University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources
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The University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources (also referred to as CFNR) is one of the 11 degree-granting units of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). It started as the Forest School under the UP College of Agriculture in 1910, making it the oldest forestry school in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. It is one of the five founding units of UPLB upon its establishment in 1972. The college has been identified as a "Center of Excellence" in
forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education since January 2000. CFNR offers one
undergraduate degree An undergraduate degree (also called first degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher e ...
program (
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
in Forestry) along with four other
graduate degree Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and struc ...
programs and one two-year
certificate program Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply ''certification'' or ''qualification'', is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Not all certifications ...
. Two of its professors, including its one of its deans, are members of the
Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ...
, the 2007 recipient of the
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.


History

CFNR traces its roots to the Forest School founded on April 14, 1910, through an Act 1989 by the
Insular Government of the Philippines The Insular Government of the Philippine IslandsThis form of the name appeared in the titles of U.S. Supreme Court cases, but was otherwise rarely used. See Costas v. Insular Government of the Philippine Islands, 221 U.S. 623, 1911. The Admini ...
and efforts by Secretary of the Interior,
Dean Conant Worcester Dean Conant Worcester, D.Sc., FRGS (October 1, 1866 – May 2, 1924) was an American zoologist, public official, and authority on the Philippines. He was born at Thetford, Vermont, and educated at the University of Michigan (A.B., 1889). He first ...
. It was originally established as a department in the newly established of the College of Agriculture, and all of its early faculty were from the Bureau of Forestry. The Forest School became independent of the College of Agriculture in February 1916 through Act 2578. Since then directors of the bureau had acted as
ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...
deans of the school. The Forest School changed its name to School of Forestry in 1924 by effect of Act 3095. Arthur Frederick Fischer, the School of Forestry's first dean, retired as director of the Bureau of Forestry in February 1936. He was replaced by Florencio Tamesis who became the School of Forestry's second dean, as well as its first
Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
dean. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the campus was used as an internment camp for American civilians then in the Philippines. Largely as a result of the liberation of the campus during the
Raid on Los Baños The Raid on Los Baños (Filipino: ''Pagsalakay sa Los Baños'') in the Philippines, early Friday morning on 23 February 1945, was executed by a combined United States Army Airborne and Filipino guerrilla task force, resulting in the liberation o ...
, all the School of Forestry buildings, including student and faculty houses, were destroyed. Large parts of the Makiling Forest Reserve, which is administered by the school were likewise damaged. Only four faculty including Tamesis and silviculture professor Teodoro C. Delizo, along with five students returned upon the resumption of classes. Classes were held under trees until its buildings could be reconstructed through the help of
war reparation War reparations are compensation payments made after a war by one side to the other. They are intended to cover damage or injury inflicted during a war. History Making one party pay a war indemnity is a common practice with a long history. R ...
funds worth 59,300 (about US$30,000 in 1946).Approximate conversion value as of July 1946 The School of Forestry became the College of Forestry on June 14, 1949, by effect of RA 352, with the College of Forestry finally separated from the Bureau of Forestry in 1957, effectively putting it under direct administration of the
University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...
. In 1954 the College of Forestry signed an agreement with
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
for providing academic and financial assistance. The College of Forestry received
visiting professor In academia, a visiting scholar, visiting researcher, visiting fellow, visiting lecturer, or visiting professor is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic for which the visitor ...
s from Cornell and grants that were used for construction and forestry research, while faculty and students were awarded scholarships for pursuing
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
s at US universities. Domingo M. Lantican became the dean of the College of Forestry in May 1966. Lantican implemented a 5-year campus development program which included construction of new buildings and designating areas for
dormitories A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...
and staff housing. The College of Forestry was reorganized to become the College of Forestry and Natural Resources on June 25, 1998. Since 2004 the event has been celebrated in concurrence with the Philippine Arbor Day, a nationwide event marked by extensive
tree planting Tree-planting is the process of transplanting tree seedlings, generally for forestry, land reclamation, or landscaping purpose. It differs from the transplantation of larger trees in arboriculture, and from the lower cost but slower and less re ...
.


Campus

The campus of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources, referred to as the "upper campus", is situated on the northeastern slope of Mount Makiling. The campus contains academic buildings, dormitories, hosted institutions (such as the
ASEAN Center for Biodiversity The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) is an intergovernmental regional centre of excellence that facilitates co-operation and co-ordination among the members of ASEAN, and with relevant national governments, regional and international organi ...
), and the 4,347-hectare Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR), which serves as an outdoor laboratory for forestry students and is believed to contain more tree species than the
continental United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
. Aside from being the location of the college, the MFR is also the site of the College of Public Affairs,
National Arts Center The National Arts Center is a building complex situated in Mount Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna, the Philippines. The establishment was inaugurated in 1976. Its theater is the Tanghalang Maria Makiling or the NAC Center, which has an audience capac ...
,
Philippine High School for the Arts The Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) is a specialized public high school in the Philippines offering arts-focused education established in 1978 by virtue of Presidential Decree 1287. An attached agency of the Department of Education, it ...
, the venue of the
National Jamboree In Scouting, a jamboree is a large gathering of Scouts who rally at a national or international level. History The 1st World Scout Jamboree was held in 1920, and was hosted by the United Kingdom. Since then, there have been twenty-three other W ...
of the
Boy Scouts of the Philippines The Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) is the national scouting organization of the Philippines in the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The Scout movement was first introduced in the Philippines on 1910 during the American Occupat ...
(BSP), the Center for Philippine Raptors and the Bureau of Plant Industry-Makiling Botanic Gardens, one of the oldest parts of the campus. The gardens occupy the site where the tents were used as classrooms during the first four months of the university. The MFR serves as an outdoor laboratory to students, primarily of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources. ₱5 million (US$156,000) was designated for its conservation and development in 2011. The MFR was created in 1910 under the Bureau of Forestry. Jurisdiction over the MFR was transferred to the UP in 1960.
NAPOCOR The National Power Corporation ( fil, Pambansang Korporasyon sa Elektrisidad, also known as Napocor, NPC or National Power), is a Philippine government-owned and controlled corporation that is mandated to provide electricity to all rural areas of ...
acquired complete jurisdiction of the MFR, however, in 1987 as part of the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
'
energy development Energy development is the field of activities focused on obtaining sources of energy from natural resources. These activities include production of renewable, nuclear, and fossil fuel derived sources of energy, and for the recovery and reuse ...
program under
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Corazon Aquino Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...
. The MFR was returned to UPLB three years later by effect of RA 6967. In 2008
representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...
Del De Guzman of the 2nd district of Makati filed HB 1143 which, if passed into law, would have transferred jurisdiction of the MFR to the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. The
bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...
was strongly opposed by the UPLB, citing possible mismanagement and deforestation of the site if placed under the BSP among others.


Organization and administration

The College of Forestry and Natural Resources is managed by a
dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...
, who is appointed by the UP
Board of Regents In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual col ...
, and assisted by an associate dean. Prior to the college's separation from the Bureau of Forestry in 1957, the deans of the College of Forestry and its predecessors were not appointed by the board but were the directors of the Bureau of Forestry acting as ex officio heads of the college. Due to the distance of the Bureau of Forestry in Manila from the Forest School in Los Baños (about 64 kilometers), directors of the bureau appointed foresters-in-charge to manage the school, a practice which continued until 1957. The College of Forestry and Natural Resources is a founding member of the Asia Pacific of Forestry Research Institutions, and the CFNR Institute of Agroforestry is a member of the Philippine Agroforestry Education and Research Network.


Academics

CFNR offers one
undergraduate degree An undergraduate degree (also called first degree or simply degree) is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher e ...
program (
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
in
Forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
), four
graduate degree Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and struc ...
programs and one
certificate program Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply ''certification'' or ''qualification'', is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Not all certifications ...
. It started offering
master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
and
doctor's degree A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' l ...
s in 1966 and 1973, respectively. The college produces about 100 graduates every year and has been identified as a "Center of Excellence" in
forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education since January 2000. Admission to the BS Forestry program is done through the University of the Philippines College Admission Test, while a Certificate in Forestry applicants are screened by a test administered by CFNR. Admission to graduate programs are managed by the
Graduate School Postgraduate or graduate education refers to Academic degree, academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by higher education, post-secondary students who have earned an Undergraduate education, un ...
. Of its 394 students in 2008, 61 and 295 were enrolled in its Certificate in Forestry and BS Forestry programs, respectively, while the rest are in its graduate degree programs. As of 2009 it had 393 students enrolled in all of its programs. 38 of its faculty hold PhDs. While all of its 20 students when the Forest School opened were male, more than 60% of the students of the college were female as of 2003. Women first enrolled in the college in 1951. Other forestry schools in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
have also experienced a similar increase in female enrollment. The graduates of the college has maintained substantially good performance in the forestry license exams conducted by the
Professional Regulation Commission The Professional Regulation Commission, ( fil, Komisyon sa Regulasyon ng mga Propesyon) otherwise known as the PRC, is a three-man commission attached to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Its mandate is to regulate and supervise the pr ...
. For instance, the mean passing rates of its graduates in the exams for the years 2008–2010 is 92.49%. This is almost double of the mean national passing rate for the same period. Furthermore, six of its graduates belonged to the top ten best performing students in the 2010 exam, while four belonged to the top ten in both 2008 and 2009 exams. (see table)


Libraries and collections

The CFNR Library holds about 30,000
publication To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Conve ...
s which mostly focus on forestry and related disciplines. The library has a floor area of 974.64 sq. m, and is open 40 hours a week. The Museum of Natural History of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, established in 1976, is located in the campus. It holds over 200,000 biological specimens; including half of the samplings from the Philippine Water Bug Inventory Project. More than half of the museum's specimens are in its
entomological Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
collection. While most of the museum's collections are in its main building, some are housed in other UPLB units.


Research

In 2002 the college had 94 researchers working in its eight research units. This includes the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems, believed to be the first institution in the Philippines devoted to the study of mountain ecology. It also manages the Makiling Forest Reserve and has launched programs promoting its
conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
. The Forest Products Research and Development Institute, founded as the Forest Products Laboratory under the Bureau of Forestry in 1954, is hosted in the campus. Managed by the Department of Science and Technology of the
government of the Philippines The Government of the Philippines ( fil, Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas) has three interdependent branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Philippines is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative and d ...
, it is engaged in paper science and
bioenergy Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms biom ...
research, among others. It has also generated technologies such as those for
biomass energy Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bio ...
generation and
construction Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...
. Its facilities, believed to be the "largest and best equipped in the eastern hemisphere" by the time of its construction, were patterned after the
University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
's
Forest Products Laboratory The Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) is the national research laboratory of the United States Forest Service, which is part of USDA. Since its opening in 1910, the FPL has provided scientific research on wood, wood products and their commercial us ...
. It was built using US grants worth US$239,552 and funding from the Philippine government worth ₱518,000 (US$12,000). It had a total budget of almost ₱87 million (US$2.01 million) in 2011, with about ₱51 million (US$1.18 million) of this appropriated for research.


Extension

The Training Center for Tropical Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, established in June 1998 by the UP Board of Regents, offers more than 300 training programs in
forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
and
land management Land management is the process of managing the use and development (in both urban and rural settings, but it is mostly managed in Urban places.) of land resources. Land resources are used for a variety of purposes which may include organic agricul ...
,
logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...
, and related disciplines. It has a satellite office in
Baguio Baguio ( , ), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
which offers similar programs. Its programs are designed for professionals in working in the
agroforestry Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland. Trees produce a wide range of useful and marketable products from fruits/nuts, medicines, wood products, etc. This intentional ...
-related disciplines and the wood industry.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Philippines Los Banos College Of Forestry And Natural Resources, University Of The
Forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
Forest research institutes Forestry in the Philippines Educational institutions established in 1910 Forestry education 1910 establishments in the Philippines History of forestry education