UP to pay tribute to National Scientist, former UP President and former Education Secretary O.D. Corpuz

The University of the Philippines will pay tribute to its 13th President, National Scientist and former Education Secretary Onofre D. Corpuz on Monday, April 1, 2013 at the Church of the Holy Sacrifice, UP Diliman, at 7 p.m. 

 

UP President Alfredo E. Pascual will lead the tribute. Other speakers include former UP presidents Jose V. Abueva and Francisco Nemenzo, former Budget Secretary Manuel S. Alba, UP Diliman Chancellor Caesar A. Saloma, National Scientist Raul V. Fabella, and National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose.

 

Eminent scholars will also share their reminiscences about Corpuz, including UPLB Foundation Executive Director Cecilio R. Arboleda (agriculture), former UP Social Sciences and Philosophy Dean Leslie E. Banzon (history), CHED Commissioner Maria Cynthia Rose B. Bautista (sociology and education), former UP Economics Dean Emmanuel S. de Dios (economics), National Historical Commission Chairperson Maria Serena I. Diokno (history), and Emeritus Professor / Pulse Asia founding President Felipe B. Miranda (political science).

 

The UP Singing Ambassadors (UPSA), under the baton of founder and conductor Ed Lumbera Manguiat, will render musical numbers.

 

UP Psychology Professor and former Chairperson Aurora Odette Corpuz Mendoza, Corpuz's daughter, will deliver a response on behalf of her family.

 

Corpuz, passed away last Saturday, March 23, 2013, at the age of 86. His long and distinguished career in government service was marked by his sterling accomplishments as UP President (1975-1979), Secretary of Education (1968-1971), Minister of Education under Batasan Pambansa (1979-1983), Chairperson of the Population Commission (1968-1971), and Professor Emeritus at the UP School of Economics (1993-2013).

 

He was also a Member of the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Council (1968-1971), Founding President of Development Academy of the Philippines (1973-1983), and Member of the Board of Governors of East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii (1974-1976).

 

As a social scientist, he was a visiting scholar at Harvard University, Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.), New York Public Library, British Library, Archivo General de las Indias (Seville, Spain) and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.  His major works include Bureaucracy in the Philippines (1957), The Roots of the Filipino Nation (1989) and An Economic History of the Philippines (1997).

 

Born in Camiling, Tarlac on December 1, 1926, Corpuz was Class Salutatorian of Camiling Elementary School (1938) and Class Salutatorian of Tarlac High School (1944). He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude,  from U.P. Diliman in 1950. He earned three degrees overseas—Master of Arts from the University of Illinois (1953), Master of Public Administration and Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government (1956) from Harvard University.

 

Corpuz was married to former UP College of Home Economics Dean and Professor Aurora G. Corpuz.  They have six children: Daniel Antolin, Perfecto, Arturo Onofre, Benjamin, Aurora Odette and Ernesto Soliman.

 

UP's tribute to president OD corpuz will be aired LIVE on DZUP (1602 kHz in Metro Manila). It will also be aired online. DZUP's websites are: http://dzup.weebly.com/ and http://www.dzup.org. Press release and photo from the University of the Philippines