UP Diliman announces Hidilyn Diaz's teaching stint
Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo joins UP Diliman as a faculty member, set to teach weightlifting at the College of Human Kinetics. (Photo: Jefferson Villacruz, UP Diliman Information Office)
Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal, has officially joined the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) as a faculty member—marking a new chapter in the career of the country’s most decorated weightlifter.
In an article posted on its website on January 19, UPD said Diaz-Naranjo recently completed the Teaching Effectiveness Course (TEC) from January 12 to 15 at the UP Diliman School of Economics.
This is in preparation for her teaching role at the College of Human Kinetics (CHK).
Conducted by the UP Diliman Office for the Advancement of Teaching, the TEC is designed to equip new faculty members and teaching assistants with effective classroom strategies and learner-centered teaching approaches.
As told to UPD, Diaz-Naranjo emphasized the importance of increasing public awareness and understanding of weightlifting as a competitive sport, extending beyond the teaching of technique.
She hopes to help integrate weightlifting more deeply into Philippine sports education, noting its growing presence in grassroots competitions. “I want to educate more people para mas maraming makaintindi ng weightlifting, kasi ang weightlifting ay regular event na sa Palarong Pambansa,” Diaz-Naranjo said, as quoted in the article.
UPD said Diaz-Naranjo will handle two sections of PE 2 in weightlifting during the second semester of the 2025–2026 academic year, bringing her elite athletic experience into the university classroom.
Her appointment at UP Diliman highlights the university’s continuing efforts to strengthen sports education by tapping accomplished Filipino athletes who can bridge high-level competition and academic instruction.