Thursday, October 4, 2018

HOW TO GO TO U.P. DILIMAN (UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES) IN QUEZON CITY FOR UPCAT | ULTIMATE COMMUTE AND TRANSPORT GUIDE

Following the suspension of the UPCAT 2018 last September due to the threats posed by Typhoon Ompong (IN: Mangkhut), the Admissions Office of the University of the Philippines has recently announced that the UPCAT has been rescheduled on October 27 and 28, 2018.

The UPCAT, which is short for the University of the Philippines College Admission Test, is required to be taken by any graduating senior high school looking to study at the country's premier publicly funded university. 

Because of the academic prestige that comes with a UP diploma and the fact that the university offers free tuition to its students, it's hardly surprising that hundreds of thousands of hopefuls sign up each year for the UPCAT with the hopes of earning a slot in the university.

The sheer number of applicants and the very limited slots available mean that the UPCAT is the real-life Filipino version of "Hunger Games." On average, only 1 in 10 examinees will probably make it.

In any event, for many senior high school students, UPCAT represents the most menacing and formidable beast they have to conquer before leaving high school.

But first things first, how does one go to the UPCAT testing center?

The UPCAT is simultaneously held in different testing centers all over the Philippines. The biggest of these is the UP Diliman campus, which is the flagship campus of the UP System.

How does one commute to UP Diliman? Here's how:

IF YOU ARE COMING FROM NORTH LUZON (BULACAN, PAMPANGA, TARLAC, BAGUIO, ETC.) VIA THE NORTH LUZON EXPRESSWAY (NLEX): 

  • For private vehicles, take the Mindanao exit. 
  • Turn left at North Avenue straight to Quezon Memorial Circle. 
  • Turn right to Commonwealth Avenue.
  • Turn further right going to the Diliman campus via University Avenue. 
  • Go to the specific building indicated in your test permit. 
or
  • For provincial buses, get off at the SM North EDSA bus stop. Climb the pedestrian walkway going to the SM North EDSA jeepney terminal. 
  • Look for jeepneys going to UP Diliman. 
  • Minimum fare as of October 2018 is P11. 
  • Make sure to ask for student discount. 

IF YOU ARE COMING FROM FAIRVIEW:
  • Take a jeepney, UV Express, or city bus going to Cubao.
  • Get off at Philcoa. 
  • Cross the elevated pedestrian bridge.
  • Ride a jeepney at UP Diliman/Philcoa jeepney terminal. 
  • Minimum fare as of October 2018 is P9.
  • Make sure to ask for student discount. 

IF YOU ARE COMING FROM MARIKINA:
  • Take a jeepney bound for Cubao and get off at LRT 2 Katipunan Station. 
  • Walk below the Katipunan overpass where the UP Diliman/Katipunan jeepney terminal is located. 
  • Minimum fare as of October 2018 is P9. 
  • Make sure to ask for student discount. 

IF YOU ARE COMING FROM PASAY, MAKATI, OR CUBAO:

  • Take the MRT north-bound and get off at either North Avenue or Quezon Avenue Stations. 
  • If you get off at Quezon Avenue Station, proceed to Eton Centris where you can take a UP Diliman/Pantranco jeepney. Minimum fare as of October 2018 is P11.
  • If you decide to get off North Avenue Station, proceed to TriNoMa en route to SM North EDSA. There is a pedestrian bridge connecting the two malls. Once at SM North EDSA, proceed to the jeepney terminal and look for jeepneys going to UP Diliman.
or
  • Alternatively, you can take any Fairview-bound city bus plying along EDSA and get off at Philcoa. 
  • Proceed to the UP Diliman/Philcoa jeepney terminal and take a ride there. 

IF YOU ARE COMING FROM MANILA: 

  • Take a bus, UV Express, or jeepney going to Fairview. 
  • Get off at Philcoa and take a jeep at the UP Diliman/Philcoa jeepney terminal.
or
  • Another option is to take the LRT 2 from Legarda or Recto. Get off at Katipunan Station. 
  • Walk below the Katipunan overpass where the UP Diliman/Katipunan jeepney terminal is located. 
or
  • From LRT 1, get off at Taft Avenue Station. 
  • Switch to north-bound MRT and get off at either North Avenue or Quezon Avenue Stations. 
  • If you get off at Quezon Avenue Station, proceed to Eton Centris where you can take a UP Diliman/Pantranco jeepney. Minimum fare as of October 2018 is P11.
  • If you decide to get off North Avenue Station, proceed to TriNoMa en route to SM North EDSA. There is a pedestrian bridge connecting the two malls. Once at SM North EDSA, proceed to the jeepney terminal and look for jeepneys going to UP Diliman.

In all these, alternative public transportation options available en route to UP Diliman are metered taxis and transport network vehicles provided by Grab and Angkas.

To all UPCAT takers, we wish you the best of luck!

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Have you commuted to UP Diliman before? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments section below.