THEIR graduation rites did not end in claps nor tossing of their “sablays” to celebrate their victory.
Close to 100 graduates of the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu College, who belong to progressive organizations, took out placards and streamers to call for the release from detention of their co-alumna, Myles Albasin.
Kyle Autida of Artista para sa Nationalista Demokratiko at Rebolusyonaryong Sining-Sugbu (Andres), cried out his lamentations on Albasin’s continued detention.
Albasin is a UP Cebu graduate of class 2017 with a degree in Mass Communication. She was arrested in Mabinay town, Negros Oriental in March for allegedly engaging in a shootout with members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The brief demonstration held at 6 p.m. at the UP Cebu grounds and led by Nagkahiusang Kusog sa nga Estudyante, Anakbayan UP Cebu, Kabataan partylist UP Cebu, Youth Against Tyranny, and Rise for Education also called on the government to preserve the country’s sovereignty amid issues of militarization in the Philippine territories in the West Philippine Sea.
This year, UP Cebu produced 405 graduates from their diploma, bachelor and masters degree program.
Of this, 11 finished Magna Cum Laude while 74 were awarded as Cum Laude.
Graduates gathered at the UP Cebu grounds for their 3 p.m. graduation ceremonies which was also attended by former Senator Manuel “Manny” Villar as guest speaker.
In his speech, Villar, a UP alumnus and president of the Nacionalist Peoples Coalition, urged the graduates to engage in entrepreneurship to provide more job opportunities for the Filipino workforce.
He challenged graduates to take risks and venture in businesses as he named Cebu as the new center of commerce and trade in the country.
Villar said that real independence can only be achieve when there are adequate and sustainable job opportunities in the country.