By Leigh Anne Darlene E. Dispo | Layout by: Lou Margaret Nebit | Photo by: Juris Le Compte
Sporting a white polo shirt, dark slacks, and leather shoes, the fifth President of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) Atty. John Philip R. Yeung goes through the door and greets us with a bright ‘Welcome to UA&P!’ as if we were long-time friends. There is ease in the way he carries himself among the staff and the students — all smiles with a sheer friendly disposition — as he offers us a tour of the university.
Rooted in the heart of Ortigas, UA&P is a fusion of the city itself: vibrant, thriving, and diverse. The campus is nothing short of beautiful, balancing the aesthetic of being modern without being too sterile, which makes it a conducive environment for learning. There is a 24/7 library returning counter and flat screen TVs all around displaying relevant statistics for the students. Although flaunting a fairly contemporary look, the walkways are still adorned with greenery. As Atty. Yeung walked us through the hallways, classical music and marbled flooring greeted us. In one of the floors is “The Table,” which was used by Senator Milliard Tydings and Senator John McDuffie in signing the Tydings-McDuffie Act (also called the Philippine Commonwealth and Independence Act).
After the tour, Atty. Yeung leads us to his office, a breathtaking room with a burnished wooden desk and an amber-stained door. It is well-lit and anyone would catch onto the ornate details, polished furniture, and warm ambience. It is an imposing workplace, fit for a President, yet as Atty. Yeung walks behind his desk, he stirs the atmosphere into a humble abode with his openness to banter.
He playfully asks about how he should pose for the cover photo, and when told to act the way he usually would, he laughs and plays with his hands, a streak of awkwardness that was a surprise to witness, considering the feats he has accomplished. But as the man finally sat down, his confidence was palpable. He shared about how his interest in the social sciences began and his journey from handling their family business to finding himself juggling law school as a newlywed man in his 30s.
“When I was younger, I love[d] reading the newspaper. I was interested in law [and] politics as a subject matter,” he said. In the foothills of his career, Atty. Yeung’s initial foray into business was running his parents’ pharmaceutical manufacturing company, Katinko, and overseeing entrepreneurship with various interests in real estate, beverage manufacturing, food service, finance, and information technology. “So I took up Political Economy as my undergrad. It’s the equivalent of Political Science here in UA&P. I graduated in 2005 [and] handled our family business,” he added.
Atty. Yeung obtained his Master’s in Entrepreneurship at Asian Institute Management (AIM), and then his Juris Doctor degree at San Beda College Alabang-School of Law (SBCA-SOL). “I got married [in] 2011. I moved to Alabang, and then I found [out] there was a law school. I think God redirected me back to law because one of my duties for our family was handling cases. I was the one in charge [of] dealing with lawyers, attending court hearings. I was enjoying it, so I decided to pick up a few subjects,” he said.
As he shares his backstory, he acknowledges a brief faltering moment he experienced amidst law school: “It’s more of questioning whether this is for me [or not]. ‘Magiging lawyer pa ba ako? Itutuloy ko pa ba ‘to?’ That was the time I had my first child, my second child, then third. Laughs. Eventually, it all turned out well.”
When asked about his vision for the future of higher education, Atty. Yeung emphasized the importance of ‘formation.’ “[Our objective] is to form the next generation. We say that a person is formed when he has that natural inclination to do what is good,” he said. “So yes, we provide the technical competency, [the] know-how, but what’s important is the overall formation.” He brought up the topic of ChatGPT or AI as a major game-changer in the field of education, which arguably is a double-edged sword among professors and students alike. “You need to understand the philosophy behind the statements provided to you by ChatGPT. The humanities [and] critical thinking become more important.”
Atty. Yeung is animated, gesturing with his hands as he answers and discloses his vision for the future of higher education. At this point, he gets a phone call. When he hangs up, he apologizes and hurriedly hides his phone in a drawer. He goes back to the topic at hand, no-frills and without dramatic pretenses: “That’s one challenge now, AI. We go back to the basics. Philosophy, Theology, arts, basic sciences. With the information, you need to be able to filter.”
As a man with hefty experience not just in law (he founded the Yeung Law Office, a property litigation firm assisting entrepreneurs with their property and business issues) but in politics as well (in 2023, he was elected as a Barangay Councilor in Ayala Alabang, crafting ordinances and policies to improve the residents’ safety), Atty. Yeung categorizes his leadership style as “the one who is willing to take the hit for the organization.”
“Because I don’t have any vested interest in the position,” he said, calling it a ‘thankless job’ and explaining: “[This] University President position, the odds are not in [my] favor. But the reason why I accepted the job is because of [the] mission of apostolate — bringing people closer to God through this school.”
Atty. Yeung neatly ties it all to his earlier message of forming the next generation, motioning to the board room adjacent to his office. “There’s a letter from the former Prelate of Opus Dei to Dr. Jesus Estanislao, the first President of the University. And he tells Dr. Estanislao what the targets are: Form the next generation so that they may shape and orient culture in a positive way, according to the Catholic idea. That is the purpose. We’re not just here to be another run-of-the-mill school.”
As the interview drew to a close, he gave advice to students who aspire to take a leadership role in the future. He was thoughtful for a moment, and then posited: “You have to be clear: What are you doing it for? And the only noble reason should be to do it for God. At the end of the day, the only opinion that matters is [His].” Why?
“We are built for the infinite. And you see the manifestations of that,” he replied. “Sabi ni Pope Benedict, ‘The happiness we are seeking has a name and a face, and his name is Jesus Christ.’ And the happiness that we are talking about is not that shallow happiness of a healthy animal. [What] we want is that deep sense of joy and peace.” Across his desk, certain in his vigor and youth to serve as one of the forefronts of education, it is easy to envision his capacity to embark on the infinite.
Steadfast in his mission to lead, Atty. Yeung remains a faculty member of SBCA-SOL and the UA&P Institute of Law, teaching Constitutional Law, Local Government, and Property Law. He officially assumed office as the fifth UA&P President last August 20, 2025 and was introduced by the SBCA-SOL Dean Ulpiano P. Sarmiento III during his installation as someone who is “humble but courageous, [shows] clarity with kindness, and always truthful.”