Mr. Jun Cagaanan facilitates the discussion on September 26, 2023

The UPMin officials at the orientation on September 26, 2023

The staff at the orientation on October 4, 2023

Chancellor Lyre Murao gives remarks at the KRA and KPI session on October 23, 2023

UPMin officials and staff began in October 2023 their journey towards creating a Quality Management System (QMS) and earning ISO 9001:2015 certification.

The officials and staff started with an ISO 9001:2015 orientation, the QMS appropriate to a public university. By the end of October, the unit representatives received their writeshop assignments.

From there, the UPMin units will undergo writeshops for QMS Development from 2023 towards the target of ISO Certification in early 2025.

"We are the smallest UP constituent university, but we aspire to be ISO-certified. We are creating a brand. A UPMin brand of service that we can be proud of. That UP Mindanao can offer its customers and stakeholders. I'm inviting you to be part of this journey," said Chancellor Lyre Murao.

"Quality Management begins with customer requirements and ends with customer satisfaction," said Mr. Perfecto "Jun" Cagaanan Jr., UPMin's lead trainer.

Towards ISO certification, the UPMin organization will establish a quality management system that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of internal processes.

Going through the cycle of "Plan, Do, Check, and Act" throughout the QMS will ultimately lead to internal and external customer satisfaction.

"It's time to break the silos. It's time to talk to each other and bring to the table our best ideas and best practices on how we can best serve the university, our students, and our partners," said Chancellor Murao.

"I know it's difficult because we have to shift our mindset and break down walls, but it's a wall worth breaking down. So, I hope you will join me to break that wall, shift our mindset, and be more customer-focused. That's the first element of ISO," she said.

UPMin's QMS will incorporate and update existing manuals such as the Operations Manual, the Citizen's Charters, and Administrative and Procurement processes. The UPMin organization will also align itself with PRIME-HRM, a mechanism for government agencies to improve their human resource management skills, systems, and practices.

Chancellor Lyre Murao shakes hands with Calinan NHS Principal Edgar Allan Bantigue

Officials of Calinan NHS (left) and UPMin (right) sign an agreement to collaborate on a sports track program.

UP Mindanao Chancellor Lyre Anni Murao expressed confidence in the university's sports programs and its continuing contribution to Mindanao's sports development in remarks made upon signing a memorandum of agreement between UP Mindanao and Calinan National High School on October 20, 2023.

The agreement called for both parties to collaborate in the implementation of the high school's Sports Track program. The goal is to enhance students' interest, knowledge, and skills in sports through hands-on learning experiences, mentorship, and opportunities in sports.

UPMin will help in organizing the high school's sports program, provide mentors or experts to support the students' learning journey and facilitate opportunities for exposure.

UPMin has sports programs, such as the Associate in Arts in Sports Studies and the Bachelor in Sports Science, which high school graduates could aspire to join. Sports educators, on their part,  can avail of UPMin's Diploma in Exercise and Sports Science and the Master of Science in Human Movement Science.

Principal Edgar Allan Bantigue signed the agreement on behalf of Calinan National High School, witnessed by colleague Edgardo Bariquit.

Vice Chancellor Annabelle Novero, Department of Human Kinetics Chairperson Jezreel Abarca, and Asst. Prof. Erwin Protacio served as UPMin's witnesses to the agreement.

The Mathematical Society of the Philippines (MSP) Davao Region Chapter held the 2023 MSP Davao Region Research Convention on October 20-21, 2023, at the Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao. The Convention was supported by the University of the Philippines Mindanao's Society of Math Majors (UPMin SMM) and the Ateneo de Davao Mathematics Society (AdDaMS).

Working under the theme "Rekindling Mathematical Minds: Uniting Mathematicians and Research Enthusiasts in the Region," the  Convention's primary objective is to provide an avenue for local mathematics practitioners and researchers to convene and share their studies and specialties to the conference attendees and the local scholar community.

The Research Convention aims to encourage the re-establishment of a mathematical community in the Davao Region following the revival of the MSP Davao Region chapter earlier this year after a decade of recess and after the challenges brought by the pandemic.

The Convention organizing committee is composed of faculty members from prominent high schools and universities across the Davao Region, led by Davao-based mathematicians and math educators. 

The MSP-Davao Research Convention is being organized in cooperation with the Mindanao Center for Disease Watch and Analytics (DiWA) of the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) and the Risk Management and Enhanced Survival Analysis Integrated through Longitudinal Infectious Disease Data and Statistical Epidemiological Model Using Clinical Risk Factors (RESILIEMC) of the Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (MMCM),

The Mathematical Society of the Philippines is the premier professional organization promoting mathematics research and education. Aligning to that mission, the MSP Davao Region chapter aims to promote interest in and awareness of mathematics and its applications, propagate knowledge in mathematics and mathematics education, and promote mathematical research in the region.

The 2023 MSP Davao Board is composed of Dr. May Anne E. Mata (President) and Dr. Rommel Real, PhD (Vice-President) from the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin), Ms. Parlene Iris Aranjuez (Secretary) from Davao del Norte State College (DNSC), Mr. Ronald Gica (Treasurer) from the Philippine Science High School - Southern Mindanao Campus (PSHS - SMC), Dr. Ariel C. Pedrano (Auditor) and Dr. Eveyth P. Deligero from the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP), Ms. Cola Jane Baguio from Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (MMCM), Mr. Joseph Belida from Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU), and Ms. Edna A. Cenita from Davao del Sur State College (DSSC).

Previous events held by the MSP Davao members include the planning meeting for the reactivation of the MSP Davao Region chapter (November 26, 2022), the first face-to-face MSP Davao Region board members meeting (January 21, 2023), the election of MSP Davao Region officers (February 15, 2023), and the co-hosting of MSP Lecture Series 1 in Honor of Prof. Severino Gervacio (April 1, 2023).