Photo retrieved from upd.edu.ph
■ Camille Lita and Arra Francia
Law Dean Danilo Concepcion will sit as the 21st president of the University of the Philippines, after being voted into the position by the Board of Regents, the university’s highest policy-making body.
The 11-member board conducted a final interview of the six official nominees for president earlier before casting their votes.
Concepcion previously held the position of De La Salle Araneta University President from 2000 to 2002, after which he served as the UP College of Law associate dean until 2006. Aside from being law dean, Concepcion is also the executive director of the UP Bonifacio Global City campus.
Student Regent Raoul Manuel disclosed that his vote went to Concepcion given his commitment to the student agenda, including placing a moratorium on tuition and other fees increases.
“He committed to aid in our campaign against tuition and other school fees increase and to ensure transparency with regard to the fees collected by our university. Particularly, he plans to issue a moratorium on tuition and other fees increases. He is also willing to engage with the students in order to study the possibility of free UP education,” according to a statement released by the Office of the Student Regent following the selection.
Outgoing UP President Alfredo Pascual, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Patricia Licuanan, Student Regent Raoul Manuel, Alumni Regent Ramon Maronilla, Staff Regent Alexis Mejia, Faculty Regent Philip Padilla, Senate Committee on Education Chair Bam Aquino, House Committee on Higher Education Chair Ann Hofer, and Malacanang appointees Gizela Gonzales Montinola, Frederick Mikhail Farolan and Angelo Jimenez complete the 11 members of the Board.
Concepcion bested five other nominees for the position, including UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion, former UP Vice President for Public Affairs and current CHED Commissioner Prospero de Vera, former UPD College of Engineering Dean and Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara, UP Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs Benito Pacheco, and former UPD Chancellor Caesar Saloma.
The law dean will serve UP’s eight constituent units a term of six years, with Pascual formally set to vacate his office on February 9, 2017. ■
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