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After 8-year old Karina receiving a letter response from Obama, this time 2 students from the Philippines were sent invitation to attend the oath-taking of President Barack Obama into office.

Anne Marie Liwanag and Paul Michael Thomas Cruz, who were classmates in their high school years, got their invitation as early as March 2008 to attend the oath-taking of the 44th President of America.

The two were chosen because of their active participation and outstanding achievements in the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) which was held in June 2007 in Washington and New York. They were then representing the Reedley International School in Libis, Quezon City where they were in their seniors year then. Cruz, 19 and Liwanag, 18, are now college freshmen.

Doing the selection of participants in the oath-taking was the University Presidential Inaugural Conference (UPIC). In its website, UPIC offers the delegates “the opportunity to take part in and personally witness the historic event of the presidential inauguration and challenges students to greatly enhance their understanding of a presidential campaign.”

Liwanag said she dropped the invitation when she first read and had to read it again for at least five times to be sure that it was as it states. She showed the letter to everyone in school and they all got excited, she quips.

The only downside of this is that they have to shoulder their own expenses for the inauguration, which will be part of a five-day series of special events and activities commemorating the inauguration of the US president and the vice president.

The students need to raise around $4,000 for the event which will cover the airfare and the UPIC ‘tuition fees’ which includes cost of the events and activities, hotel accommodations for four nights, meals and transportation during the conference and group insurance.