The impact of UP Mindanao’s Road to 5,000 Students (R2-5K) initiative is becoming evident with the arrival of incoming first-year students, many accompanied by family members, who availed of the first day of Advance Registration for First-Year Students for Academic Year 2025-2026, on July 21, 2025.
At a glance, there seemed to be an increase in the number of first-year students, a test of recent efforts.“During our time,” said a colleague, a BS Anthropology graduate, “very few lang kami sa first day.”
A young man from Doña Carmen Denia National High School (NHS), Davao City, is enrolling in Associate in Arts Sports Studies (AASS), a two-year program designed to open pathways for more inclusive admission. “Some UP Mindanao personnel brought the application forms to our school,” he said. His companion is a recent AASS graduate.
“When I was in Crossing Bayabas high school, some UP Mindanao personnel came, which led me to apply in UP Mindanao,” he said.
Qualified AASS graduates may proceed to the Bachelor of Sports Science, another new program, for just an additional two years, through the `ladder-ized’ pathway. “Now I’m just waiting to see if I will qualify to continue to the bachelor’s degree,” he said.
A mother from Digos accompanied her daughter, who is enrolling in BS Data Science, one of the newly offered programs showing a promising enrollment trend.
Another parent from Dasmariñas, Cavite, shared that her daughter will pursue Architecture, the program with the highest intake in recent years. She expressed openness to the distance, saying:“It will give us a reason to visit occasionally.”
From Tacloban City, a mother originally from General Santos City said her son chose to study Architecture at UP Mindanao.“Although there is UP Tacloban, my son sees UP Mindanao as a welcome change,” she said.
Also spotted in the Atrium was a biology professor from Mindanao State University, whose child is enrolling in BS Biology, one of the in-demand programs at UP Mindanao.
Several UP Mindanao personnel also have children enrolling this year, continuing a pattern observed in recent admissions cycles.
From General Santos City, an incoming BA Communication and Media Arts (BACMA) student, one of the programs with most sought-after programs,
“I chose UP because my parents felt it was the best opportunity. It’s my dream school,” she said.
“Also, to help my parents, since my mother is unemployed and my dad has many loans.”
The initial wave of campus arrivals on July 21, 2025, revealed a wide range of academic preferences. Although many students came from distant locations, each had compelling reasons for choosing UP Mindanao. More registrants are expected in the coming days.
Advance Registration for First-Year Students continues until the end of July 2025. The Academic Calendar for Academic Year (AY) 2025-2026 schedules the first day of classes on August 18, 2025.
See the Academic Calendar for AY 2025-2026 [here].
