Concepcion takes over as UP President

Lawyer Danilo Concepcion formally assumed office as the 21st president of the University of the Philippines on Friday, setting the tone of his six-year term which he said hopes to tap into UP’s “moral core.”

“Compassion should be the goal of each and everyone of us…not just for the country but for the whole world,” he said.

“In the next six years, compassion will give life to our goals and actions,” Concepcion said in a speech during the turnover rites held at UP Diliman.

Concepcion, who served as dean of the UP College of Law before his election to the top post, succeeded Alfredo Pascual whose term started in February 2011. The UP president oversees a system composed of eight campuses and 17 constituent units nationwide.

Concepcion also administered the oaths of his executive team composed of vice presidents Joselito Florendo (for planning and finance), Elvira Zamora (development), Hector Danny Uy (legal affairs), Teodoro Herbosa (executive vice president), Cynthia Bautista (academic affairs),  Nestor Yunque (administration), and Jose Dalisay Jr. (public affairs).

Lawyer Roberto Lara was selected as secretary of the university and the Board of Regents. Florendo, Zamora and Uy were reappointed after serving during Pascual’s term.

“We have a long list of challenges but we will face them together,” Concepcion said, citing perennial issues faced by UP, like the need to strengthen faculty programs, contractualization, free tuition, higher salaries and upgrade of facilities.