Home > News > 2003 UPAA Reunion and Convention
by Fe Casimiro-Nievera (AB'54)
UPAA Houston Chapter under the chairmanship of Fel Tabangay is gearing up to host the three-day 2003 UPAAA General Reunion & Convention set for Oct. 24-26 at the Westin Oaks Hotel at the Galleria, 5011 Westheimer Blvd., Houston, Texas, USA. With "Balik Lingkod Sa UP" once again as its theme, alumni support for the modernization of UP has dominated the entire planning of the convention.
Cognizant that the faculty is an important linchpin in the revitalization of UP, the UPAAA Executive Board under the leadership of its president, Josefina Abaya-Wee Sit, designated the proceeds of the convention to endow $25,000 for a Professorial Chair in Perpetuity. Towards this purpose, several pre-convention fundraisers have been held by several alumni groups in different states including Chicago, New Jersey, Colorado and San Francisco.
Senator Juan Flavier (BS'56; MD'60) will be the main speaker at the Gala Dinner Dance. Dr. Flavier, popularly known as the "barrio doctor in the Philippine Senate", has used his UP education to further public health and rural development. But it may well be the luncheon speech of UP President Franciso Nemenzo that will be much awaited by alumni as he is expected to apprise the gathering of his assessment of the progress of UP in its modernization programs.
Other speakers and panelists have been selected to highlight alumni support of the modernization of UP. Spearheading the efforts to mobilize the engineering alumni in US, Canada and Western Europe to provide funds for the continued improvement of the College of Engineering facilities will be the joint undertaking of former Energy Secretary and Dean of Engineering Francisco Viray and Wally Arias, Director of Business Development at Halliburton of Texas. Education Dean Letitia Ho will present the Handog project of the UP Integrated School Alumni Foundation. Former University of Chicago professor Crisostomo Garcia will speak on how bequests of alumni can be their gift to UP. Mrs. Lilia Clemente of the Clemente Fund will talk on how alumni can develop a viable assistance program for UP via financial investments while Executive Director Francisco Juan will guide alumni on how they can utilize FUPFA's resources for making tax beneficial donations to UP.
Convention attendees will not only hear from speakers who only ask for their support, but also from speakers who have something to give them such as Mayor Jose Esteves of Milpitas, CA, when he talks on how to access, participate and benefit from the US political sytem. Consul General Delia Rosal of San Francisco will clarify the implications to alumni of the proposed Dual Citizenship Bill and the Absentee Voting Law.
Other highlights of the convention include: honoring alumni who graduated from the years 1943 through 1979 with a Parade of Jubilarians, giving awards to outstanding alumni, induction of offficers and election of a new executive board to guide future UPAAA support for the continued modernization of UP.
From a UP Alumni Association press release [an error occurred while processing this directive]