“With your abilities, I have little doubt that many universities would have welcomed you with scholarships and attractive offers. Yet you chose UP. Why?”
University of the Philippines President Angelo Jimenez posted the rhetorical question at the dinner he hosted for the 2026 Oblation Scholars, July 29 at Atencio-Libunao Hall, UP Diliman.
“Because UP is more than the country’s premier university. It is the national university,” he proceeded. “Here, excellence is never pursued for its own sake. Knowledge is not accumulated merely to build successful careers. We strive to develop men and women who understand that education finds its highest purpose when it is used to improve the lives of others. That is what it means to become an Iskolar ng Bayan.”
The UP Oblation Scholarship is a government-funded grant given to the top 50 qualifiers of the UP College Admission Test. They are identified according to UPCAT scores and University Predicted Grades. Among the benefits of being an Oblation Scholar are free tuition, miscellaneous fees, and laboratory fees. They are also entitled to a book allowance worth P2,250 per semester and a monthly incentive allowance of P3,000 per month.
Of the 50 students who qualified for the scholarship, only 22 chose to enrol at UP.
