The shifting of the UP Sablay from right to left symbolizes the official conferment of titles by the UP President upon the graduates. (Photo by Misael Bacani)
UP Baguio (UPB) conferred degrees and titles to 474 graduates, withfour earning magna cum laude honors and 39, cum laude,at commencement exercises on June 23 at the Baguio Convention Center.
Called “Pagtatapos 2016,” the ceremony featured UP President Alfredo Pascual as its commencement speaker.
In his address, Pascual distinguished between “making a living” and “making a life of service.” He described the former as something that everyone needs to do, “excellent and honorable.” Being the best at what they can do is one way they can honor UP and serve the country, he continued. Pascual reminded them not to “overlook honor” in their pursuit of excellence as ethical conduct should define excellent work.
“Extraordinary” is how he described a life of service. Pascual cautioned them that this act “may not be as happy,” but to those who dedicate their lives to serving the Filipino nation, “fulfillment is not in the happy prospects of money, fame, or power.” Service, he said, is more than just happiness; “it is about attaining a sense of meaning and purpose.”
He reiterated what he said five years ago at his investiture as UP president.that “we in UP must succeed not because we have a reputation to keep but because we have a country to serve.” This is the graduates must remember. He emphasized that this mindset is what makes the UP education and its graduates extraordinary. Pascual expressed hope that the UPB Class of 2016 consider service as their “investment on what this nation could be.”
Because making a living is a priority for most, making a life of service will not come instantly. But he told them, “Small good deeds as you make a living may eventually lead to making a life dedicated to a cause bigger than [yourselves].”
He encouraged them to join the academe, where they could contribute to “educating the youth, doing research to solve our country’s pestering problems, and performing public service to government, industry, and our society as a whole.” In the academe, he said, “you make a life [of service] as you make a living.”
“More importantly, connect with our people. That is because you studied in UP not to become this nation’s privileged intellectual elite–but this nation’s hope.”–UP President Alfredo E. Pascual (Photo by Misael Bacani)
Pascual also gave the graduating class advice, specifically on the “very elitist attitude of looking at people as just UP and others” and on the reported arrogance in the workplace of some UP graduates who might feel entitled simply because they were from UP.
Pascual continued to exhort the graduates: “It’s true that you may be a cut above the rest. But failing to recognize your limits and the importance of working together is a recipe for disaster.”
“The difference between smart and wise is that the wise will always be willing to learn and reform.”
“You will need more than intellect. You need to connect. Connect with your boss, workmates, and customers. More importantly, connect with our people. That is because you studied in UP not to become this nation’s privileged elite,but this nation’s hope.”
In her message as representative of the UPB Class of 2016, Roselyn Solomon (BS Biology, magna cum laude) also asked her fellow graduates not to be consumed by the pursuit of excellence without integrity.
More important than a brilliant mind, she said, is heart,love of country. “Kailangan tayo ng Pilipinas. Sa ating pagtatapos, nakasalalay na sa atin ang magiging kinabukasan ng ating bayan. Huwag natin pagtaksilan ang mamamayang Pilipino. Magsilbi tayo sa ating lupang sinilangan. (The Philippines needs us. With our graduation, the future of our country now depends on us. Let us not betray the Filipino people. Let us serve the land of our birth.)”
Solomon reminded them that in serving the country, they should not just render service that was passable or “pwede na,” when they know they could deliver a higher quality of service.
Fellow magna cum laude graduate, Rabbiah Dispo (BS Biology) delivered a response at the Ritwal ng Pagtatanglaw, a cherished tradition where candles are lit from a single source and their flames are used to light up all the other candles, a ritualsymbolic of the pursuit and the sharing of knowledge.
In her speech, Dispo made an analogy between UP graduates and Prometheus, a figure from Greek mythology. She said that the meaning of his name, “forethought,” captures how UP “built us up to who we are today so. . . we could later be the builders of a greater nation.” As Prometheus created and molded man from mud, so should UP graduates actively contribute to the shaping of “our culture.” Like him, UP graduates must also be mankind’s benefactor and protector.
Dispo said the fire stolen by Prometheus can be a symbol of “knowledge and wisdom, enlightenment, truth, purification, passion, and even martyrdom.” UP graduates must spread the fire and “create more embers”,help people so that they may “be able to illuminate and radiate with the same intensity as the fire that created them.”
The other two magna cum laude graduates of UPB were Rodelyn Flores (BA Communication) and Kay Angelika Castro (BA Social Sciences).
For more photos of the event, please click through the album below.
