
With the resumption of the UP College of Admission Test (UPCAT) after a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UP welcomed its new batch of Oblation Scholars, the top qualifiers of UPCAT 2024. A dinner reception was held on Sept. 24 at the Executive House in UP Diliman to recognize the scholars’ outstanding feat.
Attending the banquet were the 25 top qualifiers who have confirmed their admission to the University. UP System officials greeted the scholars with messages touching on leadership and service.
In his opening remarks, UP President Angelo Jimenez congratulated the scholars, saying that they had “entered the greatest educational institution the country has ever seen.” Recognizing the scholars’ remarkable achievement, Jimenez then proclaimed that UP students, especially the Oblation Scholars, were destined to “become leaders of the country.”
Jimenez also spoke of the essence of the Oblation. Jimenez said to the Oblation Scholars, “We are envisioned to be an offering to this country. . . . We are an offering to the Filipino people. You are here because the Filipino people, in their greater wisdom, wanted to mold, forge, and hammer out leaders that they would like to lead.”
Jimenez also reminded the scholars to “enjoy their UP experience” by meeting like-minded students and by making time for extracurricular activities beyond their academic pursuits.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tristan Nathaniel C. Ramos, Director of the UP Office of Student Development Services, said that being an Oblation Scholar is “one of the highest honors in the University.” Ramos added that such honor came with responsibilities and challenges that would “shape them into well-rounded individuals.”
VP for Academic Affairs Leo Cubillan also expressed support for the Oblation Scholars, who are the “top 0.04% of the 2024 UPCAT takers.” According to Cubillan, the scholars are given the opportunity “to immerse themselves in a culture of research and scholarship with a very dynamic community of thinkers, innovators, and change-makers.” He also mentioned that their batch would be the first to have an online course on Artificial Intelligence from the College of Engineering.
The gathering ended with a dinner, followed by an informal meeting and discussions among the scholars.

The UP Oblation Scholarship is a government-funded grant given to the Top 50 UPCAT Qualifiers. The Oblation Scholars are identified according to their UPCAT scores and University Predicted Grades. Among the benefits of being an Oblation Scholar are free tuition, miscellaneous fees, and laboratory fees. They are also entitled to a book allowance worth P2,250 per semester and a special incentive allowance of P3,000 per month.
The 2024 Oblation Scholars bested 108,708 UPCAT examiners. According to the UP Office of Admissions, only 15.5% of the 2024 UPCAT takers were either qualifiers or waitlisted.
