The UP Diliman (UPD) community mourns the recent passing of seven of its members: four retired personnel and three in active service.

Nanette Garcia-Dungo, PhD passed away on July 29; Ana María Madrigal Llorente, PhD on Aug. 16; Bach M. Macaraya, PhD on Aug. 17; Rainier Arthur P. Cruz on Aug.18; Maria Luisa Fernan on Aug. 18; Romeo M. De Felipe on Aug. 22; and Luisito Santos on Aug. 24.

Both Garcia-Dungo and Fernan were retired professors from the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy—Garcia-Dungo from the Department of Sociology (DSocio) and Fernan from the Department of Anthropology.

A post on DSocio’s Facebook page said Garcia-Dungo started teaching at the department in 1983 and was its chairperson from June 1999 to October 2002. According to the UP Gazette, she was appointed professorial lecturer until 2007, after her compulsory retirement.

Ugnayang Pang-Agham Tao (UGAT), in its Facebook post, said that Fernan was “a former board member of UGAT and once served as director of the Ford Foundation International Fellowship Program housed at the Philippine Social Science Center.”

The Department of European Languages also paid tribute to retired professor Madrigal Llorente on its Facebook page. The post stated that Madrigal Llorente taught Spanish at UPD in the 1980s and 1990s and that “she wrote extensively on Spanish language and culture, as well as on Philippine cultural history.” In addition, the department expressed its gratitude for Llorente’s contributions to teaching and research.

The College of Education on its Facebook page paid homage to De Felipe, retired administrative assistant who also recently passed on.  The post stated that he served the college for 44 years.

Meanwhile, Macaraya, Santos, and Cruz were members of the UPD community who passed away while in active service.

Macaraya was a professorial lecturer at the School of Labor and Industrial Relations; Santos was an administrative staff at the College of Science Office of the Dean; and Cruz was an assistant professor at the Department of Voice, Music Theater, and Dance, College of Music.

His bionote in an article published in the Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations Vol. 24 Nos. 1-2 stated that “Macaraya was a labor arbiter and special assistant to the Office of the Secretary of Labor and Employment on Policy and Legislative Matters.” Meanwhile, Santos began his university service in May 2011.

In an email to UPDate Online, Cruz’s wife, lawyer Tzeitel Christine DG. Cruz, said that he “was an awardee of the One UP Faculty Grant for Teaching and Public Service (2022-2024)” and became a full-time faculty at the college in 2006.

“He is well-loved by his colleagues for his gentleness, patience, kindness, truthfulness, for his beautiful voice, and his beautiful heart. His students, who are his legacy, describe him as an older brother whose passion for teaching is exemplary. Rainier was a devoted family man whose love and care for his wife… and their only child, Raizelle Therese DG. Cruz, always remained a priority above all else,” she added.

UPD is forever grateful for their services to the University and to their respective units.