University of The Philippines Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga - History

History

UP’s productive presence in Pampanga began when a fledgling unit was established in 1953 at the then Clark Air Force Base in Angeles. The UP Clark faculty immediately distinguished themselves as “Thomasites in reverse” as they promoted Filipino and Asian culture to what would be an entire generation of American expatriates.

To expand UP’s services in the region; an extension program was formally established in San Fernando in June 1979 under a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the province of Pampanga under Governor Estelito Mendoza. The Clark unit closed soon thereafter. In the same spirit, a sister extension program was established in Olongapo in 1984, under an MOA with the city under Mayor Richard Gordon where it is called University of the Philippines Diliman Extension Program in Olongapo.

The new Pampanga unit was known as the UP Extension Program in San Fernando. It had an initial enrollment of 117 undergraduate and 40 graduate students. From 1980 to 1995, classes were held in an unassuming six-room, two-storey building of the Pampanga High School in San Fernando. In this period, the unit absorbed a good many students from the province, to some extent slackening the load of UP Diliman.

The San Fernando campus abruptly ceased functioning following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on June 15, 1991 and the ensuing lahar surges. With its building ruined, it defiantly transferred its administrative office to the covered basketball court of the Pampanga High School.

UPDEPP survived the Pinatubo catastrophe and rose to restart operations in Clark in 1996, moving from one makeshift site to another.

In 1999, it moved to a refurbished warehouse along Claro M. Recto highway, which it has called home ever since.

On the new, albeit still temporary site containing 15 rooms, UPDEPP has proceeded to significantly improve its faculty profile (10 faculty members with doctorates) and enhance its academic offerings, particularly its graduate program. In June 2010, UPDEPP will launch its new Applied Psychology Program. It will probably be the only academic unit in the Philippines to have such a program. Five months before, in February 2010, the Applied Psychology Program will host an international conference on autism.

Ever faithful to its Kapampangan milieu, UPDEPP has launched researches on Kapampangan history and culture, and notably, has published a book on Kapampangan poetry affectionately entitled “Tuglung.” It has even deftly designed a general education (GE) course in Kapampangan culture called Araling Kapampangan, adding an unmistakable local slant to its curriculum.

Not to ignore the indigenous inhabitants of Pampanga, UPDEPP has also launched the pioneering Aeta Studies Center in coordination with the Clark Development Corporation (CDC). It is an extension effort that seeks to assist the impoverished Aetas, with UPEPP not losing sight of the program’s immense anthropological and sociological potential.

UPDEPP has also established a research cooperative. It is called Central Luzon Assistance and Research Cooperative (CLARC). It holds office in UPDEPP's temporary building in Clark. CLARC was established in 1995 by UP Pampanga faculty in collaboration with other scholars in the area to promote research and build a network of scholars, researchers, and educators within Clark Freeport, the province of Pampanga, and Central Luzon in general. CLARC is dedicated to expanding awareness and interest in inter-disciplinary research, publications, and methodologies. It is the most established research network in Pampanga today.

With its research track record, CLARC now keeps a considerable database about the region. This resource repository has been consulted from time to time by government, non-government, and business sector agencies. In addition, CLARC hosts a considerable library of various researches and studies conducted by other experts from universities, government agencies, and research outfits in the region. To popularize and propagate its collection, CLARC is about to launch a peer-reviewed academic journal.

With all its accomplishments in institution-building, UPDEPP is currently aspiring to become a full-fledged college in the very near future.