De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and Benilde Antipolo celebrated the Third Term Commencement Exercises with 769 graduates on Oct. 27, held for the first time at the Marriott Hotel Grand Ballroom, Pasay City.
The ceremony opened with the entrance of graduates, Benilde faculty, and administrators. Rev. Fr. Tedley Villanueva, SSS then led the opening prayer.
Dr. Maria Serena I. Diokno, professor emerita of history at the University of the Philippines (UP) and former chairperson of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), gave an inspirational speech to the graduates.
She emphasized how political dynasties have overtaken the country, reminding the graduates that “you will need to muster all you have learned and more, all you have become and more, to overturn these troubled times and create a life that is fair and equitable to all and full of hope.”
“We expect the guilty to be punished, their time, the deliverer, or their soul [...] No more empty promises. Ang daming mahihirap habang limpak-limpak na pera ang ninanakaw sa atin,” she said.
Benildeans who received academic awards from High Distinction, With Distinction, Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude were awarded by the Vice Chancellor for Academics, Mr. Angelo Marco Lacson. This was followed by the awarding of the special award by the Dean of the Center for Student Life, Mr. Levi Albania.
Master of ceremonies, Ms. Niña Endozo, conferred the 769 graduates to Benilde Brother President, Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC. The candidates for graduation were then called and received their diplomas on stage, presented by the respective deans of their schools.
The hooding ceremony of the graduate program students, it was conducted by Br. Fernandez, Mr. Lacson, Benilde Chancellor Mr. Benhur Ong, and Ms. Maria Paz Castro, DBA, Dean of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM).
This was followed by the alumni oath-taking, led by Benildean alumna Ms. Katrina Candelaria-Lapus, Vice President of the Benilde Alumni Association.
Cyril Karl B. Carandan, Summa Cum Laude hailing from the Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy and International Affairs (AB-DIA), shared his words of appreciation.
He talked about how his experience in Benilde reflected three lessons from the poem “Desiderata,” which he shared to his fellow graduates to always remember to “stay calm in a busy world,” “value the power of silence,” and to “live in harmony without losing yourself.”
“Our country needs deep reform, and it is only possible if we stand united as a generation that chooses integrity over convenience. Let us be enablers of accountability and transparency, and disruptors of the systemic issues of our country,” he said.
Afterwards, Jayson M. Pua, Summa Cum Laude of the Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (BS-HRIM), led the Benildean prayer.
To show gratitude to the Benildean graduates’ parents, a token of appreciation video was played on the screens, showcasing family pictures of the graduates to the song “Salamat Sa ‘Yo,” an original composition by a Music Production alumna.
In an interview with The Benildean, Jan Louis Layacan, the recipient for the Br. Andrew Gonzales FSC Leadership Award and former Editor in Chief of the Benildean Press Corps, shared that through his journey as a transferee, Benilde was able to give him opportunities and taught him inclusive leadership.
“A redirection has been what I am looking for in Benilde and Benilde has been so generous for accompanying me through my journey,” the Business Administration major in Export and Global Business Management (BSBA-EGBM) alumnus said.
Layacan, who graduated as cum laude and the only recipient of the graduation special award, also shared that the award means everything for him as “it's a testimony that whatever we bring [as student journalist] to the world, whatever we write, or art we create are an eye-opener to the Benildean community.”
