Atty. Angelo Jimenez will begin his six-year term as President of the University of the Philippines (UP), succeeding incumbent Danilo Concepcion, at a turnover ceremony on Friday, February 10 at Quezon Hall in Diliman, Quezon City.
Jimenez will be UP’s 22nd University President.
The programs for the turnover are titled “Singkaban at Balanghai: Pasasalamat at Pagsalubong,” an homage to the origins of Concepcion and Jimenez.
“Singkaban art flourished in Bulacan, the home province of the outgoing president. Archaeological remains of the balanghai were discovered in Butuan, the home province of the incoming,” the University explained.
“Both singkaban and balanghai are fitting visual metaphors for a portal that welcomes and sends off our leaders in the UP community—our barangay,” UP College of Fine Arts Professor and visual artist Toym Imao said.
A free public concert in honor of Concepcion and Jimenez will be held on the eve of the turnover at the University Theater at UP Diliman. It will feature the UP Symphony Orchestra and vocalists Kay Balajadia-Liggayu, Anya Evangelista, and Malvin Macasaet.
“Under Concepcion’s administration, the University instituted innovations in all its academic offerings and developed cutting-edge frontier programs. His administration raised UP’s budget for research, secured additional faculty and staff items, increased economic and non-economic benefits for all UP employees, and provided support and learning assistance to faculty, students, and staff,” UP said.
“Facilities and infrastructure were completed transforming the campuses. During his term, UP rose in world university rankings, such that it is now among the top 500 universities in the world and the top 100 in Asia,” it added.
In his vision paper, Jimenez said he will focus on enhancing graduate and post-graduate programs, strengthening academic linkages with government and industry, democratizing access to the University, embracing digital transformation, implementing an open data policy, and defending academic freedom.