as a whole was better prepared to organize the institute as far as trained personnel was concerned than in 1953 when UP agreed with UN to establish a Statistical Training Centre with UN financial support. In 1962, there were about six persons who had had formal training in demography, one of them at the Ph.D. level, and the others with demographic training either in the United States or at the Bombay DTRC. No such similarly trained people in statistics were available when UPSTC started operations in June 1954. Dr. Virata also informed the Ford mission members that assistance would be needed during the preparatory period in the form of research grants and funds for graduate fellowships.
On 15 May 1963, Acting UP President Virata, in Memorandum No. 368, established a committee in demography in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences composed of representatives from each of the following disciplines: sociology, demography, economics, geography and social psychology. Membership in this committee was for two years, renewable for a similar term upon recommendation of the Dean of the Graduate School and upon approval of the University President. The committee was to recommend matters pertaining to faculty development, research, fellowships and scholarships. Following a series of meetings, the committee formulated and recommended the adoption of the requirements for an M.A. (Demography) program. Such a program was approved by the University Council at its 221 st meeting held in September 1963. There was reason to believe that such a program would attract students, gain the cooperation of official agencies and attract appreciable public interest and support. The committee was to function until the time when the Population Institute will have developed its full complement of staff.
Dr. Virata suggested to then UP President Carlos P. Romulo that the Population Council or the Ford Foundation be requested to send a short-term consultant at the end of 1963 or early 1964 principally to assist UP in drafting an agreement that would be presented to the Government and the Foundations for final approval. Dr. Virata suggested that Dr. Hauser be tapped for this assignment since the latter had indicated a desire and a willingness to participate in formulating the plans for the institute.
The Establishment of the Population Institute
The establishment of the Population Institute as a unit of UP was approved by the Board of Regents on 20 November 1964 with the following objectives: (1) provide at least nine graduates with demographic training, during the first three years of its operation; (2) produce a comprehensive analysis of characteristics and trends of the Philippine population; and (3) initiate a program of research on matters significant for planning and program purposes.
The Institute, with initial four-year support from the Ford Foundation, operated as a regular unit of the University through its director in consultation with an executive committee on general policy matters and an advisory committee in demography on academic
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