UP TACLOBAN (July 2)
Kyla A. Advincula, Representing the Class of 2025
“May we never forget who we are, why we are here, and who we are meant to serve.”
Representing the Class of 2025, Kyla A. Advincula, a political science graduate and valedictorian who earned magna cum laude honors, delivered a powerful address at the University of the Philippines Tacloban College Commencement Exercises on July 2, 2025. Grounded in critical inquiry and public service, she urged her fellow Iskolar ng Bayan to confront systemic issues, reject false solutions, and act for the common good.
Jaime Galvez-Tan, UP Tacloban Commencement Speaker 2025
“This life is not all about you.”
Former Health Secretary and lifelong community health advocate Jaime Galvez-Tan delivered the commencement address at the University of the Philippines (UP) Tacloban College on July 2, 2025, urging graduates to serve with honesty, accountability, and a deep sense of purpose, anchored not in self-interest, but in the greater good.
A trailblazing UP student leader, Galvez-Tan was the first medical student elected as student council chair and fourth student regent. He was also the last to hold both posts before student governments were dissolved under martial law in 1972. In 2024, he was honored with the UP Alumni Association’s Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award.
UP CEBU (July 4)
Ma. Harriet Aven Victoria Nuñeza, UP Cebu Valedictorian 2025
“Success is not just about how far we get, but who gets to come with us.”
Ma. Harriet Aven Victoria Nuñeza — BS Mathematics graduate, class valedictorian, and one of only two summa cum laude graduates of the University of the Philippines Cebu — addressed the Class of 2025 at the university’s 86th Commencement Exercises on July 4. She spoke about the challenges she faced as the eldest child of a single parent and the difficulty of continuing amid hardship, and expressed her gratitude to those who helped carry her through.
Alfonso Tomas Araullo, UP Cebu Commencement Speaker 2025
“Service is not a sacrifice. It is a privilege.”
Broadcast journalist and documentary filmmaker Alfonso Tomas “Atom” Araullo addressed the University of the Philippines Cebu’s 86th Commencement Exercises on July 4, calling on graduates to confront injustice with conscience and to serve with both competence and compassion.
Araullo, a former councilor in the UP Diliman University Student Council, is known for his reporting on conflict, inequality and the climate crisis. His work has been recognized by the New York Festivals and other international award-giving bodies. He anchors “State of the Nation” on GTV, and hosts “The Atom Araullo Specials” and “I-Witness” on GMA. He is also a Palanca awardee and serves as National Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency.
UP DILIMAN (July 6)
Mark Andy Pedere, Representative, UP Diliman Class of 2025
“Ang tunay na lunas sa isang sistemang mapaniil ay ang pag-aalay ng kolektibong utak at puso na nagmumula at tumutungo sa masang Pilipino.”
Mark Andy Pedere, summa cum laude in BA Philippine Studies, delivered the address on behalf of the graduating class at the 114th Commencement Exercises of the University of the Philippines Diliman on July 6. The first in his family to earn a university degree, Pedere reflected on the role of UP education in confronting systems of power and called on fellow Iskolar ng Bayan to continue organizing, resisting, and standing in solidarity with the Filipino people in the years to come.
Maria Jessica A. Soho, UP Diliman Commencement Speaker 2025
“Be disruptors for good. The status quo is not okay.”
Broadcast journalist Maria Jessica A. Soho addressed the Class of 2025 at the 114th Commencement Exercises of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman on July 6, urging graduates to ask difficult questions, listen closely, and act with integrity.
UP VISAYAS (July 8)
Kristina V. Celis, Representative, UP Visayas Class of 2025
“We often speak of honor and excellence, but rarely ask who actually gets to chase them freely.”
Kristina V. Celis, BS Computer Science summa cum laude graduate, delivered the valedictory address at the 46th Commencement Exercises of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) held at the UPV Miagao campus on July 8. Reflecting on inequality, endurance and collective effort, Celis honored struggling families, working students, fisherfolk, and other communities whose sacrifices are often unrecognized or taken for granted. She closed with a call to carry forward the spirit of Himakas — the Class of 2025’s chosen name.
Reynilda Partida and Fredil Muid, UP Visayas Commencement Speakers 2025
“Aton ang Kinse”—ours, with responsibility.
At the 46th Commencement Exercises of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), held July 8 at its Miagao campus, grassroots leaders Reynilda Partida and Fredil Muid addressed the graduates, emphasizing collective action, ancestral knowledge, and community leadership.
Partida, a fisherfolk organizer from Carles, Iloilo; and Muid, a Tagbanua Calamian leader from Calawit Island, Palawan, have each spent decades defending small-scale fisheries and advocating for environmental justice. They spoke of Aton ang Kinse [The 15km is Ours], a nationwide call to protect the 15-kilometer municipal waters from commercial exploitation, not only as a matter of territory, but as a shared responsibility to future generations.
Drawing from their community experience, both speakers urged UPV graduates to give back what they learned to those who had made their education possible. “Ang komunidad ang naging puhunan ng ating mga pangarap [The community was the foundation that made our dreams possible],” Muid said. “Kaya nararapat lamang na ito ay pahalagahan upang maihandog sa susunod na mga henerasyon [It is only right to value it, so it can be passed on to future generations].”
Representing the Class of 2025, Kristina V. Celis, who graduated summa cum laude in BS Computer Science, echoed their message, noting that UP education carries greater meaning when applied in service of those often left behind.
The ceremony highlighted the importance of amplifying grassroots voices in shaping public discourse, and reaffirmed UPV’s mission of public service and community engagement.
UP MINDANAO (July 10)
Anakin Skywalker Pactores, Representative, UP Mindanao Class of 2025
“We have something that no technology has, and that is humanity.”
Anakin Skywalker Pactores, summa cum laude graduate of BS Computer Science, delivered the valedictory address at the University of the Philippines Mindanao’s 27th Commencement Exercises on July 10. He is UPMin’s fifth summa cum laude and the first from his degree program, graduating with a cumulative weighted average grade of 1.1711.
Pactores reflected on unequal access to education, the ethical risks of emerging technologies, and his own political awakening at the university. He urged fellow Iskolar ng Bayan to use their knowledge with compassion; to pursue not just innovation, but also social justice.
Sonny Angara, UP Mindanao Commencement Speaker 2025
“UP never promised it would be easy. It promised conviction.”
Secretary of Education Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara addressed the Class of 2025 at the 27th Commencement Exercises of the University of the Philippines Mindanao on July 10, reminding graduates that a UP education is a public investment — one that carries the responsibility to serve. Citing UP Mindanao’s founding mission to nurture scientists, artists, and leaders in and for Mindanao, he urged graduates to help build equity in communities long underserved.
A graduate of the UP College of Law and a former legislator, Angara championed landmark education policies, including the Free College Education Act, the Anti-Bullying Act, and the Second Congressional Commission on Education. In 2024, he was appointed to lead the Department of Education.
UP LOS BAÑOS (July 19)
Alyssa Niega, Representative, UP Los Baños Class of 2025
“We are worthy, not because we never faltered, but because we choose to move forward nonetheless.”
Alyssa Niega, summa cum laude graduate of BS Human Ecology, addressed the Class of 2025 as their representative at the University of the Philippines Los Baños 53rd Commencement Exercises on July 19. Once a waitlisted applicant who did not qualify for UPLB through the UPCAT, Niega shared how an unconventional path led her to become the university’s top graduate.
Niega reflected on privilege, persistence, and shared responsibility. She urged fellow graduates to use the opportunities they have received not just to achieve personal success, but to create pathways for others. Niega reminded them that education’s true value is in the way it uplifts communities and empowers those left behind.
Shirley Agrupis, UP Los Baños Commencement Speaker 2025
“Serving the people is not just an ideal, it is why UP exists.”
Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis, chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education and the University of the Philippines Board of Regents, addressed the Class of 2025 at the UP Los Baños 53rd Commencement Exercises on July 19. In a ceremony where UPLB conferred degrees to 2,682 graduates, Agrupis emphasized that the true measure of a UP education is not in titles or rankings, but in humble service to others, leadership with integrity, and dedication to advancing worthwhile social causes.
A graduate of UPLB’s MS Botany program and awarded as 2021 Outstanding UPLB Alumna, Agrupis has led key initiatives in higher education, research, and institutional development. Before her appointment as CHED chair, she was president of Mariano Marcos State University in Ilocos Norte, where she established the country’s first bioenergy research center to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and promote sustainable energy solutions in the region.
WATCH THE 53RD UPLB COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
UP MANILA (July 22)
John Paul Cristobal, Representative, UP Manila Class of 2025
“It’s terrifying to graduate with skill but without compassion. To leave with honors, but without concern.”
John Paul Cristobal, summa cum laude graduate of BA Philippine Arts, addressed the Class of 2025 at the University of the Philippines Manila’s 116th Commencement Exercises on July 22. Tracing his path from the farmlands of Ilocos to the heart of Manila, Cristobal reflected on the “abot” or footprints and ruts in the mud, which he saw as a metaphor for the gaps and inequalities embedded in society.
In his speech, he asked fellow graduates not to sidestep these widening and deepening gaps — in law, in systems, in humanity — but to confront them with conscience and compassion. There are high expectations of UP graduates, which can be frightening, but Cristobal asserts, “What’s even more terrifying is to leave this university without a conscience.”
UP Manila conferred degrees on 1,264 graduates this year; 682 of whom earned Latin honors, with nine of them graduating summa cum laude.
Maria Serena I. Diokno, UP Manila Commencement Speaker 2025
“Positions do not confer honor. You bring honor to the position.”
Professor Emeritus Maria Serena I. Diokno, former chair of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, addressed the Class of 2025 at the University of the Philippines Manila’s 116th Commencement Exercises on July 22.
Diokno urged the graduates to embody UP’s ideals of honor, excellence, and service, not as mere words, but through action. “What use are intellect and talent,” she asked, “if you lack principles or the courage to stand by them?” She emphasized that honor is not inherent in titles or positions, but earned through integrity and responsibility. Diokno challenged the members of the Class of 2025 to carry these ideals forward in their careers and public lives.
UP Manila conferred degrees on 1,264 graduates, 682 of whom received Latin honors.
WATCH THE UP MANILA CLASS OF 2025 HIGHLIGHTS
UP BAGUIO (July 22)
Grandemir B. Baysa-Pee, Representative, UP Baguio Class of 2025
“We don’t all walk the same path, but we can matter in bettering this country and even this world.”