CatSU holds 49th commencement exercises in virtual mode
StudentsThe Catanduanes State
University (CatSU) held its 49th commencement exercises, this time
apart from the usual ceremonies every year due to the Covid-19 scare. Preceded
by a Holy Mass in the morning at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the
activity was done through virtual mode in the afternoon at the CatSU main
campus, on August 17, 2020 with the
theme, “Sustaining Excellence Amidst the Challenges of the New Normal.” There
were 751 who graduated during the AY 2019-2020 where 66 of them came from the
University’s Panganiban Campus.
Officer –in-Charge
President and CHED RO-V Regional Director, Dr. Freddie T. Bernal, led this
year’s commencement exercises, together with the different Deans, other school
officials, and the faculty. This year’s
commencement speaker was Dr. Aldrin A. Darilag, Commissioner in the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED) and Chairman of the CatSU Board of Regents.
Dr. Bernal, the
University OIC President congratulated this year’s batch of graduates as he
exhorted them “to pursue one’s dream, no matter what setbacks may come.” He
noted the difficult times that the graduates have come through with the onset
of Corona virus pandemic.
“All of a sudden, our
lives have become perplexing, unusual and uncertain, as we try to gather a
sense of normalcy amidst the new normal. As recession, unemployment and health
crisis beset our country today and the rest of the world, may you have every
reason to earn a decent living commensurate to what you have attained, and be
among the conscientious citizens as a nation,” OIC President Bernal said in his
message to the graduates.
Meanwhile,
Commissioner Darilag expressed his appreciations to the graduates and
challenged them to use their education to work for the nation. “You are
fortunate to have been given the opportunity to earn your respective college
degrees, at a time that the pandemic has significantly hit our education
sector—that is, according to the UNESCO Covid-19 Educational Disruption and
Response Task Force through its Global Monitoring Report on School Closures,
more than 3.5 million Filipino college students have been affected by the
pandemic,” Comm. Darilag said.
“Your experiences and
your perspectives,” said Comm. Darilag, “will shed light on the university’s
pursuit to better understand how the challenges in the new normal can be
addressed; and we invite you to continue your commitment to the values and
truths of the university, that is, to sustain excellence not only to yourselves
but for the advancement of Catanduanes and of the entire country.”
