UP Mindanao constituents assembled on various occasions in recent months for online “town hall” consultations over various campus development plans. 

On July 21, a town hall consultation discussed a proposed City Hospital that the Davao City government wants to erect in the district, hopefully on the campus. Chancellor Digal narrated the origins of the proposal and how it could align with UP Mindanao’s mandates and plans for a Mindanao Health Initiatives, consisting of a proposed college of medicine and an infectious diseases research center. The chancellor also shared the support given by the UP System administration and President Danilo Concepcion, particularly the appointment of Executive Vice-President Teodoro Herbosa, a highly-placed medical professional, as the consultant to the hospital project, and the support of UP Manila Chancellor Carmencita Padilla and UP College of Medicine Dean Charlotte Chiong. The resulting discussion dwelled on the process by which UP Mindanao could manage the proposal.     

On October 6, the Office of the Chancellor organized a town hall consultation for the draft Campus Master Development Plan. Chancellor Digal provided the context through a presentation of his UP Mindanao Strategic Plan 2019-2023 and its three strategic themes: for students, “Molding Learners into Leaders;” for research “Transforming Insights into Impacts;” and “Building a Campus into a Community,” for university constituents and partners. The Campus Planning and Development Office presented the proposed land use plans for the campus and specific areas that were the subject of discussions. On October 9, the chancellor held a similar consultation for external stakeholders: UP Mindanao Foundation chairman Sebastian Angliongto and vice-chair John Gaisano, alumni Guido Alfredo Delgado and Harvey Lanticse, Department of Science and Technology-Region XI regional director Dr. Anthony Sales, the Department of Public Works and Highways officials, and Barangay Mintal Councilor Bargamento were among the participants.           

On October 12, the Department of Tourism - Region XI (DOT-XI) and UP Mindanao organized a town hall consultation for a proposed Arts and Culture Hub building and activity center that DOT-XI hopes to erect within the UP Mindanao campus. The project is a joint initiative of the DOT-XI and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).  Both internal and external stakeholders of UP Mindanao listened to DOT-XI Regional Director Tanya Rabat-Tan and her team present the physical and financial plans, and artist Nestor Horfilla who presented the activity plans. Chancellor Larry Digal gave his review of the DOT-XI areas of activity that could fit UP Mindanao’s mandates and programs, namely, cultural village development, schools of living tradition, heritage education, heritage management, and creative industries. The DOST-XI director, Dr. Sales, suggested that the project look beyond the Davao region to the entire Mindanao and be part of an ecosystem of Mindanao cultural and social science networks.   

On October 14, 2020, at 1:00-4:00 PM, UP Mindanao will host an online forum on “Bridging the Health Care Gaps In Mindanao." Health officers and workers of various local government units and agencies in Mindanao and university constituents will attend. The consultation is part of the plan to establish the proposed UP Mindanao College of Medicine.

Participants in the various town hall consultations gave constructive suggestions and words of collective wisdom. The planners will incorporate the inputs into the revised plans, and the documentation of the consultations will ensure that the implementation process will reflect the various stakeholders’ sentiments and well-being in the future life of the development projects.