DOJ chief among 64 alumni to be recognized at 2025 UPAA Awards

The University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) will recognize 64 outstanding individuals, groups, and families during its annual awards ceremony on 16 August 2025 at Ang Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman — an event celebrating the breadth and depth of UP graduates’ contributions to the country and beyond.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla is among this year’s recipients of the UPAA Lifetime Achievement Award, a distinction given to alumni whose careers reflect exceptional leadership, service, and enduring impact. Remulla, a graduate of AB Political Science (1983) and LLB (1987), has been lauded for his decades of public service, notably as the government’s chief legal counsel and a long-time advocate for justice sector reforms.

Joining him in receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award are Roberto P. Alingog, Benjamin S. Austria, Supreme Court Associate Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, and renowned cardiologist Dr. Rody G. Sy.

“This year’s honorees reflect the very best of what it means to be an Iskolar ng Bayan,” said UPAA President and Alumni Regent Robert Lester Aranton.

A total of 47 alumni will be conferred with the Distinguished Alumni Award for achievements in fields such as community empowerment, good governance, education, entrepreneurship, public health, and science and technology.

Four individuals will receive the UPAA Presidential Award — Solicitor General Darlene Marie B. Berberabe, Congressman Marquez O. Go, Ambassador Rosario Gonzalez-Manalo, and Atty. Rodrigo B. Libunao — for their leadership and national contributions.

The UP Sigma Alpha Sorority Alumnae Association, UPAA in British Columbia, and UPAA Wisconsin Chapter will be honored with the Distinguished Service Award for Alumni Chapters, while Atty. Jose Alvin C. Gonzaga, Elena Vicenta “Jingjing” Villanueva-Romero, and Jesusa R. Wolgamotti will receive individual Distinguished Service Awards.

Ten families will be presented with the Multigenerational Alumni Family Award, recognizing their continuous legacy of service to the university across three or four generations.

Aranton said the diversity of this year’s honorees — from national policymakers like Remulla to community advocates and innovators — underscores the lasting influence of UP alumni in shaping Philippine society.