TACLOBAN CITY — The University of the Philippines Board of Regents (BOR) elected computer science professor John Paul Yusiong as the first chancellor of UP Tacloban during its meeting Wednesday, 26 August.

Yusiong was chosen from three shortlisted candidates following a series of interviews and consultations with faculty members, students, alumni, administrative staff and other stakeholders.

The two other shortlisted candidates were lawyers Jose Duke Bagulaya and Marc Titus Cebreros.

The search for UP Tacloban’s first chancellor began after the BOR approved its elevation to a constituent university on 27 May 2026.

UP Tacloban became the ninth constituent university of the UP System, joining UP Diliman, UP Los Baños, UP Manila, UP Visayas, UP Open University, UP Mindanao, UP Baguio and UP Cebu.

A UP chancellor serves a three-year term and may be reappointed for a maximum of three consecutive terms, or a total of nine years.

Yusiong currently serves as acting vice chancellor for academic affairs, a position he assumed when UP Tacloban became a constituent university. He previously served as associate dean for academic affairs.

Yusiong graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree from UP Visayas Tacloban College in 2002.

He earned his Master of Science in Computer Science from UP Diliman in 2006 and his Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science from the same university in 2020.