The University of the Philippines (UP) officially launched its alumni email registration on November 12 in a virtual ceremony titled “Let’s Konek: Taralets!” The Office of Alumni Relations, in partnership with the Information Technology Development Center, spearheads the project. Both are UP System offices.
UP President Danilo Concepcion remarked that the long-planned @alum.up.edu.ph email provision to University alumni was finally pushing through after some delays. Addressing the alumni, he said, “Providing you with an email account bearing the initials of your alma mater is one way of showing you our gratitude and appreciation for all that you have given to UP.”
Concepcion added that the gesture might be simple, but he knew it would be meaningful to UP’s hundreds of thousands of alumni. To date, there are more than 300,000 living UP alumni worldwide, and they comprise the largest group of University constituents.
In her message, VP for Public Affairs Elena Pernia talked about UP alumni life stages as a guide for the University to establish and strengthen its relationship with its graduates. She explained that these consider what they might want or need from their alma mater at certain stages of their life as UP alumni and are in line with their circumstances and capacity.
Those who are about to graduate may be part of a “Senior Class Gift” campaign. One to 15 years after graduation, those employed and/or have reached middle management levels in their careers may be part of what she called the “Small Gifts, Big Hearts” initiative.
Alumni elevated to senior management positions, roughly 30 years or more after graduating, may give a “Leadership Gift” to UP. Those about to retire or have retired, especially with multi-generational alumni in their families, may consider donating a “Legacy Gift.”
Assistant VP for Public Affairs (Alumni Relations and Events Management) Maria Angelica Abad expressed her joy at the alumni’s warm reception of the email account project. It reciprocates the University’s desire to strengthen ties. The alumni email provides news and updates as well as open opportunities for donations and volunteerism. More than that, it is a way for alumni to reach out to UP because, as Abad told them, “We also want to hear from you.”
She enjoined alumni to register for their email accounts and reminded alumni who were previously issued student email accounts that those will be disabled months after graduation with due notice.
As a consultant to the UP President on alumni matters, UP alumna and recently retired Corporate Affairs Field Manager of Chevron Corporation Marian Catedral-King also shared her thoughts on building the relationship between universities and their graduates. She said that she had not cared that UP did not reach out to her for ten years after she graduated. After all, it was very early in her career, and the thought of giving back, while it crossed her mind, was not something she could pursue just yet.
Another 20 years later, she revealed that she did care a bit about the absence of communication from UP because she was already “in a better position to give back.” And she did. She said other organizations that reached out to her made their needs known to her and were accessible. “But, no, I never gave to UP.”
In the United States, Catedral-King was struck by the loyalty and attachment of her colleagues to their universities. She learned that their “touch points” with their alma maters were “regular and consistent,” which she never had with UP, which is why the UP alumni email account is a significant step toward strengthening these touchpoints. “No UP graduate should be left behind,” she said. This project shows that “the Iskolar ng Bayan is needed, wanted, and loved.”
Closing off the formal launch of the UP alumni email registration, UP Alumni Regent and UP Alumni Association President Reynaldo Laserna said that the email account is a highly appreciated gesture from UP as it “uniquely and instantly identifies the email sender as an alumnus [or alumna].” He added that the “great prestige and pride that come with it [is something] all UP alumni, without exception, hold most dear in their hearts.”
To register for the UP alumni email account, go to https://alum.up.edu.ph/database/. Only applications from bonafide and verified alumni will be processed. You may also learn how to apply for your UP Alumni Email by watching this animated video explainer.
Watch the livestream of the launch on the UP System’s FB page or TVUP’s Youtube channel.
