Pagtatapos 2023

It’s time for the UP Class of 2023!

The month of July signals the start of graduation season for a majority of the University of the Philippines (UP) System. Grad photos have been taken. Outfits already chosen. The UP sablay ready to be draped over the right shoulder and later shifted to the left.

This year, UP commencement exercises will kick off at both the northernmost and southernmost constituent universities (CUs).UP Baguio and UP Mindanao will get the ball rolling on July 18.

UP Visayas then picks it up on July 20 with the ceremony at its Miagao campus.

UP Cebu will make it a back-to-back affair by holding its graduation ceremony on July 21.

Fast forward to July 25 and it will be UP Tacloban College’s turn—its first as a newly-elevated autonomous unit under the Office of the President.

Five days later, July 30, UP Diliman and its trademark sunflower blooms take center stage.

Then it will be festive at the foothills of Mt. Makiling with the UP Los Baños graduation on August 5.

Closing the series is the CU with the campus where the University began. UP Manila will hold its commencement exercises on August 7.

Details on each CU graduation below. Please visit this page for updates.

The graduating class of 2019 of the University of the Philippines Baguio light up candles for the Ritwal ng Pagtatanglaw. This unique tradition goes back the 1960s when UP Baguio was an arts and sciences college of UP Diliman. Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO.

UP Mindanao – July 18

University of the Philippines Mindanao was the first to hold its graduation rites among the UP System constituent universities this year. The CU held its ceremonies on July 18, Tuesday, at 7:00 AM. This was held at the Atrium of the Administration Building, UP Mindanao campus, Mintal, Davao City. This was the 25th Commencement Exercises for UP Min.

The Guest Speaker for this year was UP alumnus and the President and General Manager of Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc., Mr. Ronald Mascariñas. Meluzvia Marie Amora, Bachelor of Science in Food Technology, summa cum laude, will delivered the response of the graduates in her valedictory speech.

Click here to view the highlights video of the UP Mindanao Commencement Exercises

UP Baguio – July 18

University of the Philippines Baguio also held its graduation ceremonies on July 18, but at 3:00 in the afternoon. It was held at the Cordillera Convention Hall, Baguio Country Club, Baguio City. This year’s graduating class was composed of 440 undergraduate and doctorate candidates for graduation from three colleges. The attendees included graduates for Academic Year 2021-2022, and first and second semester of Academic Year 2022-2023.

Among this year’s graduating class were 271 honor graduates and one graduating as summa cum laude. Jef Mitzel B. Paran, Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences 2023, summa cum laude, delivered the valedictory address. National Scientist Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz was this year’s Commencement Speaker.

Click here to view the highlights video of the UP Baguio Commencement Exercises

UP Visayas – July 20

University of the Philippines Visayas held its 44th Commencement Exercises on July 20, Thursday, at 8:00 AM, at the UP Visayas Miagao Campus. The graduating class was composed of 779 candidates—744 from UPV Iloilo and 35 from UPV Tacloban College. The batch was led by three who are graduating summa cum laude; 100, magna cum laude; and 297 cum laude.

Former Department of Education Undersecretary,  Dr. Dina Joana S. Ocampo, was this year’s Commencement Speaker. Mary Manuelita B. Tan, Bachelor of Science in Public Health, summa cum laude, delivered a response on behalf of the graduating class. The other summa cum laude graduates of UP Visayas are Stephen Caro H. Areño, who is earning a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics, and Benreo Rex N. Rembulat, Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics.

Click here to view the highlights video of the UP Visayas Commencement Exercises

Wearing their Sablay, graduating students in UP Los Baños cheer their fellow Iskolar ng Bayan during the 2019 Commencement Exercises. The Sablay is the official academic costume of the University, worn only by graduates in formal academic functions. Photo by Jonathan Madrid, UP MPRO.

 

UP Cebu – July 21

University of the Philippines Cebu held its graduation rites on July 21, Friday, 3:30 PM at the UP Cebu Campus Grounds, Cebu City. This was UP Cebu’s 84th Commencement Exercises. Leading this year’s graduating class was Edsel Suhayon Codoy,  who earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, summa cum laude. He gave the valedictory address. He is the second student to have received the summa cum laude honor since UP Cebu became a UP constituent university in 2016

UP Cebu’s Commencement Speaker was former Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines and UP alumna, Atty. Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo.

Click here to view the highlights video of the UP Cebu Commencement Exercises

UP Tacloban – July 25

The UP System’s sole autonomous college, University of the Philippines Tacloban College, held its 45th Commencement Exercises on July 25, Tuesday, 3:43 PM, at the UP Tacloban AS Grounds. This year’s graduating class was composed of 303 total graduates for Academic Year 2022-2023, with 34 for the first semester and 268 for the second semester. One hundred and seventy-eight students graduated with honors, with 13 graduating magna cum laude and 165 cum laude.

Click here to view the highlights video of the UP Tacloban Commencement Exercises

UP Diliman – July 30

Meanwhile in Quezon City, University of the Philippines Diliman held its graduation rites on July 30, Sunday, 7:00 AM at the UPD Amphitheater. This was UP Diliman’s 112th Commencement Exercises.

The Commencement Speaker for this year is UP President Angelo A. Jimenez, who is a labor lawyer and authority on global worker migration. Representing the Class of 2023, Jessie Malibiran, Jr., Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (BA-MA Honors Program), talked about living up to the University’s motto of Honor and Excellence in everyday life.

Click here to watch UP President Angelo A. Jimenez’s speech to the graduates of UP Diliman

UP Los Baños – August 5

University of the Philippines Los Baños held its 51st Commencement Exercises on August 5, 4:00 PM, at the UPLB Copeland Gymnasium, UPLB Campus, Los Baños, Laguna.

National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, a UPLB alumnus, was commencement speaker, who used his life and career experience to impart a lesson to the graduating class. Jenel Justo, BS Computer Science summa cum laude, was UPLB Class of 2023 valedictorian.

Click here to view the highlights video of the UP Los Baños Commencement Exercises

UP Manila – August 7

The University of the Philippines Manila held its 114th Commencement Exercises on 7 August 2023, Monday, 7:00 AM.

With the theme, “Talino, Galing, at Puso Tungo sa Kalusugang Pangkalahatan”, Dr. Carmencita D. Padilla, professor and Chancellor of UP Manila, served as commencement speaker. She conveyed ten important lessons based on her experiences as a pediatrician, geneticist, and proponent and pioneer of the country’s newborn screening program and the Philippine Genome Center.

Mr. Ivanne Joepert A. Idorot, the summa cum laude from BS Biology, delivered the valedictory address on behalf of Class 2023.

Click here to view the highlights video of the UP Manila Commencement Exercises

UP Open University – December 16

With its graduation scheduled for December 16, 2023, the University of the Philippines Open University will be the last constituent university of the UP System to hold its commencement exercises.

 

The sunflowers bloom in anticipation of the graduation season in UP Diliman, Quezon City. The planting and blossoming of the flowers have become part of the traditions of the University. Photo by Jonathan Madrid, UP MPRO.