MANILA, Philippines - A graduating Bachelor of Science major in Biology student from the University of the Philippines in Diliman has broken the highest general weighted average (GWA) in the university’s post-war history.
Tiffany Grace Uy will graduate with an almost-perfect GWA of 1.004, surpassing the previous 1.016 record set by B.S. Mathematics graduate John Gabriel Pelias in 2011.
In an interview with GMA News, Uy said she was shocked and surprised that she received the highest possible grade of 1.0 in most of her subjects.
“It’s a continuous ritual of no sleep and cramming,” she said, adding that she would have been satisfied even if she got a grade of 1.25 in one of her subjects.
“Nobody’s perfect,” she added.
Uy will lead the 29 summa cum laude graduates of the university at commencement exercises tomorrow morning.
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Summa cum laude, a Latin phrase meaning ‘with the greatest honors,’ is the university’s highest academic distinction for graduates who earn a GWA of 1.20 or better.
A total of 4,441 candidates from the 27 degree-granting units will graduate this year, according to UP Diliman.
The university said the graduating class has 250 magna cum laudeand 921 cum laude. Of the total candidates for graduation, 3,501 will receive their undergraduate degrees and 940 their graduate degrees.
First June graduation
Education Secretary Armin Luistro will be the commencement speaker at the graduation rites, which will be held for the first time in June.
Previously held in April, all UP units will now hold commencement exercises in June following the academic calendar change.
The university has instituted a “weather watch system” to ensure that graduating students receive the latest information regarding the commencement exercises, which will be held at the open grounds behind the iconic Oblation statue.
Based on the commencement guide, UP will issue six weather bulletins prior to the scheduled graduation rites on Sunday morning.
The bulletins will inform the students if the commencement exercises will push through, or will be cancelled in case it rains.
The university also receives a draft message in case of cancellation, which reads: “Due to inclement weather, the 2015 UP Diliman General Commencement Exercises IS CANCELLED. The Office of the President conveys the conferment of your degrees. Thank you and keep safe.”
4Ps beneficiaries enter UP
UP will welcome 80 freshmen this academic year 2015-2016 who are beneficiaries of the government’s flagship poverty alleviation program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman on Wednesday said the 80 UP freshmen graduated from high school last March with the help of cash grants given to their families in compliance with conditions
Among these conditions are that they attend at least 85 percent of school days and have regular checkups at health centers.
“There are 80 beneficiaries who passed the UPCAT, competing against some of the best private schools nationwide. It shows that they really worked hard in their studies,” Soliman said.
She said that the government, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development, will continue to extend assistance to the 4Ps graduates, even those who want to pursue college studies.
“We have a partnership with CHED (Commission on Higher Education) which has its Expanded Students Grants-in-Aid Program (ESGP),” Soliman said.
“This is in line with our effort to make sure that those who want to go to college will be assisted in doing so,” Soliman said.
The ESGP for Poverty Reduction (ESGP-PA) allows scholars to pursue college at state universities and colleges (SUCs).
A total of 36,003 poor students can be covered by the ESGP-PA this year.
The ESGP-PA scholars include new enrollees for school year 2015-2016, and students who served as pilot grantees of the program which started in school year 2012-2013.
The ESGP-PA provides academic grants for the tertiary education of poor but deserving students belonging to indigent households identified through the Listahanan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), the DSWD said.
The students shall be enrolled in SUCs to take up courses aligned with government key growth areas such as agriculture, education and information technology.
Soliman said accounting and nursing courses are not among the covered areas of study.
Under the program, each grantee is entitled to a maximum of P60,000 a year or P30,000 per semester to cover tuition, miscellaneous fees and other expenses such as transportation and board and lodging.
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