HOUSE Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairperson and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre welcomed the elevation of UP Tacloban College as the ninth constituent university of the University of the Philippines (UP) System, describing it as a landmark achievement for Eastern Visayas and the country’s premier state university.

The approval was formally granted during the 1409th Meeting of the UP Board of Regents held at the UP Asian Institute of Tourism in Quezon City.

Acidre, a member of the UP Board of Regents and an alumnus of UP Tacloban, said the decision recognizes the institution’s decades-long commitment to academic excellence, public service, regional leadership, and resilience.

“This is more than an institutional milestone. It is a recognition of UP Tacloban’s maturity, excellence, resilience, and faithful service to the people of Eastern Visayas,” Acidre said.

According to the lawmaker, the elevation affirms UP Tacloban’s growing role as the University of the Philippines’ primary presence in Eastern Visayas, particularly in the areas of disaster resilience, community governance, culture and heritage, regional development, and public service.

Acidre also commended UP Tacloban Dean Patricia Arinto for her leadership and presentation before the Board of Regents during the deliberations that led to the approval.

He likewise congratulated the university’s faculty, students, staff, alumni, administrators, and development partners, noting that the achievement was the result of the collective efforts of generations who helped build and strengthen the institution.

“This achievement belongs to everyone who defended, strengthened, and believed in UP Tacloban through the years,” he said.

The congressman said the university’s elevation would give it a stronger mandate and greater capacity to expand access to higher education, strengthen research and innovation initiatives, and enhance public service programs across Eastern Visayas and neighboring regions.

“With this elevation, UP Tacloban receives a stronger mandate to serve, to lead, and to grow. It becomes a larger platform for higher education, research, innovation, and public service in our region,” Acidre said.

He added that the development highlights the importance of strengthening regional universities and ensuring that quality higher education is accessible to communities beyond Metro Manila.

“The elevation of UP Tacloban as the Ninth Constituent University is a promise fulfilled and a responsibility renewed,” Acidre said. “It brings UP closer to the people. It allows excellence to grow more deeply in the regions. It gives Eastern Visayas a stronger voice in the national university.”