The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Center for West Visayan Studies (CWVS) has been elevated as a unit of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension by virtue of the 1385th UP Board of Regents (BOR) approval on 30 November 2023.
Formerly known as the Visayan Studies Program (VSP), it was established on 26 June 1975 through the initiative of the Dean of the UP College Iloilo Dionisia Rola. It was founded to respond to the need for a concerted effort to preserve and disseminate information about the cultural and historical legacy of Western Visayas.
Dr. Henry Funtecha led the elevation of the VSP as a Center and was called the West Visayan Studies Center (WVSC) on the 1016th BOR approval in 1988. The following year, it was renamed to the current Center for West Visayan Studies (CWVS) to avoid the confusion with West Visayas State College.
Since its inception, the CWVS has tended to rare collections on West Visayan history and culture through its library. It has produced relevant research outputs and publications, hosted conferences, and lecture-workshops. The Center has had numerous public service engagements, extended technical support to various communities, government agencies, and private sectors.
The CWVS, as an academic research and public service arm of the College of Arts and Sciences, has been instrumental towards bridging the proverbial gap between communities and the academe for the last five decades.
With its elevation as a unit of OVCRE, the CWVS envisions itself to be a world class resource center on West Visayan history, culture, and heritage by fostering a transdiciplinary approach on academic research and public service environment.
