UPLB takes the lead in sustainable and inclusive mobility

The UP Los Baños campus has always been an oasis for nature lovers, students and those seeking clean air away from the polluted, congested metropolis.

Soon after graduating, I went with my classmates to UPLB to apply for a teaching position in its College of Arts and Sciences. I hoped to start my teaching career in an academic community that had produced countless national scientists and, as an avid cyclist, enjoy the freedom of riding my bike every day.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected and ended up teaching in Metro Manila.

But I continue to visit and bike all over Laguna and at every opportunity, I go to UPLB to meet with friends and ride across its large green campus.

But campus mobility has long been a major challenge at large land-grant universities like UPLB. Covering more than 5,000 hectares, UPLB is the largest campus of any public university in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Its classrooms, dormitories, housing and other facilities are spread across an academic core spanning more than 1,000 hectares, making it difficult for students, staff, faculty and visitors to navigate.  

Under Chancellor Dong Camacho’s leadership, UPLB has now taken the lead in demonstrating how shared mobility can contribute to a more sustainable and accessible campus through its partnership with Tipaklong Sustainable Mobility Corporation (TSMC).

Tipaklong, a Philippine shared-mobility start-up, has partnered with UPLB to offer affordable, sustainable campus transportation through shared bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters. The partnership has since developed into a campus pilot under UPLB’s Green Mobility Initiative.

In 2024, I joined Chancellor Camacho in launching this project and rode my bike around campus with administrators, faculty and students.

This first-of-its-kind project at a Philippine university provides an alternative for short trips on and around campus. It supports efforts to reduce reliance on internal-combustion vehicles, ease traffic and parking demand, complement existing public transportation and cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

This project is especially useful at UPLB, where students traveling between colleges for classes often endure lengthy waits for jeepneys and long walks across campus. UPLB is also beginning to face serious parking problems, as many students and faculty members drive to make up for the time they spend waiting for public transportation.

The Tipaklong e-scooters and e-bikes are particularly useful in the campus’ rolling terrain and uphill routes, such as the route to the Main Library and College of Forestry.

Since its launch, Tipaklong has served many students. It recorded 9,754 rides in 2024, 10,965 in 2025 and 11,232 in 2026. Over the same period, riders traveled 63,302 kilometers in 2024 and 58,623 kilometers in 2026. Reported carbon figures were 2.67 million, 2.3 million and 1.66 million, respectively. These figures illustrate shared mobility use and its potential environmental contribution on campus.

Beyond improving campus mobility, this initiative also emphasizes equitable access. Through its UPLB pilot, the company recognized that although shared mobility can be a more affordable transportation option, some less privileged Iskolar ng Bayan may still be unable to use the service due to financial constraints.

In response, Tipaklong introduced its Equity in Mobility Program. The program connects less privileged UPLB scholars with UP alumni, organizations, civic groups and individuals who share Tipaklong’s vision of an equitable and sustainable future for UPLB students. Through sponsorships, the program makes shared mobility more accessible to scholars and highlights potential environmental and health benefits.

The UPLB Tipaklong’s shared mobility model can be easily replicated across many state universities and colleges (SUCs) with large campuses, including Visayas State University in Leyte; the University of Eastern Philippines in Samar; Central Philippines State University in Negros Occidental; Central Mindanao State University; Bukidnon State University; Agusan del Sur State University; Kalinga State University; Marinduque State University as well as universities in Iloilo, thanks to the city’s extensive network of bike lanes.

During my visits to these campuses, I’ve noticed that students walk long distances from the entrance gates to their colleges and hundreds of motorcycles are parked across campus. I’ve urged the SUC presidents to promote bicycle use, but with little success. Perhaps this is because only a handful ride bicycles, including presidents Ed Bagtang (Kalinga State University), Levy Arago (Mindoro Oriental State University), Noy Crespo (University of Antique) and Frederick Villa (Southern Luzon State University). Or perhaps others simply have no successful model to follow.

The UPLB Tipaklong project offers SUCs a model for exploring sustainable campus transportation. Higher education institutions can replicate this innovative mobility solution and adapt it to their campus conditions, transportation needs and communities.

So, what are our SUCs waiting for? Visit UPLB to see how you can replicate this great initiative.

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Congratulations to UP Manila, West Visayas State University and MSU General Santos on achieving 100 percent passing rates in the recent PRC Licensure Examination for Medicine.

In 2022, I brought together the three medical schools through the CHED LAKAS Simulation-Based Medical Education project. We provided more than P200 million to purchase simulation equipment, train faculty and support educational exchanges with the University of Adelaide and SingHealth Duke National University of Singapore. 

The licensure results prove that the project has been a tremendous success. Thank you to UP Manila Chancellor Mike Tee, WVSU president Bebong Villaruz, MSU GenSan Chancellor Usman Aragasi and MSU Regent Mayong Aguja for shepherding this initiative. The 100 percent passing rate is an achievement you all share.