Upsilon Phi Sigma

Upsilon Phi Sigma, () abbreviated as UPS, is a Philippine Inter-University and Collegiate Fraternity and Sorority established in the University of the Philippines Los Baños on February 14, 1935. However, this assertion has continuously been questioned as a fabricated story because there is no record of the existence of the Upsilon Phi Sigma in the University of the Philippines. While their own accounts consider it one of the oldest known fraternal organizations in the Philippines, there has been no documentary evidence to support this, and the fraternity may have been created much later. As of 2020, the organization is composed of 230 chapters in 16 local councils and 8 international councils.

History

Upsilon Phi Sigma was formally organized by 7 University of the Philippines students from the different colleges of their university on February 14, 1935. On May 14, the original members composed their organization's constitution and by-laws. The newly organized fraternity attracted members from nearby areas such as Metro Manila while extending their membership through acceptance of female members, forming their sorority counterpart. During World War II, the organization has undergone exodus as a consequence of Japanese control over the University of the Philippines. Most of the student members relocated to the southern islands of the country, specifically Visayas and Mindanao, as the war continued.

In the 1980s, the organization founded a chapter in Silliman University in Negros Oriental.

Controversy

While the Upsilon Phi Sigma asserts that it was created in 1935, there is no documentary evidence to prove that it existed before the Second World War. There is also no record of the existence of the Upsilon Phi Sigma in the University of the Philippines. It also claims that the "Upsilon Alpha" and "Upsilon Beta" chapters are in UP Los Baños and Diliman respectively. But there is no record of the existence of Upsilon Phi Sigma in UP Los Baños. While UP Diliman did not exist as a campus until 1949 and has had no record of an Upsilon Phi Sigma since then. Finally, none of their alleged founders were alumni of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños from the late 1930s to early 1940s, leading many fraternity historians to believe that the foundation story and list of founders was fabricated to claim lineage. There is reason to believe that the "Upsilon Gamma" chapter is in actuality the first chapter and the fraternity was organized in Manuel L. Quezon University in the late 1960s.

Alumni Association

The National Executive Council (NEC) and Upsilon Phi Sigma Alumni Association (UPSAA) are two of the fraternity/sorority's alumni organization.

Conventions

*4th National Convention on October 21–23, 2011, at Philtown Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.

See also

*List of fraternities and sororities in the Philippines

External links

Upsilon Phi Sigma chapter list

References

{{Authority control

Student societies in the Philippines
Fraternities and sororities in the Philippines
Student organizations established in 1935
1935 establishments in the Philippines