University of the Philippines Mindanao

University of the Philippines Mindanao
Photo by pinoy-ofw.com

This special post is in response to a request of one of the readers of this blog, and for whom and his son, who now studies in UP Mindanao, this post is warmly dedicated.

The University of the Philippines Mindanao (UP Mindanao) is one of the three universities worldwide that offers degree programs in Agribusiness Economics (ABE), and because of this, the  university is regarded as one-of-a-kind in the Philippines for offering such programs. Located at Mintal, Tugbok District, Davao City, UP Mindanao was created on February 20, 1995 by virtue of Republic Act 7889, whose main focus is in Mindanao studies through programs in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao with a view of attracting Muslims and Lumads, as well as marginalized and deserving students. It is one of the six universities of UP in the country, and the only one in Mindanao.

UP Mindanao is governed by an 11-member Board of Regents composed of: the UP President; the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); the chairpersons of the Committee of Higher Education of the Senate, and the House of Representatives; 4 regents representing the student, faculty, alumni, and staff sectors; and 3 regents who are appointed by the President of the Philippines. The university is directly administered by the Chancellor, who is assisted by the Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs and Administration. The University Council is composed of the Chancellor, university professors, associate and assistant professors of the university. The Chancellor serves as Chairperson, and the University Registrar as Secretary. The Council exercises disciplinary power over the students through its Chancellor or Executive Committee within the limits prescribed by the rules of discipline approved by the Board Regents. The Executive Committee, which counts as members the Deans of the various degree-granting units of the university, acts in an advisory capacity to the Chancellors in all matters pertaining to their offices. The President of the University is an ex-officio member of the University Council of each constituent university and presides over its meetings.

The Administration Building which houses the university offices,
College of Humanities and Social Sciences and School of Management
Photo by skyscrapercity.com

The Administration Building houses the Administrative Offices and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) and School of Management (SOM) classrooms. It was designed by Francisco C. Santos, Jr. inspired by Bagobo architecture and design after the Quezon Hall (Administration Building) of UP Diliman.

Atrium

The Atrium of the Administration Building is where most university events are held. As with the other UP campuses, the University is home to many student organizations that sponsor many activities, most notably during the months of July, December, and February where said organizations foster camaraderie and felowship. Most of the events are organized by the UP Mindanao University Student Council (USC) and student organizations, and are supported by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). Other events are also hosted by courses and student organizations, notably course-based organizations, fraternities and sororities.

Kanluran

Academic Building I (Kanluran) houses the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) and the DOST-SEI Regional Biotechnology Laboratory. It was aptly named "Kanluran" due to its western location in the campus. In 2007, the Philippines' Commission on Higher Education (CHED) awarded a National Center of Development (COD) to UPMin in Information Technology (College of Science and Mathematics). Currently the university is developing itself to become a Center of Culture and Languages, engaging in activities enriching the Filipino and ethnic languages and Mindanao through literature and translation. The university is also an active member of the Davao Colleges and Universities Network (DCUN) in the field of cultural integration and development. It aims to become the best science university in Southern Philippines with the UP Mindanao Science and Technology Park Consortium. The university’s long term plan is to transform UPMin to a "green university town", the only one of its kind in the UP system and in the Philippines.

Elias B. Lopez Hall

Elias B. Lopez Hall houses the Student Housing Services office, dormitory rooms which can accommodate about 250 occupants, the University Clinic, and the Interactive Learning Center-Learning Resource Center. The hall was named in honor of Congressman Elias B. Lopez, the so-called "Father of UP in Mindanao" who was the main proponent of the establishment of the university. The EBL Hall serves as the student residence center of the university administered by the Student Housing Section (SHS) under the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). Several dormitories and apartments are also near the campus, located mostly at Sitio Basak and Mintal, where most of the upperclassmen coming in and outside Davao City reside.

Kalimudan

The Kalimudan Student Center was opened in August 2010, and houses commercial establishments and related facilities. Even before the establishment of UPMin, Barangay Mintal, particularly the area of Bago Oshiro, is one of the agriculture research centers within Davao, housing many of the Department of Agriculture's research centers. Centers for scientific education and research, notably the Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus at Sto. Niño and the Mindanao Science Centrum at Bago Oshiro, are also within Barangay Mintal, further defining the area as an "academic and research hub". With the establishment of UPMin in Mintal, this once sleepy barangay has been rapidly transformed into a small university town within Davao City, with businesses and establishments built around the university serving the needs of the students and faculty. Furthermore, the UP Mindanao Land Use and Master Development Plan aims to create UP Mindanao a "Green University Town", being a "garden" campus with emphasis on the Mindanaoan culture, with each building reflecting each ethno-linguistic group in Mindanao.

SOM Building

The SOM Building (UP Mindanao City Campus, UP Anda) is located in F. Iñigo Street (formerly Anda Street) in downtown Davao City. It houses the old Terazza Milesa building where classes for the School of Management (SOM) major subjects and Masters Degrees, and the UP Open University Davao office. This building was formerly an old hotel rented by the former UPMin Administration for their offices and temporarily served as an extension campus while same moved from the old Ladislawa campus. Upon the completion of the SOM Building at the main campus, the remaining facilities had been moved into the new building at Mintal.

Oblation

Inspired from UP Diliman's University Avenue, the Mindanao Avenue connects the Administration Building directly into the road network of Mintal-Sitio Basak which enshrines the Oblation statue that has been the iconic figure of the university. The Oblation is the iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines represented by a man with arms wide-stretched and face facing up symbolizing selfless offering of one’s self to his countr. The original Oblation in UP Diliman was made by Professor Guillermo E. Tolentino with the help of his student apprentice, Anastacio T. Caedo. Several replicas of the Oblation were made for the university, some by national artist, Napoleon Abueva, and 2005 national artist nominee Glenn Bautista.

Maguindanao Road

Maguindanao Road (Kanluran Road) is the largest and the main road in the university. The road connects the Administration Building with the Elias B. Lopez Dormitory with Kanluran. It has a distance of 1.1 kilometers from the Administration Building to Kanluran where the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) and the DOST-SEI Regional Biotechnology Laboratory can be found. The campus has its own network of jeepney transportation called "UPMin Ikot" which is supported by motorcycles and tricycles called "Habal-habal" and "Princess", respectively. They usually ply the Admin-Kanluran, Admin-Sitio Basak, Admin-Mintal and Kanluran-Mintal routes.

UP Mindanao is composed of two colleges and one school: the College of the Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), which focuses on the cultural diversity of Mindanao; the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM), which studies the local flora and pioneering scientific development; and the School of Management (SOM), which undertakes research on supply chain management. 

Degree-Granting Units: 

College of Humanities and Social Sciences (Dean: Prof. Maria Araceli Dans-Lee)

- Department of Architecture
     * Discipline in Architecture

- Department of Humanities
     * Discipline in Communication Arts
          *Media Arts
          *Speech Communication
     *Discipline in Creative Writing

- Department of Human Kinetics
     *Discipline in Physical Education

- Department of Social Sciences
     *Discipline in Anthropology
     *Discipline in Psychology
     *Discipline in Social Sciences

College of Science and Mathematics (Dean: Dr. Reynaldo G. Abad)

- Department of Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies
     *Discipline in Animal Science
     *Discipline in Biology
     *Discipline in Crop Science
     *Discipline in Ecology
     *Discipline in Microbiology
     *Discipline in Wildlife
     *Discipline in Zoology

- Department of Food Science and Chemistry
     *Discipline in Chemistry
     *Discipline in Food Science and Technology

- Department of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science
     *Discipline in Applied Mathematics
     *Discipline in Computer Science
     *Discipline in Mathematics
     *Discipline in Physics
     *Discipline in Statistics

School of Management (Dean: Dr. Sylvia B. Concepcion)
- Discipline in Agribusiness Economics
- Discipline in Management
- Graduate Program in Management

Academic Programs:

College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS)

- Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology (BAA)
- Bachelor of Science in Architecture (BSA)
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts (BACA)
     *Major in Media Arts
     *Major in Speech and Corporate Communication
- Bachelor of Arts in English (BAE)
     *Major in Creative Writing

College of Science and Mathematics (CSM)

- Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics (BSAM)
     *Major in Operations Research
- Bachelor of Science in Biology (BSB)
     *Major in Cell Biology
     *Major in Ecology
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS)
- Bachelor of Science in Food Technology (BSFT)
     *Specialization in Food Business
     *Specialization in Food Processing
     *Specialization in Food Science

School of Management (SOM)
- Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Economics (BSABE)
-Master in Management (MM)
-Diploma and Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning (MAURP)

University of the Philippines Mindanao
Mintal, Tugbok District, Davao City, 
Website www.upmin.edu.ph