New Employees’ Orientation Program (Batch 2)
New Employees’ Orientation Program (Batch 2)
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Date: November 14, 2025 | 9AM-4PM
Venue: 8F Social Hall, Central Block Building, UP-PGH
Author: Sofia Ysabelle C. Julia
Human Resource Development Office
It is always a delight to welcome regular employees within the UP Manila communities. Other than having a stable occupation and career track, being regularized means being included in several additional compensations and benefits as well as being part of a wider community that connects employees from different UP Systems. However, knowing the right processes and information after becoming regularized can be quite challenging.
Hence, the Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) organized a New Employees' Orientation Program or NEOP which was held last November 14, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, located at the Social Hall, 8th Floor of the PGH Building. This training aims to acclimate and introduce new employees to the UP Manila Community, familiarize themselves with the policies, rules, and regulations of the university, apply memberships in contributions allotted within and outside the university, as well as membership applications for the existing unions of the university.
To kick off the training, Dr. Michael Antonio F. Mendoza, the HRDO Director, gave his opening message. He mentioned that the attendees may have come from various offices and organizations, private or government, before settling here but he truly hopes for the new employees to learn and love about UP Manila through this program. Moreover, Mr. Mendoza reiterated that even employees coming from a different government agency, there is still a difference compared to UP Manila. From suspensions, benefits, and perks of working in a health sciences center, he encouraged the attendees to listen throughout the program and look forward to their future as an employee of the university.
The first part of this orientation program was to provide an overview about UP Manila as an institution and about HRDO which was led by Ms. Dana Faye V. Olfindo, Project Staff of the HRDO. She provided detailed information about UP Manila’s historical background, mission and vision, its core values, the following quality policy, its colleges and PGH, as well as its organizational chart and officials. Ms. Dan also used a similar outline to introduce the HRDO in order for the new employees to be aware of the various sections of the office and which personnel should they reach out to if they have specific concerns for their employment.
Mr. Arvy John L. Crescini, the Appointment Section Head of HRDO, followed suit and began discussing relative topics on the new employee’s appointment that they should be aware of. In his talk, he showcased the reality of the ratio between permanent and job order employees, requirements for their first salary, as well as processes for performance targets, offences, and evaluations. He also reiterated the personnels within the Appointment Section should they need to reach out for a specific personnel.
Still within the HRDO, Mr. Dan David E. Palisoc, Senior Office Assistant from the HRDO, enlightened the new employees about the UP System’s PUSO website, which stands for Personnel Unified Systems Outlook, a digital platform that allows them to monitor UP employees and more. He provided the background of PUSO, how it came about, as well as simple navigation and the applications and processes that employees can perform instead of a physical submission.
Another section of the HRDO, the Learning and Development (L&D) section, was elaborated by Ms. Julia Marie Cabalda, Junior Project Associate of the L&D section. Similar to the previous speakers, she also gave an overview of how L&D started, its main functions, principles, and activities conducted, particularly on research, training, and caravans, geared for its employees. She also highlighted the Learning Management Site (LMS) of the L&D section wherein employees can browse through the five segments showcased (e.g., onboarding, self-paced training programs, training calendar, newsletters, self-care resources) and utilize these sources whenever they desire, especially the training programs or short courses which they can take without any charges and they can receive an e-certificate after they accomplish it.
On the other hand, the Leaves and Benefits (L&B) section of the HRDO was delved into by its section head, Mr. Derick Dimpsy V. Palacio. In his discussion, he elaborated on the three types of benefits that they can receive, which were Government-mandated benefits, University benefits, as well as Retirement benefits should they stay until they retire. Mr. Palacio comprehensively explained the enclosed benefits for each type and informed the attendees on the procedures on how to file and claim those benefits. These benefits are not simply confined to monetary incentives as they would also receive in-kind gratuities which can be enjoyed by varying age groups of employees.
Needless to say, participants had questions after the long exploration of the facets of HR and its assistive functions towards its stakeholders. Most of the participants inquired regarding the leave and benefits they can avail and clarified some inconsistencies they previously experienced when processing those benefits. Queries revolved around leaves for faculties, study leaves, usage of Online Recording of Attendance System (ORAS) for filing their leaves, as well as the coverage of eHOPE for their health check-ups.
Moving forward, the invited speakers for the succeeding parts were from partner agencies for contributions and memberships in unions present within the university. Ms. Ma. Clarizar J. Magluyan, Marketing Specialist from the Pag-IBIG Intramuros Branch, opened the floor for discussing the services, including savings, loans, and insurances that are offered by Pag-IBIG or previously referred to as Home Development Mutual Fund. She delved into the interest rates of savings accounts, payout options for their money, and the types of loans (e.g., short-term, housing, etc.) they can avail. She also encouraged Pag-IBIG members among the participants to avail their loyalty card plus which also offers further perks and rewards when used. Additionally, she introduced their newest addition, the Virtual Pag-IBIG, wherein they can transact their needs remotely through their smartphones.
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) were also invited to give out a talk regarding their offers and services. From the GSIS Pasay Branch, Ms. Bernadette A. Reyes, NCR Membership personnel, gave an exhaustive presentation about GSIS, from its mandate, background and offices, to membership entailment such as payables coverage, loan services and benefits. She highlighted important length membership in years in order to avail their higher and exclusive benefits as well as eligibility on those types of benefits. Moreover, Ms. Reyes also introduced their newest GSIS Touch mobile app which enables members to avail their services and transact remotely.
The All UP Workers Union-Manila or also known as UPM Union was also invited and was presented by Ms. Ma. Elizabeth D. Ladeza, the Auditor of the union. In her talk, she also discussed how the union was socially and historically formed in accordance to laws supporting the formation of such union, its executive committee, board of directors, and committees within the union, as well its accomplishments for its stakeholders within the community; this include increased hazard pay, additional incentives and grants, benefits received during the COVID-19, and many more. She also encouraged the new employees to be a member if they have not applied yet so they can also benefit from the collaborations and engagements brought by the union.
The All UP Academic Employees Union-Manila or AUPAEU, the academic union for faculty and REPS of the university, was also invited with Mr. Rowel C. Malimban as their representative for this orientation. Similarly, he discussed the background and mandates of AUPAEU as well as its executive committee members and committees involving REPS and faculty, which are the REPS Personnel and Fellowship Committee (RPFC), REPS Welfare Council (RWC), and Research, Extension and Professional Staff Association (REPSA). In addition, Mr. Malimban expressed the achievements attained by the union and reminded every participant that everyone has the right to union.
Lastly, the UP Provident Fund (UPPF) also presented their offer as the voluntary retirement savings program established by the UP system for its employees. Ms. Robelyn N. Aguilar, the Co-Fund Manager for the UPM & PGH Cluster, briefly went through its background and its free life insurance with automatic deduction for being a UP Manila employee. She also discussed the loans that can be availed, its eligibility, and requirements. The UPPF has its own website and portal in which members can apply and transact their services, in which she showcased and encouraged the participants to utilize.
To conclude the orientation program, Dr. Michael Antonio F. Mendoza, the HRDO Director, gave his heartfelt thanks to all participants who endured the day-long activity. He hoped that the NEOP helped in further understanding everything about UP Manila, its HRDO, and the benefits they may avail and has imparted relevant information in their journey towards a more financially stable and independent career life with UP Manila. More importantly, he reiterated that the HRDO is always available to help its employees and will ensure responsiveness and open-mindedness to their inquiries and needs.
A total of 32 participants have attended the second batch of NEOP with the hopes of improving and furthering their employment with the community.
The Learning and Development Section of the UP Manila HRDO strives to deliver training programs and caravans that are both conducive and beneficial to our fellow UP Manila constituents.
Look out for more exciting updates on events that we’ve got for you here at our website!
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