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The University of Eastern Philippines started as the Catarman Farm School (CFS) in September 1918, when Atty Clodualdo Lucero, then governor of Samar, sought the approval of the Provincial Board for the establishment of the school. Its first principal was Washington A. Wiren of Maine State College, USA. Dr. Felipe O. Cevallos from Bicol was the farm school’s first Filipino principal.
From being the CFS, it was named the Catarman Agricultural School (CAS) when its status was raised to Insular Provincial through the efforts of Rep. Pedro K. Mendiola of Catarman, then it became the Catarman Agricultural High School (CAHS). In 1951, Rep. Agripino Escareal of Bobon and Laoang had the name changed to Catarman National Agricultural High School (CNAHS).
On June 24, 1956, five years after CNAHS, then Congressman Eladio T. Balite of Bobon authored the bill that President Magsaysay signed into law—Republic Act 1434, converting CNAHS to the Samar Institute of Technology (SIT), the first state college in the Visayas and the fourth technical state college established in the country. Lt. Col. Emeterio A. Asinas of Catubig, the first Filipino Superintendent of Central Luzon Agricultural High School (CLAHS), and first president of the Mindanao Institute of Technology, Kabacan, Cotabato was the first and only president of the Institute.
On June 20, 1964, Republic Act No. 4126 authored by Northern Samar’s staunch advocate of progress, Congressman Eladio T. Balite, with the support of Representatives Felipe Abrigo and Fernando Veloso of Catbalogan—elevated SIT into a University—the University of Eastern Philippines. Prof. Toribio G. Sorio of Bobon became the Officer-In-Charge after President Asinas’ retirement in March 1963 up to January 1966 when UEP’s first president, Dr. Narciso N. Pepito of Cebu, assumed office. In 1976 when Dr. Pepito retired, Atty Sergio B. Gelera Sr. who was the Head Executive Assistant was designated Officer-In-Charge.
In 1978, Dr. Aurora Balite Merida of Bobon was appointed president. When her term ended, the CBA Dean, Dr. Gerardo C. Delorino, was designated as OIC until the appointment of the regular president, Dr. Andres F. Celestino, who was from Nueva Ecija and was the Dean of the College of Agriculture. He was gunned down by unidentified men at his office working on April 5, 1990. With his death, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Leonor A. Ong Sotto, took over the helm of UEP.
Towards the end of 1990, Dr. Pedro D. Destura of Urdaneta, Lavezares, Northern Samar, an SIT alumnus, was appointed as the fourth University President. Prior to his appointment, he was the Regional Director of the KKK and President of the Eastern Samar State College.
With Pres. Destura’s retirement in 2006, Dr. Milagros C. Esparrago of Sorsogon City, Chief Education Program Specialist of CHED Regional Office V, became the Officer-In-Charge.
In June 2007, another UEP alumnus, Atty Mar P. de Asis, assumed the presidency. He hails from Catubig, Northern Samar. He worked at the Development Bank of the Philippines for 13 years and was the Dean of the UEP College of Law for 13 years before his appointment.
When President de Asis ended his second term on June 30, 2015, Dr. Baltazar G. Martires, Vice President for Administration and Finance became the Office-in-Charge while the search for the next president was going on.
On August 6, 2015, Dr. Rolando A. Delorino, former Vice President for Administration and Finance and Vice President for Research, Extension and Training of the University assumed office as sixth UEP president. A native of Catarman, he is the third alumnus to be appointed to the position.
On December 10. 2019, Dr. Cherry Ibañez-Ultra, assumed office as the 7th University President. Her vision to be a world class tertiary learning institution propelled the university’s motion to improve and develop the policies and ultimately fulfill its mandates as a firm provider of quality education. Dr. Ultra served as the former Vice President for External Affairs of UEP in 2018. President Ultra earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in 1985 at the Philippine School of Business Administration. In 1983, she earned her degree in Master of Science in Economics at the University of Eastern Philippines and obtained her doctorate degree in Agricultural Economics Major in Natural Resource Economics with Cognates in Environmental Science and Management at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, Laguna. She is the second lady president in the history of UEP.
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