Danilo Concepcion

Danilo Lardizabal Concepcion (born February 7, 1958), often referred to by his nickname DaniCon, is a Filipino lawyer who is the eighth and incumbent president of Centro Escolar University, the second male to assume the position. He previously served as the 21st president of the University of the Philippines. Prior to his appointment as UP president, he was the dean and a professor of law at the UP College of Law and the Executive Director of the UP Bonifacio Global City Campus. He is husband to lawyer Gaby Concepcion.

Early life and education Concepcion graduated valedictorian from the Bancal Elementary School in Meycauayan, Bulacan in 1970. In 1974, he graduated as the high school valedictorian of the Basic Education Unit of De La Salle Araneta University in Malabon, where he also received the Most Outstanding Campus Journalist, Gerry Roxas Leadership Gold Medal, and Gold Eagle Award for Community Development.

He attended a Summer Course in International Law of the Sea at the University of Oxford in 1986 and a Finance for Senior Executives course in Asian Institute of Management in 2000.

Government service Concepcion served as member of the Sangguniang Bayan of Valenzuela and President of the Kabataang Barangay Federation of Metro Manila from 1976 to 1978. He was elected as the Youth Sector representative in the Interim Batasang Pambansa from 1978 to 1984. Other nominees included Gisela Concepcion (UP vice president for academic affairs), Rowena Cristina Guevarra, (former dean of the College of Engineering, UP Diliman and Department of Science and Technology undersecretary for research and development), Benito Pacheco (UP Diliman vice chancellor for academic affairs), Prospero de Vera III (Commission on Higher Education Commissioner and public administration professor), and Caesar Saloma (former UP Diliman chancellor and National Institute of Physics professor). His term ended in February 2023.

In August 2018, a reunion of the Kabataang Barangay (KB) led by Imee Marcos was held in the University of the Philippines Diliman, which Concepcion attended as a former KB chairman. His presence provoked criticism from opponents of the Marcos regime. As a response, Concepcion has expressed regret and apologized to the UP community while reassuring his commitment to upholding the truth in the harm caused by Martial Law during the Marcos Regime. Concepcion was president of the KB Federation in Metro Manila from 1976 to 1978.

On January 15, 2021, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana officially notified Concepcion of the Department of National Defense (DND)'s unilateral termination of the 1989 UP–DND accord, which requires police and military to give prior notice to the UP administration before they enter UP campuses. The secretary's letter was made public on the night of January 18, and protests erupted the next day. Concepcion revealed that the agreement was terminated "without prior consultation" with the university administration. He called the abrogation "totally unnecessary and unwarranted, and may result in worsening rather than improving relations between our institutions". He also defended the UP–DND accord saying it "gives our students and teachers the freedom to be creative in the way they think and act because they know that no one can suppress their actions".

CEU president In April 2025, Centro Escolar University announced Concepcion's appointment as its eighth President and Chief Academic Officer. He is the second man to be appointed as President of the university. He succeeded Cristina Padolina, who has been designated as President Emeritus. He formally took office and was installed as president on March 26, 2026 at the CEU Manila campus.