Kuwentong Peyups
Atty. Dennis Gorecho
To 2026 UP graduates: remember “honor, excellence, service”
“Ikulong na yan, Mga Kurakot” chant reverberated during the 115th Commencement Exercises of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman campus on July 5, 2026. at the University Amphitheater.
Graduation ceremonies across the university’s eight constituent units and 17 campuses normally reflect UP’s long tradition of student activism, like the holding of lighting rallies, speeches, placards and chants.
Instead of a purely formal departure from university life, graduation functions as the final, public demonstration where Iskolars ng Bayan fulfill their mandate to “Serve the People” by amplifying pressing national issues.
Graduates from the UP College of Law raised umbrellas with a slogan “Mga kurakot, panagutin!”
This year’s commencement carried the theme “Gumagalang” where “the foundation of a truly equal and compassionate society rests on the openness of its citizens and leaders to diverse traditions of knowledge.”
“In a world increasingly divided by arrogance, intolerance, and indifference, the call to gumalang (respect) is not merely timely, but urgent,” said Former Ombudsman and retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales who delivered the commencement address in Diliman.
Carpio called on the graduates to uphold the rule of law and remain committed to serving the people
“There is little paggalang (respect) for those who have limited or no voice at all. The powerless have become dispensable.” Carpio said with the reminder that the country’s democratic future depends on citizens who remain committed to truth and accountability.
Speaking at UP Baguio, Veteran broadcast journalist Atom Araullo challenged graduates to become “the right kind of difficult” as they navigate life beyond the university.
Araullo said the country needs people who are “difficult to fool, difficult to buy, difficult to discourage, and difficult to turn indifferent.”
He urged graduates to remain critical thinkers in an age of misinformation and propaganda.
“We live in a time when truth has begun to feel optional,” he said, warning that repeated falsehoods can eventually be mistaken for facts.
At the UP College of Media and Communication, TV personality Vice Ganda implored graduates to use their knowledge responsibly while staying true to their values.
For Vice, being a celebrity goes beyond entertaining audiences adding that it also comes with the responsibility to inform the public and hold those in authority accountable for their shortcomings.
“You are expected to spark change, not chaos. You are expected to share your education, not disinformation.” Vice said.
For graduates of UP Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga (UPDEPP), Prof. Cielo Magno advised them to utilize their UP education to champion social justice, economic equity, and integrity in their respective fields.
“Above all, remember this—being an *Iskolar ng Bayan* is not merely a title. It is a duty: to lead change, to stand up against corruption, and to be the voice of Filipinos who have long gone unheard,” Magno said.
Magno added “Expect the unexpected. Be prepared for surprises. As long as your foundation is solid and your principles are clear, you will know the right course of action. Remember: honor, excellence, service.”
In UP Los Banos (UPLB) College of Arts and Sciences, former Social Welfare Secretary and activist Judy Taguiwalo encouraged graduates to pursue respective careers guided by integrity, compassion, and competence.
“We must ensure that amidst the festivities, we do not lose sight of our obligation to serve the public. We must continue to pursue not only our personal advancement but also the progress of the people and our nation with steadfast resolve; these goals are inextricably linked,” Taguiwalo said.
For UPLB College of Public Affairs graduates, Atty. Angela Consuelo Ibay of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines emphasized the importance of wielding authority with wisdom, humility, and integrity.
“Leadership means many things… but the times we live in ask for more, we ask for stewardship,” Atty. Ibay said. She is my batchmate from UP College of Law.
Out of 5,022 graduates in Diliman, 1,995 students are with Latin honors: 154 Summa cum laude, 927 Magna cum laude and 914 Cum laude.
The Diliman campus was my solace for a decade as a student at the UP School of Economics from 1987 to 1991 and later at the UP College of Law from 1992 to 1998.
The university teaches what textbooks cannot capture, the state education curriculum avoids, or the state authorities censor, erase or prohibit.
UP molded us to fight for the causes we believe in; trained us for the skills we need to communicate ideas and rally others to effect changes in society.
UP shall continue to exist with a critical eye on social and historical issues.
To the new UP graduates, savor the brightness of the sunflowers and be true to the lyrics “Humayo’t itanghal, giting at tapang. Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan!.”
(Peyups is the moniker of the University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0908-8665786.)Photo from DZUP Balita
