The appointments of Ambassadors Jose Arthur P. Ampeso ‘68 & Julius D. Torres ‘72 as Chief of Mission Class I were confirmed by the Commission on Appointments earlier today.

Ambassador Torres was assigned to Jordan in February 2008 as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. He also oversees Philippine relations with the Palestinian National Authority as non-resident ambassador. While Ambassador Ampeso was Charge d’ Affaires at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Congratulations brods!

Atty. Jeffrey Jefferson Y. Coronel ‘01 was selected by the National Youth Commission to be part of the Philippine Delegation to the 38th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) which will be held later this year. SSEAYP participants serve as young ambassadors of goodwill of the Philippines during the program. He will represent the Davao Region (Region XI). Congratulations brod!

SSEAYP brings together 340 young leaders from Japan and the ten ASEAN countries who will live together on board the M/S Fuji Maru for about 50 days and visit various ports-of-call in participating countries. It was initiated in 1974 and is sponsored by the Government of Japan. Other Upsilonians who have been selected as SSEAYP young ambassadors of goodwill are Feliciano M. Manlulu II ‘85, Robert John Paul A. Calleja ‘88, Jun-Lawrence O. Espinosa ‘91 and Ivan Anthony S. Henares ‘98.

An Upsilonian takes on the leadership of the official student publication in UP Los Baсos for a second time. Samuel Jay C. Pasia ’05, an MS Development Communication student and BS Chemical Engineering graduate, was appointed as Editor-in-Chief of UPLB Perspective, his second term as EIC. He held the same position five years ago during AY 2006-2007.

Pasia got the highest score in the Perspective Editorial Examination with an average score of 91.10 percent, over the closest contender with 85.89 percent. The new Perspective EIC aims “to focus on solving problems on fiscal management and autonomy of UPLB’s official student publication, holding massive student consultation regarding the necessary revisions in the Rules and Regulations Governing the Publication of UPLB Perspective, and using other media to reach the most number of students possible” on top of the usual publication duties. Congratulations brod!

Congratulations to the graduates of 2011! It has been great year with several brods graduating with honors and distinctions.

Former UP Manila CAMP Student council chairperson Kevin A. Arao ’07 (BS Physical Therapy), outgoing ESC councilor Lawrence V. Sumera ’07 (BS Chemical Engineering), former JMA Social and Public Relations chairperson Roy Samuel S. Co ’08 (BS Business Administration), Marc Kaiser G. Sy ’08 (BS Business Economics) and outgoing vice-president for UP AISEC Talent Management Juan Paolo C. Agbayani ‘10 (BA Broadcast Communication) all graduated cum laude. Outgoing CS chairperson, Sean Vincent L. Aquilino ’09 (BS Biology) also graduated cum laude and received the Gawad Chanselor para sa Natatanging Mag-aaral, BPI Science Award, and is part of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP) in NCR.

They join last school year’s honor graduates namely Julio Miguel C. Galvez ’05 (BS Business Economics magna cum laude), Cemir O. Gatpo ’06 (BS Business Administration & Accountancy cum laude), Mario C. Cerilles Jr. ’07 (BA Psychology cum laude) and Lester C. Yupingkun ’07 (B Sports Science cum laude).

Other graduates from Diliman and Manila are Mayou Martin T. Tampo ‘03 (Doctor of Medicine & BS Biology magna cum laude in 2002), Francis Alvin V. Asilo ‘04 (Juris Doctor, Irene R. Cortes Prize for Best Paper in Constitutional Law & former UP OBEM president), Eric Emmanuel C. Pasion ‘04 (Juris Doctor & founding president of UP Gawad Kalinga), Matthew Mickael A. Mathay ‘04 (MS Finance), Ramon Miguel E. Abeleda ‘05 (BS Industrial Engineering, former Engineering Student Council Councilor & BPI Outstanding Awardee for Arts and Leadership), Jerwin James C. Lim ‘07 (Juris Doctor), Juan Carlos C. Mendoza ‘07 (Juris Doctor), Jan Carlo Magdalo C. del Rosario ‘06 (BS Architecture & College of Architecture Representative to the University Student Council), Jan Yonhel R. Chan ‘06 (BS Speech Pathology), Alexander Nicolas T. Flores ‘06 (BS Geography & former VP for Externals, UP Junior Marketing Association), Joseph Rainier C. Canono ‘07 (BS Physical Therapy), Laureano Avelino Gregorio III ‘07 (BS Civil Engineering), Gian Carlo B. Velasco ‘07 (BA Comparative Literature), Lindolf F. de Castro ‘07 (BA Public Administration), Brixtonn John T. Busto ‘07 (B Physical Ecuation & UP Taekwondo Team member), Czarlo M. dela Victoria ‘07 (B Sports Science & UP Men’s Basketball Team member), Christopher Alvin P. Galvez ‘08 (BA Philosophy & UP Men’s Football Team member), Ronald Allan P. Habon ‘08 (BA Broadcast Communication & outgoing president of the UP Broadcasting Association), Jose Antonio O. Zuсiga ‘08 (BA Political Science), John Edward Lee F. Dayog ‘09 (BA Political Science), Angelo Jose C. Flores ‘09 (B Physical Education & College of Human Kinetics Representative to the University Student Council), Karlo James G. Gascon ‘09 (BA Broadcast Communication) and Samuel S. Salud ‘09 (BA Philosophy & member of the UP Fencing Team).

In Los Banos, the graduates are Sherwin A. Hermosa ‘01 (BS Agriculture), Reginald C. Montana ‘03 (BS Mathematics), Jupiter P. Nunez ‘03 (BS Economics), Dean Maynard A. Roxas ‘03 (BS Agriculture), Dandie O. de Mesa ‘09 (BS Biology) and John Louie C. Ocampo ‘09 (BA Sociology).

Also graduating this year is Ruben Gerald V. Ricasata ’03 who will be receiving his Juris Doctor from the Ateneo Law School, finishing Second Honors. Ricasata is outgoing president of the Ateneo Law School Student Council and will be receiving the Evelio B. Javier Gold Medal for Leadership. He was a BA Philosophy cum laude graduate of UP Diliman in 2007. Also graduating from the Ateneo Law School is John Patrick F. Ingles ‘97.

Justine Benjamin L. Pajaro ‘06 (former vice chairperson of the College of Medicine Student Council) graduated number 1 at PAL Aviation School and was also named Best in Flying.

Again, congratulations! You make us all very proud as you’ve lived up to the call of excellence!

Jeremias M. Baluyot, Jr. ‘06 (right) won the gold medal for the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Medio (Middle Weight) Blue Belt Division at the Philippine International Jiu Jitsu Open last February 19, 2011. The competition was presented by the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation of the Philippines (BJJFP) and recognized by the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation. Over 200 competitors from Guam, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Japan came to the Philippines for this event. Congratulations brod!