Even before the public outcry over corruption and inefficiency in government-funded infrastructure programs, the University of the Philippines had quietly begun a series of science-based reforms and institutional upgrades aimed at improving infrastructure quality and oversight in the state university.
“The University of the Philippines is committed to turning today’s challenges into a window of opportunity,” said UP President Angelo Jimenez, who noted that the infrastructure challenges of UP reflect broader national issues. “Together, we can make UP a national model for science-driven governance, climate-adaptive planning, and sustainable infrastructure.”
UP Vice President for Development Dan Peckley shared that the University is midway in implementing and institutionalizing the reforms and upgrades that the university needs. “These reforms entail changing culture and mindsets that have been entrenched for over a decade. We have started the process and changes are well underway, but genuine reforms take time and patience,” he explained.
Sectoral representatives in the University’s Board of Regents recently flagged construction defects and delays in projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways across UP campuses following heavy rains that caused floods inside UP Diliman and water damage to several buildings.
The university’s integrated response to make the campus more flood resilient is led by the UP Resilience Institute, the College of Engineering, and the College of Science. In 2024, UP already started implementing programs to address flooding concerns in the wake of intensified rainfall caused by monsoon winds and typhoons, such as the Decentralized and Adaptive Landscapes for Overflow Yield project or Project DALOY. Actions include: revision of the maps showing flood-prone zones amid more intense rainfall caused by climate change; making the campus less flood-prone with swales–shallow vegetated channels designed to slow down, capture and filter stormwater–and other biodiversity-friendly and non-structural measures; and coordinating with local and national agencies to design long-term resilience strategies and guidelines.
UP officials said these ongoing programs position the university as a model for climate-adaptive campus planning.
Oversight of DPWH Projects
Under Special Provision No. 5 of the 2024 budget law, state university infrastructure projects over ₱5 million must be implemented by DPWH. From 2018 to 2024, DPWH implemented UP infrastructure projects funded under the General Appropriations Act. While past agreements between UP and DPWH enabled the construction of new facilities, several—including the Student Union Building—have shown defects requiring urgent attention. In response, UP has: conducted technical audits and structural assessments; enforced contractor warranties and initiated remedial works; and requested the turnover of delayed projects for direct university management.
Policy Reforms and Institutional Control
In 2024, UP lobbied with DPWH for reforms to the guidelines for UP infrastructure projects, which enabled UP’s technical experts to play a more active role in infrastructure planning and execution through shared oversight, stricter quality assurance, and exemptions for specialized projects in medicine, health sciences, and research.
Building Internal Capacity
UP has expanded its Project Management Office from 24 to 54 engineers and architects, and its Office of Design and Planning Initiatives from 15 to 32 technical staff. The university also launched the Facilities Management Program, which includes: training for administrators and building managers; development of the Guided Unified System for Asset-Linked Information portal or GUSALI portal for building analytics and preventive maintenance; and independent inspections and technical reviews by UP faculty and alumni engineers.
According to Jimenez, UP is committed to lead in integrating research and innovation into public infrastructure planning, and to advocate for increased investment in science and technology to support climate resilience, disaster preparedness, and sustainable development.
