Professor John Paul T. Yusiong has been appointed as the first full-term Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Tacloban by the UP Board of Regents (BOR). The BOR decision was made at their 1411th Meeting on 26 August 2026. Professor Yusiong will serve a three-year term. The appointment marks a historic milestone for UP Tacloban as it enters a new chapter as the newest constituent university (CU) of the UP System.

Sixty UP Tacloban faculty members, students, and research, extension, professional, and administrative staff attended the UP-Bangsa Development Initiative (UP-BDI) Caravan held at the Leyte-Samar Heritage Center on 19 August 2026.

The program is designed to equip professionals and computing specialists with advanced knowledge and skills in Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, Bioinformatics, Cybersecurity, e-Government, and Smart Technologies.

UP Tacloban kicked off the first semester of Academic Year 2026–2027 as a constituent university of the University of the Philippines System on 10 August 2026.

Fifty island studies scholars from Canada, China, Germany, Japan, India, the Maldives, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States participated in the Island Studies International Conference (ISIC) hosted by the University of the Philippines Tacloban, in partnership with the Small Island Cultures Research Initiative (SICRI), on 25-27 June 2026 at the Leyte Samar Heritage Center.