A total of 291 students will receive their graduate degrees at the 52nd Commencement Exercises of UPLB on Aug. 3, 2024. 

This marks the end of their graduate school journey as 70 will be receiving their doctoral degree while 221 will be receiving their master’s degree. 

As part of the graduation season tradition, the UPLB Graduate School Hooding and Recognition Ceremonies will be held in their honor the day before the university commencement exercises. This special event recognizes both masteral and doctoral graduates as well as those among them who will be given special awards with National Artist Ramon P. Santos, known for his contemporary Filipino classical music, to serve as the honorary guest speaker.

Earning this year’s academic excellence award under the MS program is Lorraine S. Lao, a candidate of MS Soil Science. Lao studied the “Spatial Variability Assessment and Land Evaluation of Selected Salt-Affected Rice Areas in Candijay, Bohol, Philippines” for her thesis, under the guidance of her graduate school adviser Assoc. Prof. Jocelyn D. Labios. 

Six MS students will also receive academic achievement recognition: Dara Clarisse Mae L. Barile and Mary Grace M. Nidoy, both MS in Development Communication; and Philip Jones G. Reyes, MS Forestry. 

This year, three MS students tied up for the fifth spot: Ralphpinno G. Sanchez, MS Zoology; Kristine Mae N. Esparas, MS Applied Nutrition; and Kareena Gail V. Saguin, MS Family Resource Management. 

Meanwhile, during the hooding ceremony, the faculty adviser will place the doctoral hood on the shoulders of the graduates to signify success in completing their doctorate. 

Daniel Renz M. Roc is this year’s top doctoral graduate. Roc, a candidate for Straight PhD program in Development Communication, did his dissertation on “Stories of Climate Change Adaptation of Fisherfolk in Del Carmen, Siargao Islands, Philippines: A Dialogical Narrative Analysis” under the guidance of his PhD adviser, Prof. Maria Stella C. Tirol.

Following Roc as the top PhD graduate are four recipients of academic achievement awards, namely: Andrea May C. Malonzo, PhD in Development Communication; Rodel T. Utrera, PhD in Agricultural Engineering; Bernard Peter O. Daipan; PhD in Forestry; and Kasmir Nema from Indonesia, PhD in Development Communication.

This year, 24 foreign graduate students will also receive their graduate diplomas with the most number of students from Vietnam, followed by Sri Lanka, and Indonesia and Myanmar, which tied for the third spot.

All 291 graduate students will join the march with 2,024 undergraduate students from UPLB. Part of the graduate roster are 649 cum laudes, 437 magna cum laudes, and 28 summa cum laudes, who will also be officially receiving their degrees on Aug. 3. (Kristine E. Araguas)