Is there really a need to celebrate?
Three years ago on the 24th
of September, the University of the Philippines (UP) Board of Regents raised
the status of UP Cebu from a satellite campus to an autonomous unit. Because of
this, UP Cebu has been given the chance to stand on its own feet and to break
free from UP Visayas in Iloilo.
UP
Cebu has earned its autonomy after 92 years since it was established as a junior
college of liberal arts in 1918. Unlike before, UP Cebu is directly supervised
by its main campus in Diliman.
As an autonomous unit, UP Cebu now
holds greater responsibility in upholding honor and excellence. It aims to become a regional center for
cultural, social and human development. Similar to a three-year old child who
is learning to walk on its own feet, UP Cebu is now taking an early step
towards self-governance.
As
early as its third year of autonomy, developments around the campus have been
visible. Shortly after Dean Liza Corro’s installation last January 2013, the
beautification of the campus immediately started. Soil from the old soccer
field near the Arts and Sciences building was used to landscape the rest of the
campus. Benches and study kiosks, pebbles, and plants were also placed on certain
areas. All these are in line of UP Cebu’s 10-point agenda, which is to focus on
the campus’ physical appearance.
To
further improve the quality of education, additional LCD projectors and
computers were acquired and were placed in the different classrooms.
The swift improvement and apparent
changes are evidences that the institution’s messages are relayed faster. For
example, if we request for an extension in the enrollment deadline there
wouldn’t be a need to go through the UP Visayas’ approval, but instead goes
straight to the central campus.
But despite the progress of the
school, it cannot be denied that UP Cebu has overcome greater obstacles, like grueling
debates of local and national issues such as the case of the informal settlers,
street propagandas, and walkouts.
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