Hanap Buhay is an artwork that illuminates the silent heroism of firefighters, portraying their work not only as a profession and means of livelihood but also as a relentless search for life and hope amid tragedy and disaster. The piece powerfully captures the extraordinary dedication of Filipino firefighters, who risk their lives in service to others, embodying this year’s competition theme, “The Filipino Public Servant.”

Currently teaching in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication program at UE CFAD, Mr. Mariano is a multi-talented artist whose practice spans character design, illustration, painting, and visual effects. A proud graduate of UE CFAD’s Advertising Arts program, now known as Visual Communication, he has established himself in both traditional and digital media. His professional portfolio includes contributions to television series, films, and commercials, most notably the acclaimed live-action adaptation of Voltes V: Legacy. As a 2D compositor and 3D visual effects artist, he combines technical expertise with a distinctive artistic vision that continues to shape imaginative visual worlds.

Beyond his professional achievements, Mr. Mariano remains committed to mentoring the next generation of artists as an instructor at UE CFAD, where he emphasizes innovation, creativity, and strong artistic foundations. Outside the classroom and the studio, he is also an avid toy collector and designer, drawing inspiration from nostalgia and contemporary culture to create unique works that bridge the past and the present.

Meanwhile, other UE CFAD award-winning alumni who were among the competition’s finalists include Neo-Folkloric iconographer Ernesto “Aris” Bagtas, whose acrylic painting Lingkod Bayan was recognized, and Leo T. Santos III, who was also named a finalist for his acrylic painting, Apoy at Tapang. Both earned their Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees with a major in Advertising Arts.

UE CFAD takes pride in the achievements of its alumni, whose artistic excellence and commitment to meaningful storytelling continue to inspire future generations of visual artists.

The future of mathematics is bright, and it begins in the UUֱ��!

The University of the UUֱ�� proudly celebrates another international milestone as students of the UE Basic Education Department-Caloocan once again brought honor to the University at the Thailand International Mathematical Olympiad (TIMO) Final Round, held February 6–9, 2026 (online and onsite), with official results released on February 11, 2026.

Competing against delegates from 24 participating countries and alongside 1,550 Philippine participants from 354 schools, UE Warrior ‘mathletes’ demonstrated excellence on the international stage.

Our students competed online in the following divisions:

 Primary 6:
Chua V. Mendoza – Merit Award
Coaches: Mr. Marvin D. Gutierrez and Mrs. Ana Loraine B. Bantigue

 Secondary 2
Yassan R. Zahran – Gold Award
Andrei M. Saagundo – Bronze Award
Miguel Iñiego B. Bayer – Bronze Award
Coach: Mr. Marvin Gutierrez

 Senior Secondary
Angel Sapira M. Saydoquen – Gold Award
Kyrhix Clint R. Layno – Silver Award
Zach Evans B. Impuerto – Silver Award
Stefano Alessandro M. Balaba – Bronze Award
Ethan C. Rodriguez – Merit Award
Coaches: Mrs. Alvert Loie Baylon-Ramos and Mr. Jhon Rex Malones

The Secondary 2 awardees are students under the Science-based Curriculum (SBC) of UE Basic Ed.-Caloocan, a program designed to strengthen analytical thinking, research orientation, and advanced mathematical competencies.

The Senior Secondary awardees are from the STEM strand, reflecting UE Caloocan’s strong commitment to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

These achievements affirm the strength of the UE Caloocan Basic Education programs, where excellence in mathematics and global competitiveness are cultivated at an early stage.

 The journey continues! Our students have also qualified for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (BBB) Final Round set for March 14, 2026.

 Meanwhile, Grade 7 and 8 UE SBC students will participate in the Philippine International Mathematical Olympiad (PhIMO) Heat Round on March 8, 2026.

Congratulations to our Warrior awardees, coaches, and proud families! May this achievement inspire more young minds to pursue excellence in mathematics and beyond.

 Interested in becoming part of the UE Caloocan Basic Education community? Click on this link for the enrollment procedure: 

Learn more about the Science-based Curriculum by emailing basiced.cal@ue.edu.ph or calling 8367-4572 loc. 202 | 8366-5848

Dave Ivo Brielle T. Oro, a University of the UUֱ�� Bachelor of Fine Arts major in Visual Communication student who is now a candidate for midyear commencement this February, has achieved a significant international milestone as his film ‘Kinulayang Ngiti’ was selected as a finalist at Germany’s prestigious 39th Stuttgarter Filmwinter: Festival for Expanded Media, held from January 13 to 21, 2026.

’Kinulayang Ngiti’ is Mr. Oro’s final experimental film project under the tutelage of filmmaker and Professor at the UE College of Fine Arts, Architecture and Design (CFAD), director-curator Richard Soriano Legaspi. This marks the first film by a UE student to be selected as a finalist in this renowned international festival that is now nearing its fourth decade. This international screening also served as the world premiere of the film.

An experimental work, ‘Kinulayang Ngiti’ interrogates the spectacle of elections by questioning the sincerity behind smiling politicians and the visually striking campaign materials that dominate public spaces. Through its distinctive visual language, the film captures the collective fatigue of a people trapped in cycles of promises and disillusionment. As hope fades and trust erodes, the film poses a haunting question: Do those in power truly care, or are their smiles merely a mask for something darker? Ultimately, the film stands as a love letter to those who have lost faith in voting due to ineffective leadership and recurring calamities brought about by political incompetence.

The Stuttgarter Filmwinter: International Festival for Expanded Media is widely recognized for its focus on experimental, avant-garde, and boundary-pushing cinema. The festival brings together filmmakers and audiences who value innovative artistic expression, blending high art with accessibility. This approach strongly reflects the strengths of the UE Bachelor of Fine Arts major in Visual Communication program, which has been competing in the international film festival arena for the past ten years.

Mr. Oro continues to bring pride and honor not only to the University of the UUֱ�� but also to the Philippines. He also represented UE at CineMapúa 2025, the longest-running student film festival in the country, where his other experimental film ‘Yakap sa Yapak’ was a finalist. The film has likewise garnered international recognition, having competed at the 5th Footprints Film Festival in New Delhi and the AMI Arts Festival in India.

This Viscom Warrior’s strength in visual storytelling and his engagement with pressing socio-political issues distinguish him as a remarkable emerging art visionary. By seamlessly combining humanism with strong visual aesthetics, his works do more than captivate. They invite audiences to pause, reflect, and ultimately take action, creating ripples of change within society.

The images show filmmaker Dave Oro and stills from his ‘Kinulayang Ngiti’.

Kudos, Viscom Warrior and to your UE CFAD mentors!

(Images and report courtesy of UE CFAD)

Congratulations and kudos, first-prize-winning UE Bachelor of Fine Arts major in Painting sophomore Adam Martin De Leon, and to your fellow BFA Warrior Students who became finalists in the 58th Shell NSAC!

Central Student Council President and CAS’ very own BS Psychology student, Ms. Antonia Q. Buyser, has been named the Grand Prize Winner (Joint Grand Prize Winner) in an international competition organized by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD).

Ms. Buyser’s short film/animation entry titled “THE IMMORTAL GAME” was selected as a Grand Prize Winner across Asia in the Short Film/Animation Category of the Bangkok Treaty Youth Multimedia Arts Competition.

Toni is now invited to represent the University of the UUֱ�� at the Commemorative Event and Youth Arts Exhibition for the 30th Anniversary of the Bangkok Treaty, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 15 to 17 December 2025. The three-day programme will include the awards ceremony, youth arts exhibition, skills-building workshops, cultural exchange activities, and engagements with young leaders and experts from across the region. The UNRCPD and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand will also facilitate all her travel and accommodation arrangements.

𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘛𝘰𝘯𝘪. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳.

The University of the UUֱ��, through the College of Arts and Sciences-Caloocan (UE CAS Caloocan), continues to offer the Bachelor of Science in Criminology with specialization in Cybersecurity!

What’s more: For school year 2025-2026, incoming freshmen and upperclassmen who will join the UE BS Crim student body can join for an outright payment of just P1,000.00.

UE Caloocan’s fresh criminology degree program carries in its four-year curriculum cybersecurity specialization courses such as cyberspace and cybersecurity, information assurance and security, network and data communication protocols, digital forensics, machine learning in security, and security penetration testing and audit.

“We look forward to producing highly competent and upright graduates who can deliver efficient services in crime prevention, crime detection and investigation, law enforcement, public safety and criminological research,” UE CAS Caloocan Dean Michelle H. Concepcion has said.

Check out the UE BS Crim program primer video here: 

“In these times when digital and cyberthreats and attacks have become increasingly rampant, we hope to arm our aspiring criminology students with the knowledge and know-how to fend off and foil technology-aided crimes, whether perpetuated globally or locally,” Dean Concepcion stressed.

With the Philippine National Police (PNP) recruiting thousands of new police officers every year and the heightened need for security workers in various fields, graduates of criminology are highly in demand.

The PNP is hiring thousands of personnel yearly, recruiting over 6,000 personnel in 2023 which has lowered the ratio of cops per person from only 1:500 to 1:125. With the proliferation of cybercrimes and digital scams in the country, the PNP has stated its plan to improve their response capability by capacitating their regional offices and police stations through trainings.

“UE aspires to help provide the country with highly equipped professionals who can anticipate and address new and complex forms of criminality and who possess the needed character and competence to meet the challenges of globalization in the field of criminology,” Dean Concepcion explained.

Aside from entry into the police force and other relevant government agencies, career options of criminology graduates include business continuity management and security management in the private sector, research in specialized organizations, teaching in the academia, security consultancies, and many others.

Republic Act 11549 has lowered the minimum height requirement for applicants to the PNP, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Bureau of Corrections from 1.62 meters to 1.57 meters (5’2”) for males and from 1.57 meters to 1.52 meters (5’) for females, while granting height waiver for applicants belonging to cultural communities or indigenous peoples.

For the past 78 years, UE has produced hundreds of thousands of graduates, many of whom have excelled in their respective fields in the country and abroad.

Inquiries regarding its BS Criminology degree program may be referred to UE CAS Caloocan via call to tel. no. 83641497 or email to <cas.cal@ue.edu.ph> and <admissions.caloocan@ue.edu.ph>, and to the other contact details listed here: /cal/cas-curricular-offerings/

Thank you and we hope to welcome you to UE this July, future Criminology Warriors!

The University of the UUֱ�� College of Engineering-Caloocan has proudly produced a new topnotcher in the field of electronics engineering!

UE CEng’g Caloocan alumna Mariam Zaheedatulbodore J. Mangansakan secured 3rd Place in the June 2025 Special Professional Licensure Examination (SPLE) for Electronics Engineers, with an impressive score of 81.10%. The exam was conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) last June 6 and 7, 2025, in various international testing centers across the Middle UUֱ��, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Engr. Mangansakan is a Yearend 2023 graduate of UE Caloocan’s Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering program.

Further highlighting the College’s excellence, UE CEng’g Caloocan achieved a 50.00% overall passing rate in the June 2025 ECE SPLE, significantly above the national passing rate of 23.73%. Even more notably, the College achieved a 100% passing rate among first-time takers!

Congratulations and kudos to Warrior Topnotcher-Electronics Engineer Mangansakan and the UE College of Engineering-Caloocan for this outstanding achievement!

Two UE College of Arts and Sciences students of the University of the UUֱ�� (UE) are currently at Soka University in Tokyo, Japan, for a six-month exchange program.

Fourth-year student Theresa Sionosa of UE CAS Manila and third-year student Sylvien Alleya Mariño of UE CAS Caloocan, both taking up Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management in their respective colleges, have been at Soka University since March 25, 2025, attending Nihongo classes with a monthly allowance and free accommodation. They will be at Soka University until August this year.

This activity is part of UE’s commitment to continuously strengthen its internationalization programs, through the University’s Office for International Affairs and External Linkages (OIL) and in cooperation with various academic units.

The photo shows Miss Sionasa (left) and Miss Mariño standing right outside the north entrance of Soka University’s Global Square, a modern educational facility opened in 2013 and designed to support international exchange and global education, thus a hub for Soka U’s international activities.

Kudos and take care, exchange-student CAS Warriors!

Warriors of the University of the UUֱ��’s Caloocan campus, kindly be informed of the celebration of UE Caloocan Week 2025!

There will be preliminary activities this Thursday and Friday, February 27 and 28, with the main week running from the first Monday to Saturday of the new month, March 3 to 8, 2025, across various venues of our Caloocan campus and online!

Cheers, take care, and see you at these activities, Caloocan Warriors!

Incoming college freshies of 2025, you are cordially invited to take part in the UE CALOOCAN OPEN HOUSE and FREE UE CET DATES on March 6 and 7, 2025 (Thursday and Friday)!

Behold UE’s sprawling Caloocan grounds through a Campus Tour! Attend events organized by the UE Caloocan-based Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CAS Cal.), Business Administration (CBA Cal.), Engineering (CEng’g Cal.), and Fine Arts, Architecture and Design (CFAD) and their respective student organizations!

Claim fun freebies and meet and greet various student-athletes of the UE Red Warriors sports teams!

Best of all, apply for and TAKE THE UE COLLEGE ENTRANCE TEST FOR FREE!

Scan the QR code in the poster seen with this announcement to get started!

For further inquiries, please email <stsp.caloocan@ue.edu.ph>; <admissions.caloocan@ue.edu.ph>.

Thank you, take care, and see you, future College Warriors of UE Caloocan!