UP Cebu Design Program

NO FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES (SEPTEMBER 21)

Following the Cebu City LGU announcement, face-to-face classes at UP Cebu are suspended tomorrow, 21 September 2026 due to hazardous air quality.

Classes shall shift to modular and alternative learning modes. Similarly, heads of administrative offices and units are granted discretion to adopt flexible work arrangements. Please refer to Memo No. CLM 2025-033: General Framework on Class Modality and Work Arrangement for more information.

For emergencies, dial 911. Stay safe and monitor official UP Cebu channels for updates.

CELEBRATING A DECADE OF DESIGN & INNOVATION 🦾

FabLab UP Cebu is celebrating 10 years of making, designing, and innovating!

Open to all FabLabs, design enthusiasts, professionals, makers, and creatives: JOIN US for a series of talks, workshops, tours, design competitions, and more as we celebrate this milestone through this month-long DESIGN CONFERENCE.

FAB10: Designing for Communities, Communities for Design

📅 October 15-16, 2026
- FABCONNECT: Bridging FabLabs In The Islands

📅 November 20-21, 2026
- DESIGN NEXT: Innovation and Design Futures Conference

Want to take part? Send us a message to get exclusive updates.

𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 | 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡 🇵🇭

The UP Cebu Design Program celebrates 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘇 "𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀" 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗼'𝘀 recognition as National Artist for Design.

Her lifelong work with Filipino textiles, natural materials, and local artisans reminds us that design can move forward without losing sight of where it comes from. It's exactly the spirit we hope to instill in our design students at UP Cebu, one that treats our communities and material cultures as partners in the work, not just inspiration for it. Congratulations!

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐙 “𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒” 𝐅𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 𝐏𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐎
National Artist for Design

Maria Beatriz Fabella Pamintuan Tesoro, popularly known as Patis Tesoro, is a designer, cultural advocate, and pioneer of Filipiniana fashion whose work for more than five decades has been devoted to the preservation, revitalization, and contemporary reinterpretation of Philippine textile and dress traditions. She has consistently positioned Filipino clothing, materials, and craftsmanship at the center of her artistic practice.

Best known for her reinterpretations of the terno, Maria Clara gown, and barong Tagalog, Tesoro works extensively with local materials such as piña, jusi, abaca, cotton, and silk. Her designs integrate historical forms, ethnolinguistic motifs, and contemporary silhouettes, resulting in garments that function as both wearable art and cultural documentation. Central to her practice is close collaboration with local weavers, embroiderers, farmers, and artisans across the country, ensuring the transmission of traditional knowledge and the sustainability of heritage-based livelihoods.

Tesoro is widely recognized for her early and sustained advocacy of environmentally responsible and culturally grounded fashion. Long before sustainability became a global concern, she promoted the use of natural fibers, dyes, and traditional production methods, as well as the repurposing of vintage textiles. Through these efforts, she articulated a model of “circular fashion” rooted in cultural continuity rather than mass production.

Her body of work has been presented in numerous local and international exhibitions and fashion shows in the Philippines, Europe, North America, and Asia. Notable publications documenting her work include The Art of Philippine Embellishment (1994), Postura (2008), and Patis Tesoro: Filipiniana Is Forever (2024). Beyond design, she has led major cultural and community initiatives through the Katutubong Filipino Foundation, supporting the revival of regional textile and craft traditions nationwide.

Tesoro’s career demonstrates sustained excellence in design, cultural leadership, and advocacy, contributing significantly to the preservation and global visibility of Philippine fashion and textile heritage.

𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 | 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚

What does it mean to understand urbanity through the communities that experience, negotiate, and continually shape it?

The UP Cebu Design Program concluded today’s Design Thesis Plenary, “𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴: 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻,” with 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿. 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗥𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝘁, 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘍𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘗 𝘊𝘐𝘋𝘚 𝘜𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.

Drawing from the program’s research in Metro Cebu and the urbanizing small-island communities of Getafe, Bohol, the conversation encouraged our Design thesis students to look beyond conventional notions of the city and consider how urban life is shaped by place, community, climate, and everyday experience.

Our sincere thanks to 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿. 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗥𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝘁 for sharing his research and insights, and to our faculty and students who joined the conversation.

May we continue to 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻, 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴.

𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 | 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚

How might we understand urbanity beyond the conventional boundaries of the city?

Join us for 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴: 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻, a Design Thesis Plenary featuring 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿. 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗥𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝘁, 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘍𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘗 𝘊𝘐𝘋𝘚 𝘜𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.

Drawing from the program’s research on Metro Cebu and urbanizing small-island communities in Getafe, Bohol, the session explores how urban life is shaped by communities, climate responses, territorial change, and broader processes of urbanization. It also opens a conversation on how perspectives from urban studies can engage with design research and practice.

For our Design Thesis students, the plenary invites us to look more closely at how we understand people, place, and the changing conditions of urban life before we design for them.

📅 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟳, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 | 𝟰:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠
📍 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺, 𝗙𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗕
𝗨𝗣 𝗖𝗲𝗯𝘂, 𝗚𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗼 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES | Instructors from the Product Design Program of UP Cebu, Nessa Abayon and Kil Camalongay, spoke to Architecture students of Foundation University in Dumaguete City on September 2, 2026, about the fundamentals and principles of Social Design.

Read more here: https://ccad.upcebu.edu.ph/index.php/2026/09/04/design-instructors-tackle-social-design-at-foundation-university/

𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 | 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡

Thesis Proposal Class of the UP Cebu Design Program welcomed two faculty members as resource speakers for sessions aimed at strengthening our students’ research foundations.

𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘁. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳. 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 discussed “Statistics 101,” introducing essential statistical concepts to help students make informed decisions in developing and analyzing their thesis proposals.

𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘁. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳. 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝘂𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀 discussed “Referencing and Review of Related Literature,” guiding students through scholarly referencing to situate their research within existing knowledge.

We sincerely thank Asst. Prof. Agustin and Asst. Prof. Torres for generously sharing their time, knowledge, and expertise. Their contributions greatly enriched the academic growth and research preparation of our future designers.

24 August 2026 | University of the Philippines Cebu