Former students of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UPCMC) gather today for their 53rd alumni homecoming. The event features the 2nd Glory Awards for outstanding alumni and a musical show. The festivities start at 4:00 p.m. at Bahay ng Alumni in the UP Diliman campus.
This year’s highlights include a musical tribute to the late film and TV director Maryo de los Reyes—a beloved professor and two-term alumni association president—featuring singer-actress Isabelle de Leon, balladeer Steven Paysu, and a rare performance by UP Masscom alumnus Raymond Lauchengco. His fellow alumni Pia Guanio, Ramon Bautista and Willy Inong (a.k.a. Hillbilly Willy) co-emcee the homecoming show presented by FrontRow and Ibarra Manila with TAPE Inc., Smart Communications and Maynilad as co-sponsors. Tickets are at P700 to cover the dinner-show, alumni membership fee, loot bag and a raffle entry for a chance to win Ibarra Manila classic watches, gift certificates from Seaoil Philippines and McDonald’s, and Avida Land and Sari Monde Food Corp. giveaways, among other prizes.
Twelve alumni will receive “Glory” trophies for the excellence and impact of their work in various mass communication fields. The Glory also enshrines the legacy of Gloria D. Feliciano, the first dean of what was formerly the UP Institute of Mass Communication when it was founded in 1965.
In his congratulatory message, UP president Danilo Concepcion described UPCMC as “the country’s premier institution for the development of a Philippine mass media that is socially responsible, critical, vigilant, transformative, free and independent.”
Alumni association president Malou Choa-Fagar said the Glory awards “recall our roots as scholars of the people who are expected to serve and excel with selflessness and honor. By shining the spotlight on our alumni achievers, we hope to share their inspiring lessons with today’s mass communication students and graduates.”