THE University of the Philippines Mindanao formally launched its School of Medicine (UPMin-SoMed) on Friday, September 4, 2026, at the former Philippine Baking Institute in Ecoland, Davao City, opening a new chapter in the state university’s efforts to expand medical education and address the region’s long-term need for doctors.
The launch also introduced the school’s pioneering batch of 40 medical students, known as Batch Banwag, who will undergo a five-year Doctor of Medicine program designed to prepare them for clinical practice and community-based service.
Batch Banwag takes its name from the Cebuano word for a bright light or beacon, reflecting the group’s role as the first students of UP Mindanao’s medical school and the foundation of a program expected to produce future physicians for Mindanao.
UP President Angelo A. Jimenez, UP Mindanao Chancellor Lyre Anni E. Murao, SoMed Interim Dean Philip Ian P. Padilla, former Department of Health Secretary Jaime Z. Galvez Tan, guests, and other stakeholders attended the launch.
The program was approved by the UP Board of Regents during its 1408th meeting on April 30, 2026. It adopts the Organ System Integrated (OSI) curriculum of the UP Manila School of Health Sciences, combining foundational medical education with clinical training and community-based learning.
Assoc. Prof. Maria Fatima Q. Manuel, college secretary of the School of Medicine, said the program is intended to produce doctors who will practice where they are most needed.
“So, we want our graduates to serve where they are needed most and contribute meaningfully to improving healthcare in our communities,” Manuel said.
The school’s approach places community exposure alongside classroom and hospital training. Students will be introduced to clinical settings, government hospitals and communities as part of their medical education.
UP Mindanao Chancellor Murao said the program reflects the university’s mandate to develop physicians committed to serving local communities.
"The program aligns with UPMin's mandate to develop physician-leaders committed to social accountability, culturally-grounded service, and community-based problem-solving," she said.
The creation of SoMed also fulfills UP Mindanao’s statutory mandate under Republic Act 7889, which directs the university to offer a medical education program that adopts a community-relevant step-ladder approach and encourages graduates to serve in Mindanao.
The university said the program forms part of its broader Mindanao Health Initiative, alongside health-related research through the Philippine Genome Center-Mindanao and the Mindanao Center for Disease Watch and Analytics, as well as the planned Davao City Public Hospital on campus in partnership with the city government.
For the pioneering students, the program represents both an opportunity to study medicine in the region and a responsibility to help establish the identity of the new school.
James Andrei Madrid, a UP Mindanao BS Biology graduate and member of Batch Banwag, said the first batch will help set the standards and culture for succeeding students.
“As part of the first batch, you are the one who will build the path. Ikaw yung standard, ikaw yung value, ikaw yung culture,” Madrid said.
The establishment of SoMed builds on UP’s earlier efforts to expand health education in Mindanao through the UP Manila School of Health Sciences extension campus in Koronadal City, established in 2011.
With Batch Banwag now beginning its five-year journey, UP Mindanao said that they are positioning the new medical school as a training ground for physicians who are not only clinically competent but also rooted in the communities they are expected to serve. DEF WITH PR
