In a campaign for senior high school students to choose to enroll in UPLB for college, UPLB, through the Learning Resource Center (LRC), once again conducted the “Nowhere to Go But UP 2.0! UPLB Recruitment Program for the Best and the Brightest Webinar Series.”

The webinar series, with six sessions scheduled on Nov. 22, 24, and 26, was also held to help Grade 11 and Grade 12 students select their UP campus.

The webinar featured the opportunities that they could have by taking and finishing UPLB undergraduate degree programs, the UPLB admission process, scholarships and financial assistance facilities, and other student support services. 

In the program’s opening remarks, Dr. Janette H. Malata-Silva, vice chancellor for student affairs, thanked LRC for this initiative and assured the participants of the care and support that they will be receiving as soon as they enroll in the University.

Chancellor Jose V. Camacho Jr. delivered a special message inviting the participants to carefully take note of the inputs that the speakers will share in the three-day webinar series and emphasized the many opportunities in UPLB for its present and future students.

In Session 1, entitled, “Wazzz UP!: Why Choose UPLB,” Director Mark Lester M. Chico of the Office of Public Relations, shared his insights about the uniqueness of UPLB and why it is the perfect college campus.

He showed two videos that provided the students a glimpse of UPLB’s history, colleges, and various activities and initiatives.

Session 2, entitled, “Light UP! Discover a Course That Fuels Your Passion and Purpose,” showcased the three pioneer and flagship degree programs of UPLB and three other degree programs.

In this session, faculty members presented their respective college or institute and the highlights of the degree programs.

Dr. Roselyn F. Paelmo, college secretary of the College of Agriculture and Food Science introduced the BS Agriculture degree program and the opportunities available for its graduates.  

Dr. Rosalie C. Mendoza, college secretary the College of Forestry and Natural Resources, presented the BS Forestry degree program and the many notable alumni and contributions of foresters in the country. 

Representing the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), Dr. Rio John T. Ducusin talked about the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program and the different tracks and fields its graduates may venture into.

John Lorenzo A. Yambot talked about the Institute of Statistics and the significance and importance of the BS Statistics degree program.

Dr. Aimee Sheree A. Barrion of the College of Human Ecology (CHE) discussed the experiences of the BS Nutrition graduates from CHE.  John Ceffrey L. Eligue, also from CHE, talked about the many possibilities one can expect after finishing the degree of BS Human Ecology.

The third session, “#UPCutie: Know more about the UP College Admission Process,” was discussed by Director Francisco N. De Los Reyes of the UP Office of Admissions.

Dir. De Los Reyes outlined basic information regarding the UP admission process and provided an overview of the different degree programs offered by the constituent universities of the UP system.

UPLB’s University Registrar Margarita Carmen S. Paterno talked about the guidelines for admission and reconsideration for admission to UPLB such as the grade cut-off and other requirements.

In the fourth session, “Better TOGETHER: UPLB Scholarships, Financial Assistance, and Other Services,” Director Jickerson P. Lado of the Office of Scholarships and Grants (OSG) and assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, enumerated the scholarship opportunities available for current and prospective UPLB students and other financial assistance that UPLB provides.

He also introduced the different units of the OSG. John Mervin L. Embate, officer-in-charge of LRC, introduced the programs and services it offers such as the bridge program, tutorials, training programs, UPLB recruitment program, and the Agricultural and Rural Development scholarship, among others.

A panel discussion was convened for Session 5 entitled, “UP-Close: Learn Some Tips in Choosing the Right Course from UPLB Graduates.”

The speakers were Ivy M. Fernandez, BS Statistics and MS Statistics graduate, who is the advanced analytics practice lead of the Customer Advisory Division of SAS Institute (Philippines) Inc.; Jim Leandro Cano, BS Agriculture graduate, who works as director for agritech at 8Layer Technologies, Inc.; Brian Carlo C. Hipolito, BS Human Ecology and MS Development Management and Governance, who now works as human resources officer of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing, China.

Speaking for their respective colleges and degree programs were: Paoloregel B. Samonte, BS Development Communication graduate, who is now taking Master of Digital Communication Leadership under the Erasmus+ Scholarship Award; Dr. Maria Catalina T. de Luna, faculty member at CVM and director of the UP Professional School for Agriculture and the Environment, who talked about the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program; and Dr. Edgar M. Reyes, Jr., chairperson of the Department of Community and Environmental Resource Planning of CHE, who discussed the BS Human Ecology program from which he graduated.

Guien Eidrefson Garma, instructor at the College of Development Communication served as moderator of the panel discussion that revolved around the discussants’ current work and memorable experiences in college.

In the last session, “Keep it UP! How to Survive and Thrive in UP Life,” which was also a panel discussion, the participants learned about stories of inspiration and motivation of UPLB students who are surviving and thriving amidst the challenges brought about by remote learning and the global pandemic.

The speakers were Ian Mhar Gabriel D. Aguila, BS Mathematics and Science Teaching; Hanz Benedict B. Aguilar, BS Biology, major in Wildlife Biology; and Wenden D. Santiago, BS Agricultural Biotechnology. Garma also moderated the panel discussion.

Videos of the sessions may be accessed at the LRC Facebook Page. (Sheryl Edd P. Hermosa–Ebron & Joshua Michael G. Jonas)