Edgardo Carlo Vistan has retained his post as chancellor of the University of the Philippines Diliman after the UP Board of Regents reached a consensus decision on Wednesday.
Vistan prevailed over geology professor Mahar Lagmay, executive director of the UP Resilience Institute, in the selection process.
Before becoming chancellor, Vistan, a member of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity, served as dean of the UP College of Law from 2021 to 2023, succeeding former chancellor Fidel Nemenzo.
A lawyer by profession, Vistan earned his bachelor of science in molecular biology and biotechnology from UP Diliman, graduating cum laude. He later completed his bachelor of laws at the same university, also graduating cum laude and as class valedictorian. He holds a master of laws degree from Yale University.
According to the Philippine Collegian, the official student publication of UP Diliman, Vistan "outlined a three-point agenda" for his next term in his vision paper. These include reforming quality assurance systems for faculty and staff, promoting culture and the arts, and reviewing the university’s land use plans for sustainability.
He noted that the Diliman campus is approaching the limits of its carrying capacity.
In remarks before students gathered at the Asian Institute of Tourism, Vistan also cited external pressures affecting the university, including the ongoing Iran war and its impact on rising oil prices, according the university paper.
“We will begin addressing the most urgent problems of UP Diliman. One of these is how we take care of each member of the university, especially in light of the Iran war,” he said.
The UP Board of Regents is composed of Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Shirley Agrupis as chair, UP President Angelo Jimenez as co-chair, and members including Sen. Loren Legarda, Rep. Jude Acidre, alumni regent Robert Lester Aranton, regents Raul Pagdanganan, Gregorio Pastorfide and Alfredo Pascual, Faculty Regent Early Sol Gadong, Student Regent Dexter Clemente and Staff Regent Rey Espanto.