Shaping a Sustainable Future: UPOU Reinforces Its Commitment Through the UP Sustainability Caravan

UP Sustainability Caravan- SDG Orientation and Workshop, attended by participants from UPOU and UPLB, held at the UPOU CCDL Auditorium in Los Baños, Laguna.

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) strengthens its commitment to sustainable development through the UP Sustainability Caravan, in collaboration with the International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders in the Philippines (UP-CIFAL Philippines), with the theme “Transforming the Future through Synergetic Sustainability” on 25 and 30 September 2025 at the UPOU HQ in Los Baños, Laguna and via Zoom.

The Caravan featured an SDG Orientation and Workshop, conducted in hybrid mode on 25 September 2025, which brought together 65 faculty members, staff, students, and other stakeholders from UPOU and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). The caravan aims to broaden participants’ understanding of the SDGs, encourage their integration into academics, research, and extension, promote practical application through workshops, and strengthen collaboration between UP-CIFAL and the UP Constituent Universities. It was also highlighted as a platform for collaboration and reflection on the vital role of higher education in advancing sustainable development. As a transformative University of the Future, UPOU remains steadfast in its pursuit of innovation and partnership with institutions to help build a sustainable future.

The SDG Orientation and Workshop opened with welcome remarks from Dr. Joane V. Serrano, UPOU Chancellor, expressing her gratitude to UP-CIFAL Philippines for organizing the initiative. She underscored UPOU’s commitment to advancing the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda by integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its teaching, research, extension, and operations.

UP President Angelo Jimenez and UPOU Chancellor Joane Serrano delivering their messages to the participants through recorded videos.

Atty. Angelo A. Jimenez, UP President, delivered his message, scoring the vital role of UP-CIFAL in promoting SDGs through research, training, and capacity building. He reaffirmed the vision of UP as a Transformative University through its ten flagship programs in the pursuit of a transformative impact. He encouraged the participants to engage fully, exchange ideas, and inspire with tangible change within the institution and the broader community.

Resource persons during the Question and Answer session. From left- Dr. Vaberlie Mandane-Garcia, Dr. Michelle Palumbarit, and Dr. Nathaniel Bantayan.

Dr. Michelle R. Palumbarit, Director of UP-CIFAL Philippines, started the orientation with a discussion on the history, principles, and pillars of the 17 UN SDGs, highlighting their integration in higher education and the vital role of universities and their contribution to the SDGs. She underscored how universities serve as “living laboratories” for sustainability through their core functions of research, teaching, public service, and external leadership. She urged Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to integrate sustainability into curricula, governance, and community partnerships, positioning them as champions of sustainability transformation.

Dr. Nathaniel C. Bantayan, UPLB Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension, discussed the sustainability framework of UPLB, focusing on key components that must be supported by programs and activities. These include Academics, where new program offerings are geared toward sustainability; Research and Innovation, which emphasizes their role in building a knowledge economy; Community Engagement, which highlights the importance of connecting with other HEIs to share practices on sustainability; and University Operations, which envisions a renewable energy-powered and fully digitalized campus in the coming years. He also outlined the focus areas under the umbrella of Accelerating Growth through One Research and Extension in Action (AGORA) and the initiatives being pursued to advance the SDGs.

Dr. Vaberlie P. Mandane-Garcia, Sustainable Development Officer at Batangas State University’s (BatStateU) Center for Sustainable Development, shared the institution’s sustainability journey, highlighting the university’s efforts across its 12 campuses serving around 60,000 students. Sustainability has since been embedded into various aspects of the university’s operations and functions. She also highlighted innovative practices linked to the university’s carbon emissions and consumption, the development of a sustainability assessment tool, and small yet impactful initiatives like eliminating single-use plastics and monitoring paper consumption. Through these efforts, BatStateU demonstrates how HEIs can take concrete steps in advancing the UN SDGs within and beyond their communities.

Group discussions during the SDG Workshop session

The afternoon session continued with a workshop that examined the current issues and challenges faced by institutions in advancing the SDGs. Participants explored solutions and strategies to address these challenges, strengthen the promotion of priority SDGs, and identify key goals under the 2030 Agenda. To foster deeper dialogue and collaboration, they were divided into smaller groups for focused discussions.

Dr. Ricardo Bagarinao delivering the synthesis of the SDG Workshop.

Dr. Ricardo Bagarinao, Program Development Associate (PDA) for Sustainability and Chair of the Doctor in Sustainability (DSus) program, provided the session synthesis. In his speech, he expressed gratitude for the event and acknowledged the various initiatives of universities in advancing the SDGs. He also pointed out the challenges raised in the presentations and reiterated the need for a stronger framework and the institutionalization of SDG policies. He concluded by emphasizing that greater progress can be achieved when institutions work together.

Dr. Janette Malata-Silva delivering the closing remarks on behalf of Dr. Jose V. Camacho, UPLB Chancellor.

Dr. Janette H. Malata-Silva, UPLB Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, delivered the message on behalf of UPLB Chancellor Dr. Jose V. Camacho Jr., outlining the ways forward following the SDG Orientation and Workshop.

UP-CIFAL Director Dr. Michelle R. Palumbarit discussing the professional courses that may be offered as microcredentials or electives of UPOU degree programs during the Courtesy and Exploratory Meeting

The UP Sustainability Caravan continued with the Courtesy and Exploratory Meeting held on 30 September 2025 via Zoom. The session provided an opportunity to present the various initiatives that UP-CIFAL Philippines and UPOU are undertaking to achieve the SDGs. UP-CIFAL Philippines shared information about its Strategic Conference, scheduled for 18-20 November 2025, and the 2026 SDG Youth Summit, slated for January 2026. UPOU, on the other hand, highlighted projects such as the Perma GARDEN of the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS), Roof Solarization Project of the Campus Development and Maintenance Office (CDMO), and the Pamayanan Urban Planning Studio of the Diploma in Land Use Planning (DLUP) program. Discussions explored collaborations with UP-CIFAL Philippines on professional courses that may be offered as microcredentials or electives in UPOU degree programs, as well as the consolidation of SDG initiatives into a system-wide video and database. UPOU also shared its ongoing collaboration with Sulitest to assess students’ sustainability literacy and reaffirmed its proposal to establish a Sustainability Office, providing more coordinated leadership in advancing SDG-related efforts within the university. UP-CIFAL Director Dr. Michelle R. Palumbarit commended UPOU’s projects and reiterated UP-CIFAL’s support for strengthening sustainability initiatives across the UP System.

Asst. Prof. Remsce Pasahol presenting the Pamayanan Urban Planning Studio as one of the SDG initiatives of UPOU.

The active collaboration of UPOU with UP-CIFAL Philippines reinforces its commitment to shaping a sustainable future through initiatives such as the UP Sustainability Caravan. Together, these efforts reaffirm UPOU’s role as a transformative university dedicated to integrating sustainability into education, research, and community engagement. By fostering collaboration across institutions, UPOU continues to pave the way for collective action toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Written by Marinela Hernandez, Maelyn Pisueña and Anna Cañas-Llamas | Edited by Ricardo T. Bagarinao | Photos by Anthea Fay Peredo

Sustainable Development Goals