24 March 2020
To All Our UPV Constituents:
In the last two weeks, we have come face-to-face with the COVID-19 pandemic, a health crisis that has left even the most progressive countries helpless. With the announcement of Iloilo province’s first COVID-19 positive case, we have to ensure that preparations are in place to mitigate its economic and social impacts.
Even at the onset of the COVID-19 threat, the university has already taken precautionary measures to reduce risks upon constituents:
1. Following guidelines set by the UP System, we have endeavored to provide a steady flow of information for everyone through a series of memoranda and bulletins pertinent to the current health emergency. To curb misinformation and lessen the stress caused by unreliable information overload, please direct your concerns to the UPV Administration until this pandemic is over via email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or through the following UPV Covid-19 Hotlines:
Issues/Complaints/Concerns: 09190023698 (Smart)
Information/Inquiries: 09453147127 (Globe)
Security Concerns: 09983317323 (Smart)
Medical Concerns: 09456994613 (Globe)
09185641914 (Smart)
2. The UPV Disaster Command Center for COVID-19 is now in place with the Vice Chancellor for Administration as Incident Commander. This task force is composed of various teams implementing the different aspects of the University’s response to this health emergency and addressing issues and situations relevant to ensuring the welfare of our constituents at this time.
3. We have established linkages with LGUs, the Department of Health, the Department of Science and Technology, and other premier universities in Iloilo, to develop ways to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Our laboratory equipment useful in COVID-19 testing has been loaned to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) sub-national laboratory for Western Visayas in Iloilo City.
4. In collaboration with institutional partners, we have engaged the help of our dedicated alumni and their generous associates to provide for the needs of our most vulnerable students who are stranded in the Miagao and Iloilo City campuses.
5. We continuously seek to mitigate the plight of all our personnel during this period by processing allowable remuneration and other benefits due them.
6. We profess our commitment to provide “duty of care” for all UPV constituents, especially students and personnel, giving priority to the most vulnerable among them.
The current health crisis demands extraordinary measures that disparage our plans, curtail our usual freedoms and take us out of our comfort zones. It is in these dire moments that I appeal for your cooperation and commitment to share in the responsibility that this situation demands for us to rise above this outbreak.
RICARDO P. BABARAN, Ph.D.
Chancellor
