Maria A. Ressa, Co-founder and CEO of Rappler and UC 73rd Commencement Speaker, has put the Philippines under the global spotlight for being the first Filipino to receive the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

Before her being a Nobel Prize Laureate, Ressa was named “Person of the Year” by the TIME Magazine in 2018; she received the 2018 Golden Pen of Freedom Award by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, 2020 Freedom of Speech Award from Roosevelt Four Freedoms, and the World Press Freedom Prize 2021 by UNESCO.

Congratulations Nobel Prize Laureate Maria Ressa!

The University is proud of your prestigious award and joins you in the celebration of your memorable achievement.