

Today, UP stands as the Philippines' premier academic institution, consistently ranked as the country's top university and among Asia's best . Its alumni include 7 Philippine presidents, 15 Supreme Court chief justices, 39 National Scientists, and 40 National Artists - the most of any Philippine university . With over 64,000 students across 17 campuses, UP continues to fulfill its mission of "Honor, Excellence, and Service" while facing new challenges in the 21st century .

Share this

myearthisone