Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman has been named as the "Most Distinguished Alumnus for 2022” by his alma mater, the University of the Philippines (UP).

The ceremonies for this year’s distinguished alumni awards were held on Friday, Nov. 11 at the Bahay ng Alumni at the UP Diliman Campus.

"On behalf of the honorees this year, I humbly and happily express our heartfelt gratitude to the University of the Philippines Alumni Association for our selection as the 2022 Distinguished Alumni awardees," Lagman said in his acceptance speech.

"Recognition is not sought. It is deservedly bestowed. We do not work to be recognized, but we must assure that our work is meritorious," said the veteran solon, who identifies as the "authentic minority" in the House of Representatives.

"I am certain all of us awardees excelled in our chosen fields not to be cited, but to give back and honor UP for giving us quality education and imparting in us fidelity to patriotism and passion for freedom," he said.

"I have the courage and the humility to say that this year’s awardees, like those in previous years, are exemplars of the elite breed of UP graduates which the University and the country can truly be proud of," he added.

Later in his speech, Lagman, a former House minority leader, exhorted his fellow Filipinos to “courageously fight for and relish freedom, and exercise right to expression and dissent fearless of prior restraint or subsequent reprisal".

The Bicolano likewise underscored that “critical thinking is the hallmark of UP” and the right to dissent “is integral to a free society and is at the heart of democracy".

"The freedom of expression is abused today by the proliferation of inordinate misinformation which malevolently manipulates public opinion and the electoral will. Consequently, let us also be sentinels of truth and verities against the purveyors of lies and false news," he said.