Text by Charmaine A. Lingdas
Photos by Sarah Hazel Moces S. Pulumbarit
The University of the Philippines College of Dentistry (UPCD) honored the achievements of its graduating students in a heartfelt Recognition Ceremony held on July 17, 2025, at the UPCD Auditorium, UP Manila, with the theme “Paglaom: Bunga ng Pagsisikap, Binhi ng Serbisyong Makatao.” Paglaom meaning hope, the event embodied both celebration and optimism for the future of Philippine oral health care.
This year, the College produced a total of forty-one graduates: thirty-seven Doctor of Dental Medicine, one Certificate of Proficiency in Orthodontics, and three Master of Science in Dentistry in Orthodontics.
“Ang pag-asang ito ang nagtulak sa inyong lahat upang kayo ay patuloy na nagsikap, lumaban, para marating ang araw na ito,” said College of Dentistry Dean Dr. Michelle Sunico-Segarra in her opening remarks. She recognized the dedication and hard work of the 2025 graduates, noting that 19 of them are now licensed dentists, with one securing the third-highest spot in the recent dental licensure examination. She emphasized UP’s consistent track record of excellence, highlighted by a 100% passing rate and top-performing examinees year after year.
Dean Segarra reflected on the state of oral health in the country, pointing out that despite the numerous continuing dental education programs available, the rate of oral diseases in the Philippines remains alarmingly high among the highest in the Southeast Asian region. She posed a critical question to the profession: while UPCD excels at serving their peers and advancing the field, does that necessarily translate to effectively serving the broader population?
“As graduates of the country’s national university, makataong serbisyo—humane service—to help decrease the caries rate among our countrymen should be part of our mandate,” she emphasized the values of public service that define a UP education in her message to the Class of 2025.
UP President Atty. Angelo A. Jimenez echoed the same sentiment. He emphasized the urgent need to strengthen oral health care in the country, pointing out that the recommended dentist-to-population ratio is 1:50,000, yet in 2023 the actual ratio was 1:59,099, based on data from DOH and LGU-employed dentists. He noted that around 80 million Filipinos suffer from dental caries, among the highest rates globally and acknowledged the persistent challenges, including limited access to services, the concentration of dental professionals in urban areas, and the migration of talent abroad. He also underscored the reality that many people only seek dental care when the pain becomes unbearable.
“Be the hope that serves communities with skill, compassion, and humility. Be the hope that fights for accessible, preventive, and quality oral health care not just in clinics, but in barangays and schools, and homes,” he said.
The event honored outstanding graduates who demonstrated excellence in various clinical disciplines:
Representing the graduating class, Dr. Maria Samantha C. Tan delivered a heartfelt speech filled with gratitude and optimism. She reflected on the meaning of hope as a product of perseverance through adversity, particularly during the challenges of the pandemic and dental training. She emphasized that hope is not merely wishful thinking, but a conscious decision to keep going despite uncertainty—and that unity among batchmates made this hope even more powerful. Acknowledging the realities of a broken healthcare system and the struggles faced by patients, she urged her fellow graduates to carry forward their UP education with compassion and a deep commitment to serve.
“Hope may not always be strong enough to outweigh the burdens of the real world. During those times, we must keep moving forward—not just out of hope, but out of necessity. We keep going because of the families and communities that depend on us. And now, we leave as graduates of the UP College of Dentistry—ready to share that hope with the world through our practice,” she said.
In her closing remarks, Dr. Marie Rossini Carmela T. Lachica, assistant professor, Department of Clinical Dental Health Sciences, underscored that a UP education is a gift funded by the Filipino public, and urged the new dentists to never forget their roots, to serve with conscience, and to always find their way back to the nation that raised them. She shared a powerful personal story from her time at PGH treating an indigent cancer patient who offered her last fifty pesos in gratitude.
“That patient changed me. She reminded me of the most important lesson UP has taught me—and that is to serve. Yes, we are dentists, but more importantly, we are dentista para sa bayan.”
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