UP Alumni Honor 67 Members for Service and Nation-Building

Sixty-seven University of the Philippines graduates are being recognized this week for dedicating their careers to making their communities and country better.

The UP Alumni Association will honor 49 individuals, 13 multigenerational families, and two alumni chapters on August 15 at a ceremony in Quezon City. The celebration recognizes work spanning medicine, environmental conservation, education, public health, and governance.

Business leader Jorge L. Araneta will receive the 2026 Most Distinguished Alumnus Award, the association's highest individual honor. The 1958 business graduate has led the Araneta Group while championing social progress, cultural preservation, and grassroots humanitarian aid for decades.

"What truly distinguishes our honorees is the way they have led with integrity, served with purpose, and created meaningful and lasting impact," said UPAA President Robert Lester Aranton. The awards look beyond professional success to recognize how alumni have improved lives around them.

This year's honorees include doctors advancing public health, judges strengthening governance, scientists pushing innovation forward, and educators opening doors for the next generation. Brigadier General Peter C. Suchianco will be recognized for human capital development, while four alumni receive awards for environmental conservation work.

The Ripple Effect

The ceremony also celebrates something rare: families who have kept their connection to UP alive across generations. Thirteen families with ties spanning three to four generations will be honored, with three families recognized for maintaining their legacy of service and scholarship for over four consecutive generations.

These multigenerational stories show how one person's commitment to education and service can inspire entire family trees. When the Ofilada, Palarca, and Reyes-Lapus-Sandoval families send their children to UP, they're not just choosing a school but continuing a tradition of giving back.

The awards span ten different fields, ensuring that progress in classrooms, courtrooms, hospitals, and communities gets the same recognition. From peace and order to entrepreneurship to culture and arts, the honorees prove that making a difference takes many forms.

Three Presidential Service Award recipients will also be recognized for their exceptional contributions to the university and broader society.

By celebrating these 67 honorees together, the UP Alumni Association reminds us that lasting change happens when people use their education and talents to lift others up.