Republic Act 7889, entitled, "An Act Creating the University of the Philippines Mindanao," was enacted into law on February 20, 1995, by President Fidel V. Ramos, after decades of lobbying from Mindanaoan UP alumni for the creation of a “UP in Mindanao". On March 22 of the same year, the Board of Regents passed a resolution officially creating the University of the Philippines Mindanao. To emphasize the importance of RA 7889 to the Mindanaoans, a re-enactment of the signing was held at the
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, with President Ramos himself in attendance. In that same year, Rogelio V. Cuyno was appointed as UP Mindanao's first dean. The Lee Business Center in Juan Luna Street corner J. de la Cruz Street, and the Casa Mercado Building in Matina served as UP Mindanao's home from March to September 1995 and from September 1995 to January 1996 respectively, until it finally found its home at Ladislawa Avenue. In 1997, the Elias B. Lopez Residential Hall was constructed. It was initially envisioned to be a dormitory for female students, as the existing structures used by UP Mindanao inside the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) building was a male-only dormitory. ==Organization==