UP Baguio cum laude honors indigenous roots on graduation stage

BAGUIO CITY — At the recent 2026 University of the Philippines (UP) Baguio commencement exercises, Philip John Omaweng’s walk across the graduation stage was more than a personal milestone. As he accepted his diploma, he proudly honored both his academic achievements and the rich cultural heritage that defined him.

Omaweng graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, majoring in Microbiology, and achieved an impressive general weighted average of 1.459.

Instead of wearing only the university’s traditional graduation attire, Omaweng donned an Igorot “bahag,” proudly honoring his Applai heritage as he accepted his diploma.

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For Omaweng, the moment was a tribute to his identity as much as it was a celebration of years of hard work.

The Applai are an indigenous ethnolinguistic group from western Mountain Province, with communities in Besao, Sagada, and parts of Sabangan, Bauko, and Tadian. They are distinguished from the I-lagod communities in the eastern part of the province.

Omaweng hopes his graduation inspires other Igorot youth to pursue higher education without losing sight of who they are.

READ: To 2026 UP graduates: remember ‘honor, excellence, service’

He said academic success becomes even more meaningful when it remains connected to one’s culture and is shared with the community that nurtured it.

Despite graduating with honors, Omaweng said he is already focused on his next goal.

“As for my next plans… I’m currently pursuing my [Doctor of Medicine degree],” he told the Inquirer on Friday, July 10.

Omaweng’s decision to wear the bahag reflects a growing movement among Indigenous students to proudly affirm their identity in academic spaces, showing that cultural heritage and educational excellence can go hand in hand.

UP Baguio has long championed Indigenous peoples’ cultures, languages, and knowledge systems through its academic programs, research, and community engagement, making it one of the country’s leading institutions for Cordillera and Indigenous studies. — Maureen Matayew/Contributor /das

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