The Second Quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill for 2021 was held on 8 June 2021 and UP Open University (UPOU) actively participated in the activity. This activity was spearheaded by the UPOU Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Committee chaired by Dr. Consuelo DL. Habito, Professor of UPOU Faculty Management and Development Studies, and Program Chair of the UPOU Diploma in and Master of Environment and Natural Resources Management. 

An email reminder was sent to all employees by the Crisis Communication Team, especially those who are on work from home (WFH) arrangement. In an email sent to Safety Wardens, Dr. Habito gave the reminder for the simultaneous earthquake drill, including the roles of the Route Marshals, Sweepers and Assembly Marshals for each UPOU building. Safety Wardens were to submit the report to the DRRM Committee which will be submitted to the UP Resiliency Institute.

At exactly 9:00 AM, UPOU personnel who are reporting for work at the office, and those who are on WFH, ducked, covered and held on. Employees who reported physically for work then exited their buildings and gathered at designated assembly areas. 

UPOU has been advocating for disaster resilience. A flagship program that has been implemented since 2016 is the Care UPOU which stands for Climate Adaptive and Resilient UPOU.

2nd Quarterly Earthquake Drill 2021 on 10 June 2021, 9AM

Sustainable Development Goals

Written by Anna Cañas-Llamas

Edited by  Joane V. Serrano

Graphics by Lovelyn P. Petrasanta

#UPOpenUniversity

The 7th AAWS Congress opened with compelling plenary sessions that framed key conversations on empowerment, inclusion, and women’s scholarship.Plenary 1, “Revisioning Gender/Women’s Studies in the Post-Pandemic World: Work for Empowerment,” was delivered by Assoc. Prof. Finaflor F. Taylan, Dean of UPOU FMDS and President of AAWS. Dr. Taylan discussed how crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic deepened gender inequalities—particularly in sectors with high female participation—and intensified unpaid care work. She emphasized the need to integrate crisis-related realities, including gendered vulnerabilities, labor shifts, and digital divides, into Gender/Women’s Studies teaching and research, and called for stronger advocacy toward gender-responsive recovery and structural transformation. The session concluded with an engaging Q&A moderated by Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez.The second plenary, “Emerging Issues in Diversity, Multiculturalism, and Democracy in Asia: The Role of Advocates,” was presented by Dr. Aileen Park, Associate Professor at Philippine Normal University Mindanao and AAWS Council Member. Drawing from migration-related experiences in the United States, Korea, and Australia, Dr. Park explored discriminatory practices and highlighted the importance of a multivoiced academic mindset rooted in cultural sensitivity, self-awareness, and social responsibility. The session was moderated by Asst. Prof. Maria Lourdes Jarabe, Director of UPOU’s Office of Gender Concerns.Several Parallel Presentation Sessions were also held in the afternoon, featuring research topics on Evolution of Women and Gender Studies Across Asia; Gender, Social Inclusion and Women Empowerment in ASEAN; Women’s Struggles and Democracy in Asia; Gender and Development: ASEAN’s Performance on the SDGs; Gender, Social Inclusion and Women Empowerment in ASEAN; and it also included a Colloquium where UPOU undergraduate and graduate students present their research studies.#AAWSCongress2025 #EmpowerSustainDemocratize #AsianWomenInFocus #SDG5GenderEquality #UPOU ... See MoreSee Less
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