Veteran journalist and former University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) dean Luis V. Teodoro passed away on Monday, March 13 at the age of 81, the college confirmed in a Facebook post. A "CMC Parangal kay Dean Teodoro" will be held on Wednesday, March 15 at the Loyola Chapels Commonwealth to be followed by a mass at 6 p.m. and a short program, UP CMC also advised on Tuesday, March 14. Teodoro served as the college dean from 1994 to 2000. "As educator, editor, and journalist, Dean Teodoro was pivotal in fostering academic excellence in our discipline, upholding integrity in the practice of media, and defending our freedoms of the press, speech, and assembly," UP CMC said. He also served as editor for the Philippine Collegian and the Philippine Journalism Review Reports, columnist, and board member of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility. During his college days, the Philippine Collegian said that Teodoro was among the ones who protested the interference of then Faculty Adviser Francisco Arcellana in its weekly newspaper. "Teodoro continued his advocacy for a free press, evidenced in his reports and scholarly works on the political economy of the Philippine media," it added. He was also the founding chairperson of Alternative Media Network (Altermidya). "A pillar of Philippine journalism, Dean Luis was the force behind the formation of Altermidya Network, which will carry on his work and principles. "He is credited with advancing the ideals of pro-people journalism both as a respected member of the academe and through the alternative media that he helped organize in the Philippines," Altermidya said in a social media post. Teodoro also worked as a board member of the online alternative news outlet Bulatlat. "As a teacher, Teodoro honed many of today's finest journalists in the country, having provided them with tools for analysis they need to better cover stories of marginalized communities and in holding the powerful to account. "As a fellow practitioner, he championed the causes of the alternative and the community media and fought along side with them in exacting accountability over press freedom violations. "As a mentor, he was a constant reminder that it is imperative for today's journalists to defend human rights, uphold the highest ethical practice of journalism, and to do their best in bringing about change," the news site said in a Facebook post. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines also released a statement regarding Teodoro's passing. "He inspired the alternative media and community media practitioners, and was instrumental in the establishment of Altermidya, where he served as the founding chairperson. He also supported the Graciano Lopez Jaena Fellowship for Community Journalism. He was always generous with his time and wisdom, never saying no to requests for training," it said.