Officials of UP Visayas led by Chancellor Ricardo Babaran are turning over one month of their Representation and Travel Allowance (RATA), honorarium or other additional benefits to UP, Magbubunga Tayo! to sustain the UPDanay donation drive and relief efforts during the current public health emergency.

The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) through its Philippine Genome Center (PGC Visayas), transferred its RT Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine to the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) for COVID-19 testing to complement the existing PCR machine of WVMC.

Pasayod 2020: The UPV Professional Education - UP High School in Iloilo Learning Festival was held at the UP Visayas Little Theater, Iloilo City on Saturday, February 22, 2020. This was attended by almost two hundred teachers, education majors, researchers, and other learning enthusiasts.

The bayanihan spirit is vibrant in UPV, as seen in various initiatives undertaken by UPV alumni, students, other constituents, as well as some members of the community. It has been three weeks since community quarantine measures have been imposed in the Province of Iloilo. Nonetheless, cash and in-kind donations have been flowing in, thanks to the initiative of benevolent people, whose sense of solidarity and genuine empathy for those affected, outweigh the desire for personal convenience. What lies ahead of April 14, the day that the Enhanced Community Quarantine order is set to end, still remains uncertain. But we find comfort in knowing that the UPV community teems with social consciousness, unwavering spirit and genuine empathy, necessary in coping with a global pandemic such as COVID-19.

In a decisive move to have an accredited testing center for COVID-19 in Iloilo, IAmUPHi, an alumni group from UP Visayas gathered scientists, clinicians, doctors, laboratorians, hospital administrators and government officials to meet with Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Trenas and the Iloilo City COVID-19 Task Force headed by Dr. Ray Fortuna.

The University Library conducted a series of orientations on the use of online resources specifically Science Direct and PlagScan (Anti Plagiarism Software) in Miagao campus on February 12-13, 2020 and in Iloilo City campus on February 14, 2020, respectively.  The focus of these orientations were faculty members and REPS.  Ms. Analiza G. Linaugo, University Librarian spearheaded the said activity with the support of the librarians and staff.  Ms. Ann Vie Magbanua of C.E. Logic Educational Solutions Group was invited as resource speaker.

Photos by: Dr. Ramer Bautista

UP Visayas is gearing up to produce more alcohol solutions for use in sanitation in the current public health crisis.

UP Visayas’ first Chancellor was honored in commemoration of her 100^th birthday in time for  the celebration of the 73^rd Anniversary of the UP Presence in Iloilo. A special “Dinner for a Cause” to  celebrate the centenary of Dr. Dionisia Rola was held at the UPV Main Building (old Iloilo City Hall) on Feb. 27, 2020.

Three thousand shirts were donated by the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College (UPVTC) to 381 families from the seven (7) zones of Brgy. 107, Santa Elena, Tacloban City on Feb 14, 2020. These barangays were identified to be affected by Typhoon Ursula just two days before Christmas last year.