University of the Philippines Los Baños

Early History (1908-1930s) UPLB was originally established as the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (UPCA) on March 6, 1909, by the UP Board of Regents to promote agricultural education and research in the Philippines. In 1910, the Forest School was established as a branch of the College of Agriculture. By the early 1920s, enrollment had increased to 621 students, representing most provinces of the Philippines as well as several foreign countries, including China, Siam, Guam, Java, India, and Japan. This growth placed the UPCA among the larger units of the University of the Philippines during that period. World War II and Its Postwar Reconstruction (1940s) During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, UPCA was closed and the campus converted into an internment camp for allied nationals and a headquarters of the Japanese army. Only four paratroopers and two Filipino guerrillas were killed in the raid. However, Japanese reinforcements arrived two days later, destroying UPCA facilities UPCA became the first unit of the University of the Philippines to open after the war, with Leopoldo Uichanco as dean. However, only 125 (16 percent) of the original students enrolled. It was even worse for the School of Forestry, which only had nine students. Likewise, only 38 professors returned to teach. UPCA used its ₱470,546 (US$10,800) share in the Philippine-US War Damage Funds (released in 1947) for reconstruction. Further financial endowments from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Mutual Security Agency (MSA) allowed the construction of new facilities, while scholarship grants, mainly from the Rockefeller Foundation and the International Cooperation Administration, helped fund the training of UPCA faculty. From 1947 to 1958, a total of 146 faculty members had been granted MS and PhD scholarships in US universities. Dairy Training and Research Institute, and the Department of Food Science and Technology. New facilities were also constructed under his Five-Year Development Program. Cornell University was instrumental in the post-war rebuilding of UP's Los Baños colleges. The Cornell-Los Baños project, implemented in 1952 to 1960, involved the rebuilding of UPCA's physical plant and Central Experiment Station, procurement of scientific equipment, and upgrading of teaching standards. A similar undertaking between Cornell, Syracuse University, the State University of New York, and the UP College of Forestry was implemented between 1957 and 1963. A "sister university relationship" was formally established in 1962 through the UP-Cornell Graduate Education program, which sought to develop and expand UP's agricultural education, research and extension programs, and to strengthen Cornell's own international agricultural development program. The program ended in 1972. Birth of UPLB’s Autonomy (1970s-1990s) Political and Institutional Challenges The 1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis under the Ferdinand Marcos government marked the beginning of a prolonged period of social unrest across the country, including in UP Los Baños. This period of unrest, which included the First Quarter Storm, coincided with another issue, which was the call for the UP College of Agriculture to become independent from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. New colleges and research centers were created over the next few years, while the College of Veterinary Medicine was likewise transferred to UPLB from UP Diliman. Following the death of Chancellor Samonte in December 25, 1978, Dr. Emil Q. Javier succeeded him as the second chancellor (1979–1985), later serving as UP System President (1993–1999). Javier had been instrumental in building the university’s research infrastructure even prior to his chancellorship, notably as the founding director of the Institute of Plant Breeding. In 1983, through Javier’s initiative, Executive Order No. 889 was issued to establish the National Centers of Excellence in the Basic Sciences. The order designated several units within the UP System as national centers to bolster the country's scientific research capacity. At UP Los Baños, this included the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, the Institute of Chemistry, and the Institute of Biological Sciences. Dr. Javier's leadership continued at the system level during his term as UP President (1993–1999). During this period, he led the establishment of UP Open University and UP Mindanao, and institutionalized the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod volunteer program. He also expanded the biotechnology program into a network known as the National Institutes of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB), with units across the UP System's major campuses. Student Journalism Meanwhile, the establishment of UPLB as an autonomous campus also saw the establishment of the UPLB Perspective as its student paper in 1973 – earning it the distinction of being one of the first student newspapers to be allowed to publish after the September 1972 martial law crackdown on newspapers and other media establishments. UPLB’s graduate programs have also continued to expand across diverse disciplines, with the 2020s marking the introduction of notable programs in environmental management, resilience, and sustainability as well as new “PhD by Research” programs. In 2015, the Nagoya University Asian Satellite Campuses Institute was established at the Graduate School, offering transnational doctoral programs in various fields. UPLB has also launched Dual Doctor of Philosophy by Research programs with the University of Montpellier in France, the University of Reading and the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, and Curtin University in Australia (in collaboration with UP Mindanao), allowing students to earn doctorates from both institutions through joint supervision and study arrangements. Academic Reforms and the Pandemic Years Institutionally, the university responded to national reforms, notably navigating the academic adjustments and student intake gap caused by the implementation of the K-12 Basic Education Program in the mid-2010s. Simultaneously, UPLB adopted the Student Academic Information System (SAIS) for registration, a controversial digital transition that generated significant and sustained student protests due to technical difficulties. During the pandemic years (2020-2021), the UP including UPLB shifted to remote learning and research, mobilized experts and resources to aid the national COVID-19 response. UPLB also established a subnational COVID-19 testing laboratory equipped with an RT-PCR machine, repurposing one of its existing research facilities for this effort. Recent Campus Development In recent years (2022-2025), the government launched new construction projects in UPLB. These include the construction of a new main library, the Food Processing Research and Development Center, the Agricultural and Economic Development Studies Center, and a microbial bank for the BIOTECH Philippine National Collection of Microorganisms. Construction of the Agricultural Genomics Research Center (AGRC), a collaboration among UPLB, KOICA, and IRRI, has begun and is set to be completed in early 2026 as a state-of-the-art hub for genome-based research advancing crop and livestock improvement, food security, and capacity building. Other Notable Incidents Affecting the UPLB Community When martial law was declared in September 1972, Marcos cracked down on any form of criticism or activism, leading to the arrest, torture and/or killing of Los Baños residents. Those killed included student activists Alexander Mecenas Gonzales, Modesto "Bong" Sison, and Manuel Bautista, campus journalists Antero Santos and Alfredo Malicay, and botany teaching fellow Cesar Hicaro. Meanwhile, Chemistry instructor Aloysius Baes was among those who were arrested and tortured. Those who went missing ("desaparecidos"), meanwhile, included Tish Ladlad, Cristina Catalla, Gerardo "Gerry" Faustino, Rizalina Ilagan, Ramon Jasul, and Jessica Sales. Violent crime incidents in the UPLB community, with some resulting in the deaths of students (Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez in 1993, Given Grace Cebanico in 2011, Ray Bernard Peñaranda and Maria Victoria Reyes in 2012) were widely covered by the national media. As a result, national government agencies, the local government of Los Baños, and the university administration have enacted more stringent security measures. ==Organization and Administration==

Colleges and Schools UPLB is composed of 9 colleges and 2 schools offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. These colleges specialize in fields such as agriculture, forestry, engineering, human ecology, veterinary medicine, arts and sciences, economics, and development communication, providing academic and research opportunities. Administration As part of the University of the Philippines System, UPLB is governed by the 11-person UP Board of Regents, which is jointly chaired by the head of the Commission on Higher Education and the UP president. Under him are six vice-chancellors specializing in academic affairs, administration, community affairs, planning and development, research and extension, and student affairs. The current chancellor is Dr Jose Camacho, the tenth to hold the office. Moreover, UPLB, through the UP System, is a member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, a consortium of leading research universities in the Asia-Pacific region. Student government The University Student Council (USC) is the "highest governing body of all UPLB students." Together with college student councils (CSCs), it assembles as the Student Legislative Chamber and acts as the highest policy-making body of the USC. The USC is composed of a chairperson, vice-chairperson, 10 councilors, a representative for each college/school with less than 500 students, and an additional college representative for every 500 students in excess of the first 500. Members are given one-year terms. CSCs have a similar structure, but with a different number of councilors based on the student population. The Student Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT), under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA), is responsible for sanctioning erring students. Common offenses include student misconduct and fraternity rumbles. The SDT is composed of a chairperson, two appointees of the chancellor, a student juror, and a parent juror. ==Degree Programs==

UPLB offers 148 undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning the natural and social sciences, agriculture and environmental fields, engineering, communication, and human ecology through its nine colleges and two schools. It also awards high school diplomas through the University of the Philippines Rural High School (UPRHS), a subunit of the College of Arts and Sciences, which acts as a laboratory for its BS Mathematics and Science Teaching students. Undergraduate Programs Source: Some graduate courses are being offered at the UP Professional School for Agriculture and the Environment (PSAE), an extension campus of UPLB in Panabo City, Davao del Norte. Dual degree programs are also being offered with UPLB's partner foreign universities. == Academics ==

Admission and graduation UPLB admits more than 2,500 students and produces about 1,800 graduates every year. Undergraduate admission is determined by the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT). Examinees that select UPLB as their preferred campus and garner a University Predicted Grade (UPG) within the standard cut-off are automatically eligible for admission. Those who do not automatically qualify may file an appeal for reconsideration if their UPG is within the actual cut-off, though the appeal process does not guarantee admission. The cut-off scores may be adjusted according to a variety of factors. In 2010 and 2011, UPLB had a standard UPG cut-off of 2.42 while the actual cut-off was 2.8. But in 2014 and 2015, UPLB had a standard cut off score of 2.3. Seventy percent of slots are given to incoming freshmen with the highest scores, while the remaining thirty percent are given to public high school students and members of minority groups. High school freshman admission, on the other hand, is determined by the eight-hour-long UPRHS Entrance Examination. Only the top 125 examinees are admitted. Sophomore transferees take the two-day UPRHS Validation Examination, and are admitted depending on the available slots. Normally, a student who completes the program may graduate with honors if his general weighted average (GWA) is 1.75 or above. The title summa cum laude is awarded to graduates who obtain a GWA of 1.20 or above, magna cum laude to graduates with a GWA of 1.45 to 1.20, and cum laude to graduates with a GWA of between 1.75 and 1.45. As of 2011 there have been 30 summa cum laudes who have graduated from UPLB. Tuition and financial aid With the passage of Republic Act 10931, tuition and fees have been waived for students pursuing their degrees for the first time in exchange for return service, although it is possible to opt out and pay the full tuition instead. Before this law was passed, the base tuition fee per unit in UPLB was ₱1,000 (US$23). Those with annual family incomes above ₱1,000,000 were charged ₱1,500 (US$35) per unit. Libraries and collections As of 2007, UPLB's 12 libraries, collectively referred to as the University Library, hold a total of 346,061 volumes. 195,282 of these volumes are housed at the Main Library, while the rest are in unit libraries. The Main Library also houses theses, digital sources, and 1,215 serial titles, among other materials. UPLB manages the UPLB Museum of Natural History, which was established in 1976 at the foothills of Mt. Makiling. It holds over 600,000 biological specimens, including half of the specimens from the Philippine Water Bug Inventory Project, and a third of the Dioscoro S. Rabor Wildlife Collection. More than half of the specimens belong to the entomological collection. While most of its collections are in its main building, some are housed in other UPLB units. ==Campus==

The UPLB campus consists of spread across the provinces of Laguna, Negros Occidental, and Quezon. Los Baños campus The Los Baños campus houses UPLB's academic facilities, as well as experimental farms for agriculture and biotechnology research. The more prominent buildings in the Los Baños campus, such as the Dioscoro L. Umali Hall, Main Library, and Student Union were designed by National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin. Other notable landmarks include the iconic Oblation, Alumni Plaza, Freedom Park, and Baker Memorial Hall. UPLB is designated as caretaker of the It serves as an outdoor laboratory for faculty and students of the university. Land grants UPLB has three major land grants: the Laguna-Quezon Land Grant, La Carlota Land Grant, and Laguna Land Grant. The La Carlota Land Grant is situated in Negros Occidental, a province in the Western Visayas region. Acquired in May 1964, it houses the PCARRD-DOST La Granja Agricultural Research Center, which serves as a research center for various upland crops. Meanwhile, the UP Professional School for Agriculture and the Environment The UP Professional School for Agriculture and the Environment (UP PSAE) in Panabo City was established in 2016 to cater to agribusiness professionals in the Davao metropolitan area. Supervised by the UPLB Graduate School, UP PSAE was established through a grant by Damosa Land Inc., a leading property developer in Mindanao. ==Research==

under ultraviolet light Research centers Six research institutes were named Centers of Excellence in Research via presidential decree: Institute of Plant Breeding, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, National Crop Protection Center, Farming Systems and Soil Resources Institute, and National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. UPLB hosts a number of international research institutes, including the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, the International Rice Research Institute, the World Fish Center, the World Agroforestry Center, and the Asia Rice Foundation. The APEC Center for Technology Exchange and Training for Small and Medium Enterprises (ACTETSME), established in 1996 through the initiative of then President Fidel V. Ramos during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in Seattle, USA, is also located at the university's Science & Technology Park. Local research institutions such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, Department of Science and Technology's Forest Products Research and Development Institute, and Department of Agriculture's Philippine Carabao Center are headquartered or have offices at the university. The main office of IRRI's Philippine counterpart, the Philippine Rice Research Institute, used to be located at UPLB but was transferred to Muñoz, Nueva Ecija in 1990. It continues to maintain a research office at the university. Scientific journals Three UPLB-published journals, the Philippine Agricultural Scientist, the Philippine Journal of Veterinary Medicine, and the Journal of Environmental Sciences and Management are listed in the SCImago Journal Rankings. SCImago gave these an h-index (a measure of "actual scientific productivity" and "apparent scientific impact") of 18, 6, and 12, respectively. These journals are also listed in the ISI Web of Knowledge, along with two other UPLB-published journals: the Philippine Entomologist and the Philippine Journal of Crop Science. Biotechnology research at UPLB One of the earliest innovations of UPLB was the production of CAC 87 sugar cane in 1919. This high-yielding variety is resistant to fiji and mosaic viruses, and produces more sucrose than other varieties. Its derivatives significantly increased sugar cane production in the Philippines. Research in the 1960s allowed for the efficient mass production of macapuno (a type of coconut with jelly-like meat), while studies started in 1998 that produced delayed-ripening papaya continue to this day. The research is credited for the increase in Philippine papaya production, with the production of year 2000 rising to in 2007. In 1974, UPLB researchers discovered mango flower induction by potassium nitrate, making it possible for the fruit to be available year-round. It is credited for tripling yield and for "revolutionizing" the country's mango industry. De Luxe ran over using gasanol for a period of five years. Biofuel research in 2007 under the National Biofuel Program has considered new sources of biofuel, such as coconuts, Moringa oleifera, and sunflower seeds. Efforts have been concentrated on the Jatropha curcas due to its low maintenance and fast yield. Other fuel, such as coconut biofuel, were found to be too costly. Biofuel from Sorghum bicolor, Manihot esculenta crantz and Chlorella vulgaris are also being studied. Nanotechnology research UPLB's nanotechnology program focuses on research and innovation in agriculture, food, and forest products. It has developed nanosensors and nanostructured materials from agriculture by-products, helping improve agricultural productivity. Moreover, it has developed and commercialized "nanofertilizers" that can be substituted for synthetic fertilizers. Researchers found that these nanofertilizers reduced fertilizer application by up to 50 percent compared with using conventional fertilizers, and are less likely to cause soil toxicity and imbalance. Studies showed that using the nanofertilizers increased the net profit of farmers by 40 percent in rice, 20 percent in corn, and 48 percent in potato. It also increased eggplant yield by 36 percent, cabbage by 5 percent, and cane tonnage by 46 percent. Significant increases in yield were also observed for coffee, cacao, and banana. In 2021, the government launched a program to optimize the manufacturing of these nanofertilizers. ==Student life==

Student organizations As of May 2020, there are 159 recognized student organizations in UPLB. Of these, 68 are academic, 15 cultural, one international, eight religious, 30 socio-civic, six sports and recreational, 11 varsitarian, 13 fraternities, and 7 sororities. There are also a number of organizations that exist but are not officially recognized by the university. Regional organizations were not recognized by UPLB prior to September 2008, when the University of the Philippines board of regents repealed Chapter 72 Article 444 of the 1984 University of the Philippines Code, which states that "organizations which are provincial, sectional or regional in nature shall not be allowed in the University System." Likewise, Section 3 of the code states that "the University of the Philippines System is a public, secular, non-profit institution of higher learning." Due to this, religious organizations have had some difficulty in getting recognized. Only recognized organizations are allowed to use UPLB facilities. The system of student organizations in UPLB is different from that of other UP constituents in that freshmen are not allowed to join any organization until they have earned at least 30 units. Loyalty Day Every October 10, UPLB celebrates Loyalty Day, which has also become UPLB's alumni homecoming. The celebration commemorates events in 1918 when more than half of students and faculty (193 out of 300 students and 27 out of 32 faculty), including two women, enlisted in the Philippine National Guard for service in France during World War I. The volunteers never saw action as the Allied Forces signed an armistice with Germany during the same year, essentially ending the war. Feb Fair The university holds a major campus fair, known as "Feb Fair", during Valentine's week. The fair was initially held to express opposition to martial law under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who abolished student organizations and student councils. Media The UPLB Perspective is the official student publication of UPLB. The university administration has been repeatedly criticized for allegedly interfering in the selection process of its editor-in-chief. Other campus publications include UPLB Horizon and UPLB Link. Meanwhile, the College of Development Communication (CDC) publishes the experimental community newspaper Los Baños Times. CDC runs the radio station DZLB 1116, the oldest educational radio station in the Philippines. Founded in August 1964 with a broadcast power of 250 watts at 1210 kHz, the station serves as a distance education tool and training facility. It currently operates through a five-kilowatt transmitter located near the main gate of the campus. The station was the 1994 recipient of the KBP Golden Dove Award for Best AM Radio Station as well as a Catholic Mass Media Award for Best Educational Radio Program in 2010. ==People==

File:Retrato_de_Eduardo_Quisumbing_(cropped).jpg| National Scientist Eduardo Quisumbing File:Francisco Santos NAST.jpg| National Scientist Francisco O. Santos File:Pedro_Escuro_NAST.jpg| National Scientist Pedro B. Escuro File:Dolores_Ramirez_NAST.jpg| National Scientist Dolores Ramirez File:Gelia_T._Castillo_ONS.jpg| National Scientist Gelia T. Castillo File:ClareBaltazar.jpg| National Scientist Clare Baltazar File:Emerlinda Roman.jpg| Former U.P. President Emerlinda R. Roman File:Migz_Zubiri_-_2021.jpg|Former Senate President Migz Zubiri File:Abby-Binay_pia_(cropped).jpg| Former Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay File:Arsenio M. Balisacan (2023).jpg|Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan UPLB alumni have been recognized in a wide range of fields. They include 16 scientists awarded the title National Scientist of the Philippines, Palanca Award winners, as well as political and business leaders. Scientists People associated with the university include alumni, faculty, and honorary degree recipients. They include 16 out of 41 National Scientists of the Philippines: Eduardo Quisumbing, 1980 (Plant Taxonomy, Systematics, and Morphology), Francisco M. Fronda, 1983 (Animal Husbandry), Francisco O. Santos, 1983 (Human Nutrition and Agricultural Chemistry), Julian Banzon, 1986 (Chemistry), Dioscoro L. Umali, 1986 (Agriculture and Rural Development), Pedro B. Escuro, 1994 (Genetics and Plant Breeding), Dolores Ramirez, 1998 (Biochemical Genetics and Cytogenetics), Jose R. Velasco, 1998 (Plant Physiology), Gelia T. Castillo, 1999 (Rural Sociology), Bienvenido O. Juliano, 2000 (Organic Chemistry), Clare R. Baltazar, 2001 (Systematic Entomology), Benito Vergara, 2001 (Plant Physiology), Ricardo M. Lantican, 2005 (Plant Breeding), Teodulo M. Topacio Jr. 2008 (Veterinary Medicine), Ramon Barba 2014 (Horticulture), Emil Q. Javier 2019 (Agriculture), and Romulo Davide 2024 (Nematology)., Catanduanes Governor Patrick Azanza and Makati City mayor Abigail Binay. Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual was a faculty member prior to his appointment. Both of its honorary degree recipients held influential roles in their respective countries' politics. They are Salim Ahmed Salim, former Prime Minister of Tanzania, and Sirindhorn, Princess of Thailand. Academic officials Former UP presidents Bienvenido Maria Gonzalez (1939–1943; 1945–1951), Emil Q. Javier (1993-1999) and Emerlinda R. Roman (2005-2011) graduated from UPLB, and UP Open University. Alumni who held ranking posts at other academic and research institutions include Jikun Huang, Founder and Director of the Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kyu-Seong Lee, Director-General of South Korea's Rural Development Administration, and Weerapon Thongma, President of Maejo University in Thailand. Business executives San Miguel Corporation Chairman and CEO Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. and Bounty Agro Ventures President Ronald Daniel Mascariñas also attended UPLB. ==See also==