The UP Asian Center and the TriCollege Ph.D. Philippine Studies Program will be holding their joint Recognition Ceremonies on 30 July 2023, 2:00 pm, Philippine Standard Time (GMT+8), at the GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center Auditorium. The on-site event is exclusive to graduates and their guests.

SANDIWAAN: INTERCONNECTIONS

The theme for this occasion is “Sandiwaan: Interconnections” which was inspired by the work of National Artist for Music, Dr. Ramon P. Santos. The term sandiwaan links diwa and isa, implying the synergy among living beings and the vital spirit or principle that is present within each one and at once unites us. The theme also highlights the complex interconnections between people’s lived experiences in modern society and the possibilities and challenges they bring. In the realm of scholarship, this invites us to contemplate and explore the interweaving of disciplines. The theme, therefore, aims to inspire our graduates to seek mutual connections in whatever field of knowledge and practice they may find themselves as they move forward to the next chapter of their lives.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Dr. Ramon Pagayon Santos is National Artist for Music and a Professor Emeritus at the College of Music, UP Diliman. He is a composer, musicologist, and ethnomusicologist. Dr. Santos earned his bachelor’s degree in music composition and conducting at the University of the Philippines Diliman (1965), his master’s degree in Music Composition at the Indian University (1969), and his Ph.D. degree in Music Composition at the State University of New York at Buffalo (1972).

Dr. Santos’ past appointments include Composition Chair and Dean of the UP College of Music, among many others. He currently serves as the President of the Musicological Society of the Philippines. In 1987, Dr. Santos was awarded Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government. His enormous contributions to the field of composition, ethnomusicology, and musicology have garnered him the National Artist for Music title in 2014. View his full profile.

THE GRADUATES

In total, there are 62 graduates who would march for this year’s commencement exercises: 48 from the Asian Center and 14 from the TriCollege Ph.D. Philippines Studies Program. Two students from the Asian Center, Sean Angelo Thakur and Emmeviene Ann Suelto, and one from the TriCollege Program, Marjorie Joy Almario-Magdadaro, were selected to deliver their responses on behalf of the graduates.

PERFORMERS

JOELLE JACINTO AND TEAM DANCE STUDIO
TEAM Dance Studio was established in 1980 in Las Piñas by Eli Jacinto, who developed his own dance syllabus to accommodate Filipino bodies and temperament, focusing on producing strong, artistic dancers. His daughter, Joelle Jacinto, with whom he has worked with as his dancer and dramaturge, is one of the graduates of the TriCollege Ph.D. Philippine Studies Program this year.

NOVO CONCERTANTE WITH CHOIRMASTER DR. ARWIN Q. TAN
Novo Concertante Manila is a chamber choir from Quezon City, Philippines. The choir received the “Ani ng Dangal” award four times from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in recognition of Novo’s achievements in international choral competitions. Their choir master and founder, Dr. Arwin Q. Tan is an Associate Professor and the current Program Coordinator of the UP College of Music Extension Program.

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The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The UP Asian Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. It also offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. As an area studies institution, the Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. For other news and upcoming events at the Asian Center, click here.