History - UPLB Legal Office

History

FROM A SMALL SEED

The Legal Office, as we know it now, originated from a small seed planted on September 21, 1959, when the then UP College of Agriculture (UPCA) appointed Atty. Severino P. Sanchez as its Administrative and Legal Officer. Later, he was appointed as the Legal and Management Officer by the UPCA on July 1, 1962, serving in that capacity until he left for UP Diliman on October 1, 1965, to become the Acting Chief of the Office of Personnel Services in that campus.

START OF THE LEGAL OFFICE

From this humble beginning, the Legal Office came into being with the appointment of Atty. Romualdo P. Eclavea as Legal Counsel in the Legal Office of the UPCA on August 1, 1967. After two years, Atty. Eclavea resigned and was replaced by Atty. Severiano S. Tabios on October 1, 1969, this time as Legal Counsel under the Office of the Vice President for UP at Los Baños. He resigned on June 10, 1972, to work with a private firm, leaving the Legal Office without a Head. Only two lawyers, Atty. Florencio S. Corral and Atty. Benjamin E. Ilagan, who were working part-time and on special detail from the Agricultural Credit and Cooperative Institute, were left to handle the Legal Office.

THE RETURN OF ATTY. SANCHEZ

Atty. Sanchez, who had returned earlier as Assistant for the UPCA Administrative and Management Service, was appointed as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Legal Office from May 2 to 5, 1972. With Atty. Corral's departure abroad, the UPCA had to request UP Diliman for the services of a lawyer detailed in Los Baños. UP Diliman responded by assigning Atty. Haydee Yorac to work part-time at the UPCA Legal Office for two days every week. Unfortunately, Atty. Yorac was among those detained at Camp Crame with the imposition of Martial Law in 1972, so once again, UPCA had to look for a replacement. In the same year, Atty. Ilagan transferred to the Forest Products Institute, leaving the Legal Office virtually at a standstill. UPCA was later absorbed when the UP Los Baños (UPLB) was established as an autonomous university during the 828th Board of Regents (BOR) Meeting on December 21, 1972.

During this crucial time, UPLB sought out Atty. Sanchez to serve as OIC of the Legal Office, effective March 30, 1973. Eventually, he became Legal Counsel effective April 1, 1973.

Atty. Dayan, Atty. Nolasco and LO staff.

THE UNTIMELY DEATH AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF ATTY. SANCHEZ

For the next five years until his untimely death in June 1978, Atty. Sanchez tirelessly worked for the improvement of the Legal Office in terms of facilities, services, and personnel. Through his efforts, the Legal Office was able to have a regular and permanently assigned staff, unlike in the past when legal counsels were on special detail with other duties. By 1974, the personnel complement of the Legal Office included two (2) Legal Counsels, one (1) Clerk-Typist, and two (2) Research Aides. Atty. Sanchez acquired legal reference materials such as SCRA's and indexes, including vital documents such as Letter of Instructions (LOI), Presidential Decrees (PDs), etc. He worked with the courts to secure recognition of the UPLB security force as agents of authority, erasing the previous notion that the security guards of UPLB had no police authority at that time. He also instituted a personnel development program, encouraging the legal counsels to attend seminars at UP Diliman to keep them updated with progress in legal education. He planned to involve the office in campus-wide activities by establishing legal clinics once a week and conducting seminars on vital documents issued by the Office of the UP President.

Atty. Dayan, Atty. Nolasco and LO staff.

Atty. Diogenes C. Dayan

PASSING OF THE BATON

Aware of the importance of the Legal Office in UPLB's operations, Atty. Sanchez prepared for the smooth turnover of his duties and responsibilities by training one of his legal staff as his successor a year before his retirement. He delegated his administrative functions to Atty. Diogenes C. Dayan in August 1977 and provided him with the necessary experience and insight to run the Legal Office. Unfortunately, Atty. Sanchez passed away on June 17, 1978.

Atty. Diogenes C. Dayan

REORGANIZATION

Later on, UPLB was reorganized during the 996th BOR Meeting on February 24, 1987. The BOR re-established the Legal Office during the reorganization of the administration. This was issued on March 3, 1987, through Executive Order No. 3 by then UP President Edgardo J. Angara, retaining certain functions and responsibilities (later amended by Executive Order No. 99-2 on July 12, 1999, by then UP President Emil Q. Javier). The "Office of the Legal Counsel" eventually became known as the "UP Los Baños Legal Office" or commonly called the "UPLB Legal Office". The UPLB Legal Office was placed under the concurrent jurisdiction of the Chancellor and the Office of Legal Services (which was later renamed the Office of the Vice President for Legal Affairs or OVPLA under the UP System).

Atty. Caesar M. Angeles

THE TIME OF ATTY. DAYAN

Meanwhile, Atty. Diogenes C. Dayan continued the policies, programs, and plans of his predecessors in the Legal Office. Under his supervision, the office provided legal assistance to the Office of the Chancellor, the heads of colleges and departments, and the rank and file of UPLB. For a number of years, the Legal Office was housed in a cramped corner of the Administration Building with no room for expansion. However, through a sudden stroke of luck, the COA Office of UPLB transferred to the new PNB Building inside the campus. This gave the Legal Office the opportunity to request funds for the renovation of the large room vacated by COA, a request that was readily granted by the Office of the Chancellor during the time of Dr. Ruben B. Aspiras. In October 1993, the Legal Office moved out of its cramped quarters and occupied the renovated former COA Office, which now had individual cubicles for each of its lawyers, providing them with sufficient privacy and ensuring confidentiality in the conduct of investigations involving administrative cases. Atty. Dayan served as Legal Counsel from July 1, 1976, until his retirement as Legal Officer V in March 2006. Atty. Caesar M. Angeles, Legal Officer IV, served as OIC from April 2006 until his resignation in December 2008.

Atty. Caesar M. Angeles

Atty. Blanca and LO staff.

THE ADVENT AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF ATTY. BLANCA

On the other hand, Atty. Florinida A. Blanca, who came from the Puruganan, Chato, Tan and Eleazar Law Office, started as Legal Officer III (reclassified as Attorney III) in 2006 and was promoted to Legal Officer IV (reclassified as Attorney IV) in 2010. She served as OIC from 2009 to 2010 and Acting-Chief from 2010 to June 2018. She was an expert in contract law. During these years, she was the only official lawyer for the whole UPLB. Despite the lack of lawyers, she was able to handle everything thanks to the efforts of an able Legal Assistant, Atty. Peter Gian-marc R. Reyes, who eventually became a lawyer in 2013. He was later appointed as Attorney III. Unfortunately, he resigned in January 2015 for a better position as a Clerk of Court in San Pablo City. Atty. Blanca was able to continue the instructions of her predecessors. Notable achievements during her time included the efficiency in drafting contracts, ensuring compliance with UP and UPLB Policies. She was able to draft a contract (with the assistance of Prof. Athena Lavega and Prof. Rowaldo Del Mundo) that led UPLB to become a member of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and sell electricity. The eventual passage of OC Executive Order No. 1 s. 2016 or the "UPLB Contract Protocols", the creation of the Contract Checklist for easy preliminary review of contracts, improvement of various pro-forma UPLB contracts (e.g., Academe-Industry Cooperation Agreements, Scholarships, Deed of Donations, Internship Agreements, Waiver and Quitclaims, Lease Contracts), the improvement of the working conditions of the Legal Office staff, and the full renovation of the Legal Office under Chancellor Fernando C. Sanchez Jr.

Atty. Blanca and LO staff.

Atty. Larracas and LO staff.

THE ARRIVAL AND STINT OF ATTY. RODRIGO-LARRACAS

In January 2018, Chancellor Sanchez opened all vacant lawyer positions in the Legal Office. Atty. Rosario T. Rodrigo-Larracas, an expert in litigation from UP Manila (and a former DOJ State Prosecutor), applied for the Attorney V position. She was appointed thereafter and served as Acting-Chief from July 2018 until her retirement in March 2021. Atty. Rodrigo-Larracas managed the affairs of the Legal Office during her short two and a half (2 1/2) years stay and the unfortunate arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. She introduced the creation of the Legal Office website, which made UP policies and contracts easily accessible, improved the personnel relations of the office with outside units, ensured compliance with COVID-19 protocols (no legal staff turned positive for COVID), made reforms as the Chair in the Student Disciplinary Tribunal, and introduced frequent luncheon meetings to enhance solidarity. Afterward, Atty. Blanca served again as Acting-Chief from March 2021 until her retirement in August 2021.

Atty. Larracas and LO staff.

Atty. Davide, Atty. Palmiery and LO staff.

THE APPOINTMENT OF ATTY. DAVIDE AND THE FUTURE OF THE LEGAL OFFICE

The Legal Office is currently headed by Atty. Jorge S. Davide Jr., who served as faculty OIC from August 2021 to January 2023. He applied for the Attorney V position and was duly appointed on February 1, 2023. Later, he was designated as Acting-Chief of the Legal Office. His current goal is to introduce various reforms, such as the recompilation of UP Policies, the introduction of a Legal Office manual, and the complete digitization of all legal files and resources. He also plans to increase the number of staff by proposing a reorganization to complement UPLB's increasing demand-driven research, technology transfer, resource generation, land grant protection, and academic linkages in line with the "futureproofing" goals of Chancellor Jose V. Camacho Jr.'s administration.

Atty. Davide, Atty. Palmiery and LO staff.

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