Polytechnic University of the Philippines

PUP traces its roots from the Manila Business School which was founded by the Civil Government of the Philippines and was established on October 19, 1904.[11] It is also referred to as the Manila School of Commerce. The school was delegated to create businessmen and businesswomen for government service and private employment.[12] It was a part of the city school system of Manila which was under the superintendence of Gabriel A. O’Reilly.[13][14] It held its first classes at a small two-storey building in No. 38 Gunao Street corner Arlegui in Quiapo.

The influx of students from different provinces elevated the school's status as an Insular (or national) school and was renamed as Philippine School of Commerce in 1908.[11] The school moved out from its Arlegui building and continued its operation on Goldenberg Mansion located on Gen. Solano Street in San Miguel which was formerly occupied by the Bureau of Audits and the Philippine Senate. Its faculty was composed of Filipino and American teachers. For administrative purposes, the school was placed under the administration of the Superintendent of City Schools but kept its status as a national school.[12]

Without its own building, PSC held its classes at the Normal Hall of Philippine Normal University from 1946–1947.

In 1933, the school was merged with the Philippine Normal School[11] and the Philippine School of Arts and Trades. During the merger that lasted 12 years, PSC was administered by the PNS Superintendent and its students who completed their courses were considered graduates of Philippine Normal School. The existence of the Philippine School of Commerce caught the attention of President Manuel L. Quezon. In his graduation address on March 26, 1940 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, he promised a new building for the school where its graduates can be recognized. Two years later, Congressman Manuel A. Alazarte together with the Department Head of the Philippine School of Commerce Luis F. Reyes, formulated a bill to this effect and present it to the Congress. Unfortunately, the plan was not carried out because of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines that occurred between 1942 and 1945 during World War II.[12]

Shortly after Philippine liberation, Superintendent Luis F. Reyes resumed the task for the re-establishment and rehabilitation of the school. The Bureau of Public Works released more than ₱8,000 for the repairs and maintenance of public buildings of which the school is a beneficiary. The ruins of the Normal Hall was reconstructed and the college resumed its classes there on August 4, 1946. In 1947, the Philippine Normal School converted the Normal Hall into a dormitory, resulting in the Philippine School of Commerce to resign to its former lot, where it held classes with overcrowded rooms. Because of its unbearable condition, the school made representations in the Philippine Alien Property Administrator, through Malacañang and the Department of Foreign Affairs, for the acquisition of the Lepanto site in Sampaloc. By August 4, 1947 the school transferred to its new Lepanto campus, and Luis F. Reyes was appointed as its superintendent.[12]

The Philippine School of Commerce was elevated into a college and was renamed as the Philippine College of Commerce in 1952 by virtue of Republic Act 778. Superintendent Luis F. Reyes became the President of the college.[15] It broadened its course offerings and the Annex Building, which had formerly housed the Congress of the Philippines, was turned over to the college. The Business Writers Association of the Philippines awarded the college the title of "Business College of the Year” in 1955.[15]

In 1962, Dr. Nemesio E. Prudente was appointed as President. He implemented numerous initiatives that greatly benefits the students such as student loans and the inclusion of the student council in the policy-making body of the college. Three years later, President Diosdado Macapagal proclaimed that the Pandacan site of the Bureau of Animal Industry (which is a slaughterhouse) to be reserved for the exclusive use of the college.[15][16] In 1968, the college offered social science courses related to business education. Also, the college was granted to use and dispose the A. Mabini Campus in Santa Mesa, Manila adjoining the former site of National Development Corporation, which will eventually become the main and flagship campus of the institution. It was also awarded the title lot for its S.H. Loyola (Lepanto) Campus. As a hotbed of student activism, a handful of its students participated in the First Quarter Storm, one of the factors leading up to the declaration of Martial Law in 1972.

The college moved out from its Lepanto campus and completed its transfer to the A. Mabini Campus in 1971. Through Presidential Decree 1341 that was proclaimed on April 1, 1978, the Philippine College of Commerce became a chartered state university and was accordingly renamed as the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. It strengthened PUP Manila campus' hold as the main and flagship campus because it hosts the offices of PUP's Executive Officials.[17]

In 1979, the construction of the Main Library, the University Canteen (Sampaguita Building), the Interfaith Chapel, and the addition of 3rd-5th floors of the Main Academic Building was completed (although the 5th floor finished its construction in 1984). The Institute of Technology was also created, which was later known as the College of Engineering and Architecture. Because of the addition of more technical, undergrad and postgraduate programs, PUP adopted the "cluster colleges" setup in 1984, where each college prepared the program and supervise all the subjects required in the degree program offered in the college.[18]

In 1986, Dr. Nemesio E. Prudente re-assumed the presidency of PUP. Under his presidency, PUP developed its physical facilities in Manila and in other campuses. He also formulated a new PUP logo, hymn and philosophy and had the University's organization restructured. PUP experience enhancement in its academic and co-curricular programs, upsurge in cultural activities, and maintains a dynamic physical education and sports program during his term. Because of what Prudente did, he was credited with revitalizing public education in the Philippines by institutionalizing much-needed changes in the state university he led, which will eventually become the largest state university.[19]

PUP Laboratory High School in the 1990s.

In the 1990s, PUP had its first lady president appointed, Dr. Zenaida A. Olonan. PUP established its Information and Technology Center (ICTC) in 1999. It started its operations a year later in 2000. By February 2000, PUP was conferred by the Commission on Higher Education as a Center of Development for Excellence (CODE) in Information Technology. PUP was also recognized as a Virtual Center for Technology Innovation in Information Technology by the Department of Science and Technology.[20]

PUP celebrated its Centennial Year in 2004. The countdown for the Centennial started in 1999. In 2003, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo proclaimed 2004 as the "PUP Centennial Year".[21] She also declared that the PUP Mabini Campus be the official and permanent home of the Mabini Shrine. The Shrine was transferred to PUP to protect it from the flood control project of the Metro Manila Development Authority. As a part of its Centennial Year, plans were drawn to construct the Diosdado P. Magapagal Law Center (College of Law Building) in Lepanto Campus and Freedom Plaza. Only the Plaza was constructed and the lot at Lepanto Campus where the Law Center is supposed to stand remains empty. PUP made the world's largest human rainbow during its centennial celebration held in Rizal Park to highlight the signing of the Declaration of Peace to be put before the United Nations.[22] PUP's largest human rainbow is made of 30,365 students, faculty, staff and alumni.[23]

In 2005, Dr. Dante G. Guevarra was appointed as the Officer-in-Charge of PUP. A year later, he became the Acting President. Notable achievements during his term include the creation of the web-based application system PUP iApply, the designation of PUP as Southeast Asia's first railway academy in 2007,[24] and PUP becoming as one of the sites for the entire nation's commemoration of the 110th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence. Among the notable structures built during this time include the Mabini Obelisk, Freedom Plaza, and the Fort Santiago replica walls of the Luntiang Pilipinas Forest Park.[20] Despite these achievements, however, Dr. Guevarra's tenure was also controversial due to allegations of graft and corruption, which was linked to the assassination of the Vice President for Administration during his term, Augustus Cezar.[25][26][27] Because of his unsatisfactory performance after the recent events, he was suspended from his duty as the President of PUP along with other University officials that are believed to be involved in the aforementioned the scandals.[28][29] In February 2020, Dr. Manuel M. Muhi was appointed as the new President of PUP.

PUP participated in a successful attempt to set a world record for most organ donation pledges in 2014, a project spearheaded by the Department of Health. It broke the record for most organ donation pledges in one hour. 3,548 people signed up in the span of 30 minutes, beating India's 2,755 pledged organ donors.[30][31] PUP placed 3rd in the "Go Green in the City" contest held at Paris, France in June 2015, representing the Philippines. Engineering students John Paul Santos and Christian Santa Romana won the award for their invention, the ELECTRIFILTER (Electricity Generation from Filthy Water). It generates electricity from waste water, has the capability to filter and cleanse water and is portable so that it can be delivered to places where clean water and electricity are short in supply.[32][33]

In September 2019, multiple bills have been filed in the House of Representatives and the Senate to elevate the status of PUP into the national polytechnic university.[34][35][36] The consolidated bill was vetoed by the President. Of all the state universities and colleges, only the University of the Philippines have a chartered national university status.

PUP Pylon

Freedom Plaza and the North Wing of the PUP Main Academic Building.

A photo of the PUP Jasmin Hostel, the home of the College of Tourism, Hospitality, and Transportation Management.

Mabini Shrine is a listed national cultural property.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines is located in Santa Mesa, Manila. Its campus lies adjacent to the banks of Pasig River. Most of PUP's building are designed as simple and modern. Some of the newest building in PUP are the Tahan ng Atleta (Home of the Athletes) which was designed in modern Georgian style, and the Engineering and Sciences Research Center designed by prominent Filipino Architect and PUP alumnus Royal Pineda.

Mabini Campus (Main Campus)

The marker of Mabini's death inside the antesala room where he died.

PUP Main Campus was named after Apolinario Mabini by Dr. Nemesio Prudente, when he reorganized the university in 1988.[37] The sprawling A. Mabini Campus, with 10.71 hectares, hosts the core cluster of academic buildings and services. The first building built on the site is the Main Academic Building, which was originally intended to be a military tenement. The Main Library, known as Ninoy Aquino Library and Learning Resources Center is regarded as one of the largest libraries in Southeast Asia.[38] The historic Mabini Shrine located east of the Freedom Plaza, is the house where Apolinario Mabini died.

Parks inside the campus include the Luntiang Pilipinas Forest Park, which contains a lagoon and is sealed by walls that imitates Fort Santiago and its walls in Intramuros, and the PUP Linear Park that was constructed in 2006 at the banks of Pasig River. Freedom Plaza was built for PUP's Centennial Year that was celebrated in 2004. Its construction was finished in 2007. Sports facilities in the campus include the PUP Gymnasium and Sports Center, an Olympic-size swimming pool, two basketball courts, tennis courts, and the university oval (sports ground) and grandstand.[39]

NDC Compound Campus

The Carriedo Mansion, popularly known as the PUP Antique House, is one of the assets transferred by the National Development Company to PUP. It is currently unusable.[40]

The PUP-NDC Compound Campus contains the Senior High School, College of Architecture and Fine Arts, College of Communication, College of Engineering, and the Institute of Technology.[39] Among its notable landmark is the Carriedo Mansion, which is popularly known as the Antique House. It was transferred by the National Development Corporation to the National Government in 1989 which in turn transferred it to PUP.[40] It also contains the PUP BPO Center which was launched through a partnership between PUP and the Civil Service Commission.

The campus of PUP was given by the National Development Corporation when it moved out in 1989, transferring all its assets to the national government which in turn will be given to PUP. The campus of the National Development Corporation is leased to several warehouses, factories and other government institutions and private offices. The lessees have the option to purchase the land according to their agreement with the company. When the National Development Corporation decided to move out, however, it decided that all its assets be transferred to the National Government and be given to PUP. This was ratified by President Corazon Aquino when she signed Memorandum Order No. 214, s. 1989 on January 6, 1989.

Firestone Ceramics, Incorporated is one of the lessees of the National Development Company. It occupies 1.8 hectares adjacent to the A. Mabini Campus. The company filed a case against PUP when the University tried to takeover the land they occupy. Because the land was protected by a contract between the NDC and Firestone Ceramics that enables the latter to purchase the land, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Firestone Ceramics and grant its right of first refusal. However, the Court acknowledges the need of PUP to expand, but says it can do so in other ways.[41] PUP unsuccessfully tries to takeover lot measuring 2,407 meters owned by Golden Horizon Realty Corporation inside the NDC Compound whose case is very similar to that of the Firestone Ceramics years earlier.[42]

In 2007, PUP purchased two five-storey condotel-hostel buildings near its NDC Campus from the Government Service Insurance System to accommodate its growing student population. The buildings, known as PUP Condotel, was worth ₱575.7 million upon its purchase. The Commission on Audit labeled it as a "waste of government funds" because the buildings are in unusable condition at the time of its purchase.[43] Only PUP Condotel Building A was rehabilitated and is currently in use while Building B is still unusable. The rehabilitation cost already amounted to ₱101.3 million as of 2013. The overall cost for the buildings, including its rehabilitation, already amounts to ₱677.1 million and balloons higher as rehabilitation continues.[44]

Governance of PUP is vested upon the Board of Regents, which exercises policy-making functions to carry out the mission and programs of the University by virtue of Republic Act No. 8292, the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997. PUP is administered by Dr. Manuel M. Muhi, President and he is assisted by an Executive Vice President and six Vice President.

As of December 31, 2016, PUP had a total of 3,078 personnel complement, composed of 2,236 faculty, 51 officials, 297 regular employees, 468 casual employees, 18 consultants and eight job orders inclusive of the branches and campuses.[1]

The Ninoy Aquino Library and Learning Resources Center is regarded as one of the largest libraries in Southeast Asia.

PUP is broadly organized into 14 colleges, two high school departments (the Laboratory High School and the Senior High School), the Open University System and a Graduate School. It offers an extensive selection of more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs.[48] The Graduate School and the College of Education confers doctoral and master's degrees.[49] The PUP Open University System, which offers its distance learning education programs, is the first institution of distance learning education in the Philippines and is located inside the Ninoy Aquino Library and Learning Resources Center.[50] The Institute of Technology does not require passing the entrance test for admission and offers six diploma programs.

PUP formerly has the lowest tuition among all the universities and colleges in the country. With the passage of Republic Act 10931, students of all State Universities and Colleges will have a subsidized tuition. Students will now only pay the miscellaneous fee.

An aerial view of the PUP Engineering and Architecture Building.

The oldest college in PUP is the College of Education, tracing its roots back as a course in business education in 1904. From the entrepreneurship courses offered in 1904 began the College of Business Administration, while the College of Accountancy and Finance started in 1960 as a bachelor program in Commerce with major in Accounting. The College of Computer and Information Sciences started in 1969 as an Electronic Data Process course offered by the College of Accountancy. To develop the culture of sports and athleticism, the present-day College of Human Kinetics was established in 1978 as the College of Physical Education and Sports. The College of Engineering was established in 1986 as the College of Engineering and Architecture.[51] In 2001, several collegiate departments were elevated into its own college which resulted in the establishment of the College of Architecture and Fine Arts, College of Communication, College of Law, and the College of Tourism, Hospitality, and Transportation Management. Its newest academic units are the College of Arts and Letters, College of Political Science and Public Administration and the College of Social Sciences and Development, all of which are founded through an organizational restructuring in 2012.[52]

The PUP Laboratory High School, which is one of few high schools in the country offering a commercial curriculum, is regarded as one of the best high schools in the country and serves as the laboratory school of the College of Education where students practice-teach. In 2015, the PUP Senior High School was created as a separate department from the Laboratory High School and currently offers all the tracks in the K-12 curriculum.

PUP's bachelor's program in Filipinology and Journalism were recognized by the Commission on Higher Education as Centers of Development.[53][54] Its Bachelor of Science in Information Technology program was recognized as a Center of Development for Excellence by the Commission on Higher Education from 2000 up to 2006.[20]

Research

The PUP Engineering and Science Research Center will house the CCIS, CE, and ITECH upon its opening.

Research is a major function of the university. As a result, research undertakings in PUP is extensive. The Office of the Vice President for Research, Extension, Planning and Development is the official research and planning agency of PUP. It is composed of six research offices and five institutes. PUP is a member of the De La Salle University–Commission on Higher Education Zonal Research Center,[61] and the Higher Education Research Consortium Philippines.[62] Three of its research publications are accredited by the Commission on Higher Education, these are the Mabini Review, PUP Journal Science and Technology and the Social Sciences and Development Review.[63]

PUP organized the 2011[64] and hosted the 2013 International Research Conference in Higher Education.[65]

The 4-storey Engineering and Science Research Center, designed by Filipino Architect Royal Pineda, is the central research building of PUP. Once completed, it will be occupied by the College of Computer and Information Sciences, the College of Engineering and the Institute of Technology. It will enhance future research undertakings of the university.

PUP has a variety of longstanding traditions and celebrations such as its month-long Founding Anniversary held every October, with post-foundation anniversary events being held afterwards. The Pylon Run, held annually at during founding anniversary by the PUP chapter of Alpha Phi Omega is PUP's own version of the Oblation Run.

Student organizations

PUPLHS Chorale performing at their anniversary concert "Committed" in 2012.

PUP's more than a hundred student organizations and clubs cover a wide range of interests. Cultural organizations are under the University Center for Culture and the Arts. The Central Student Council is the undergraduate student government of PUP. Under the Central Student Council is the PUP Commission on Student Organizations and Accreditation which have the mandate to accredit, re-accredit, or re-validate student organizations.

Notable political student organizations are the Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan (SAMASA), PUP SPEAK, Laban COC, Tinig CAL, and Lakas CSSD. Popular music organizations include the PUP Bagong Himig Serenata, PUPLHS Chorale, Polysound, and formerly the internationally acclaimed bamboo orchestra group PUP Banda Kawayan[66] (now known as Banda Kawayan Pilipinas).[67]

The Federation of Alumni Associations in PUP, Inc. (FEDAAPI) is the official alumni association of PUP. It oversees various activities for alumni such as class reunions, local gatherings, alumni travel, and career services. The PUP Tahanan ng Alumni Building was established through FEDAAPI.

Activism

Militant activist protesting at the Freedom Plaza.

PUP is known for its student activism.[68][69] PUP has many student groups focused on political reform. The militant national democratic partisan groups are the cause of frequent protest and rallies in the campus. PUP's variety of partisan groups include liberal, socialist, social democratic, and several political organizations.

In March 2013, some activist students burned chairs in a protest regarding an alleged tuition hike. The incident came in the wake of the suicide of a University of the Philippines Manila freshman who allegedly could not afford to pay her tuition.[70] The students involved in the violent protest faced sanctions from the university.[71] Student activists, however, have already destroyed school properties way back in 2010, where hundreds of agitated students walked out of the room and began throwing dilapidated chairs, tables, and examination papers from the Main Building to denounce an allegedly 2,000% tuition hike.[72]

PUP is also known for holding one of the first pride marches in Asia, with the first one organized in the 1990s. Since 2016, its LGBT organization Kasarianlan annually holds the PUP Pride March. Pride events are held on March in the university to spread awareness on LGBT rights and push for passage of policies including the Anti-discrimination bill.[73]

PUP has a variety of media outlets. The Observer is PUP's official publication and is published monthly on print and online. The militant student-run newspaper is called The Catalyst. PUP CreaTV is regarded as the first university-based online channel in the Philippines.[74] It was launched in February 2013 and its pioneer programs are "The Observer Flash Online" (newscast), "PUP TV: Pinaka Usap-usapan sa Pamantasan" (feature magazine program), and "State U" (web series).

DZMC is the campus radio station operated by the College of Communication. Its programming tentatively include news, sports, educational/children's programs, talk shows, commentaries, to music programs and request shows, mostly geared towards the interests of students, faculty and the administration. All operations have been put on hold, due to reasons of pending license application. DZ1PUP, an amateur radio club, is known for its involvement in a wide range of amateur radio activities, including contesting, research, and community involvement. PUPHAM-RCG, a non-profit university based radio station, is known to assist those who need fast and rapid response communications within the university and nearby areas.

The former PUP Gymnasium and Sports Center which was demolished in 2017 for the construction of a new University Gym on the same site.

PUP's varsity teams compete in the National Capital Region Conference of the State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association. The university's basketball team also played at the National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities in 2013.[75] The athletic teams of PUP are called the Mighty Maroons.

Its volleyball and basketball teams plays at the PUP Gymnasium and Sports Center. Softball is played at the PUP Oval field, which was recently rehabilitated in 2013. Non-varsity student sports clubs that compete with other area universities include the PUP Ultimate, which played at the 2011 University FriXbee Championship held at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

The university's official volleyball team also played at the 2nd Conference of the 12th Season of Shakey's V-League and was known as the PUP Lady Radicals; avoiding the usage of the name Mighty Maroons because of its resemblance to the name of rival team UP Fighting Maroons. The team was the replacement for the De La Salle Lady Spikers who pulled out of the league due to its commitment in other tournaments.[76]

The PUP Stars Cheerleading Team, the official cheerleading team representative of PUP, was formed in 1998 and was the champion in the 2011 SCUAA-NCR Cheerdance Competition. They were also the champion in the 2006 and 2010 season of the Philippine Inter Schools, Colleges and Universities Athletic Association cheerdance competition.

Persons affiliated to the university, either as students, faculty members, or administrators, are called as "PUPians". Like in all Philippine state universities, students and graduates are also called "Iskolar ng Bayan" (Scholars of the Nation).

• Polytechnic University of the Philippines