THE UP COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION: 100 Years of Business Excellence

Since its establishment in 1916, the University of the Philippines College of Business Administration (CBA) has been both a witness to, and creator of, the nation’s history.

Since its establishment in 1916, the University of the Philippines College of Business Administration (CBA) has been both a witness to, and creator of, the nation’s history.

From offering a two-year Bachelor of Science in Commerce (BSC) to offering its first graduate degree in 1926 and the establishment of the School of Business Administration in 1929 (later renamed the College of Business Administration on April 14, 1934), the College has provided quality business management education to the best and brightest Filipinos. This service to the nation was briefly interrupted on December 12, 1941 when World War II broke out.

From its first three BSC graduates – Leon Ma. Gonzales, Sulpicio Belosillo, and Jose V. Hernandez – in 1918, to its distinguished roster of Deans (Hon. Conrado F. Benitez, Hon. Gil J. Puyat, Dean Jose E. Velmonte, Dean Jovino S. Lorenzo, Hon. Cesar E.A. Virata, Dr. Jaime C. Laya, Dr. Emmanuel T. Velasco, Dr. Magdaleno B. Albarracin, Jr., Dr. Cesar G. Saldaña, Prof. Rafael A. Rodriguez, Dr. Elvira A. Zamora, Dr. Erlinda S. Echanis, Dr. Ben Paul B. Gutierrez), the CBA has produced its roster of illustrious graduates who went on to become leaders of business and politics who in turn shaped our history.

With the help of government and prestigious institutions like the Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, FINEX Research and Development Foundation, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and Zuellig Pharma Corporation, the CBA continues with its uncompromising pursuit of academic excellence by establishing the U.P. Business Research Foundation, Inc. in 1971 to develop a strong faculty by supporting management research, establishing Professorial Chairs, and providing opportunities for the faculty to undertake management consultancy thereby strengthening its capacity to provide service to the business community, the government sector and others in need of management expertise.

These efforts also include partnerships with foreign universities where faculty exchange programs has taken place with the University of Limoges ( France), University of Poitiers (France) and University of Birmingham (United Kingdom).

As it celebrates its 100th year, the CBA remains as the top performing school in the CPA licensure examinations even as its students continue to win in national and global competitions. CBA students tied for first place with Chile in the L’Oreal Brandstorm Global Finals in Paris in June 2012. Another team of students won on its very first attempt at Google’s Global Online Marketing Challenge (GOMC) in the AdWords category in August 2013 besting 2,452 teams with over 12,000 students from 80 countries. A second team won the Asia Pacific Regional Championships of the Google competition in August 2014. On April 25, 2014, the College won its second global championship in the 8th CFA Institute’s Research Challenge, so far the only university in the world on record to have won twice in this global competition that involved 800 universities and over 3,700 students from 60 different countries.

As the CBA continues to expand with the establishment of its presence in UP Bonifacio Global City by 2017, it has remained true to its role as the undisputed leader in business education in the Philippines.