30 summas at UP commencement

MANILA, Philippines - Thirty students graduating with top honors will lead 4,552 graduates of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City on Sunday.

Alexander Atrio Lopez, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy degree, will speak in behalf of the Class of 2016 during the commencement activities.

Lopez will graduate with a weighted average grade (WAG) of 1.1810. He already has a Bachelor of Science in Basic Medical Sciences degree from UP Manila.

Summa cum laude, a Latin phrase meaning “with the greatest honors,” is the university’s highest academic distinction for graduates who earn a WAG of 1.20 or better.

A total of 30 graduates will receive the distinction this year.

Leading the top honors is Miguel Ricardo Leung (BS Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, 1.0375), Miguel Raymundo Gutierrez (BS Economics, 1.064) and Danilo Lorenzo Atanacio (Economics, 1.074).

Completing the top 10 are Adrian Vidal (BS Electronics and Communications Engineering, 1.118), Julia Catherina Agoncillo (BA History, 1.122), Ariel Raye Rica (BS Chemical Engineering, 1.129), Athena Charanne Presto (BA Sociology, 1.129), Jose Daniel Berba (BS Computer Science, 1.148), Stephen June Tiongson (BS Mathematics, 1.1504) and Francis Simonh Bries (BA Psychology, 1.152).

Other summa cum laude graduates are: Gabrielle Encarnacion (BFA Painting, 1.1563), Joshua Elias Fred Suero, (BS Economics, 1.158), Laarni Ann Ledesma (BS Elementary Education, 1.165), Michelle Mariel Mariposa (BA Psychology, 1.165), Jamila Coleen Briones (BA European Languages, 1.166), Luis Andre Soriano (BS Statistics, 1.169), Dominic Aily Ecat (BS Industrial Engineering, 1.171), James Renier Domingo (BS Industrial Engineering, 1.176), Earl Marvin Balanag (BS Psychology, 1.177) and Hyung Tong Yoon (BS Economics, 1.178).

Completing the roster are: Daniel Young (BS Mathematics, 1.1799), Julie Anne Francisco Lopez (BS Business Administration and Accountancy, 1.182), Maria Luisa Pineda (BA Broadcast Communication, 1.182), Jian Kenzo Leal (BS Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, 1.1859), Isaiah Paolo Lee (BS Molecular Biology and Bioltechnology, 1.1875), Arbie dela Rosa (BS Business Economics, 1.192), Anna Bea Geronga (BA Creative Writing, 1.194), Francis Czeasar Chua (BS Business Administration and Accountancy, 1.194) and Kenji Miyazaki (BS Mechanical Engineering, 1.197).

The summa cum laude will lead the graduates from the 27 degree-granting units, 325 of whom are magna cum laude and 936 cum laude. Magna cum laude graduates have a WAG of up to 1.45 and cum laude, up to 1.75.

Of the total graduates, 3,580 will receive their undergraduate degrees and 972 their graduate degrees, of whom 70 will be conferred doctoral degrees.

UP president Alfredo Pascual will serve as speaker.