UPAA History
From the beginning, the UPAA has been fired up by its mission of fostering Excellence, Service and Leadership, the sacred ideals of the Alma Mater.
Be A Member
From the beginning, the UPAA has been fired up by its mission of fostering Excellence, Service and Leadership, the sacred ideals of the Alma Mater.
In 1912, the University of the Philippines (UP), founded in 1908, already had 119 graduates, including those from Medicine, Nursing, Law, Arts and Sciences, Fine Arts, Agriculture, and Forestry. The Academy of Medicine and the School of Fine Arts, later becoming full-fledged colleges, preceded the founding of UP by a few years.
In March 1913, Murray Bartlett, the first UP president (1911-1915), asked College of Law Dean George Malcolm to convene the alumni to form an association. The inaugural meeting and banquet were held on 2 April 1913 at the Grand Hotel de Francia on Ronquillo Street in Sta. Cruz, Manila. In attendance were the UP president, the deans, and alumni of the colleges. The organization was named UP Alumni Association (UPAA) and elected Dr. Victor Sevilla (MD 10) as the first president.
Two years later, the first Filipino UP president, Ignacio Villamor (1915-1920), a future Supreme Court justice, articulated in his inaugural speech, "The University should foster university spirit through alumni associations to preserve the sacred memory of the Alma Mater and to strengthen the unity of the sentiments, interests, and ideals in favor of a common cause."
The UPAA had its first home in the UP Alumni Hall, a three-story building at the corner of Padre Faura and Florida (now Maria Orosa) streets within the old UP Manila campus. The building was destroyed during the Liberation of Manila in 1945.
Photo Credit: https://up.edu.ph/university-history/
What has become the iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines was the brainchild of UP President Rafael Palma (1925-1933) and the artistic creation of Guillermo Tolentino (later a Nationalist Artist), who drew his inspiration from Jose Rizal's Ultimo Adios (Last Farewell). Called Oblation, the sculpture was unveiled in the UP Manila campus on National Heroes Day in 1935.
In 1949, during the second term of UP President Bienvenido Gonzales (1939-1943, 1945-1951), the UP administration and most of the colleges transferred to Diliman, Quezon City. The Oblation was likewise moved to the new campus under the auspices of the UPAA. The following year, in preparation for the fiftieth year of the University, the Board of Regents (BOR) appropriated funds to set the Oblation in true bronze. The UPAA funded the installation of the new statue and the development of the Oblation Plaza in front of Quezon Hall. These were inaugurated on National Heroes Day in 1958, UP's golden anniversary.
The UP Carillon project was conceived in 1940 by UP Music Conservatory Director Ramon Tapales, UP President Bienvenido Gonzales, and Architect Juan Nakpil (later a National Artist). World War II, however, prevented its realization. The UPAA adopted the project in September 1948, a few months before UP transferred to Diliman, to be the alumni contribution to the new campus. The UP Carillon, completed with its 130-foot tower and 46 bronze bells from the Netherlands, was inaugurated by President Elpidio Quirino on 1 August 1952.
Through the years, some bells went out of tune, had to be replaced or retired, and eventually fell silent. They were restored in 1982, but funds fell short. The bells were last played at the UP Lantern Parade in 1988. Once more, the UPAA stepped in. The restoration became a major project of three successive UPAA boards, during which several generous donors contributed to replacing the bells and landscaping of the Carillon Plaza. The UPAA turned over the Carillon to UP in its present restored condition in December 2010, marked with a concert by the Madrigal Singers.
In 1964, UP president Carlos P. Romulo (1962-1968) tasked Dr. Tomas S. Fonacier, then recently retired dean of the College of Liberal Arts, with reorganizing the Office of Alumni Relations (OAR). As OAR director, Dr. Fonacier also became the first executive director of the UPAA in a concurrent capacity. Like first UP President Ignacio Villamor, he believed that "the alumni are an integral sector of the academic community, together with the administration, faculty and students. They are the precise yardstick which measures the quality of the university... as alumni reap laurels, the university gains added prestige."
Until the 1960s, several UP alumni had served as UP regents. The year 1969 became a milestone with the enactment of Republic Act No. 5706 of 1969, which made the UPAA president an ex-officio member of the UP Board of Regents. It gave the UPAA a direct role in policy-setting and strategic decision-making for the University. The 25th president of the UPAA, Atty. Abraham Sarmiento (1973-1979), served as the first ex-officio regent.
The alumni homecoming on 9-10 April 1970 was called the "UP Alumni Conference," as suggested by Dr. Fonacier. Its theme was "University of the Philippines Today," with then UP president S.P. Lopez (1968-1975) as keynote speaker.
In 1983, the 75th anniversary of UP, the homecoming was held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila. The next two annual reunions occurred at the National Engineering Center in UP Diliman. From 1986 to 1992, the Manila Hotel's Fiesta Pavilion was the homecoming venue. The following year, the affair was held at the UP Film Center.
Join the UPAA Newsletter & always stay connected to your roots.
You can expect a response within 24 hours. Stay tuned for some fantastic news!
