in Davao City in Iloilo City
Origins and early history (1900s–1920s) In the late 19th century, many Filipinos pursued higher education in Spain and other European universities, highlighting the absence of a comparable institution in the Philippines that could provide advanced instruction across various fields. To address this need, the University of the Philippines was established on June 18, 1908, through . Act No. 1870 of the First Philippine Legislature, otherwise known as the "University Act". It was envisioned as the country's premier institution of higher learning, with a mandate to provide "advanced instruction in literature, philosophy, the sciences, and the arts and to give professional and technical training," regardless of "age, sex, nationality, religious belief, or political affiliation." The university began with the organization of its first academic units. The earliest established in 1909 were the
College of Agriculture and the School of Fine Arts. The academic units were initially spread across various locations, with most situated in Manila as it served as the main campus. The College of Agriculture was established in
Los Baños, at the foot of
Mount Makiling, while the School of Fine Arts opened in a private property on R. Hidalgo Street in
Quiapo, Manila. By 1938, a property in Marikina (now part of Quezon City) owned by the Philippine National Bank emerged as a leading option. During
World War II, most of its colleges had to be closed except the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Engineering. Meanwhile, the
Japanese Imperial Army occupied three Diliman campus buildings: the College of Liberal Arts Building (now Benitez Hall) and the Colleges of Law (now Malcolm Hall) and Business Administration Building. The Japanese also occupied the campus of the College of Agriculture in Los Baños. UP President Bienvenido Ma. Gonzalez sought a grant of ₱ 13 million from the US-Philippines War Damage Commission. A massive rehabilitation and construction effort was executed during the post-war years. For the first time, an extensive Diliman campus master plan and map were created in 1949. More buildings were built across the Diliman campus landscape: the University Library (Gonzalez Hall), the
College of Engineering (Melchor Hall), the Women's Residence Hall (now Kamia Residence Hall), the
Conservatory of Music (Abelardo Hall and now the College of Music), the Administration Building (Quezon Hall), and the UP President's Residence. Most colleges and administration offices were temporarily housed in huts and shelters made of sawali and galvanized iron. The transfer of the university to its new campus in Diliman took place between December 16, 1948, and January 11, 1949, as scheduled, with classes resuming at the new site on January 12, 1949. During the quadragesimal anniversary celebration on February 11, 1949, the
Oblation statue—the last movable property from the Manila campus—was formally relocated to Diliman. The transfer was marked by a motorcade of alumni and students. The
New People's Army was gaining ground, and labor strikes and student protests—fueled by rising oil prices and contentious government policies—became increasingly common among UP constituents. In 1972,
President Marcos declared
Martial Law, further intensifying the political climate. Amid these tensions, a movement advocating for the autonomy of the
Los Baños campus emerged, calling for its establishment as an independent agricultural university. Supporters cited perceived injustices from the
Diliman administration, including the rejection of academic proposals that hindered college growth, as well as administrative and fiscal issues. This marked the beginning of a multi-campus UP System envisioned to strengthen the university through a network of academic centers across the country. On October 28, 1977, autonomy was likewise granted to the Health Sciences Center in Manila, which brought together UP's health-related academic units and the
Philippine General Hospital under a unified organizational framework. This was followed on May 31, 1979, by the establishment of the
University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) as an autonomous university, with its main campus in Miagao, Iloilo, and the College of Fisheries as its flagship unit. The presidency of
Carlos P. Romulo (1962–1968) saw the establishment of several Diliman units, including the Population Institute, Law Center, and Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry Training Center (1964); the Institute of Mass Communication, College of Business Administration, and Institute of Planning (1965); the Computer Center and Institute for Small-Scale Industries (1966); the Institute of Social Work and Community Development (1967); and the Asian Center (1968). In Los Baños, the 1960s saw the establishment of international linkages, particularly through collaborations with the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), founded in 1960, and the
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), founded in 1966. The campus also expanded its research and extension functions with the establishment of specialized units including the Dairy Training and Research Institute (1962),
Institute of Plant Breeding (1975), National Crop Protection Center (1976), Post-Harvest Horticulture and Training Center (1977), and the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (1979). Several colleges and institutes were also established following the autonomy in 1972. On April 26, 1982, UP Diliman was formally designated as a constituent university, almost a decade after the reorganization of UP Although Diliman was the seat of the UP Administration, the campus was not immediately constituted after 1972. It was administered, along with the
Manila unit, prior to the organization of the Health Sciences Center, as a
de facto university. On March 23, 1983, Executive Order No. 889 established a system of National Centers of Excellence in the Basic Sciences within UP. The mandate authorized the Board of Regents to formally organize these centers by elevating existing academic units and programs to bolster the country's scientific manpower. Under this system, the National Institute of Physics (NIP), the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS), and the Natural Sciences Research Institute (NSRI) were designated as national centers in UP Diliman. Concurrently, the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Institute of Chemistry (IC), and the Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS) were established as national centers in UP Los Baños. This reorganization provided these units with specialized funding and administrative flexibility to lead national research and development efforts. UP President
José Abueva introduced the Socialized Tuition Fee Assistance Program (STFAP) in 1987. Abueva also institutionalized a Filipino language policy within the university. He signed a landmark agreement with then-Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos. Known as the UP-DND Accord, it restricted the entry of military and police forces into UP campuses without prior notification to the university administration.
Expansion of the UP System (1990s) Emil Q. Javier, an agricultural scientist and former chancellor of UP Los Baños, served as president of the UP System from 1993 to 1999. During his term, initiatives in distance education were pursued, which later contributed to the establishment of the
UP Open University. His administration also oversaw the expansion and strengthening of the UP System through the establishment of
UP Mindanao, the National Institutes of Biotechnology across major UP constituents, the
National Institutes of Health in
UP Manila, and the creation of
Ugnayan ng Pahinungod, the university's volunteer service program. Its mandate emphasizes science, technology, and agricultural education. In 2005,
Emerlinda R. Roman, a professor of business administration and former chancellor of UP Diliman, became the first woman to lead the university system. Her presidency coincided with the 2008 UP Centennial, during which she led a campaign to fund the modernization of university services and facilities. This period was also marked by the appointment of several faculty members from the College of Business Administration to administrative leadership positions, including roles in the UP System Budget Office, the UP Provident Fund, and the UP Foundation. A significant milestone of her term was the passage of the UP Charter of 2008 (Republic Act 9500), which formally designated the institution as the national university. to light the
eternal flame on the Centennial Cauldron at Quezon Hall. Torches were carried by, among others, Fernando Javier, 100, of
Baguio, the oldest UP
alumnus (
Civil Engineering from
University of the Philippines Manila, 1933), Michael Dumlao, a 6th-grader from the
University of the Philippines Integrated School in
UP Diliman and UP President
Emerlinda Roman, the first woman president of the university. The Centennial Cauldron features three pillars to represent the three core values, and seven flowers representing the seven constituent universities, i.e. UP Manila, UP Diliman (together with UP Pampanga, its extension campus), UP Los Baños, UP Baguio, UP Visayas, UP Mindanao, and UP Open University. The
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and UP issued commemorative
₱ 100 UP Centennial notes at the BSP Security Plant Complex in Quezon City. The notes appear as four-outs (four uncut pieces) in a folder featuring the signatures of all UP presidents including Roman. Inspired by the
UP Oblation, the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) launched an art exhibit, "100 Nudes/100 Years" featuring the works of nine UP alumni national artists.
UPAA 2008 centennial yearbook The University of the Philippines Alumni Association announced its launch of a three-volume UPA.A. 2008 Centennial Yearbook on June 21, 2008, at the U.P.A.A. Grand Alumni-Faculty Homecoming and Reunion at the
Araneta Coliseum,
Cubao, Quezon City. The theme is "U.P. Alumni: Excellence, Leadership and Service in the Next 100 Years," with the three cover designs showing the works of National Artists
Napoleon Abueva,
Abdulmari Asia Imao, and
Benedicto Cabrera, respectively. Chief Justice
Reynato Puno is the Yearbook's most distinguished alumnus awardee (among 46 other awardees).
UP Charter of 2008 The UP Charter of 2008, Republic Act No. 9500, was signed by President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo into law on April 29, 2008, at the UP Library Conference Hall in Lahug,
Cebu. It aims "to provide both institutional and fiscal autonomy to UP, specifically, to protect student's democratic access and strengthen administration through the recognition of UP System's Board of Regents and UP Council." The new charter declared UP as the Philippines' national university, giving it "the enhanced capability to fulfill its mission and spread the benefits of knowledge." The new charter will help improve its competitiveness. The newly designated "national university" however, needs ₱ 3.6 billion to be on a par with other universities in the region.
UP-Ayala Land TechnoHub The centennial ₱6 billion, UP-Ayala Land TechnoHub, a complex of low-rise buildings along Commonwealth Avenue, within the of the UP North Science and Technology Park, was constructed on February 16, 2006, and inaugurated on November 22, 2008. It was developed by
Ayala Land into an information technology and IT-enabled services community to host business process outsourcing (BPO) and technology firms.
Enhanced motto On May 14, 2024,
Angelo Jimenez proclaimed UP's new
logo and "Honor, Excellence, Service"
motto. ==Autonomous units==