Who’s your next UP Manila Chancellor?
#UPMChancy2023 Nominee Profiles
by Joanna Pauline Honasan, Casandra Peñaverde
Amid healthcare and infrastructure issues in University of the Philippines Manila (UPM), two nominees with extensive health-related leadership backgrounds vie to be the next Chancellor, after Carmencita Padilla’s three-term chancellorship.
Said nominees are Rolando Enrique D. Domingo, MD, DPBO, current World Health Organization (WHO) Coordinator for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases and former Director General of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Philippine General Hospital (PGH); and Michael L. Tee, MD, MHPEd, MBA, the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development of UP Manila since 2014.
With Padilla’s term ending on Oct. 31, the selection of the next chancellor has commenced in adherence to the Section 18 of Republic Act 9500 stating that the UP Board of Regents (BOR) shall elect the Chancellor of each constituent university from those nominated by the President of the UP System, once the three-year term of the past administration has elapsed.
In pursuant to the Administrative Order PAJ 23–57 released by the UP Office of the President last June 19, a Search Committee was formed to consult with the UPM constituents and conduct an interview with the nominees, to be submitted on Sept. 8 to the BOR.
With this, here are the personal profiles and the summary of the vision papers of both chancellor nominees Domingo and Tee.
Nominee Profile: Rolando Enrique Domingo
Education, Position, and Contribution
Rolando Enrique Domingo is currently the WHO Coordinator for the Management of Noncommunicable Diseases for the Western Pacific Region.
In UP Manila, Domingo has served as a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the College of Medicine and a University Researcher at the Philippine Eye Research Institute.
Domingo’s journey in healthcare started in UP-PGH. In 1997, he took part in establishing the first clinic in the Philippines focused on ocular oncology. His responsibilities grew over time, culminating in overseeing the Ocular Oncology Service and the Ocular Pathology Service.
Domingo embarked on his academic journey at UPM, graduating as part of the INTARMED Class of 1992. He completed his residency in Ophthalmology at UP-PGH from 1993 to 1995, ultimately attaining a Diplomate in Ophthalmology conferred by the Philippine Board of Ophthalmology in 1997. His global perspective was augmented by a Diploma in International Public Health from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Escuela Nacional de Sanidad, Madrid, Spain, from September to December 2006.
As the selection process for the next UP Manila Chancellor unfolds, Domingo’s nomination highlighted his experience and dedication to education, research, and leadership.
Vision Paper
Domingo’s vision paper centered on promoting academic excellence, community service, and healthcare advancement. In a proposal that envisions a thriving educational and research institution, his plans lean toward pragmatism and ambition.
Fostering Excellence in Academics and Research
Domingo accentuates the essence of UPM as a center for learning and research. Anchoring the institution’s efforts on producing outstanding graduates and pioneering knowledge, he emphasized the importance of consistent curriculum updates and relevant research agenda that resonate with real-world needs. Domingo envisions a faculty empowered through continuous development and postgraduate studies, ensuring their ability to shape the future.
Institutionalized Service
Domingo’s vision emphasizes inter-unit cooperation, spanning all UPM colleges, to establish sustainable service programs benefiting communities. He plans to create a service office that would mobilize staff, students, organizations, and partners to champion volunteerism and organize extension activities that extend the university’s reach.
A Robust Health System for Filipinos
Domingo envisions several curriculum aligned with Universal Health Care principles, prioritizing primary care that encompasses preventive, promotive, and curative services. He stressed the significance of translating research findings to the public, enhancing their relevance and inviting participation in the process of improving healthcare services.
Extending Impact Beyond Manila
Domingo vows to fortify the UPM School of Health Sciences (UPM SHS) in Palo, Baler, Koronadal, and Tarlac, building on the main campus’ support. He also envisions a second Philippine General Hospital (PGH) that would balance specialties and services distribution, thus optimizing capacity and decongesting the main facility.
Future-Ready Preparation
Domingo’s foresight extends to embracing Artificial Intelligence’s potential while addressing its ethical implications through clear policies. He advocates for designing endeavors with an eye on the future, anticipating challenges like urban migration, technological advancements, and shifting disease patterns.
Nominee Profile: Michael L. Tee
Education, Position, and Contribution
Michael L. Tee’s background revolves around healthcare leadership, research, as well as infrastructure concerns, given that he has been the UPM Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development (OVCPD) during the entirety of Padilla’s three-term chancellorship.
Prior to his leadership in the OVCPD, he served at the UP-PGH as the Assistant to the Director for Public Affairs and Spokesperson of the PGH last 2004–2010, as well as the Director of the Information, Publication, and Public Affairs Office (IPPAO) of UPM last 2011 and 2014.
He also has contributions to research and medicine as the Editor-in-Chief of the UP Manila Journal from 2010–2011 and 2013–2014 and the Chair of Ospital ng Muntinlupa Department of Medicine last 2010. He is also currently a Public Health Advisor at the Philippine Red Cross.
Most of his research and medical practice focused on Rheumatology and Autoimmunity, for which he received an Outstanding Researcher Award from the UP Medical Alumni Society last 2022. He also received awards as part of his membership in the OCTA Research Group, which played a vital role in the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tee graduated with a degree in Medicine last 1998, the same year he obtained his registered physician license. He undertook residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Rheumatology in 2002 and 2004, both in PGH. Last 2007, he obtained a masters degree in Health Professions Education at the National Teachers’ Training Center for Health Professions (NTTCHP) UP Manila. Tee also holds a masters degree in Business Administration from UP Diliman.
Vision Paper
According to his paper, Tee envisions a UPM that is globally-recognized for holistic excellence in the fields of health, the humanities, and the social and natural sciences that respond to the needs of the country. This entails forwarding innovations that heed to the needs of the UPM constituents and the Filipino people.
Innovations for Life-long Learning Dedicated to Service
Tee highlights the importance of a “technology-enhanced flexible and continuing education” among students, teachers, Research, Extension and Professional Staff (REPS), administrative staff, and healthcare workers. He plans to put forward flexible learning centering on user-experience, as well as innovative teaching methods and simulation-based health education.
Moreover, Tee plans to focus on developing ‘globally competitive, locally engaged education’ for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. This includes exploring international credit transfer and lecture programs, micro-courses allowing several entry and re-entry points in UP, and enhancing the interpersonal skills of UP students. In addition, he intends to have an administration that relies on data-driven decision making management systems to provide prompt service.
Discovery and Research
In his vision paper, Tee underscores the research yielding products and services geared towards improving Filipino lives, entailing research that alleviates the decision-making in public health. He also ensures that researchers will be ‘freed from the administrative labyrinth’ in during research processes. Lastly, he plans to support research via ‘academic-industry partnerships.’
Environment that Nurtures our Mind and Body
Tee also vows to protect the physical and mental health of students throughvia fostering an ‘inclusive environment, open to gender and diversity discourse.’ He also plans to extend this via improving the working conditions of employees through following proper staffing standards. Regarding community partnerships, he says that these shall only be formed with local government units and institutional leaders that value academic freedom and safety of the UPM constituents.
Accessible UP Leadership
Highlighting the need to share UPM’s expertise to partner institutions, his paper also ascertains the plans on evolving the university’s ability to shape health policies and initiatives via multi-institutional collaboration with local and international university linkages to ensure sufficient manpower and expertise in health professions.
Tee also envisions a community-rooted immersive learning in the UPM SHS campuses which will directly serve the underserved people in their communities.
UPM in Nation-building and Public Service
To honor UP’s mandate to serve the public, Tee plans to conduct ‘scholarly and technical collaboration with the government, private sector, and civil society.’ Moreover, he pictures UPM as a partnering institution that contributes to the development of industries via forming public-private partnerships that forward the skills of UPM constituents and alumni.
The BOR is set to select the next UPM chancellor on Sept. 28.
