University of the Philippines Los Baños

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Template:Short descriptionTemplate:Good article Template:Use Philippine English Template:Use mdy dates {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other{{#if:|Template:Main other }}{{#if:Association of Pacific Rim Universities
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ASEAN University Network|Template:Main other }}{{#if:|Template:Main other }}{{#invoke:check for unknown parameters|check |unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox university with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|mapframe_args=y | academic_affiliation | academic_affiliations | academic_staff | accreditation | address | administrative_staff | affiliation | affiliations | athletics_affiliations | athletics_nickname | athletics_nicknames | budget | campus | campus_type | campus_size | canton | caption | chair | chairman | chairperson | chancellor | city | closed | colors | colours | coor | coordinates | country | dean | director | doctoral | embedded | endowment | enrollment | established | faculty | footnotes | former_name | former_names | founder | founders | free | free1 | free2 | free_label | free_label1 | free_label2 | head | head_label | image | image_alt | image_name | image_size | image_upright | language | latin_name | location | logo | logo_alt | logo_size | logo_upright | map_size | mascot | mascots | module | motto | mottoeng | motto_lang | mottoeng | name | native_name | native_name_lang | nickname | nrhp | officer_in_charge | other | other_name | other_names | other_students | parent | postalcode | postcode | postgrad | prefecture | president | principal | province | provost | pushpin_label_position | pushpin_map | pushpin_map_caption | rector | region | religious_affiliation | sporting_affiliations | sports_free | sports_free1 | sports_free2 | sports_free3 | sports_free_label | sports_free_label1 | sports_free_label2 | sports_free_label3 | sports_nickname | sports_nicknames | state | students | superintendent | top_free | top_free1 | top_free2 | top_free_label | top_free_label1 | top_free_label2 | total_staff | type | undergrad | vice_chancellor | vice-president | vice_president | visitor | website | zipcode }}{{#invoke:Check for clobbered parameters|check | template = Infobox university | cat = Template:Main other | image; image_name | other_names; other_name | former_names; former_name | founders; founder | academic_affiliations; academic_affiliation | academic_staff; faculty | campus_type; campus | other_students; other | location; address | location; city | location; address | location; canton | location; prefecture | location; province | location; region | location; state | location; country | location; postalcode | location; postcode | location; zipcode | postalcode; postcode; zipcode | coordinates; coor | colors; colours | free_label; free_label1 | free; free1 | athletics_nicknames; sports_nicknames; athletics_nickname; sports_nickname; nickname | athletics_affiliations; sporting_affiliations | affiliation; affiliations | mascots; mascot | nrhp; embedded; module }} The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB; Filipino: Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Los Baños), also referred to as UP Los Baños or colloquially as Elbi, is a public research university primarily located in the towns of Los Baños and Bay in the province of Laguna, some 65 kilometers southeast of Manila. It traces its roots to the UP College of Agriculture (UPCA), which was founded in 1909 by the American colonial government to promote agricultural education and research in the Philippines. UPLB became the first autonomous university under the UP System in 1972.<ref name=":1" /> It was built around the UPCA as its core, along with the College of Forestry, the Graduate School and other agricultural units.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

UPLB offers more than 100 degree programs in various disciplines through its nine colleges and two schools, 29 of which are undergraduate degree programs. As of 2021, nine academic programs were recognized by the Commission on Higher Education as Centers of Excellence while one program was recognized as Center of Development. UPLB is also home to several National Centers of Excellence in the Basic Sciences, notably the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, the Institute of Chemistry, and the Institute of Biological Sciences.<ref name=":0" />

The university hosts a number of local and international research centers, including the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, World Agroforestry Centre, and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

History

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U.P. College of Agriculture Foundation Site

Birth of the UP College of Agriculture

UPLB was originally established as the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (UPCA) on March 6, 1909, by the UP Board of Regents. Edwin Copeland, an American botanist and Thomasite from the Philippine Normal College in Manila, was its first dean.<ref name='UPLB History'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="100 Years 0"/> Classes began in June 1909 with five professors while 12 students initially enrolled in the program.<ref name = "Ramon magsaysay award"/> UPCA was the first college to be organized in UP following the enactment of the University Act of 1908.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite book</ref>

UPCA in 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.<ref name = "UPLB History"/> For three years, the college was home to more than 2,000 civilians, mostly Americans, that were captured by the Japanese. In 1945, as part of the liberation of the Philippines, the US Army sent 130 11th Airborne Division paratroopers to Los Baños to rescue the internees.<ref name='The Los Banos Prison Camp Raid – The Philippines 1945'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Only four paratroopers and two Filipino guerrillas were killed in the raid. However, Japanese reinforcements arrived two days later, destroying UPCA facilities<ref name = "UPLB History"/><ref name = "Ramon magsaysay award"/> and killing some 1,500 Filipino civilians in Los Baños soon afterwards.<ref name = 'Remember Los Banos'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name= 'Liberating Los Banos'>Template:Cite journal</ref>

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)<ref name='conversion'>Approximate conversion value as of May 2011</ref> share in the Philippine-US War Damage Funds (released in 1947) for reconstruction.<ref name = '100 Years'>Template:Cite book</ref>

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.<ref name = "100 Years"/>

The Department of Agricultural Information and Communication building (now the Nora C. Quebral Hall of the College of Development Communication) was built under Umali's Five-Year Development Program.<ref name = "100 Years 2"/>

UPCA’s Growth and International Collaboration (1950s-1960s)

Dioscoro Umali became UPCA dean in 1959. Umali's administration oversaw the creation of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA; of which he was the first director),<ref name="100 Years 3">Template:Cite book</ref> Dairy Training and Research Institute, and the Department of Food Science and Technology. New facilities were also constructed under his Five-Year Development Program.<ref name="100 Years 2">Template:Cite book</ref>

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.<ref name="Cornell_UPLB">Template:Cite book</ref>

Years of Instability and the Birth of UPLB’s Autonomy (1970s-1990s)

Political and Institutional Challenges

The 1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis<ref name="Balbosas1992">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="CamilleDiola">Template:Cite news</ref> under the Ferdinand Marcos government marked the beginning of a prolonged period of social unrest across the country, including in UP Los Baños.<ref name="PangilinanJamolinDeGuzmanandYema2020">Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.<ref name="PangilinanJamolinDeGuzmanandYema2020" />

Later in 1972, UPCA formally requested Ferdinand Marcos to allow the college to secede from the University of the Philippines due to the alleged withholding of its budget and the disapproval of curricular proposals.<ref name = "100 Years 3"/> However, UP President Salvador P. Lopez strongly opposed the idea. A survey also found that there was very little support for complete independence at UPCA. As a compromise, Lopez proposed the transformation of UP into a system of autonomous constituent universities. Finally, on November 20, 1972, Presidential Decree No. 58 was signed, establishing UPLB as UP's first autonomous campus, with UPCA, College of Forestry, Agricultural Credit and Cooperatives Institute, Dairy Training and Research Institute, and the Diliman-based Agrarian Reform Institute as its first academic units.<ref name = "100 Years 3"/><ref name = "UPLB History"/><ref name = "Ramon magsaysay award"/><ref name = 'PD 58'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name = "UPLB History"/>

Establishment of Research and Academic Centers

Following its grant of autonomy, UPLB also expanded its research, and extension functions with the establishment of specialized units such as the Institute of Plant Breeding (1975), National Crop Protection Center (1976), Post-Harvest Horticulture and Training Center (1977), and the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (1979). UPLB also strengthened its academic foundation with the creation of a new college and several academic institutes, such as the College of Science and Humanities (1973), Graduate School (1973), Institute of Human Ecology (1974), Institute of Agricultural Development and Administration (1975), and the Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (1976).<ref name=":6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On 1983, Executive Order No. 889 was issued designating the UPLB's Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, and the Institute of Biological Sciences as the National Centers of Excellence in the country. The establishment of these centers aimed to strengthen the country’s capacity in the basic sciences and promote excellence in higher education and research.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="PangilinanJamolinDeGuzmanandYema2020" />

Modernization and Growth in the 21st Century (2000s-2020s)

Academic Growth and Global Engagement

From the 2000s to the early 2020s, UPLB underwent a period of institutional modernization, digital transition, and increased focus on campus security and student welfare. These years were also marked by significant challenges, including destructive typhoons and the COVID-19 pandemic, which tested the university’s resilience and adaptability. Despite these, UPLB continued to expand its academic offerings, introducing new undergraduate programs in Agricultural Biotechnology (2010), Mechanical Engineering (2021), Materials Engineering (2022), and Accountancy (2024), as well as associate programs in Entrepreneurship (2022), Development Communication (2023), and Sports Studies (2023).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

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<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as well as new “PhD by Research” programs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2015, the Nagoya University Asian Satellite Campuses Institute was established at the Graduate School, offering transnational doctoral programs in various fields.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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. <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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,<ref name="BantayogProfileAlexanderGonzales">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Modesto "Bong" Sison, and Manuel Bautista,<ref name="PangilinanJamolinDeGuzmanandYema2020" /><ref name="MalayRodriguez">Template:Cite book</ref> campus journalists Antero Santos<ref name="BantayogProfileAnteroSantos">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Alfredo Malicay,<ref name="BantayogProfileAlfredoMalicay">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and botany teaching fellow Cesar Hicaro.<ref name="BantayogProfileCesarHicaro">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Given Grace Cebanico in 2011,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ray Bernard Peñaranda and Maria Victoria Reyes in 2012)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Campus

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The UPLB campus consists of Template:Convert spread across the provinces of Laguna, Negros Occidental,<ref name='La Granja'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Quezon.

Baker Memorial Hall

Los Baños campus

The Template:Convert Los Baños campus houses UPLB's academic facilities, as well as experimental farms for agriculture and biotechnology research.<ref name='OVCRE'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name='Arkitektura'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Other notable landmarks include the iconic Oblation, Alumni Plaza, Freedom Park, and Baker Memorial Hall.

UPLB is designated as caretaker of the Template:Convert<ref name = "OVCRE"/> Makiling Forest Reserve (often referred to as the "upper campus," in contrast to the "lower campus" set at the foot of Makiling). It houses facilities of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources, College of Public Affairs, UPLB Museum of Natural History and the University Health Service, among others. The reserve is home to diverse flora and fauna, and has more tree species than the continental United States (an area 32 times bigger than the Philippines).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It serves as an outdoor laboratory for faculty and students of the university.<ref name="100 Years 0"/><ref name='PCARRD'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Land grants

UPLB has three major land grants: the Laguna-Quezon Land Grant, La Carlota Land Grant, and Laguna Land Grant.<ref name="OVCRE"/>

The Template:Convert Laguna-Quezon Land Grant is located in the towns of Real, Quezon, and Siniloan, Laguna, and was acquired in February 1930. It covers some portions of the Sierra Madre mountain range, and currently hosts the university's Citronella and lemongrass plantations.<ref name='Citronella'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Template:Convert 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.<ref name="OVCRE"/><ref name='La Granja'/><ref name='Accomplishments'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Meanwhile, the Template:Convert<ref name="OVCRE"/> Laguna Land Grant located in Paete, Laguna, also acquired in 1964, is mostly undeveloped. Numerous parties have expressed interest in developing the land grants; however, UPLB has not entertained the potential investors due to the "lack of a solid development plan."<ref name='Brief History'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Panabo Professional School

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.<ref name='Panabo'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name='Panabo2'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Organization and administration

University of the Philippines Los Baños Chancellors
Name Tenure of office
Abelardo G. Samonte 1973–1978
Emil Q. Javier 1979–1985
Raul P. De Guzman 1986–1991
Ruben B. Aspiras 1991–1993
Ruben L. Villareal 1993–1999
Wilfredo P. David 1999–2005
Luis Rey I. Velasco 2005–2011
Rex Victor O. Cruz 2011–2014
Fernando C. Sanchez Jr. 2014–2020
Jose V. Camacho Jr. 2020–
References <ref name="100 Years 3"/><ref name='100 Years 7'>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name='100 Years 4'>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name='100 Years 5'>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="100 Years 6">Template:Cite book</ref>

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.<ref name='pascual'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="RA 9500"/>

The Board of Regents has the authority to approve the institution, merger, and abolition of degree programs as recommended by the UP president. It also has the power to confer degrees. The UP president, who is appointed by the Board of Regents, is the university's chief executive officer and the head of the faculty.<ref name="RA 9500"/>

UPLB is administered by a chancellor who is elected by the UP Board of Regents to a three-year term. The chancellor may only serve for up to two terms.<ref name="100 Years 5"/><ref name='RA 9500'>Template:Cite book</ref> Under him are six vice-chancellors specializing in academic affairs, administration, community affairs, planning and development, research and extension, and student affairs.<ref name='About UPLB'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The current chancellor is Dr Jose Camacho, the tenth to hold the office.

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.<ref name='APRU'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name='Basic Student Information'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name='USC'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="Basic Student Information"/>

Academics

Schools and colleges of UPLB
Unit Foundation Notes
College of Agriculture and Food Science 1909 <ref name="UPLB History"/>
College of Arts and Sciences 1972 citation CitationClass=web

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College of Development Communication 1954 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

College of Economics and Management 1975 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology 1912 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

School of Environmental Science and Management 1977 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

College of Forestry and Natural Resources 1910
Graduate School 1972 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

College of Human Ecology 1974 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

College of Public Affairs and Development 1998 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

College of Veterinary Medicine 1908 citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

UPLB offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through its nine colleges and two schools.<ref name='UPLB Acads'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Most of these programs award science degrees. 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 Math and Science Teaching students.<ref name='CAS units'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Admission and graduation

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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.<ref name='Qualifying'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name='Waitlist'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name='Waitlist Procedure'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name='Review'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name='Review' /> Before the UPCAT was used for admission, UPCA only admitted the top 5 percent of Philippine high school graduates.<ref name='Devcom'>Template:Cite book</ref>

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.<ref name='UPRHS'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Sophomore transferees take the two-day UPRHS Validation Examination, and are admitted depending on the available slots.<ref name='Validation'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name='Graduation'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As of 2011 there have been 30 summa cum laudes who have graduated from UPLB.<ref name='CEM newsletter summa'>Template:Cite journal</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Before this law was passed, the base tuition fee per unit in UPLB was ₱1,000 (US$23).<ref name="conversion"/> Along with other UP constituents, UPLB implemented the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), wherein students with annual family incomes between ₱1,000,000 (US$23,000) and ₱500,000 (US$11,500)<ref name="conversion"/> were charged the base tuition fee; students with annual family incomes between ₱500,000 and ₱135,000 (US$3,110) were charged ₱600 (US$14) per unit;<ref name="conversion"/> those whose incomes fell between ₱135,000 and ₱80,000 (US$1,840) were charged ₱300 (US$7);<ref name="conversion"/> while those whose incomes fell below ₱80,000 were not charged any fees.<ref name='STFAP'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Those with annual family incomes above ₱1,000,000 were charged ₱1,500 (US$35) per unit.<ref name="conversion"/>

Accreditation

UPLB is identified by the Commission on Higher Education as a Center of Excellence in Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Biology, Forestry, Information Technology, Environmental Science, Development Communication, Statistics and Veterinary Medicine, as well as a Center of Development in Chemical Engineering.<ref name='Glance'/> Five undergraduate programs were given the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assessment certification: BS Biology, BS Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, BS Development Communication, BS Forestry and BS Agriculture.<ref name = 'AUN-QA'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Libraries and collections

As of 2007, UPLB's 12 libraries, collectively referred to as the University Library, hold a total of 346,061 volumes.<ref name="OVCRE"/> It periodically receives publications from United Nations agencies (including the UNFAO, UN-HABITAT and UNU) and the World Bank. It is a contributor to the International Information System for Agricultural Services and Technology, contributing nearly 30,000 titles between 1975 and 2010.<ref name='AGRIS'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name='mainlib'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="OVCRE"/> It has a total floor area of Template:Convert and a seating capacity of 510, making it the largest library in UPLB.<ref name="mainlib"/>

One of UPLB's unit libraries is the College of Veterinary Medicine-Animal and Dairy Sciences Cluster Library. It has 17,798 volumes and 198 serial titles, and a total floor area of Template:Convert. It claims to hold the largest collection on veterinary and animal sciences in the country.<ref name='CVM lib'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name='Wien'>Template:Cite book</ref>

Research

An IRRI researcher studying rice DNA under ultraviolet light

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.<ref name="OP COE">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

UPLB hosts a number of international research institutes, including the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture,<ref name='SEARCA'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity,<ref name='ACB'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the International Rice Research Institute,<ref name='IRRI'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the World Fish Center,<ref name='WFC'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the World Agroforestry Center,<ref name= 'Agroforestry'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the Asia Rice Foundation.<ref name='Asia Rice'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref> 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.<ref name='ACTETSME'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Local research institutions such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau,<ref name='ERDB'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Department of Science and Technology's Forest Products Research and Development Institute,<ref name='FPRDI'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Department of Agriculture's Philippine Carabao Center<ref name='PCC'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> are headquartered or have offices at the university.<ref name='LBSC'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name = "PhilRice">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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")<ref name='Google Scholar'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> of 18, 6, and 12, respectively.<ref name='SCImago'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name='Thomson'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Biotechnology research

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The National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology 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.<ref name="100 Years 0"/> Between 1921 and 1939, cattle, poultry, and swine breeding programs produced new breeds, namely the Philamin (a hybrid of the Hereford, Nellore and native cattle), Berkjala (a variety of the Berkshire and local Jala-Jala pig, resistant to hog cholera) and the Los Baños Cantonese chicken, which produces more eggs.<ref name = '100 Years 0.5'>Template:Cite book</ref>

Research in the 1960s allowed for the efficient mass production of macapuno (a type of coconut with jelly-like meat),<ref name='macapuno'>Template:Cite news</ref> while studies started in 1998 that produced delayed-ripening papaya continue to this day.<ref name='mbpapaya'>Template:Cite news</ref> The research is credited for the increase in Philippine papaya production, with the Template:Convert production of year 2000 rising to Template:Convert in 2007.<ref name='papaya'>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name='mango'>Template:Cite news</ref>

This 1929 DeSoto De Luxe ran over Template:Convert using gasanol for a period of five years.<ref name="100 Years 0.5"/><ref name="Pimentel"/>

Biofuel research

Studies at the university conducted in the 1930s found that gasoline with 15–20 percent ethanol, dubbed "gasanol", was more efficient than pure gasoline.<ref name="100 Years 0.5"/><ref name='Pimentel'>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name='UPLB continues'>Template:Cite journal</ref> Biofuel from Sorghum bicolor, Manihot esculenta crantz and Chlorella vulgaris are also being studied.<ref name='Power plants'>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name='microalgae'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name='microalgae2'>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name='Zambotimes'>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name='PCASTRD'>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name='centers'>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name='nano1'>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There are also a number of organizations that exist but are not officially recognized by the university.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name='religion 1'>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name='religion 2'>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name='religion 3'>Template:Cite journal</ref> Only recognized organizations are allowed to use UPLB facilities.<ref name='Oble run'>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="100 Years 0"/><ref name='alumni homecoming'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name='ARSECOM'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name='Feb fair'>Template:Cite journal</ref>

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.<ref name ='Indy'>Template:Cite news</ref> Other campus publications include UPLB Horizon<ref name='Horizon'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and UPLB Link.<ref name='Link'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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<ref name='DZLB link'>Template:Cite book</ref> as well as a Catholic Mass Media Award for Best Educational Radio Program in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

People

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UPLB alumni have been recognized in a wide range of fields. They include 16 scientists awarded the title National Scientist of the Philippines,<ref name="Glance" /> members of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,<ref name="IPCC alum">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Palanca Award winners,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as well as political and business leaders.

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).<ref name="Glance" /> Meanwhile, four UPLB scientists are members of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that won the Nobel Prize in 2007: Rex Victor Cruz, Felino P. Lansigan, Rodel D. Lasco, and Juan M. Pulhin.<ref name="IPCC alum" /> National Scientist Romulo G. Davide was given a Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2012 for "his steadfast passion in placing the power and discipline of science in the hands of Filipino farmers".<ref name="Glance" />

UPLB alumni have served as senior government officials under various administrations. Those currently in office include Senate President Migz Zubiri, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Isidro Ungab, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan,<ref name='Balisacan'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Makati City mayor Abigail Binay. Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual was a faculty member prior to his appointment.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Both of its honorary degree recipients held influential roles in their respective countries' politics. They are Salim Ahmed Salim, former Prime Minister of Tanzania,<ref name='Salim'>Template:Cite book</ref> and Sirindhorn, Princess of Thailand.<ref name='Sirindhorn'>Template:Cite news</ref>

Former UP presidents Bienvenido Maria Gonzalez (1939–1943; 1945–1951), Emil Q. Javier (1993-1999) and Emerlinda R. Roman (2005-2011) graduated from UPLB,<ref name='Glance'/> along with the sitting chancellors of UP Baguio, UP Mindanao,<ref name='CEMchancellors'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and UP Open University.<ref name="Bandalaria">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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,<ref name='Jikun'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Kyu-Seong Lee, Director-General of South Korea's Rural Development Administration,<ref name='Lee'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Weerapon Thongma, President of Maejo University in Thailand.<ref name='Maejo'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

San Miguel Corporation Chairman and CEO Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. and Bounty Agro Ventures President Ronald Daniel Mascariñas also attended UPLB.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

References

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