The University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) is set to honor 64 exceptional individuals, groups, and families at a ceremony to be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 16, at Ang Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman.
The UPAA Alumni Awards are one of the most prestigious recognitions given to the university’s graduates. It celebrates UP alumni who have shown honor, excellence, and service, as well as continue to make a positive impact through their leadership, contributions to society, and local and global achievements in their fields.
“Beyond professional excellence, we looked for the strength of their leadership, the depth of their service, and the magnitude of their impact. These awardees reflect the very best of what it means to be an Iskolar ng Bayan,” UPAA president and Alumni Regent Robert Lester Aranton said.
This year’s roster of honorees includes 47 individual awardees, three outstanding UP alumni chapters, four recipients of the Presidential Award, and 10 awardees of the Multigenerational Alumni Family Award.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin (AB Political Science ’68) leads this year’s Outstanding Alumni Awardees as the sole recipient of the 2025 UPAA Most Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Bersamin is being honored for his exemplary contributions to good governance and dedicated public service, particularly as the 25th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, as well as in his current role as Executive Secretary.
This year, the UPAA Lifetime Achievement Awards are given to five individuals: Roberto Alingog (BSBA’71; MBA’74), Benjamin Austria (BSGeo’65), Jhosep Lopez (ABPolSci’84 cl; LLB’88), Jesus Crispin Remulla (ABPolSci’83; LLB’87), and Rody Sy (BS’69; MD’74).
Meanwhile, the UPAA Distinguished Alumni Awards are conferred to the following:
- Maria Gabriela Concepcion, Ma. Lynette Josephine Ortiz, Romulo Gerardo Ramos, Kennedy Nickolai Sarmiento, and Pablito Villegas in Community Empowerment
- Paz Abad Santos and Abel Icatlo in Culture and Arts
- Mary Lou Aurelio, Johanna Patricia Adevoso-Cañal, Alicia Catabay, and Elena Pernia in Education
- Mario Aurelio in Environmental Conservation (Geoscience Education)
- Robert Go, Benjamin So, and Jose Tapay Jr. in Entrepreneurship
- Constancia Somera-Uy in Gender Equality (Women Empowerment)
- Jesse Hermogenes Andres, Ma. Gladys Cruz-Sta Rita, Linglingay Fonacier-Lacanlale, Amenah Pangandaman, Ernesto Perez, Angelene Mary Quimpo-Sale, Gerardo Sirios, and Patrick Lester Ty in Good Governance
- William Honorato Romero and Grace Aguiling-Dalisay in Human Capital Development
- Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba in Peace and Order
- Maria Stephanie Fay Cagayan, Cary Calimlim, Francis Daytec Jr., Ma. Rebecca Maraña-Galvez Tan, Constante Palabrica, Yolanda Robles, Nathaniel Tablante Jr., and Bernard Tansipek in Public Health Promotion
- Faustino Icatlo Jr., Danilo Lachica, and Paolo Antonio Silva in Science and Technology.
Three chapters will receive the UPAA Distinguished Service Award for Alumni Chapters: the UP Sigma Alpha Sorority Alumnae Association Inc., UPAA in British Columbia, and UPAA Wisconsin Chapter.
The UPAA Distinguished Service Award for an Alumnus and Alumna is likewise given to lawyer Jose Alvin Gonzaga, Elena Vicenta “Jingjing” Villanueva-Romero, and Jesusa Wolgamotti.
Additionally, the UPAA Presidential Awardees are Solicitor General Darlene Marie Berberabe, former congressman Marquez Go, Ambassador Rosario Gonzalez-Manalo, and lawyer Rodrigo Libunao.
Finally, the association honors families whose commitment to the university spans multiple generations through the UPAA Multigenerational Alumni Family Award.
This year, it recognizes the Four Consecutive Generations Awardees: Ofilada, Palarca, and Reyes-Lapus-Sandoval families. The UPAA likewise extends special recognition to the De Guia, Espiritu, Fernando, Flor, Pacia, Pilar, and Reyes families as Three-Generation Awardees.
