The UP LINANG Training Program has officially made its way to UPLB.

Spearheaded by the Office of the Vice President for Administration in coordination with the UPLB Human Resources Development Office (HRDO), the UP LINANG program is a flagship development initiative that aims to cultivate dynamic and meaningful workplace relationships, promote social responsibility, and strengthen the university’s culture of excellence, integrity, and service. 

It aimed to empower UP employees to be leaders and champions of progress, not only within the university but also in the broader community.

The five-day UPLB LINANG training provided participants with a comprehensive learning experience focused on professionalism, values, and effective public service. 

The training program included the Relationship Operations and Sensitivity Enhancement Seminar (ROSES) which emphasized empathy and meaningful connections led by Richard Javier, UP assistant to the vice president for administration; the Work Attitude and Values Enhancement Seminar (WAVES) which aligned personal values with the university’s mission and discussed by Tiffany G. Tan, UP assistant vice president for administration for organizational development and operation; and a session on Completed Staff Work (CSW) highlighting improved decision-making and collaboration by Pepito T. Dizon, university extension specialist at the UP National Engineering Center. 

The training concluded with an Introduction to Training of Trainers, where the resource persons shared strategies for teaching the three modules. 

The training was held at the UPLB College of Public Affairs and Development on March 24, 25, 26, 31, and April 2, 2025.

UPLB Vice Chancellor for Administration Rolando T. Bello welcomed the 40 participants to the training program. “We are here today not only to learn but also to grow together, to build connections that will make us stronger and enforce our shared values. This program should inspire all of us to take ownership of our roles and responsibilities with passion and dedication,” he said. 

In a video message, UP President Angelo A. Jimenez explained the rationale behind the LINANG training program. “Ang salitang LINANG ay nangangahulugang pagyabong, paghasa, at pagkatuto. Isang angkop na paglalarawan sa ating layunin. Ang layunin natin ay mas malinang ang mas matatag na relasyon, mahusay na asal at mataas na kalidad ng trabaho. Naniniwala kami na kapag matibay ang pundasyon at malinaw ang mandato ng UP para sa bayan, nagiging mas malinaw at malalim ang ating pananaw. Kapag nilinang ang linaw at lalim na ito, umaasa kaming mas makikilala ang ating pamantasan bilang sentro ng kahusayan.” 

(The word LINANG means growth, refinement, and learning—an apt description of our goal. We aim to cultivate stronger relationships further and produce high-quality work. We believe that when the foundation is solid, and UP’s mandate for the nation is clear, our vision becomes sharper and deeper. By nurturing this clarity and depth, we hope our university will be more widely recognized as a Center of Excellence.)

A graduate of the training program, Jholyan Francis S. Fornillos, a faculty member at the Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, relayed how the training resonated with him and ignited his passion. 

“The connection between understanding ourselves and how it shapes our work was a powerful reminder of how integral our values are in the workplace. I realized that when we align our actions with the values of our organization, not only does it elevate the quality of our work, but it also fosters a more fulfilling and meaningful contribution not only to the University of the Philippines as an organization but also to our country as a whole.” 

Dr. Marian P. De Leon, assistant to the vice chancellor for research and extension and director of the Museum of Natural History, who also graduated from the program, likened the experience to the Filipino dish pakbet—a flavorful mix of many ingredients, much like how the program was filled with diverse and valuable learnings. 

De Leon gave it a creative twist by adding an ‘H’ at the end, calling it pakbeth—pakbet with honor. “Mahirap magluto ng pakbet. Challenge kung paano tatanggalin ang pait ng ampalaya. Paano palalambutin ang talong na minsan ay matigas at paano mareretain ang texture ng kalabasa kapag pinaghalu-halo mo na sila. So when we go back to our respective workplaces, magluto po tayo ng pakbeth. An excellent mixture of different people, with different personalities and different sets of values. Pero sana po sa mga natutunan natin, pagsamasamahin natin ito para yung organizational values ay ma-attain natin. Para mas masarap ang ating pakbeth. Excellent pakbet with honor in serving our nation, in serving in our stakeholders.”

[“It’s difficult to cook pakbet. It’s a challenge to remove the bitterness of bitter gourd, to soften the eggplant that can sometimes be tough, and to retain the texture of the squash once everything is mixed together. So when we return to our respective s, let’s cook our pakbeth. An excellent mixture of different people, with different personalities and different sets of values. But with everything we’ve learned, I hope we can combine them to achieve our organizational values—so that our pakbeth becomes even more delicious. An excellent pakbet with honor in serving our nation and our stakeholders.]

To conclude the five-day training program, UP Vice President for Administration Augustus C. Resurreccion delivered the closing message. He expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the activity’s success and acknowledged the enthusiastic participation of UPLB. 

Resurreccion emphasized that the ultimate goal—together with all the CU’s HRDOs, OVCAs, and the Offices of the Chancellors—is to bring the LINANG program to all employees across the UP System. This is part of the university’s employee engagement program. He ended his speech with a request “Pagbalik natin sa ating mga opisina mag-influence tayo sa ating mga kasamahan sa trabaho. Ikwento natin yung mga activities natin sa LINANG para naman sila’y ma-inspire at maging curious. Let us plant seeds so they can grow.”

(When we return to our offices, let’s influence our colleagues. Let’s share with them the activities we did at LINANG so they can be inspired and become curious. Let us plant seeds so they can grow.)

UPLB’s hosting of UP LINANG marked not just the delivery of a training program but a renewed commitment to building a workplace culture grounded in compassion, competence, and service. The roll-out of the training program to other UPLB employees is scheduled to begin in the second half of CY 2025. (Michelle Montiel-De Leon)