In celebration of the 414th Founding Anniversary of the University of Santo Tomas in April 2025, the UST Alumni Association, Inc. (USTAAI) in partnership with UST Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) will be holding the Flores de Mayo & Santacruzan 2025 festivities in commitment to their mission to nurture the devotion and spirituality of the Church and society.
As a prelude to the main event, USTAAI, in collaboration with OAR, UST Museum, and USTPax Romana – Tourism and Hospitality Management Unit, will be launching a Marian Exhibit on May 2, 2025, 09:00AM, at the Ground Floor Lobby of the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building (BGPOP). As a Pontifical and Catholic University of the Philippines, UST remains steadfast in its mission to nurture devotion and spirituality within the community.
Aligned by the Church’s declaration of the Year 2025 as the Year of Hope, the exhibit seeks to inspire the faithful, highlighting Mother Mary’s unwavering presence as a source of hope and comfort in our journey with the theme, “Inang Maria: Kalakbay Tungo sa Pag-asa.” Marian sculptures made by Thomasian artists Willy Tadeo Layug and Patrick Naval will be displayed together with images from different churches in Metro Manila and nearby provinces until May 8, 2025.
USTAAI and OAR’s annual vibrant joint celebration of Flores de Mayo and the Thomasian Alumni Grand Santacruzan will be held on May 8, 2025, at 03:00PM at the Santisimo Rosario Parish – UST and UST Grounds, respectively. The program will begin with Flower offering to the Blessed Virgin Mary followed by the Parade of Queens around the campus.
The event will culminate with a Gala Dinner at 06:00PM at the Dr. Robert C. Sy Grand Ballroom, BGPOP Building, UST Manila.
Thomasian entrepreneur Joel Cruz will be the Hermano Mayor and the major sponsor for this year’s event in celebration of the 25th anniversary of his perfume company, Aficionado.
The Flores de Mayo festivities aim to provide an opportunity for the alumni to actively take part in the social occasion, to be engaged with the university events, and for the students to experience and learn more about this colorful religious tradition. The Thomasian Alumni Grand Santacruzan was launched in 2019 but halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was later resumed in 2023. The flower offering to the Virgin Mary continued during the pandemic in 2021 and 2022 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned, Sta. Ana, Manila and Santisimo Rosario Parish –UST, Manila, respectively.
The Hermano and Hermana Mayores from the past editions were UST High School Alumni Association Former President Emelito Malabanan in 2019, UST Engineering alumna and finance expert Engr. Daisy Serrano in 2023, and UST AB alumna and IPM Construction & Development CEO and Chairperson Isabelita Paredes-Mercado in 2024.
