THE LOYOLA Schools (LS) Class of 2020 attended their Commencement Exercises online on October 11 in lieu of an on-site graduation. The event was streamed live on the Ateneo de Manila University Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Originally scheduled on May 29 and May 30, the on-site graduation rites were moved due to quarantine regulations brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. An online seniors’ send off or pabaon took place on the intended date instead.
In a memorandum dated September 21, Vice President for the Loyola Schools Maria Luz Vilches, PhD announced the details of the Commencement Exercises and explained that they wanted to honor the graduates before the year ended.
She acknowledged that while the enthusiasm of an on-site ceremony cannot be replaced, the online program was carefully designed to be a meaningful graduation experience for the Class of 2020.
Online ceremony
The virtual graduation rites began with a Baccalaureate Mass presided by former University President Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ, who discussed in his homily the importance of solidarity amid the pandemic.
“Sa panahong ito ng malaking pagsubok ng pandemya, […] lalo pang tumitindi ang anyaya ng Diyos na dumalo at makisalo sa kanyang handaan. Inaalok tayo nang higit pang maki-isa sa kapuwa,” he said.
(In these trying times during this pandemic, God’s invitation to attend and partake of his feast intensifies. We are called to stand in solidarity with others.)
The mass was followed by a commencement speech from Most Reverend Pablo S. David, DD, Bishop of the Diocese of Kalookan. In a message to the graduates, David acknowledged the challenges of the current global health crisis and emphasized each individual’s capacity to make a difference.
“We can turn this crisis into an opportunity only if we have the humility to admit our foolishness, to change our […] egotistic ways of dealing with the environment and with one another,” he said.
During the undergraduates’ graduation ceremonies, Villarin conferred the highest award to Class of 2020 Valedictorian Yumi L. Briones (BS CH ‘20), who talked about the importance of improving reality in her valedictory address.
She began her speech by reassuring her fellow graduates that their frustration regarding the circumstances of their graduation is valid. “It’s natural to feel that way whenever there’s a difference between what we want and what we get,” she said. “Now that we’re in quarantine, that frustration is more real than ever.”
Briones went on to distinguish the difference between reality and the world her fellow graduates want to live in. She noted that while the latter may be “more peaceful, more loving, [and] more kind,” reality should remind people to examine what they can do to improve the state of the world.
She concluded that consistency matters more than grand gestures. “You have to make an everyday decision to love—even if it’s not recognized, even if it’s never featured on [the television], even if it isn’t perfect. You just have to choose love every single day,” Briones said.
Following Briones’ speech, the school deans presented the graduates of the Class of 2020 through a slideshow that included each graduate’s name, degree, and photo.
Afterwards, short videos featuring faculty members from the School of Humanities, the John Gokongwei School of Management, the School of Science and Engineering, and the School of Social Sciences were presented. The videos included short clips of various faculty members congratulating the graduates and wishing them luck in their future endeavors.
The Commencement Exercises concluded with Ateneo Alumni Association President Jason Paul Cabrera leading the graduates in reciting the Panunumpa ng Atenista. Villarin also gave his closing remarks.
“Sa ating palatuntunan, namalas ninyo ang mga gusali at iba pang mga lugar na itinuri na ninyong tahanan, pati na mga gurong gumabay sa inyo. Baunin sana ninyo ang mga larawang ito na patuloy na maghihintay sa inyong pagbalik,” Villarin said.
(In this program, you have seen the buildings and places that you have called home, along with the teachers who have guided you. Remember these as they continue to await your return.)
