Thousands of graduates will troop to the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman in its 103rd commencement ceremony on Sunday, with a total of 20 summa, 400 magna and 800 cum laude.
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno of the Supreme Court will address the graduates.
The 103rd commencement ceremony will be the last to be held in April, as the university’s academic year starting 2014-2015 will open in August and end in June.
Ralph John Ugalino, 19, a chemistry graduate with an weighted average grade of 1.067, is at the top of this year’s class, leading more than a thousand "laudes".
UP awards the highest academic honor of summa cum laude to students who finish with an average grade of 1.20 or better.
Magna cum laude graduates have a final grade of 1.45 or better while cum laude graduates have a final grade of 1.75 or better.
In a statement on the UP Diliman website, the university said more than 3,000 would receive their undergraduate degrees. More than 700 would receive their master’s degrees while around 60 would be obtaining their doctoral degrees.--Source: Inquirer