A list of some of the noteworthy Filipinos who studied at the Ivy League school
Harvard University’s Facebook (FB) page was riddled with Filipinos pretending to be alumni of the school earlier this week. A stream of ridiculous fake memories was posted by Pinoy netizens with no apparent reason. While other FB users were bothered by the collective tomfoolery and imagined or invented trips down memory lane, it was all harmless fun for the Filipino “Harvard students.”
The trolling was believed to have started in the university’s album post titled "Quiet Campus" that had images of the campus being empty. The whole thing also blew up on Twitter on the day the album was posted, and the Massachusetts-based university gained over 50,000 tweets.
In the evening of Aug. 25, netizens dug up a post by Filipino politician Sonny Angara, about a throwback photo of his Harvard student ID he had put online on July 23, 2015. As on the Harvard FB page, the photo became an avenue for Filipinos to troll some more.
Although it was just fun and games, it was as though we all wanted to be students of the esteemed learning institution. Harvard, however, may be a near-impossible dream for most. For one, it is incredibly difficult to get admitted. Its name and reputation give it a unique cachet even among other elite colleges and its prestige can be seen in its competitive undergraduate application process.
Applying to Harvard is a tough journey, but a few Filipinos got admitted, some even finishing with a flourish.
Among the many prestigious schools the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago counted as her alma mater were the University of the Philippines (Diliman and Visayas), Cambridge University, and Oxford University, but she also took her Masters of Law degree at Harvard School of Law.
The famous chief executive officer (CEO) of Ayala Corporation, Filipino businessman Jaime Zóbel de Ayala II graduated with a degree in B.A. Economics in 1981 from Harvard College. He was cum laude! Furthering his business skills, he took up a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Harvard Business School (HBS) in 1987.
National scientist and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Public Service Dr. Fe Del Mundo, best known for her outstanding work in pediatrics, is said to have stayed at the Harvard Medical School for graduate work sometime in the 1940s.
Referred to as “Boss Gabby” on TV, Eugenio Lopez lll, the chairman emeritus of ABS-CBN Corporation and the director of López Holdings Corporation, holds a degree in B.A. Political Science from Bowdoin College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. On the other hand, competitor network GMA's producer and writer Annette Gozon got her Master of Law at the Harvard Law School in 1999.
Applying to Harvard is a tough journey, but a few Filipinos got admitted, even finishing with a flourish
Founder and CEO of Edukasyon.ph Henry Motte-Muñoz received his MBA degree at the Harvard Business School. JG Summit's late founder John Gokongwei and Jollibee's Tony Tan Caktiong both attended graduate programs.
In 1997, Senator Kiko Pangilinan accomplished his Master of Public Administration at John F. Kennedy School of Government, the public policy and public administration school of Harvard.
Senator Ralph Recto attended a leadership scholarship course while Manila Mayor Isko Moreno took a short executive program called Leadership in Crisis also at the John F. Kennedy School.
In 2018, Jolo Revilla and Janella Estrada had a five-day executive education program for emerging leaders.
Charo Santos-Concio and Carlo Katigbak, the previous and present chief executive officers, respectively, of the Kapamilya network, both completed a short program in advanced management for six weeks at Harvard Business School.