During the opening ceremony of the inaugural UP Diliman QAhusayan Fair 2026 held on September 7, 2026, Dean Dina C. Magnaye, presented the transformative journey of the School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP) as a world-class academic unit of the University of the Philippines. Her keynote address, titled “Strengthening Systems, Uniting People, Reimagining Processes, and Propelling Impact: SURP Quality Journey from Commitment to Excellence,” detailed how SURP actively operationalized its strategic vision to position itself as a globally recognized and quality-assured center for graduate education, research, and governance across Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific. Central to the School’s transformation was the implementation of the Enterprise Performance and Evaluation Scorecard (ePES), a numerical assessment framework that monitored SURP’s operational milestones, consistently exceeding annual performance targets and rising from an 80% rating in 2022 to a 93% achievement rate in 2025.
School of Urban and Regional Planning Dean Dina C. Magnaye delivered the keynote address during the opening ceremony of the QAhusayan Fair.
A central theme of the keynote address was that true quality extends far beyond regulatory compliance, audit checklists, and static paperwork. Dean Magnaye emphasized that achieving sustainable excellence requires moving past records maintenance to instill a proactive culture centered on evidence-based continuous improvement. To operationalize this mindset, UP SURP grounded its strategy in its core values—Selfless Service, Unity, Respect, and Passion for Purpose and People—while executing the six foundational principles: leadership, academic program integration, evidence-based practices, continuous learning, people-centricity, and public engagement. The School standardized its internal administrative systems by aligning Individual and Office Performance Commitment Reviews (IPCR/OPCR) with its multi-year business plans, restructuring core course syllabi under Outcome-Based Education (OBE) frameworks, establishing standardized thesis, job, and competency manuals, and maximizing previously underutilized institutional data.
This collective approach enabled the school to attain the Level I of the Philippine Quality Award (PQA) entirely through internal alignment and capacity building without relying on external consultants. This distinction made SURP the first degree-granting unit in the entire UP System to earn PQA recognition, awarded on July 17, 2024 at the Heroes’ Hall, Malacañang Palace. SURP’s journey offers a concrete and highly replicable blueprint for academic units across UP Diliman, demonstrating that high-level quality assurance standards are achievable while maintaining academic independence and relying on native talent.
Rather than treating accolades as a final destination, UP SURP views its quality milestones as stepping stones toward broader global impact. Looking ahead, SURP is directing its strategic priorities toward full curricular revisions for all graduate programs, building retrofitting, and qualification for international benchmarks such as the Global Performance Governance Systems Recognition and the Global Performance Excellence Awards (GPEA) under the Asia Pacific Quality Organization. Moreover, its Master of Arts (Urban and Regional Planning) program is poised to undergo assessment through the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) in June 2027.
By framing quality as an everyday working standard rather than a temporary demonstration for evaluators, SURP sets an inspiring precedent for the broader university ecosystem. Its success serves as both a roadmap and a call to action for other colleges to move past bare-minimum compliance, harness their own internal data, and cultivate a shared culture of excellence across Ultimately, SURP’s journey stands as a powerful reminder that honor and excellence are not static ideals to be evaluated, but daily practices to be lived.
UPD QAO Director Evangeline C. Amor and UP Diliman Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II presented the Certificate of Appreciation to School of Urban and Regional Planning Dean Dina C. Magnaye for her keynote address during the opening ceremony of the QAhusayan Fair.
Know more about the QAhusayan Fair here: https://qa.upd.edu.ph/the-up-diliman-qahusayan-fair/.
Another graduate program of the UP Population Institute (UPPI) successfully underwent the external quality review process on October 19-22, 2026, marking the completion of the first round of external quality assurance (EQA) of both graduate programs of the Institute. The Master in Population Studies (M PopStud) program engaged external quality reviewers from UP Diliman and foreign higher education institutions. Under the UP QA System, the visit is categorized as EQA Type D, and was partly funded through the Visiting Professor Program of the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA). University and College administrators, External Quality Reviewers, and representatives of the Master in Population Studies program posed for a group photo during the opening session of the 6th External Quality Review Visit. From left to right: Associate Professor Apryl Mae C. Parcon, Graduate Program Coordinator; Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Mary Ann G. Bacolod; Professor Emeritus Irene Villaseñor; Associate Professor Chalermpol Chamchan; Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Maria Vanessa Lusung-Oyzon; UP Population Institute Director Maria Paz Marquez; and Associate Professor Jake Rom D. Cadag, Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Office of the Associate Dean for Research, Extension, and Publications. The review was led by Professor Emeritus Irene Villaseñor from the UP
The Master of Science (Geography), Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy), and Bachelor of Public Administration programs of the University of the Philippines Diliman successfully completed the 5th External Quality Review (EQR) Visit held from September 30 to October 2, 2026. The three degree programs serve distinct academic and professional purposes, from advancing geographical research and understanding complex ideas to preparing students for careers in education, private industries, and public service. Reviewing them presented an opportunity to examine how their curricula and learning experiences prepare graduates to apply their knowledge in their respective fields and respond to the needs of the communities and sectors they serve. The External Quality Reviewers, UPD Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II, UPD QAO Director Evangeline C. Amor, CSSP Dean Ruth R. Lusterio-Rico, and NCPAG Dean Kristoffer B. Berse posed for a group photo during the opening session. The review was conducted by an EQR Team composed of academic and quality assurance practitioners from UP Diliman and UP Manila. Professor Emeritus Irene M. Villaseñor of the Institute of Chemistry served as the Lead External Quality Reviewer (EQR) for the MS Geography program, as well as the Chief of the EQR team. She was assisted by Associate Professor
Culminating a week of collaborative learning and unit showcases, the inaugural UP Diliman QAhusayan Fair concluded on September 11, 2026 with a celebratory closing ceremony.
The UPD QAO held the inaugural QAhusayan Fair from September 7 to 11, 2026, officially marking September as the University’s QA Month, with the theme “Empowering Excellence through a Culture of Quality.”
The UP Diliman College of Engineering, in partnership with UP Diliman Quality Assurance Office, successfully conducted the week-long CoE Self-Assessment Report (SAR) Writing Workshop on August 10-14, 2026, targeting the continuous quality improvement of their graduate degree programs.
The BS Biology and BS FLCD programs of UP Diliman successfully underwent the 504th AUN-QA Programme Assessment on July 21-23, 2026, together with the Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and the Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Arts programs of UP Mindanao.