UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA – Ilocandia has been presented with an early – yet timely – Yuletide gift.

After almost two decades of remaining a dream, the establishment of the College of Medicine (COM) in the university is nearing its realization with the help of a staunch ally and “big brother”: the University of the Philippines-Manila (UPM).

This collaboration was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) by officials of the two state universities such as Dr. Manuel B. Agulto, UPM chancellor; Dr. Marie Josephine M. De Luna, UPM vice chancellor for academic affairs; Dr. Agnes D. Mejia, dean of the UP College of Medicine (UPCM); Dr. Miriam E. Pascua, MMSU president; and Dr. Wilma C. Natividad, MMSU vice president for academic affairs.

The signing was held Oct. 28 at the UPM Board Room located at the Philippine General Hospital Complex in Manila.

Also present during the signing were: Dr. Jose Florencio F. Lapeña, UPM vice chancellor for administration and finance; Dr. Coralie Therese D. Dimacali, UPCM associate dean for academic development; Dr. Maria Verena R. Remudaro, MMSU COM associate dean; and Prof. Ryan Dean T. Sucgang, MMSU COM secretary.

The MOA, which will run for five years, contains provisions that entails mentoring MMSU COM by UPM in terms of the following aspects: 1) curriculum development, expansion, and maintenance; 2) faculty mentoring and development, particularly on teaching techniques and methodologies applicable to the unique classroom instruction format of a medical school, including the mechanics in the formulation, implementation, use, and/or conduct of a “virtual classroom”; and 3) sharing best practices in the management and operations of a medical school.

Dr. Agulto said that UPM will also assist MMSU in: 1) strengthening their ties in cyberspace through their state-of-the-art information technology facility; 2) establishing a solid affiliation with the Philippine National Health Research System; and 3) publishing health research articles at the Acta Medica Philippina.

The chancellor further mentioned that UPM may also possibly endorse MMSU to Thailand’s Mahidol University, one of their international partners.

He expressed joy over UPM becoming an instrument for reaching out to the North via the creation of an excellent medical academic institution. He personally regarded the partnership as a way of paying back to his Ilocano roots.

Dr. Pascua, on the other hand, expressed her deep gratitude to UPM for accommodating MMSU into its fold as partner in this endeavor. “This is surely a red-letter day for the Ilocanos,” she said.

Meanwhile, COM still has to satisfy requirements set forth by the Commission on Higher Education as to dean, faculty, and curriculum in order to be issued a permit to operate. With the MOA, it is hoped that the said requisites will be complied to commence the opening of the medical school in June 2015.