OFFICIALS of the University of the Philippines and UP Mindanao awarded diplomas to 274 graduates during the university’s 28th Commencement Exercises on July 7, 2026, at the UPMin Atrium.
Marking a series of historic institutional milestones, the Class of 2026 celebrated the graduation of the university’s very first batch from the Bachelor of Science in Sports Science program, alongside its first-ever graduate from the Master of Science in Human Movement Science program.
Representing the graduating class, Alyssa Keziah M. Manulat, Summa Cum Laude graduate with a General Weighted Average (GWA) of 1.111, delivered a stirring valedictory address. She openly tackled the collective anxiety of adulthood and the daunting question facing every graduate: “What’s next?”
Manulat emphasized that a UP education is ultimately measured by the choices made when no one is watching and by how one responds to pressing national crises such as economic hardships, environmental vulnerabilities, and systemic injustices.
She challenged her fellow graduates not to succumb to blissful ignorance, urging them instead to dedicate their education to the working-class Filipinos whose labor sustains the country.
“Our UP education will no longer be measured by our transcript, our Latin honors, or the diploma we receive today… It will be measured by whether we use our education to climb only for ourselves, or whether we extend a hand to others to climb with us. By whether we become professionals who merely make a living, or citizens who help build a nation worth living in,” Manulat said in her speech.
The speakers at the commencement sent off the Class of 2026 with high hopes, reminding them of their defining roles as Iskolar ng Bayan.
Commencement speaker and prominent business leader John Gaisano Jr. shared valuable insights with the graduates as they stood on the threshold of the professional world. He focused on the critical role of sustainable leadership within the region:
“My challenge to you is this: You are in your early twenties, and you will be working for the next several decades. If you become complacent now, thinking you’ve ‘already made it’, there is no way you can succeed. I am telling you plainly: a proud, lazy, someone who is easily hurt, and possesses an entitled mentality are collective characteristics that guarantee mediocrity or failure,” Gaisano said.
UP Mindanao Chancellor Prof. Lyre Anni E. Murao, PhD, praised the graduates for their resilience, noting how they turned the friction of their academic journeys, which spanned from resource constraints to intermittent internet connectivity, into true grit.
She introduced Amuma, the university’s institutional commitment to looking at its own imperfections and responding with care, patience, and responsibility.
Chancellor Murao highlighted the complex tapestry of the student body, validating both the loud voices who champion dissent as a sign of a vibrant democracy and those who fight quiet, inward battles against academic pressure and mental health struggles.
“True growth does not emanate from a cold, unfeeling bureaucracy,” Chancellor Murao said. “Life is ultimately a choice. You can choose to lead from a place of anger, or you can choose to lead from a place of care. I hope that your stay in UP Mindanao has taught you where the true, sustainable power of leadership comes from.”
Celebrating both academic excellence and community spirit, the Class of 2026 features an inspiring roster of 124 academic high achievers out of 274 graduates.
Leading the distinctions, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences produced one Summa Cum Laude, 23 Magna Cum Laude, and 38 Cum Laude graduates.
Meanwhile, the College of Science and Mathematics celebrated 11 Magna Cum Laude and 45 Cum Laude achievements, while the School of Management contributed six Cum Laude graduates to the university’s total.
In addition to academic honors, the university recognized 38 Ugnayan ng Pahinungod Volunteers for their selfless community service. Highlighting this dedication to public service, five of these volunteers, alongside another alumnus, are deploying immediately as new Gurong Pahinungod volunteer teachers in Tawi-Tawi, Palawan, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm).
The historic ceremony brought together university administrators and esteemed guests from various institutions, including UP President Hon. Angelo Jimenez, the Consul General of Malaysia Deddy Faisal Ahmad Salleh, and members of the Board of Regents. PR
