“You must stay in the country. That is the responsibility entrusted in every Iskolar ng Bayan. That is the responsibility I ask from each one of you,” said CHED chair J. Prospero de Vera III at the 68th graduation rites of Cebu Technological University-Danao on May 15.
Amid busy schedule, Dr. de Vera made it to the northern campus and barreled strong words into the graduates, who went silent upon hearing those at the middle of his speech.
Decisively, he centered on gratitude on account of the government’s effort through RA 10931, “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education,” implemented on August 3, 2017.
He could not seem to stand the “work abroad” rhetoric especially when Philippines historically cemented the agenda on free college education , making it first among developing countries in Asia. It is in this context upon which the Philippine economy could be handled with much care.
The public school system which he proudly iterated, being the source of his erudite disposition, provides the country’s mechanism en route to progress. His penchant for increased devotion toward intellectual life has crystallized the method.
“Even if you stumble along the way and fail, it is your desire, it is your intention, it is your ambition, it is your continuous learning that will lead you to the rest of your life.
More and more your life will be competitive. More and more you will reach a point where society will judge your value by the letters that come after your name. Your credentials will be your passport to success.”
However, it was not always the sense or intellect asking for attention but also sensibility, which he believed to have guided him, saying: “Sometimes we forget that in the journey of life, it is those who share the journey with us that make life worth-living.”
His brief narrative on personal struggles before turning into one of the Philippine president’s cabinet members redounded to his credit, a slice of life he shared with everyone worth emulating. UICPA