The Learning Resource Center (LRC) is seeking prospective UPLB students even in the farthest reaches of the country. 

After going up north to Ballesteros in Cagayan province, LRC and representatives from various units crossed the seas and organized the second leg of the UPLB Recruitment Program for the Best & the Brightest (RPBB) in San Jose and Loreto in Dinagat Islands, Mindanao. The RPBB was conducted at the Don Ruben E. Ecleo Sr. Memorial National Highschool (DREESMNHS) and Loreto National High School (LNHS) on April 12 and 13, respectively. 

With the LRC were representatives from the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS), College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR), College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), College of Human Ecology (CHE), College of Development Communication (CDC), Institute of Statistics (InStat) of the College of Arts and Sciences, UP Office for Scholarships and Grants (OSG), and the UP Office of Admissions.

The recruitment event aimed to attract high-performers among 353 Grade 11 students of DREESMNHS and 167 from LNHS, to study in UPLB. 

The UPLB team collaborated with Rosa M. Agocoy, secondary school principal of DREESMNHS, and Concorde Alber J. Deniega, head teacher of LNHS, with the support of Dinagat Islands Governor Nilo P. Demerey Jr., and Deped Dinagat Islands coordinators Richard E. Davide, Jonathan Laid, and Rhea Pulido, headed by Dr. Manuel O. Caberte, OIC-schools division superintendent. 

In the first session of the event, entitled “WazzUP: Why Choose UPLB,” Sheryl Edd P. Hermosa-Ebron, RPBB coordinator, gave an overview of the different degree programs offered in UPLB, talked about the beauty of the campus, and enumerated some of its distinguished alumni.

In the second session, “Light UP: Discover a course that fuels your passion and purpose,” the UPLB delegation presented seven degree programs, focusing on the potential career opportunities that each of these programs offers.

Dr. Veneranda A. Magpantay, college secretary of CAFS, emphasized different opportunities that BS Agriculture could offer since Dinagat Island is an agricultural province. 

Dr. Rosalie C. Mendoza, CFNR college secretary, presented BS Forestry and potential careers that one who finished it may take, while Dr. Remil L. Galay of CVM talked about the art of saving animals’ lives through the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

Reanne Len C. Arlan, a faculty member at InStat, talked about the importance of the roles of statistics and its career opportunities. Paul Alteo A. Bagabaldo, a faculty member at the Institute of Human Nutrition and Food of CHE, talked about the career opportunities of a BS Nutrition graduate.

John Ceffrey L.Eligue of the Department of Community and Environmental Resource Planning of CHE discussed the BS Human Ecology degree program. Lastly, Dr. Liza A. Cabrera of CDC, discussed the wide range of opportunities available to BS Development Communication graduates.

The director of the UP Office of Admission, Francisco N. Delos Reyes, handled the third session, “UP Cutie: Know more about UP College Admission Process,” where he talked about the whole UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) process. He gave an overview of the application process and the various options a student may consider to be admitted to the university aside from applying through the UPCAT.

In the fourth session, “Better Together: UPLB Scholarships, Financial Assistance, and Other Services,” Ivy Marie U. Selarde of OSG, discussed the following financial assistance programs offered by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs: grants-in-aid, student assistantships, private and government scholarships, and student loans and claims. 

One of the highlights of the event was a testimonial given by a DevCom student, Lawrence Sagarino, who shared his personal experience of studying at UPLB and how it has helped him in his career. He highlighted the quality of education at UPLB and the supportive and nurturing environment he had experienced.

“I really want those young Dinagatnons to pursue UP and choose UPLB kasi apart from the quality education it has and is continuously giving me, I definitely found a home away from home. Di ako nahirapang mag-adjust kasi UPLB community has embraced me for who I am.”

He also left an inspiring message to the young Dinagatnons to further engage and encourage the youth to study at UPLB

“If choosing UP is a risk and a challenge then I guarantee them na it is worth taking. We all want Dinagat Islands to even more prosper and I assure them UP, lalo na UPLB, would really help us be productive citizens on that mission. 

The event was concluded with a motivational speech to the aspiring students by John Mervin Mervin L. Embate, director of LRC.

“Huwag kayong matakot na abutin ang iyong pangarap. Kasi yung pangarap na yan, yun yung magdi-direct sa inyo kung ano nga ba talaga yung direction niyo in life.” (Vonne Carl Merrill D. Malabrigo and Sheryl Edd P. Hermosa-Ebron)