It rained on the parade—literally—of the University of the Philippines (UP) Class of 2023, whose graduation rites on Sunday were cut short by the uncooperative weather.
Armed with umbrellas and rain boots, thousands of students and their families struggled to stay dry in the university’s open amphitheater where the ceremonies are held yearly. Many of them have traveled from the provinces, and had held onto hopes for fair weather.
Record-breaking batch
After all, this year’s ceremony was supposed to be a record-breaking one: over half of the 4,478 graduating students finished with Latin honors, according to data from the UP Office of the University Registrar.
They were led by a record-breaking 305 summa cum laude graduates (those who obtained a general weighted average of at least 1.2), more than twice the 150 summa cum laudes who graduated last year.
They were followed by 1,196 magna cum laude graduates and 742 cum laudes. INQ