Text by: Charmaine A. Lingdas
The University of the Philippines Manila welcomed 1,239 first-year students as the university opened another academic year, urging its newest Iskolar ng Bayan to embrace the challenges of university life, learn from diverse communities, and carry their education beyond themselves in service of the Filipino people.
Conducted on Aug. 17, 2026, the welcome ceremony was livestreamed on the UP Manila Facebook Page and was also hosted on Zoom. The event welcomed first-year students from the School of Health Sciences, the National Teacher Training Center for the Health Professions, the College of Allied Medical Professions, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Dentistry, the College of Pharmacy, and the College of Medicine.
The event also recognized the new Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology students under the College of Allied Medical Professions, marking the opening of UP Manila’s first new bachelor’s degree program since 1967.
Five Values to Learn
In welcoming the new students, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Bernadette Heizel Reyes outlined five attributes she hoped the freshmen would carry throughout their years in UP Manila: integrity, perseverance, excellence, compassion, and solidarity.
She first emphasized pagiging marangal, or integrity and honor, as a core attribute of a UP student. This, she said, must be accompanied by pagiging masigasig, or perseverance, particularly as students balance academics with the circumstances and responsibilities of everyday life. The third attribute is pagiging mahusay, or excellence. Reyes noted that excellence does not stand alone but is built through integrity and perseverance.
As the health sciences campus of the University, UP Manila also places particular importance on pagiging mapagkalinga, or compassion. Reyes encouraged students to consider how they could become compassionate in whatever field or setting they enter.
The fifth value is pagiging mapagbuklod, or working in solidarity with others.
“We are doing this because we want to move in solidarity with Filipinos,” Reyes said.
From An Ordinary Student to An Iskolar Ng Bayan
Asst. Prof. John Joseph Posadas of the UP College of Nursing delivered an inspirational message, drawing from his own journey as a UP Manila alumnus to illustrate the transformative experience the University hopes to provide its students.
His first impressions of the University were far from ideal, but his experiences eventually became part of a much larger transformation, shaping his journey as a nurse, educator, researcher, and public servant.
Asst. Prof. Posadas said UP changed the way he understood society.
“UP ang nagbukas ng aking isip, diwa at puso sa realidad ng buhay. Sa UP College of Nursing ako natuto kung paano alagaan ang mga Pilipino,” he said, “hindi lamang ang kanilang iba’t ibang mga sakit at sakit ng kanilang katawan kundi ang sakit ng kanilang danas dulot ng mga isyung panlipunang kinahaharap nila” he said, describing how the University helped transform him from a student who was simply aware of social issues into a more conscious Iskolar ng Bayan.
After graduating, becoming a registered nurse, working in different health settings, and pursuing graduate studies, Asst. Prof. Posadas became involved in community work, including assisting communities affected by conflict, disasters, and other crises. He eventually returned to UP Manila as a teacher.
Asst. Prof. Posadas reminded the freshmen that being an Iskolar ng Bayan comes with a responsibility. Behind every student’s opportunity to study at UP are ordinary Filipinos whose contributions make public education possible. For this reason, he urged the new students not to lose sight of the people they are ultimately expected to serve.
“Nawa’y hindi n’yo malimutan ang bawat ordinaryong Pilipinong nagbuwis para sa inyong pag-aaral,” he said.
He also reminded them that the people they encounter outside the University can become teachers in understanding the realities of Filipino life.
“Wag n’yong kaligtaan ang mga ordinaryong Pilipinong makakasalamuha n’yo at magsisilbing guro n’yo sa realidad ng buhay,” Asst. Prof. Posadas said.
UP Education Is an Opportunity to Understand Communities
UP Manila Chancellor Michael Tee acknowledged that the freshmen would encounter demanding coursework and difficult examinations but assured them that they would not have to face those challenges alone. The Chancellor reminded the freshmen that a support system was available through the administration, Office of Student Affairs, faculty members, and their fellow students.
“Our faculty will bring out the best in you. They will teach you and then ask you the most difficult questions, but also know that they are compassionate faculty members and will adjust to your needs.” Chancellor Tee added, “Wag kayong mahiyang humingi ng tulong, Kami’y nandito upang siguraduhin ang inyong tagumpay.”
He encouraged students to take advantage of the relationships they would form with classmates from different backgrounds and of UP Manila’s opportunities for engagement with communities throughout the country. Their experiences, he said, would allow them to understand the circumstances of Filipinos from different communities and sectors and, eventually, contribute to addressing the problems they encounter.
“You will have the opportunity to learn what the conditions of our fellow Filipinos are, from the poorest communities to the biggest corporations,” Tee said. He added that UP Manila’s programs would give students opportunities to see different parts of the country, understand the problems faced by communities, and work with them toward solutions.
He connected the students’ success to the broader public good, emphasizing that their achievement would also represent a collective achievement for the country.
“Naniniwala ako na ang inyong pagpasok sa UP ay tagumpay nating lahat,” he said.
Nine Oblation Scholars join the freshman community
The ceremony also recognized nine Oblation Scholars who are beginning their studies at UP Manila.
The Oblation Scholars are among the top 50 passers of the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) and are enrolled in programs across the campus. Hanz Efren G. Abantao II, INTARMED, Andres C. Araos, INTARMED, Magnus Alexander E. Cabilangan, INTARMED, John Carlo D. Espedido, BS Nursing, Renzo Miguel J. Fornelosa, BS Nursing, Earl Michael U. Jayme, BS Public Health, Jairen Zachary M. Lingat, BS Applied Physics, Aafia Khim-Alzeynaash P. Lomondaya, BS Nursing, and Dyll Marc P. Valdez, BS Pharmacy.
Do not simply get through UP Manila
University Registrar Asst. Prof. Jean Flor Casauay challenged the freshmen to make the most of their time at the University.
“Do not simply get through UP Manila. Go through it fully. Immerse yourself,” she said. She urged the students to also engage with people whose experiences and perspectives differ from their own.
For Asst. Prof. Casauay, the value of a UP education lies partly in the opportunities it creates for students to encounter ideas, stories, and realities that may challenge their assumptions. The University, she explained, would expose students to realities they may not have encountered before and stories that could challenge their existing understanding of society. She reminded the freshmen that the opportunity to study at UP is significant and should not be taken for granted.
“The slot you are occupying here is precious,” she said. “There are many who wanted to be where you are today.”
Asst. Prof. Casauay left the freshmen with three reminders to guide them through their years at UP Manila.
First, she urged them to take care of themselves and remember that their worth is not determined by academic performance.
“Mahal ninyo ang sarili ninyo. Take care of yourself,” she said. “Your worth is bigger than your grades.”
Second, she asked students to develop a meaningful relationship with the University itself—to learn from it, challenge it, contribute to it, and eventually give back.
“Mahalin ninyo ang UP. Learn from it. Challenge it, contribute to it, and someday give back to it,” she said.
Most importantly, she called on the freshmen to love and serve the country.
“Mahalin ninyo ang bayan,” she said.
The knowledge, opportunities, and privilege gained through a UP education, she explained, carry a responsibility to others.
“The education you receive here is not meant to end with you,” she said. “The knowledge, the privilege, the opportunities you gain here carry a responsibility to others.”
She encouraged the students to allow their experiences in Manila and at UP to change them—not simply as students and future professionals, but as people.
A journey begins
Despite the rain that marked their first day, the message to the first-years remained clear: More than earning a degree, they were being invited to become part of a larger tradition of scholarship and public service.
As they begin their years at UP Manila, the new Iskolars ng Bayan carry with them the values emphasized during the ceremony: Pagiging marangal, masigasig, mahusay, mapagkalinga, and pagiging mapagbuklod.
Their journey begins not simply as students entering a university, but as members of a community whose education is tied to the needs and aspirations of the Filipino people.
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