Board of Regents appoints Deans of UP Baguio
From Left to right: Left, Dr. Jimmy B. Fong, Dean of College of Arts and Communication, Center, Dr. Dymphna N. Javier, Dean of College of Science, Dr. Leah E. Abayao, Dean of College of Social Sciences
In its 1362nd Meeting held on 29 July 2021, the Board of Regents approved the re-appointments
of Dr. Jimmy B. Fong as Dean of the College of Arts and Communication and Dr. Dymphna N. Javier as Dean of College of Science. Dr. Leah E. Abayao’s new appointment as Dean of College of Social Sciences was also approved. The Deans will be serving a three-year term that commenced last August 1, 2021 and will end on July 31, 2023.
Chancellor awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award
Chancellor Corazon L. Abansi was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award for Educational Management and Leadership in the 10th UP Los Baños Loyalty Day. Chancellor Abansi joins the roster of UP Los Baños alumni who are taking the lead in higher education.
Australian Embassy First Secretary visits UP Baguio
From Left to Right: Left, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Rosemary M. Gutierrez, Middle, Australian Embassy First Secretary-Economic, Ms. Jenni McEwin, Right, Chancellor Corazon L. Abansi. Photo by Jennifer Guimpol.
The First Secretary – Economic of the Australian Embassy in the Philippines Jenni McEwin met with Chancellor Corazon L. Abansi and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Rosemary M. Gutierrez on September 24, 2021 at the Chancellor’s Board Room.
Interested in learning how UP Baguio operates amidst the COVID- 19 Pandemic, McEwin asked about UP Baguio’s experience as a delivery institution for higher education. Chancellor Abansi and Vice Chancellor Gutierrez shared how the university is conducting online classes, discussing how the virtual learning management system is being managed and used as an educational platform. The Chancellor also shared the extended service rendered by UP Baguio to ensure the safety of the students. Citing the work of the members of Task Force Out of Baguio (TFOOB), who safely brought students to their homes, and the distribution of food packs to ensure that students are well taken-cared of, the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor also shared how UP Baguio’s community spirit was demonstrated by the faculty members, non-academic staff and students.
The Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor also discussed the new programs and projects for students, faculty and staff. They cited the support for mental health and wellness for students and the Kaagapay program that provides portable electronic devices and internet data load for students in need to bridge gaps in learning.
Chancellor Abansi and First Secretary McEwin discussing economic recovery for Baguio City. Photo by Jennifer Guimpol
McEwin also asked about the Chancellor’s views on economic recovery. As an economist herself, the Chancellor discussed her insights on agricultural economic recovery that can be adapted by Baguio City and its neighboring municipalities and provinces. The Chancellor enumerated examples, such as a system for a more efficient farm to market delivery of agricultural produce, economic valuation of natural resources and support for crafters and artisans that can be implemented to propel economic recovery.
UP Baguio among the top Philippine Universities in Research Productivity
The Institutes for Research, Innovation, and Scholarship (IRIS) released its beta ranking of Philippine universities for research productivity in Science, Engineering and Health.
As of July 2021, UP Baguio is 13th out of 95 universities in the Philippines for research productivity in Science, 36th out of 95 Philippine universities for productivity research in Engineering and 23rd out of 87 Philippine universities for research productivity in health.
DHPh celebrates Baguio’s urban history with 112th Charter Day
by Jeraiah Gray
Baguio is not just a creative city but a historical city as well, concluded Mr. Jose Mathew Luga after his lecture on Kennon Road’s history.
On September 6, 2021, the Department of History and Philosophy (DHPh) held its annual celebration of Baguio City’s 112th Charter Day with a series of lectures by faculty from the University of the Philippines Baguio and the University of the Philippines Los Baños over Zoom and Facebook Live. They were joined by around seventy Zoom participants and over 2000 public viewers on Facebook.
This was a timely event not only because of the city’s celebration of its Charter Day on September 1, but more so because of current city government plans to restore and preserve Baguio’s historic cores alongside its new role as a UNESCO Creative City. The material experience of walking through and living in the city at present provides historical perspectives that help strengthen collective public memory. Spaces are bearers of shared heritage as the city moves into new stages of growth.
The theme of this year’s commemorative lectures hosted by the DHPh was heritage and urban development. While heritage exists in the form of grand buildings and cultural artifacts, it is manifested too in the concrete pragmatics of the built spaces that allow the city to function for its inhabitants’ everyday lives.
Drawing from these talking points, the first two lectures tackled the historic growth of transport networks in and around Baguio as a city in Northern Luzon.
Mr. Jose Mathew Luga discussed the stages of Kennon Road’s (also known as the Benguet Road) development and its significance to the growth of Baguio’s local services and the city’s role in the wider national contexts of different periods of Philippine history. The building of the road and the growth of the city went hand in hand as the city filled different roles. Baguio was a sanitarium under the American colony, a center for mining commerce in the 1920s onwards, and a bottleneck for Japanese strategy during World War II.
On the other hand, Prof. Jeffrey James Ligero of the University of the Philippines Los Baños unpacked the fascinating history of a locally-led transport company in Ang Papel ng Dangwa Tranco sa Pag-unlad ng Baguio, 1928-1941. It is notable as the first transportation company to be owned by locals which carried both passengers and goods across the Cordilleras and surrounding regions. Prof. Ligero emphasized Dangwa Tranco’s significance in supporting Baguio’s economy by circulating goods from the sawmills of the Mountain Trail (Halsema Highway), vegetables from the farms of Benguet, and allowing locals access to the networks of communities it connected through its routes. By the end of World War II, its services had grown extensively to cater to localities across the southern and middle parts of the Cordillera and parts of the Cordillera to Cagayan and Ilocos regions and the national center in Metro Manila.
The third lecture touched upon how the history of urban growth beginning in the late 1980s. Jeraiah Gray of the University of the Philippines Baguio in A Brief History of the BLIST(T) Plan, 1989-1994 (discussed) the urban development plan introduced in 1989. The plan has gone by the names Metro-Baguio, Metro-BLIST, BLISTT with Tublay included and more recently Greater Baguio.
The core of the idea is that Baguio City, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and later Tublay must be considered part of a metropolitan whole because of the shared advantages (and disadvantages) of their geographical proximity. The major roads leading to the Cordillera Region from the southwest side—Kennon Road, Naguilian Road, Marcos Highway—and northwards into the rest of the region—Halsema Highway and the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road—pass through this critical metropolitan area. The BLIST(T) zone also shares other vital resources such as watershed areas. The lecture traced the elaboration of this concept in different Cordillera regional development plans.
The final lecture by Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores, also of the University of the Philippines Baguio, introduced digital innovations at the Museo Kordilyera which allow people to engage with its collection virtually.
The ethnographic museum was inaugurated in 2019 as the first of its kind in the UP System as well as in Northern Luzon. Dr. Amores emphasized how the university museum is a powerful tool for higher educational institutions such as UP Baguio to maximize the impact of its teaching and research initiatives in the geographies it serves. An exciting development in the museum’s repertoire of tools is the recent launch of its 3D Virtual Museum space where the current exhibit Handwoven Tales: The Warp and Weft of Cordillera Textiles is showcased. This came as an innovation to support the mobility of learning even during pandemic restrictions.
As Baguio City moves forward with its recently designated niche as a creative city, the DHPh and the rest of UP Baguio supports the development of this urban space with events such as these to help keep public collective memory in tune with the city’s cultural and historic roots moving forward.
112th Baguio Day Anniversary Lectures Poster
26th SINSM Online Edition
Compiled by Jennifer Bandao-Antonio
The wild sunflower that abounds in Baguio thrives amidst rain and typhoon especially during pewek di kiling, when the kiling species of bird is seen in the mountains. This occurs during the ber months from October to December. Just like the strong root system and tolerance to rain of the sunflower, the College of Science (CS), University of the Philippines Baguio, did well in the 26th Summer Institute in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics (SINSM) despite limitations brought by the pandemic.
SINSM is an extension service given by the CS to secondary and tertiary educators in the fields of Mathematics and Science. The general theme, “Upgrading Senior High School Science and Mathematics Education: Content and Competency Part 1,” aimed to reinforce pedagogy and research in Mathematics and Science through innovative approaches.
The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (DMCS), Department of Biology (DB), Department of Physical Sciences (DPS), and Human Kinetics Program (HKP) successively conducted online three-day workshops each for the entire month of May 2021.
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (DMCS)
The DMCS adopted the subtheme “Strengthening Senior High School and Tertiary Mathematics Instruction 2.0” for the 26th SINSM. The participants underwent intensive lectures and activities focusing on solidifying their mathematical knowledge and teaching strategies. By Anthony M. Pasion
Lecture on Track A: Pre-Calculus and Basic Calculus.
Photo from Anthony Pasion
Department of Biology (DB)
The DB successfully concluded its 26th SINSM activities last May 13 to 15, 2021. The department adopted the subtheme “Genetics and Cell Biology at the Crossroads of Different Biological Disciplines”. The topics focused on the use of modern virtual techniques in teaching and research, which proved to be relevant and useful during this day and age.
The speakers and facilitators conducted lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on activities on different cell biology model systems, open-source bioinformatics platforms, and online pedagogical approaches in genetics.
The department received numerous amounts of pre- registration entries nationally and internationally. These include educators, researchers, and students from the secondary and tertiary levels. Some of the attendees are shown in the photos below, taken during the last day of the event. By Jeno Rey R. Pagaduan
Participants of the 26th SINSM Biology Discipline. Photo by Jeno Rey R. Pagaduan
Department of Physical Sciences (DPS)
The DPS adopted the sub-theme “Updating Physical Science Teaching and Research in Senior High School – InTeReSTEd (Innovative Teaching and Research Methods in the Sciences and Technology Education). The passion and excitement from the different disciplines during their session explaining various topics, teaching and research methods applicable today was met with delight by the participants who attended from other countries. By Jennifer Bandao-Antonio
Prof. Jeffrey S. Perez’s slide
Human Kinetics Program (HKP)
The HKP adopted the subtheme “Adapting to the New Normal: This is How We Do” for the 26th SINSM held on May 25-27, 2021. It presented the HKP’s current methods and strategies in teaching Physical Education during the pandemic. It also provided lectures, additional insights and tips on handling online Physical Education instructions, materials and evaluation measures to adapt and meet related challenges posed by the current situation. All of these were held in the morning in a span of three days. Certificates were presented to the speakers and to the participants who completed the three days. By Jessica S. Talangchey
Participants in the HKP session on Mathematics in Dance Sports by Jessica S. Talangchey
COVID-19 vaccination updates
Vaccinated UP Baguio Employees = 95% or 224
Unvaccinated UP Baguio Employees = 6% or 14
The Occupational Safety and Health Committee (OSH) – UP Baguio headed by Dr. Charita delos Reyes, with members from the Health Services Office (HSO): Dr. Laila G. Jara, Dr. Jeanette Tina F. Delizo, and Abigail E. Daculan, Prof. Victoria C. Diaz, Dr. Romeo Dizon, Mr.Ronald Abarra and Mr. Joe Randel reported that as of October 13, 2021, out of 238 UP Baguio employees (faculty and staff), 95% or 224 are vaccinated (full dose and with 1st dose). Current percentage of unvaccinated employees is down to 6% or 14 UP Baguio employees.
Vaccinated UPB Students = 82% or 1,750 Unvaccinated UPB Students = 18% or 385
On student vaccination, the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Committee also conducted a survey to determine the number of enrolled students who are vaccinated. As of October 18, 2021, out of 2,135 student respondents, 82% or 1,750 students are already vaccinated. 385 or 18% of students remain unvaccinated.
COVID-19 Cases in Baguio continue to rise
With the influx of Delta variant in Baguio City, COVID-19 cases continue to rise since September 2021. Monitored daily by the research team led by Dr. Rizavel C. Addawe of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, College of Science, the team reported that from October 18-24, 2021, there was an average of 90 new cases daily and 38 deaths caused by COVID-19 for the past 7 days. To get the weekly updates on COVID-19 cases, check out the UP Baguio Facebook Page and the UP Baguio website.
UP Baguio Utility Personnel. Photo by Grace Leonen Santos
ANAK-UP Baguio Alumni donates food packs
With the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Baguio City and nearby municipalities and provinces, mandatory 14 days quarantine is experienced by many of our UP employees. Among the hardest hit are the utility and guards of UP Baguio. ANAK-UP Baguio Alumni members donated food packs for UP Baguio utility and guards on September 3, 2021 in coordination with the Alumni Relations Office (ARO) – UP Baguio.
UP Visayas gives to Pahinungod UP Baguio
The University of the Philippines Visayas, through their Chancellor Clement C. Camposano, donated one hundred thousand pesos (Php 100,000.00) to the Sinnaranay Project of the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod-UP Baguio. This amount was raised by the UPV Alumni Association, the Alumni Association of UP High School Iloilo and the UPV Foundation. The amount generously given to Pahinungod UP Baguio will be used for purchasing food packs and other needs of the victims of typhoon Maring. UP Baguio Chancellor Corazon L. Abansi has already extended her deepest gratitude to the Chancellor of UP Visayas.