Some of UP’s most committed and accomplished graduates trooped to the Ang Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman as UP President Danilo L. Concepcion threw a dinner in honor of the 2018 UP Alumni Association (UPAA) Awardees.
Every year, the UPAA recognizes a select crop of alumni who have demonstrated extraordinary achievements and excellent contributions in their respective fields that bring about substantial benefits to society and honor to the University. While formally awarded during UP’s Grand Alumni Homecoming, the awardees attended a special dinner sponsored by the UP President customarily held in the same week as a gesture of UP’s appreciation of them.
This year’s batch of awardees was headed by 2018 Most Distinguished Alumnus Ruben Villareal (BSA’60; MS’63), who rose from humble beginnings to become a former UP Los Baños chancellor and world-renowned plant breeder. Joining him were UPAA Lifetime Achievement Awardees Caesar Agnir (AA’58; AB’58), Filemon Berba, Jr. (BSEE’59 mcl), Melito Salazar, Jr. (BSBA’71; MBA’74) and Dr. Francisca Tolete-Velcek (BS’62; MD’66).
Also recognized were Distinguished Alumni Awardees from 12 distinct disciplines, from Community Empowerment to Women Empowerment; recipients of the UPAA Distinguished Service Award for an Alumni Chapter; UPAA Multi-Generation UP Family Awardees; and a trio of UPAA Presidential Awardees: Amable R. Aguiluz (BSBA’69), Robina Gokongwei-Pe (Economics 1981), and Dennis Serrano (BSBMS’87; MD’89; MHA’04).
In a message to the awardees, President Concepcion said that the truest measure of a university’s excellence is the status of its alumni, and the esteemed accorded to them by society. With UP’s status as the number one university in the country, therefore, its distinguished alumni, who are leaders in their respective professions and workers for the common good, are living proof of its excellence. Concepcion, together with UPAA President Ramon Maronilla, started the dinner with a toast in honor of the 2018 Awardees and their invaluable contributions to Philippine society.
In response to the honor, former Chancellor Villareal gave his own message on behalf of his fellow alumni awardees. He remarked that the honor they received symbolized both honor and intelligence, as well as a confidence in the awardees’ “abilities to continuously pursue UP’s ideals of honor, excellence, and service”.
“We cannot rest on our laurels,” Villareal said, of his fellow recipients. “We must continue our individual crusade (of uplifting the lives of fellow Filipinos) with fervor. With more passion, more perseverance, and more sacrifices if need be”. (Andre DP Encarnacion, UP MPRO)
For a complete list of 2018 UPAA Alumni Awardees, visit: http://www.upalumni.ph/2018-upaa-awardees/
