THE University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) will formally launch its School of Medicine (SoMed) on September 4, 2026, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, at its SoMed campus in Ecoland, Davao City.
The event will be attended by officials of the UP System led by President Angelo A. Jimenez, UP Mindanao led by Chancellor Lyre Anni E. Murao, and SoMed led by interim dean Prof. Philipp Ian Padilla, as well as invited partners and other stakeholders.
The School fulfills the University’s statutory mandate to provide access to affordable, quality medical education for students in the island and aims to address the ongoing shortage of physicians in Mindanao in the long-term.
Approved by the UP Board of Regents at its 1408th meeting on April 30, 2026, the five-year Doctor of Medicine program adopts the Organ System Integrated (OSI) curriculum of the UP Manila School of Health Sciences (UP SHS), combining clinical training, foundational medical knowledge, and community-based learning.
UPMin Chancellor Murao, who championed a culture of “amuma” (“to nurture, to care, to foster growth”) for her second term, emphasized the program's alignment with the institution's vision to develop doctors committed to serving local communities in Mindanao.
"The program aligns with UPMin's mandate to develop physician-leaders committed to social accountability, culturally-grounded service, and community-based problem-solving," she said.
The pioneering batch, Batch Banwag (“bright light, beacon”), comprises 40 students. During the application process, around 60% of interested applicants came from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, creating opportunities for students from diverse socioeconomic circumstances.
The School is led by Dean Philip Ian Padilla, a physician and UP College of Medicine alumnus on special detail from UP Visayas, who joined the technical working group that developed the program proposal. He is joined by College Secretary Assoc. Prof. Maria Fatima Q. Manuel and Asst. Profs. Anjelica Isabelle Napala-Mozo, Raphaella Maria B. Rocero, and Maria Angelica C. Plata.
The establishment of SoMed is part of UPMin’s Mindanao Health Initiative, which seeks to improve health outcomes in the region. The School is complemented by a strong portfolio of health-related research through the Philippine Genome Center - Mindanao (PGC Mindanao) and the Mindanao Center for Disease Watch and Analytics (DiWA Center), as well as infrastructure development with the construction of the Davao City Public Hospital on campus in partnership with the City Government of Davao.
Previous efforts of UP to offer health education in Mindanao were through the extension campus of the UP Manila School of Health Sciences in Koronadal, established in 2011 in partnership with the Provincial Government of South Cotabato to serve students from the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani, North Cotabato, and BARMM.
UP Mindanao offering a Doctor of Medicine program is part of its statutory mandate as stated in Republic Act 7889, where the university was directed to offer a medical education program which “shall adopt a community-relevant step-ladder approach with the view of encouraging graduates to serve in Mindanao.” PR
