The UP Diliman (UPD) Quality Assurance Office (QAO) honored 28 academic and administrative units, 22 faculty members, and one degree program for their quality assurance-related accomplishments at the recent Kahusayan: Seremonya ng Pagkilala sa Kagalingan sa QA, the culminating activity of QA Month 2025.
UPD Vice Chancellor for Administration Adeline A. Pacia emphasized the need for commitment to quality and excellence, stating that “quality assurance (QA) is not a one-step milestone.”
Meanwhile, UP Los Baños (UPLB) QAO Director Myra G. Borines outlined the various milestones of her unit.
Borines noted that UPLB was the first UP constituent university to pursue QA. In February 2018, it became the first Philippine university to undergo an institutional assessment by the European Union Support for Higher Education in the ASEAN Region.
She shared that UPLB QAO learned three lessons through the years: there is resistance, there are QA champions, and the QA efforts must continue after programs are assessed.
At the awarding ceremony, six units were recognized for undergoing assessment and accreditation process in 2024.
They were the Department of Community Development of the College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD); the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research of the College of Engineering (COE); the Department of Theory, Department of Visual Communication, and the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design program of the College of Fine Arts (CFA); and the UP Diliman Extension Programs in Pampanga and Olongapo (UPDEPPO).
Fourteen academic units were recognized for the timely submission of their Internal Academic Assessment and Development System (iAADS) Report: Asian Center, College of Home Economics (CHE), CHE Department of Home Economics Education, Department of Communication Research of the College of Media and Communication (CMC), Department of History of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP), CSSP Department of Anthropology, CSSP Department of Geography, CSSP Population Institute, COE Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology of the College of Science (CS), CS Marine Science Institute, School of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Accounting and Finance of the Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business (VSB), and VSB Department of Business Administration.
Finally, nine UPD units were honored for successfully partnering with QAO in advancing UP’s QA agenda: Budget Office, COE Library, Human Resource Development Office, National Engineering Center, Office for the Advancement of Teaching, Office of the University Registrar, University Food Service, UP Health Service, and the University Library.
Twenty-two faculty members were recognized for completing QA training conducted by the ASEAN University Network-QA (AUN-QA) and the UP Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA).
Those who completed AUN-QA Training Tier 1 were Jose Maria P. Balmaceda, PhD, a professor at the CS Institute of Mathematics and former CS dean; Michael James B. Herrera, PhD, an associate professor at the School of Archaeology; and Luis Diego D. Lee, an assistant professor at the VSB Department of Business Administration.
Meanwhile, those who completed AUN-QA Training Tier 2 were Ian Kendrich C. Fontanilla, PhD, a professor at the CS Institute of Biology; Glennie Marie M. Sina-on-Jazmin, an assistant professor at the CSWCD Department of Social Work; Dina C. Magnaye, PhD, a professor and dean of the School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP); and Ronnie H. Encarnacion, PhD, an assistant professor at SURP.
Two faculty members completed AUN-QA Training Tier 3: Ivy D. Suan, PhD, a professor at the VSB Department of Accounting and Finance and current director of the Office for the Advancement of Teaching, and Lucia P. Tangi, an assistant professor at the CMC Department of Journalism and associate dean of CMC. Both are members of the UPD QA Committee.
Lastly, 13 faculty members were recognized for completing the OVPAA External Quality (EQ) Reviewers Training.
They were Riza A. Romero, an associate professor and chairperson of the CFA Department of Studio Arts; Ma. Rosario Concepcion O. Ang, an assistant professor at the COE Department of Geodetic Engineering; Rachelle U. Peneyra and Marvin Luis C. Sabado, assistant professors at the Department of Physical Education, and Adjani A. Aguilar, PhD, an assistant professor at the Department of Sports Science of the College of Human Kinetics; and Lisa Veronica D. Decenteceo, PhD, an assistant professor at the Department of Musicology of the College of Music.
The other seven were Aleli B. Bawagan, PhD, a professor at the Department of Community Development, and Justin Francis Leon V. Nicolas, PhD, an associate professor of the Department of Social Work (DSW) and Karleen May C. Reodique, an assistant professor also at DSW of CSWCD; Allan Gil S. Fernando, PhD, a professor at the CS National Institute of Geological Sciences; and CSSP faculty members Charmaine P. Galano, an assistant professor at the Department of Psychology, Perlita M. Frago-Marasigan, PhD, an associate professor at the Department of Political Science, and Maria Kristina S. Gallego, PhD, an associate professor at the Department of Linguistics.
Testimonials were shared by awardee representatives: UPDEPPO Director Purisima P. Panlilio on behalf of the academic units, University Librarian Elvira B. Lapuz on behalf of the administrative units, Fontanilla on behalf of AUN-QA Training graduates, and Marasigan on behalf of the OVPAA EQ Reviewers Training graduates.
A special citation was awarded to UP Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (Quality Assurance) Alyssa M. Peleo-Alampay for her invaluable contribution for the QA-related accomplishments of the UP constituent universities.
UPD QAO Director Aura C. Matias thanked all who participated in the QA Month 2025 activities, offering both a reminder and a pat on the back for their dedication.
