HISTORY

  • The BS Computer Science Program of the University of the Philippines Los Banos was instituted as a response to the need of development of Computer Science and Technology in the Philippines.

  • Being under a newly instituted program, the students faced many problems such as lack of reference materials and textbooks.

  • Following the suggestion of Dr. Manuel M. Manuel, Jr., then the Director of the Agricultural Computer Resource Center and leading proponent of the B.S. Computer Science degree program, the computer science class of the 2nd semester of school year 1982-1983 formed the Batch Association of Students in Computer Science (BASICS) in February of 1983.

  • BASICS acted as a steering organization whose primary objective was to form and draft a constitution for the proposed society.

  • From BASICS emerged the UPLB Computer Science Society, or simply UPLB COSS, and was formally recognized on June 24, 1983.

  • With 35 Charter members, UPLB COSS' primary objectives were to encourage creative appreciation and wider application of Computer Science, to promote academic excellence and to get involved in the university constituency.

  • The society immediately began academic-oriented activities such as tutorials, study sessions, and educational field trips. These eventually became some of the main thrusts of the society.

  • UPLB COSS annually hosts the Computer Science Week, and takes turns with the other organizations in sponsoring the annual sports festival in the College of Arts and Sciences, called PalaCASan.

  • The society continues to grow not only in the number of members, but also in terms of maturity, unity and desire to fulfill its objectives in a wider perspective in the context of national relevance.