We are not simply releasing the UPCAT results鈥攚e are opening doors.

Message of UP President Angelo A. Jimenez
Delivered at the UPCAT Results 2025 Media Briefing
10:30AM, 22 April 2025, Executive House

Our dear friends from the media, here with us this morning either physically or virtually, members of the UP community, and most especially to the families and students whose lives will be touched by today鈥檚 announcements鈥攖hank you for being here. A pleasant morning to all of you.听听听

Today is a significant day for the 天美视频. I am pleased to share with you the results of what thousands of parents and hopeful Iska and Isko from all corners of the country and some parts of the world have been waiting for: the results of the UP College Admissions Test.听听听

We are not simply releasing the UPCAT results鈥攚e are opening doors. Doors that lead to opportunity, to nation-building, to the lifelong journey of learning and service.听

To the successful examinees: congratulations. Your hard work, your dreams, and your potential have brought you to this moment. To those who did not make it this time鈥攌now that this is not the end, but a beginning of many other paths you can take toward your goals. UP is just one way to serve the country, and there are many ways to succeed.听

As the national university, UP is entrusted not only with the task of academic excellence, but also with the sacred duty of making that excellence accessible to those who need it most. Education is not a privilege鈥攊t is a right. And at UP, we are working every day to make that right a reality for more Filipinos.听

I am happy to announce that out of 135,236 applicants, 17,996 or 13% received admission notices, including those who qualified for degree programs and those waitlisted. This is a 6.74 % increase from last year.听听

Those from public schools comprise 55%, while 45% came from private schools. Three years ago, there were more from private schools than public schools: only 44% came from public schools while 56% were from private schools. The share of non-science public schools also increased from last year鈥檚 29.8% to 31%.

Looking at the geographic location, 30% come from high schools in Metro Manila, 6% from Laguna, 4% from Cavite, and, very close to each other at slightly below 4%, are from Cebu, Bulacan, and Rizal. While Metro Manila still has the largest share, we see students coming from more provinces.听听

For example, in Davao de Oro, we typically have less than 10 qualifiers. After we opened a testing center in Nabunturan, Davao de Oro for UPCAT 2025, we now have 31 qualifiers.听听听

In terms of distribution by UP campus, Diliman still gets the top spot at 32.9% but lower than last year鈥檚 35%. Over 6,200 students received admission notices to campuses outside of Diliman, LB, and Manila, or a total 34.8%, compared to last year鈥檚 30% or 5,057 students.听

The socio-economic data is more telling:听

21.5% of qualifiers came from households with 200,000 pesos or below gross annual income.听

And we doubled the number of first-generation college students from 6.6% last year to 13% this year. This is significant because first-generation college students in UP get a stronger fighting chance to uplift their family from poverty.

Now our pursuit of making quality UP education more inclusive, accessible, and equitable while protecting its tradition of excellent scholarship and innovative research is not without challenges. What we are scared of the most is the remote idea that our stakeholders could think we have abandoned our mandate of serving the nation through its marginalized peoples, those who truly deserve to benefit from taxpayer鈥檚 hard-earned money. Personally for me, this is unthinkable because it goes against the principles of social justice which UP truly stands for.听听听

It is true that UPCAT as a mode of entry to UP is incredibly difficult and may even be disadvantageous to students denied of quality elementary and secondary education due to financial challenges and other poverty-related hurdles. And we recognize that UP needs to do better. But aside from UPCAT, there are also other means non-UPCAT qualifiers could enter and thrive in UP, and become productive citizens of this country:听

Deserving students may opt to enroll in associate degrees offered by academic programs in various UP campuses.听听

Excellent college students from nearby state or private universities in the country could also transfer to UP because most UP academic programs reserve slots for qualified transferees.听听

For qualified students who, for valid reasons, could not attend residential or classroom mode of learning in the different campuses of the University, the UP Open University also offers undergraduate programs to applicants who pass UGAT.听听

These are but some of the opportunities students could access quality UP education.听听听

We are fully aware that entry to UP is just the first step. UP education is costly even if tuition is free鈥攐ne needs to pay for food, dorm fees, books, internet and other expenses. This is why last year, to help UPCAT qualifiers from low-income families in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas or GIDAs in the country, we launched the Lingap Iskolar program.听听听

Lingap is UP鈥檚 initiative to remove key financial barriers to entering and completing one鈥檚 degree in UP. We provided 194 Lingap scholars around 165,000 pesos each in financial aid, plus mentoring support coordinated by our Office of Student Affairs in their campus.听听听

This year, we have earmarked funds to support 300 Lingap scholars. This is one of our responses to the challenge of breaking down barriers to excellent UP education.听听听

In addition, the University recently increased the salaries of Student Assistants and Graduate Assistants by 35% to 50%, the first salary hike for SAs and GAs in a decade. These and other initiatives are UP鈥檚 responses to the need to make UP education more accessible and equitable. Improving access to UP education is a continuing journey.听听听

We continue to listen and work to address the needs of students, for we strongly believe that quality education is a fundamental right, not a privilege reserved for a few. Our mission is to ensure that every deserving Filipino student, regardless of socioeconomic background or circumstance, should have access to quality UP education. We are not yet where we want to be but we are moving forward.We are strongly committed to becoming a better mirror of the country we serve.听听

To our students, current and future: UP is your university. It is your home, your platform, your training ground鈥攁nd one day, it will be your legacy to carry forward.听听

Maraming salamat at muli, magandang umaga sa inyong lahat.听

天美视频