Taga- UP ako, Dugong Iskolar ng Bayan

Dateline : June 18, 1908 The University of the Philippines (UP)   was established  as an act of the First Philippine Legislature. Act No. 1870, otherwise known as the "University Act", specified the function of the University, which is to provide advanced instruction in literature, philosophy, the sciences, and arts, and to give professional and technical training.

 At present, the University of the Philippines System is composed of seven (7) constituent universities (CU) located in 12 campuses around the country.

Seven (7) of fifteen (15) Philippine Presidents have attended courses in the University either as undergraduates or as postgraduate students, while 12 Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, 36 out of the 57 National Artists and 34 out of the 35 National Scientists are affiliated with the University.

U.P. is partly subsidized by the Philippine government.Students of the university and its graduates are referred to as “[Mga] Iskolar ng Bayan” (“Scholars of the Nation”).This makes admission into the University extremely competitive.

The symbol of U.P. is the Oblation. This is a figure of a naked man, with arms outstretched and face pointed upwards. The Oblation is based on the second stanza of Jose Rizal's Mi Ultimo Adios.

From 1987 to 1991, i became one of the so-called "Iskolar ng Bayan" as  part of the UP Diliman studentry when i took BS. Economics.  Basically, I became attached to three main organizations , Economics Society or ECOSOC, Philippine Collegian or KULE, and SAMASA Alliance .My relatives and friends usually asked me "bakit ka ba naging aktibista". Perhaps my answer will be because UP is the perfect place to grow in all aspects, whether it be politically, socially, etc. Yes, I myself became part of UP Activisim movement. And i am proud that it made me a better person. Perhaps, members of the various generation of activism has their own way of reminiscing such so era."Iba nung panahon namin"...My passion for photography likewise developed.

I entered UP College of Law in 1992 and earned  my law degree in 1998. I shifted from the day class to the  evening class to be part of the  "working student" species of lawyers. I write for TODAY as one of their regular reporter as well as international news agencies like Reuters, AFP, AP, UPI and others covering a wide range of topics such as environment, human rights, politics, peace process, agriculture, agrarian reform and many more . Take note: my daily schedule is writing in the morning and the afternoon before going to UP to attend my classes in the evening. Then I go home where I read the assignments for the following day during the almost two hours trip of the bus going to Las Pinas. In between my work and classes, I still go hiking with my friends called the Squakings or SKWAKSIn August23, 1997 i was kidnapped  which i wrote in my piece "Face to Face with Crime"  “SIGE, tumakbo ka na ng mabilis at huwag kang lilingon at baka barilin pa kita (Run, Run fast and don’t turn back or I’ll shoot you).” The words could be apart of a movie script, but these were in fact words of my abductors . To me, words of freedom.

In April 1999, i am officially Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho, the lawyer,  after the Supreme Court posted the successful passers. I chronicled my experience in taking the 1998 bar exams in "Notes in Bar Exams."

 

Presidents of the University of the Philippines

Murray S. Bartlett, 1911-1915

Ignacio B. Villamor, 1915-1921

Guy Potter Wharton Benton, 1921-1925

Rafael V. Palma, 1925-1933

Jorge Bocobo, 1934-1939

Bienvenido Ma. González, 1939–1943, 1945-1951

Antonio Sison, 1943-1945

Vidal A. Tan, 1951-1956

Enrique Virata, 1956-1958

Vicente G. Sinco, 1958-1962

Carlos P. Romulo, 1962-1968

Salvador P. Lopez, 1969-1975

Onofre D. Corpuz, 1975-1979

Emmanuel V. Soriano, 1979-1981

Edgardo J. Angara, 1981-1987

Jose V. Abueva, 1987-1993

Emil Q. Javier, 1993-1999

Francisco Nemenzo, Jr., 1999-2005

Emerlinda R. Roman, 2005–2011

Alfredo E. Pascual, 2011–present