One of the country’s most respected names in the academe is Dr. Jose Veloso Abueva. He was born in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on May 25, 1928. He is married to Ma. Socorro Encarnacion Abueva from Surigao and has four children. Dr. Abueva graduated as cum laude of AB Arts (Law) in the University of the Philippines. He also attained a master’s degree of Public Administration and Doctoral degree of Political Science and Sociology both from The University of Michigan. He was a scholar of the UP graduate study fellowships from US Mutual Security Agency/Foreign Operations Administrations (forerunners of US/AID), the Agricultural Development Council, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Dr. Abueva is the Founder and current President of Kalayaan College established in 2000. He is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Public Administration;  faculty member of the National College of Public Administration and Governance; and served as the 16th president of the University of the Philippines in 1987 – 1993.

He introduced the Socialized Tuition Fee Assistance Program (STFAP) in 1987 and also institutionalized a Filipino language policy within the university. As a TOYM (Ten Outstanding Young Men) awardee for political science in 1962, he has devoted much of his career in academic circles. He has been a visiting professor at Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY) and Yale University. He also taught at the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan and worked for the Ford Foundation.  He was also the Assistant Dean of the Institute of Public Administration, now the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG). Professor Emeritus Abueva served as the President of the University of the Philippines System, Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Diliman, and Secretary of the 1971 Constitutional Convention of the Republic of the Philippines. Prof Abueva has also studied and participated in government and politics early on immediately after his doctoral studies at Ann Arbor in Michigan. As a strong supporter of federalism and parliamentary government for the Philippines, he served as secretary of the 1971 Constitutional Convention, Executive Director of the Legislative-Executive Local Government Reform Commission.

He also served as the chairman of the Legislative-Executive Military Bases Council and the Consultative Constitutional Commission during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.  He also chairs the advisory board of the Citizens movement for a Free Philippines and instrumental in gathering a team of analysts for Pulse Asia, a public opinion polling body in the Philippines. He has written a number of books, including “Focus in the Barrio: The Foundation of the Philippine Community Development Program” and “Ang Filipino sa Siglo 21.” Among the publications he has edited is the 20-volume “PAMANA: The UP Anthology of Filipino Socio-Political Thought since 1872.”  He also authored several books on government and political development, among them the definitive biography of Ramon Magsaysay. He writes a weekly column in the Bohol Chronicle.