CHAIRMAN Manuel M. Siggaoat of Manels Leathergoods Corporation will address the latest batch of MMSU graduates during their commencement exercises today, 4 p.m., April 12, at the Sunken Garden.

Siggaoat, also chairman of Manels Leather Asia, which manufactures and exports bags and other leathergoods, will lead in the distribution of diplomas to the members of MMSU Class of 2006 comprising 1,287 graduates from the nine colleges of the university including the Graduate School.

Guest of honor and speaker

Aside from leading Manels Leathergoods and Manels Leather Asia, Siggaoat is also chair of Siwon International, Sonoma Valley Direct Selling Corporation, Manels Total Bataan, Sim’s Store, and Emeryville Food Corporation – a Greenwhich franchise corporation.  He is, likewise, president of the International Franchising Corporation of the Philippines Francorp Philippines, the biggest franchise development consultancy company in the country.  This big-time entrepreneur is an Ilocano from Batac, Ilocos Norte.

He is past president and current treasurer of the Philippine Retailers Association and the Philippine Franchise Corporation, assistant treasurer of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, member of the board of trustees of the Asian Retail and Service Institute Foundation, and member of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community.

He obtained his business administration degree from the University of the East in Manila in 1960 and went to an advance management program at the Harvard Business School in the United States. 

Siggaoat is married to the former Nelia Villarama and blessed with four children:  Manuel Antonio – industrial management engineering, DLSU; Nelson Celestino – architecture, UST; Nora Michelle – business management, DLSU; and Mark Juanino, information technology, University of Asia and the Pacific.

Class valedictorian

The MMSU Class of 2007 is led by Maria Jerni D. Gapas of the BS Accountancy program, who is graduating magna cum laude.  She obtained a general weighted average (GWA) of 1.3858. She is from Batac, Ilocos Norte and daughter of SPO2 Jerry A. Gapas of the Philippine National Police Office in Laoag City and Barangay Secretary Juanita Delera-Gapas.

She graduated as third honorable mention from the MMSU Science High School in 2003 and as rank nine from the Mariano Marcos Memorial Elementary School in 1999. While in college, she was a consistent university scholar, except for two semesters where she was a college scholar.

She considers entering Atherton, an accounting firm focusing on business process outsourcing, after graduation. But for the meantime, she said, she will concentrate on reviewing for the certified public accountant’s licensure examination.

Honor graduates

The other magna cum laude graduate is Reyah N. Velasco from the secondary education (English) program who obtained a GWA of 1.3880, just some 0.0022 points behind Gapas, the class valedictorian. Completing the 41 honor graduates of this batch are 38 cum laude finishers and one “with distinction”. They are: Hamilton C. Remigio (1.4958), secondary education-chemistry; Maricor R. Labayan (1.5038), accountancy; Nikka Lauda N. Abellon (1.5111), nursing; Mark Anthony T. Juan (1.5469), elementary education-English; Rowell S. Gaspar (1.5774), accountancy; Maria Corazon L. Garvida (1.5907), industrial technology; Mark R. Limon (1.6025), industrial education;  Mary Jane A. Bernardo (1.6079), elementary education-English; Neil Christian T. Corales (1.6108), elementary education-English; Marian Reina F. Lorenzo (1.6300), English studies; Sherwin C. Ubando (1.6348), secondary education-physics; Emerose Joy J. Valencia (1.6434), elementary education-mathematics; Madeline M. Calma (1.6507), industrial technology; Maile B. Balisacan (1.6517), secondary education-physics; Benilda A. Ngillig (1.6533), business administration-management; Meynard A. Calangan (1.6548), accountancy; Ellaine Rose Vanessa R. Asuncion (1.6621), nursing; Patrick Joseph M. Sadornas (1.6701), accountancy; Mylene Q. Malicad (1.6726), accountancy;  Falstaff R. Baguinon (1.6784), biology; Maeflor Q. Ofilas (1.6856), nursing; Eureka M. Grapa (1.6915), business administration-tourism management; Emil Adonis C. Riguis (1.6929), accountancy; Orlie R. Diniega (1.6935), secondary education-general science; Cris Evert C. Oasan (1.6952), secondary education-physics; Christopher F. Paz (1.7069), accountancy; Ryan A. Dulig (1.7088), elementary education-English;  Brandley Jenny T. Soriano (1.7107), accountancy; Baby Leonila B. Balmes (1.7145), sociology; Diana Lou B. Palacay (1.7240), nursing; Emil Adonis C. Riguis (1.7244), accountancy; June Caezar P. Maala (1.7277), nursing; Mary Jane M. Guillermo (1.7283), industrial education; Myan April M. Miguel (1.7361),  elementary education-science; Eden Pearl M. Chan (1.7438), nursing; Levi A. Bayudan (1.7438), industrial education; Arlan F. Llanes (1.7457), elementary education-mathematics; Genymar G. Padayao (1.7500), elementary education-science; and Denn Mark D. Ligot (1.7500), nursing. 

Bulk of graduates

Of the 1,287 graduates of MMSU this year, 264 come from the College of Teacher Education which offers secondary education and elementary education programs.

The college with the second biggest number of graduates is the College of Health Sciences with 240. This is followed by the College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy with 207; College of Industrial Technology, 178; and College of Engineering, 149.  The college with the least number of graduates is the College of Aquatic Sciences and Applied Technology with only 12 graduates this year.  It offers programs in fisheries and marine biology.

Meanwhile, the nursing program holds the distinction of having the most number of graduates with 180.  This is followed by: elementary education program with 147; secondary education, 117; industrial technology, 97; and industrial education, 81.  The least number come from the agricultural technology program offered at the College of Agriculture and Forestry’s satellite campus in Dingras with only five graduates.  This is followed by the fisheries and marine biology programs with six each.

Baccalaureate mass

Meanwhile, a baccalaureate mass was held 8 a.m. at the Teatro Ilocandia.  This was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Richard B. Antonio of the Foyer de Charite in Brgy. Mangato, Laoag City.  After the mass, President Miriam E. Pascua led in the hooding of candidates for graduation in the doctor’s and master’s levels. She, likewise, awarded medals to graduates with honors.