The changing of the guard at the helm of the School
coincided with the prevailing uncertainties that marked the
period soon after the momentous EDSA Revolution in February
1986. Because of the heightened interest in nation-building,
the School found itself faced with the challenges of the
changing times. Prof. Asteya M. Santiago assumed Deanship of
the School in September 1, 1986.
To respond to the changing requirements of the academic and
national community, the School focused on faculty and staff
development. It had to address problems concerning, among
others, the disproportionate number of faculty and
administrative staff support vis-ā-vis student enrollment,
and inadequate and, in some cases, obsolete facilities and
equipment, including library resources.
Amidst the political turmoil of the late eighties, the
School was able to continue in its tradition of contributing
to national development and progress. Affirming and
reinforcing its relevance to the University and the wider
community was a major thrust of Dean Santiago’s
administration. The School participated in the crafting of
the 1987 Constitution as it was consulted on the provisions
on planning and human settlements. The 1987 Constitution
became the basis for the formulation of RA 7279 (Urban
Development and Housing Act) and RA 7160 (Local Government
Code). The School also actively participated in legislative
proceedings on the drafting of the Urban Land Reform, which
eventually led to the drafting of PD 1517 (Urban Land Reform
Code). Moreover, through its faculty members, it made
substantial contributions in the preparation of the Charter
on the Agricultural Policy, the plans for an Integrated Area
of Protected Network and, the criteria for the formulation
of the National, Regional and Provincial Physical Framework
Plans. When then U.P. President Jose Abueva was appointed
Chairman of the Legislative-Executive Bases Council, the
School got involved in the preparation of the Military Bases
Conversion Plan. As far as multi-disciplinary and
multi-agency involvements are concerned, the School was
privileged to have been tapped to participate in various
inter-agency government committees including the
NEDA-National Land Use Committee (NLUC).
In line with its vision of transforming the SURP Library
into a key support facility of its academic program, the
School saw the urgent need to immediately improve the
library’s resources and facilities to further strengthen its
role as a central repository of planning-related materials
in the country. Toward this end, it put up a Filipiniana
section and allocated a separate room for valuable materials
on the Military Bases Conversion Program in the development
of which the school actively participated in. U.P. was
designated as the lead institution in the development of
Conversion Plans for the air base and naval base of the
country from military to commercial uses. The Dean of SURP
was designated Executive Director of the Legislative and
Executive - Bases Council created for the purpose.
Throughout the late eighties, the School was aware of the
global concern on the environment. The School saw the need
to emphasize environmental matters in urban and regional
planning. Notwithstanding recruitment problems associated
with some of the University’s policy, it was deemed
necessary to hire faculty members who had some expertise in
this field.
In 1987, 25 students graduated from the School, including
Korean national, Mr. Byong Gyu Park, its first PhD graduate.
Onto the nineties, the School began admitting new students
during the second semester giving rise to increased
enrollment.
In response to the growing demand for more professional
planners in the country, the School pursued the adoption of
a diploma course in urban and regional planning. After three
years of sustained efforts, the proposed program was finally
approved by the University in early 1992. This opened the
door wider for government employees and officials to answer
the call for more competent planners.
The term of Dr. Asteya M. Santiago as Dean of the School of
Urban and Regional Planning ended on April 30, 1992.
