The University of Baguio started the year strong with its first flag ceremony, a monthly event that not only sets a lively and spirited tone for the incoming weeks but also sets out to recognize the outstanding achievements of the university’s students, faculty, and staff. Holding recognition and commendation ceremonies is integral for keeping the community informed about UB’s performance not just in the academic world, but also in sectors such as sports and other extracurricular areas.
The foremost accomplishment that was highlighted was the university’s performance at PACUCOA’s 51st Founding Anniversary and 35th Annual General Assembly. At the event, UB was named the institution with the highest number of accredited programs in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and was also recognized as one of the universities that was granted Autonomous Status by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
The UB Research, Innovation, Extension, and Community Outreach (RIECO) office also garnered 5th place for Best Practices on community outreach and extension for their program entitled: “University of Baguio Community Advancement Through Responsive Extension Services”. The director of RIECO, Dr. Donnavila Marie Panday, and her team were present to receive the honor.
Apart from that, the UB Science High School was also commended for having its Student Parliamentary Government officially recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The School of Information Technology (SIT) was also recognized for their performance at the 3rd Robolution International Robotics Competition and the Baguio City Smart City Challenge 2024. The Robolution team secured the 1st Runner-Up position, while the Smart City Challenge team secured 3rd Place.
Following this, the School of Dentistry (SOD) was also honored for their exceptional performance at the 4th International Multidisciplinary Research Colloquium; they secured Overall Second Place for Best Research in the Professional Category, Best Research Overall and Overall Second Place in the Student Category, and Best Research Abstract.
The University Athletics Office was also lauded for the stunning performance of its athletes at several recent sports events, including the 1st phase of the 35th Season of the Baguio Benguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL) Tournament and the National Batang Pinoy 2024. Overall, UB garnered a total of 403 points across the different BBEAL Tournament events, with a total of six champion titles, six 1st runner-up titles, and one 5th place title. Overall, UB ranked first in a line-up of nine other universities.
On the other hand, for the National Batang Pinoy 2024, the different athletes won a grand total of 62 medals across eight different categories; 23 of which were gold, 19 were silver, and 20 were bronze.
The Athletics Office also sent representatives from the UB Taekwondo Jins to several world taekwondo events. Their participation at the National Inter-School Poomsae Taekwondo Championships resulted in the team earning being named Champion in the Cadet Division, 1st Runner-Up in the Elementary Division, and 2nd Runner-Up in the Juniors Division. At the National Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships, the team raked in six gold medals, seven silver medals, and four bronze medals. At the National Age Group Kyorugi Taekwondo Championships, the team managed to secure six gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals. At the 2024 National Age Group Poomsae Taekwondo Championships, the team won eight gold medals, three silver medals, and five bronze medals.
At the 2024 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships held in Hong Kong, China, Player Joniya Yua Ysabelle Obiacoro, under the guidance of Coach Arnold Oglayon, emerged as the bronze medalist for the Pair Poomsae category. She and fellow teammate Chezka Nicolette Luzadas also qualified as quarter finalists for the Team Poomsae category.
The university Taekwondo Team also joined the Wuxi 2024 World Taekwondo Slam Youth League and the 2023 National Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships.
All in all, the latter half of 2023 yielded a litany of achievements and accolades for the UB community, ending the year on a high note. Going into 2024, the university hopes to continue inspiring innovation and excellence across its student body, faculty, and staff, cultivating a culture of distinction that will continue on for the incoming semester.
