The story
Origins and early history (1900s–1920s)
In the late 19th century, many Filipinos pursued higher education in Spain and other European universities, highlighting the absence of a comparable institution in the Philippines that could provide advanced instruction across various fields. To address this need, the University of the Philippines was established on June 18, 1908, through. Act No. 1870 of the First Philippine Legislature, otherwise known as the "University Act". It was envisioned as the country's premier institution of higher learning, with a mandate to provide "advanced instruction in literature, philosophy, the sciences, and the arts and to give professional and technical training," regardless of "age, sex, nationality, religious belief, or political affiliation." Judge Newton W. Gilbert acted as president of the university since its establishment in 1908.
The university began with the organization of its first academic units. The earliest established in 1909 were the College of Agriculture and the School of Fine Arts. These were soon followed in 1910 by the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine, Liberal Arts, Engineering, and Medicine and Surgery. The College of Law, founded in 1911, was the last of UP's founding academic units. Although the College of Medicine and Surgery officially became part of UP in 1910, it had already opened for instruction in 1907. This was in accordance with the University Act of 1908, which provided that the Philippine Medical School would be incorporated into UP as the College of Medicine and Surgery once two or more colleges had been established.
The academic units were initially spread across various locations, with most situated in Manila as it served as the main campus. The College of Agriculture was established in Los Baños, at the foot of Mount Makiling, while the School of Fine Arts opened in a private property on R. Hidalgo Street in Quiapo, Manila. The remaining units were also based in Manila: the College of Medicine and Surgery on Herran Street (now Pedro Gil Street), the College of Veterinary Medicine in Pandacan, the College of Liberal Arts held classes on several locations including the Philippine Normal School, the College of Engineering on the site that later formed part of the Padre Faura campus, and the College of Law in a private property on Isaac Peral Street (now United Nations Avenue). The School of Forestry was likewise established in 1910 in Los Baños. At the time, UP President Murray Bartlett declared that as a "University for the Filipino," the institution must be "supported by the people's money," guided by a charter framed by the people's representatives, and sustained by "the confidence and sympathy of the people."
Expansion to Diliman (1930s–1940s)
Plans to transfer academic units from the Manila campus to a new site were formally raised in 1937 to accommodate the university's growing needs, with President Manuel L. Quezon initiating the idea. Among the proposals considered was the relocation of certain Manila units to the Los Baños campus, though this was deliberated among university officials. By 1938, a property in Marikina (now part of Quezon City) owned by the Philippine National Bank emerged as a leading option. Eventually, the Board of Regents approved the establishment of a new campus in Diliman, Quezon City, where the university acquired a 493-hectare lot. Construction of the Diliman campus began in 1939 but was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II.
During World War II, most of its colleges had to be closed except the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Engineering. Meanwhile, the Japanese Imperial Army occupied three Diliman campus buildings: the College of Liberal Arts Building (now Benitez Hall) and the Colleges of Law (now Malcolm Hall) and Business Administration Building. The Japanese also occupied the campus of the College of Agriculture in Los Baños. UP President Bienvenido Ma. Gonzalez sought a grant of ₱ 13 million from the US-Philippines War Damage Commission. A massive rehabilitation and construction effort was executed during the post-war years. For the first time, an extensive Diliman campus master plan and map were created in 1949. More buildings were built across the Diliman campus landscape: the University Library (Gonzalez Hall), the College of Engineering (Melchor Hall), the Women's Residence Hall (now Kamia Residence Hall), the Conservatory of Music (Abelardo Hall and now the College of Music), the Administration Building (Quezon Hall), and the UP President's Residence. Most colleges and administration offices were temporarily housed in huts and shelters made of sawali and galvanized iron.
The transfer of the university to its new campus in Diliman took place between December 16, 1948, and January 11, 1949, as scheduled, with classes resuming at the new site on January 12, 1949. During the quadragesimal anniversary celebration on February 11, 1949, the Oblation statue—the last movable property from the Manila campus—was formally relocated to Diliman. The transfer was marked by a motorcade of alumni and students.
Democratization and the Rise of Autonomous Units (1950s–1970s)
When UP President Salvador P. Lopez assumed office in 1969, he faced widespread social unrest and political instability in the Philippines, as well as internal turmoil within the university. The New People's Army was gaining ground, and labor strikes and student protests—fueled by rising oil prices and contentious government policies—became increasingly common among UP constituents. In 1972, President Marcos declared Martial Law, further intensifying the political climate.
Amid these tensions, a movement advocating for the autonomy of the Los Baños campus emerged, calling for its establishment as an independent agricultural university. Supporters cited perceived injustices from the Diliman administration, including the rejection of academic proposals that hindered college growth, as well as administrative and fiscal issues. Lopez opposed full separation, arguing that it would diminish the academic prestige of both UP as a whole and the Los Baños campus. Additionally, critics of the secession proposal pointed to the recommendation of the Presidential Commission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE), which endorsed UP as the national university. Removing the functions of the Los Baños campus, they argued, would undermine this role.
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Lopez then advocated for democratization within the university and thus, the creation of the UP System with Los Baños as one of its autonomous universities. On November 20, 1972, Presidential Decree No. 58 established University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) as the first autonomous constituent university of UP, granting it substantial administrative and fiscal autonomy. This marked the beginning of a multi-campus UP System envisioned to strengthen the university through a network of academic centers across the country.
On October 28, 1977, autonomy was likewise granted to the Health Sciences Center in Manila, which brought together UP's health-related academic units and the Philippine General Hospital under a unified organizational framework. This was followed on May 31, 1979, by the establishment of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) as an autonomous university, with its main campus in Miagao, Iloilo, and the College of Fisheries as its flagship unit.
The presidency of Carlos P. Romulo (1962–1968) saw the establishment of several Diliman units, including the Population Institute, Law Center, and Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry Training Center (1964); the Institute of Mass Communication, College of Business Administration, and Institute of Planning (1965); the Computer Center and Institute for Small-Scale Industries (1966); the Institute of Social Work and Community Development (1967); and the Asian Center (1968).
In Los Baños, the 1960s saw the establishment of international linkages, particularly through collaborations with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), founded in 1960, and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), founded in 1966. The campus also expanded its research and extension functions with the establishment of specialized units including the Dairy Training and Research Institute (1962), Institute of Plant Breeding (1975), National Crop Protection Center (1976), Post-Harvest Horticulture and Training Center (1977), and the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (1979), also known as BIOTECH. Several colleges and institutes were also established following the autonomy in 1972.
Institutional Development and Reforms (1980s)
On October 22, 1982, the Health Sciences Center of the Manila campus was renamed University of the Philippines Manila as other autonomous units are identified by their geographical locations. On April 26, 1982, UP Diliman was formally designated as a constituent university, almost a decade after the reorganization of UP Although Diliman was the seat of the UP Administration, the campus was not immediately constituted after 1972. It was administered, along with the Manila unit, prior to the organization of the Health Sciences Center, as a de facto university.
On March 23, 1983, Executive Order No. 889 established a system of National Centers of Excellence in the Basic Sciences within UP. The mandate authorized the Board of Regents to formally organize these centers by elevating existing academic units and programs to bolster the country's scientific manpower. Under this system, the National Institute of Physics (NIP), the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS), and the Natural Sciences Research Institute (NSRI) were designated as national centers in UP Diliman. Concurrently, the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Institute of Chemistry (IC), and the Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS) were established as national centers in UP Los Baños. This reorganization provided these units with specialized funding and administrative flexibility to lead national research and development efforts.
UP President José Abueva introduced the Socialized Tuition Fee Assistance Program (STFAP) in 1987. Abueva also institutionalized a Filipino language policy within the university. He signed a landmark agreement with then-Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos. Known as the UP-DND Accord, it restricted the entry of military and police forces into UP campuses without prior notification to the university administration.
Expansion of the UP System (1990s)
Emil Q. Javier, an agricultural scientist and former chancellor of UP Los Baños, served as president of the UP System from 1993 to 1999. During his term, initiatives in distance education were pursued, which later contributed to the establishment of the UP Open University. His administration also oversaw the expansion and strengthening of the UP System through the establishment of UP Mindanao, the National Institutes of Biotechnology across major UP constituents, the National Institutes of Health in UP Manila, and the creation of Ugnayan ng Pahinungod, the university's volunteer service program.
UP Mindanao was established in Davao City on February 20, 1995, through Republic Act 7889, following advocacy from alumni and local lawmakers. Its mandate emphasizes science, technology, and agricultural education. The law also directs the university to implement affirmative action and scholarship programs for Muslim students and cultural communities, while collaborating with other state institutions to support regional development. Since opening in 1996, the university has produced graduates through its College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, and School of Management.
The UP Charter and centennial (2000s)
Francisco Nemenzo, a political scientist at UP Diliman and former chancellor of UP Visayas, served as the 18th president of the university from 1999 to 2005. His administration introduced the Revitalized General Education Program (RGEP) and institutionalized expanded incentives for faculty research and creative work.
In 2005, Emerlinda R. Roman, a professor of business administration and former chancellor of UP Diliman, became the first woman to lead the university system. Her presidency coincided with the 2008 UP Centennial, during which she led a campaign to fund the modernization of university services and facilities. This period was also marked by the appointment of several faculty members from the College of Business Administration to administrative leadership positions, including roles in the UP System Budget Office, the UP Provident Fund, and the UP Foundation. A significant milestone of her term was the passage of the UP Charter of 2008 (Republic Act 9500), which formally designated the institution as the national university.
Centennial celebration
On January 8, 2008, the University of the Philippines began its centennial celebration. The opening ceremony featured a 100-torch relay to light the eternal flame on the Centennial Cauldron at Quezon Hall. Torches were carried by, among others, Fernando Javier, 100, of Baguio, the oldest UP alumnus (Civil Engineering from University of the Philippines Manila, 1933), Michael Dumlao, a 6th-grader from the University of the Philippines Integrated School in UP Diliman and UP President Emerlinda Roman, the first woman president of the university. The Centennial Cauldron features three pillars to represent the three core values, and seven flowers representing the seven constituent universities, i.e. UP Manila, UP Diliman (together with UP Pampanga, its extension campus), UP Los Baños, UP Baguio, UP Visayas, UP Mindanao, and UP Open University.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and UP issued commemorative ₱ 100 UP Centennial notes at the BSP Security Plant Complex in Quezon City. The notes appear as four-outs (four uncut pieces) in a folder featuring the signatures of all UP presidents including Roman.
Inspired by the UP Oblation, the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) launched an art exhibit, "100 Nudes/100 Years" featuring the works of nine UP alumni national artists.
UPAA 2008 centennial yearbook
The University of the Philippines Alumni Association announced its launch of a three-volume UPA.A. 2008 Centennial Yearbook on June 21, 2008, at the U.P.A.A. Grand Alumni-Faculty Homecoming and Reunion at the Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City. The theme is "U.P. Alumni: Excellence, Leadership and Service in the Next 100 Years," with the three cover designs showing the works of National Artists Napoleon Abueva, Abdulmari Asia Imao, and Benedicto Cabrera, respectively. Chief Justice Reynato Puno is the Yearbook's most distinguished alumnus awardee (among 46 other awardees).
UP Charter of 2008
The UP Charter of 2008, Republic Act No. 9500, was signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo into law on April 29, 2008, at the UP Library Conference Hall in Lahug, Cebu. It aims "to provide both institutional and fiscal autonomy to UP, specifically, to protect student's democratic access and strengthen administration through the recognition of UP System's Board of Regents and UP Council." The new charter declared UP as the Philippines' national university, giving it "the enhanced capability to fulfill its mission and spread the benefits of knowledge." The new charter will help improve its competitiveness. The newly designated "national university" however, needs ₱ 3.6 billion to be on a par with other universities in the region.
UP-Ayala Land TechnoHub
The centennial ₱6 billion, 20 hectares (49 acres) UP-Ayala Land TechnoHub, a complex of low-rise buildings along Commonwealth Avenue, within the 37.5 hectares (93 acres) of the UP North Science and Technology Park, was constructed on February 16, 2006, and inaugurated on November 22, 2008. It was developed by Ayala Land into an information technology and IT-enabled services community to host business process outsourcing (BPO) and technology firms.
Enhanced motto
On May 14, 2024, Angelo Jimenez proclaimed UP's new logo and "Honor, Excellence, Service" motto.
From Wikipedia’s article on University of the Philippines, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4