For their efforts in the university’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, various UPLB personnel, including the College of Development Communication’s (CDC) Online Health Monitoring System (OHMS) officers and UPLB COVID-19 Prevention and Mitigation Committee (COVID PMC) members from CDC, were recognized at a ceremony led by the UPLB Safety, Health, and Intra-community Engagements for Lifesaving Defense (SHIELD).

This was part of the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA) held at the UPLB Baker Hall on 25 October 2022.

The recognized CDC personnel were as follows:

OHMS Officers

  • Mr. Cesar M. Atienza
  • Ms. Carol Joy C. Cañubas
  • Mr. Christopher D. Calamlam
  • Ms. Sarah Mae G. Coronel
  • Ms. Maria Anaise B. Villapando

UPLB COVID-19 Prevention and Mitigation Committee (COVID PMC) Members

  • Mr. Seth Alfred D. Pagulayan (Student Representative of the COVID PMC and former CDC Student Council Chairperson)
  • Asst. Prof. Mark Lester M. Chico (Director, Office of Public Relations)
  • Asst. Prof. John Mervin L. Embate (Former Director, Office of Student Housing)
  • Mr. Miguel Victor T. Durian (CDC Representative)

On 19 July 2022, UPLB was given an award by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for its its notable contribution to the national COVID-19 vaccination program and deployment plan, through the UPLB SHIELD, the university’s umbrella program which was initiated by OVCCA and which serves as UPLB’s holistic response to the COVID-19 pandemic.