From Compliance to Culture: UP SURP’s Journey to Global Excellence
October 21, 2026
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. Bringing together university administrators, heads and members of academic and administrative units, the event formally recognized the diverse contributions of offices and individuals in actively translating UP Diliman’s quality assurance framework into everyday practice.
Notable attendees included Vice Chancellor for Administration Adeline A. Pacia, CSSP Dean Ruth R. Lusterio-Rico, College of Engineering Dean Maria Antonia N. Tanchuling, and UPD QAO Director Evangeline C. Amor.
Vice Chancellor for Administration Adeline A. Pacia and UPD QAO Director joined the deans, directors, unit heads, and staff of academic and administrative offices for a group photo during the closing ceremony of the QAhusayan Fair.
During the program, certificates and citations were presented to units that participated in various QAO-led initiatives, including the conduct of External Quality Assurance (EQA) activities, the timely submission of the Post-Institutional Assessment and Development System (Post-iAADS) Report, and other activities supporting UPD QAO programs and initiatives. Moreover, all participating poster presenters also received certificates.
Special citations were conferred on seven (7) poster presentations that demonstrated distinct strengths in advancing quality within their respective contexts.
Vice Chancellor for Administration Adeline A. Pacia and UPD QAO Director presented Certificates of Recognition to representatives of poster presentations that received special citations.
Beyond the special citations, three posters received the highest overall scores from the panel of judges:
Vice Chancellor for Administration Adeline A. Pacia and UPD QAO Director presented Certificates of Recognition to representatives of the three top-scoring poster presentations.
Each of the three best poster presentations will receive a PhP 10,000.00 cash prize.
The poster presentations were evaluated throughout the four-day exhibit by a panel of judges selected by the UPD QAO based on the established criteria for the fair. The evaluation recognized the varied approaches through which participating units applied quality principles to their respective work.
In her closing message, Vice Chancellor Pacia reflected on what the QAhusayan Fair revealed about quality assurance across the University. She emphasized that “there is no single way to pursue quality,” noting that it can involve rethinking a long-standing practice, improving a service, responding to students’ needs, strengthening an academic program, improving a system, or simply recognizing that something can be done better.
For Vice Chancellor Pacia, bringing these initiatives together also created an opportunity for units to look beyond their own work and learn from one another. As she noted, “Bringing these initiatives together allows us to see that others may be asking the same questions, navigating similar challenges, or developing solutions from which we can learn.” She encouraged the community to carry these exchanges beyond the fair by bringing useful ideas back to their own units, starting conversations around practices that can be improved, and continuing to share and refine the work featured in the exhibits. She also expressed that the initiatives documented through the poster presentations can be showcased in other rewards and recognition platforms in the University to motivate and inspire other units and individuals to conceptualize innovative solutions.
The QAhusayan Fair’s exhibit continues beyond the four-day showcase at Palma Hall Lobby with a display at the University Food Service in the Student Union Building on October 5-9, 2026, bringing the featured initiatives to another part of the campus and giving more members of the UP Diliman community an opportunity to encounter the work, ideas, and practices shared during the fair. In extending the exhibit to a new space, the UPD QAO aimed to keep the conversations going and encourage further exchange beyond the fair itself.
The posters were exhibited at the University Food Service from October 5–9, 2026, giving more members of the UPD community an opportunity to explore the ideas, initiatives, and practices showcased during the fair.
As Vice Chancellor Pacia reminded the community, “The first QAhusayan Fair ends today. The work it celebrates does not.” The inaugural fair may have come to a close, but the initiatives it brought together and the conversations they sparked continue as part of UP Diliman’s ongoing pursuit of quality and continuous improvement.
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
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.
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.