Alan Cayetano urges UP to resume UPCAT, admit 'only best, most deserving'

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano filed a proposed resolution expressing the sense of the Senate to strongly urge the University of the Philippines to resume the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) for Academic year 2023-2024 and admit "only the best and the most deserving" high school graduates through a more holistic admissions process.

In proposed Senate Resolution 157, Cayetano noted that in two Academic Years, particularly in A.Y. 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 the UPCAT was suspended and, in lieu of the test, a composite of the final grades in Grades 8, 9, 10 and 11 were used as basis for admission to UP.

He then cited reports that in 2021 students from top schools, such as the Philippine Science High School, were not admitted to UP despite having good grades and being accepted to top colleges in other countries.

"While some schools have improved their quality of instruction and education, others have been reported to have had only an upward shift in grades," Cayetano said.

The lawmaker, who is a UP graduate himself, pointed out that unlike the UPCAT, which is standardized among all aspirants, several factors affect high school grades, including different grading systems in different types of high school, teachers' and schools' standards, among others.

"Going to UP is a dream of many Filipinos. It is not the student-applicant's fault that the high schools they attended do not have the habit of giving relatively higher grades. Without UPCAT, we are killing the dreams of these highly qualified students without giving them a chance," he stressed.

Cayetano added that other top universities in the Philippines did not conduct entrance examinations but used a more holistic admissions system.

For instance, Cayetano said another university based its admission on past academic performance, teacher recommendations, essays, extracurricular activities, disciplinary records, and other factors.

Meanwhile another university considered recommendations from subject teachers/high school principals, guidance counselors, class rank, leadership, extracurriculars, community involvement, and other pertinent information.

With UP receiving a lion's share of the budget for state universities and colleges with P24.4 billion in appropriations in 2022, Cayetano said it behooved "UP to maintain its high standards of academic excellence by, among others, admitting only the best and the most deserving high school graduates through a more holistic admission process."

"A more holistic admission system which considers a number of factors not usually included in a traditional process creates a more equitable system for evaluating potential students," he added.

GMA News Online sought comment from UP Vice President for Public Affairs Dr. Elena Pernia, but she has yet to respond as of posting time. — DVM, GMA News