UP College of Law presents the very first interactive recognition rites in its virtual Malcolm Hall #IRRC2020

The University of the Philippines College of Law gave its recent graduates a unique and interactive experience by launching the “Interactive Recognition Rites of the Class of 2020” (In Re: Class of 2020), with the theme “Agiwa’na 2020,” on August 28, 2020 (Friday) at 3:00 p.m. via its official website. Live Zoom socials followed shortly and ended at 7:00pm, with several members of faculty cheering for the recent graduates.

During this year’s online recognition rites, UP Law welcomed back to Malcolm Hall one of its distinguished alumni, Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, as Guest of Honor. (A PDF copy of her speech is downloadable here.)

The online event took the graduates, members of faculty, and the viewing public to a “virtual” Malcolm Hall, particularly designed for online mass gathering. UP Law Dean Fides Cordero-Tan envisioned and encouraged asynchronous and distance participation in the virtual ceremony—in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The graduation committee had been led by Executive Associate Dean Jay L. Batongbacal and supported by the Information and Publication Division (IPD).

Agiwa’na is the Ifugao term for the brightest star in the night sky: Sirius. Light, as is a star, no matter how small, dispels darkness. Agiwa’na conveys the ambition of the graduating Class of 2020—that as they leave the halls of the College, they become pole stars in their own right, stalwart counsels for justice, champions of legal scholarship, and luminaries against darkness.

(Note: The virtual graduation website will be open to the public until September 1, 2020 only at http://bit.ly/IRRC2020UPLaw; all guests are advised to view the videos in sequence and complete the online program for a full experience.)

Download the PDF copy of the press release here.

Usage guide: The #IRRC2020 website is best viewed on a desktop or laptop with a minimum screen resolution of 1280 (width) x 720 (height) pixels. Please use standard browsers only — Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, or Safari. Mobile devices (iPads, smartphones, or tablets) will have limited interactive features; 16 : 9 displays are advised. Below is a quick 1-minute demo video of the virtual event:

(This screen recording is only a partial documentation of the whole recognition rites.)