UEP marks today 94th founding anniversary

CATARMAN, Northern Samar – The University of Eastern Philippines (UEP), the only comprehensive state university in Eastern Visayas, celebrates today its 94th year as an educational institution.

Following the founding anniversary of the province of Northern Samar which marked 47 years old yesterday , today’s anniversary celebrations in UEP will be filled with various activities involving all of its officials, employees, students and guests.

Based on the prepared program, this special day in UEP will be opened with a “diana” band around the campus at four o’clock in the morning that will be followed with a mass, a parade, blessing of new offices, and other colorful ceremonies.

San Juan Representative Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito is expected to be here as special guest for the occasion along with other top government officials like Deputy Speaker Raul Daza, second district Representative Emil Ong, “Aangat Tayo” party-list Rep. Daryl Grace Abayon, Governor Paul Daza and the local officials of Catarman. They will give their respective messages during the anniversary program where some employees and faculty including the retirees will be given awards and recognitions.

Other highlights of UEP’s 94th year celebrations today are the search for “Mr. and Ms. UEP 2012”, jobs fair at the provincial capitol building and UEP Hostel being administered by the University Junior and Senior Classes Organization (UJSCO), a welcome party for new students, an exhibit at the UEP Archives and Culture for Samar Studies and parlor games for the employees.

The university president Atty. Mar Pujante De Asis during a press conference with local media on Monday also announced that they will release today the P5,000 productivity bonus for all officials and regular employees of UEP alongside with the launching of their provident fund.

The RAB Amphitheatre built at the upper middle area in the campus is one of the original landmarks of the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP). The amphitheater has become a venue for several local plays and graduation ceremonies of UEP, which celebrates its 94th founding anniversary today. (photo by REM LAODENIO)

President De Asis takes pride in the remarkable shift of UEP from being an agricultural school 94 years ago to becoming a top comprehensive university that offers the largest number of accredited degree courses in the region.

The school started in 1918 as the Catarman Farm School (CFS), became the Catarman Agricultural School in 1918, was renamed the Catarman National Agricultural School in 1951, Samar Institute of Technology (SIT) in 1956 offering mostly agricultural and technical courses, until it was declared as a university (UEP) in 1964.  

UEP offers degree courses in the fields of law, medicine, engineering, education, accountancy, agriculture and fisheries, criminology and other instructions that meet the socio-economic needs of the people in this part of the country.

The university expanded its programs to three campuses – UEP Catarman (main campus), UEP Laoang and UEP Catubig. The main campus lies within the university-owned 4,500 hectares land area in Catarman.

More remarkable developments in UEP transpired since De Asis assumed as the sixth president of the university in 2007. Enrollment soared to great numbers, buildings and private establishments mushroomed around the campus and the university itself has opened 10 income generating projects (IGPs) that earned P12 million revenue last year.

At present UEP ranks No. 1 among state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the Visayas and Mindanao and No. 3 among the 110 SUC’s in the country with the highest number of accredited degree programs in all levels. In 2011, the university was No. 1 among SUCs with the highest number of newly accredited level 1 degree programs.

The university has been gaining positive results of its passing rates in board examinations. Several construction projects are ongoing in the campus that De Asis assures will be finished this year. Grants and benefits from local, national and even foreign governments have also poured in.

“I am just overwhelmed by this development… this is a collegial effort of all officials and employees here. To me my accomplishment is being able to convince my fellow employees that we have to work hard to reach our visions for the university.” De Asis said. “As we continue to work hard all these blessings just keep coming…” 

The president is also grateful of the support that they get from the local government.

By RACHEL V. ARNAIZ
Correspondent

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Posted by lsde on Jun 20 2012. Filed under Banner, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.