HONORABLE FERDINAND R. MARCOS JR., senator of the Republic of the Philippines, will address the latest batch of MMSU graduates during their commencement exercises today, April 11, 3 p.m., at the Sunken Garden.

Senator Marcos will lead in the distribution of diplomas to the members of MMSU Class of 2011 comprising 1,612 graduates from the nine colleges of the university including the Graduate School.

Breakdown of graduates

Of the 1,612 graduates this year, the biggest number (374 or 23.2%) come from the College of Health Sciences which offers nursing, pharmacy, and physical therapy programs.

The college with the second biggest number of graduates is CBEA with 334 (20.7%). This is followed by CTE with 276 (17.1%); CIT, 252 (15.6%); CoE, 142 (8.8); CAS, 113 (7%); College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development, 79 (4.9%); and Graduate School, 37 (2.3%). The college with the least number of graduates is CASAT with five (0.3%). It offers programs in fisheries and marine biology.

Meanwhile, the nursing program holds the distinction of having the most number of graduates with 271. This is followed by: industrial technology with 208; elementary education, 147; secondary education, 129; and management accounting, 106. The least number of graduates come from the chemical engineering and marine biology programs, each with two graduates.

Top graduates

One of eight magna cum laude graduates this year, Jerome F. Agpaoa of the BS Computer Science program of the College of Arts and Sciences leads MMSU Class of 2011. He obtained a general weighted average (GWA) of 1.211. Born and raised in Claveria, Cagayan, he is the son of Mr. Cesar A. Agpaoa, a livestock technician, and the former Cleotilde Ferrer, a cooperative employee. He is the youngest of four siblings: Jessie, 29, a computer technician in Batac; Jerry, 28, a civil engineer in Kuwait; and Jerwin, 24, a philosophy instructor at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

He graduated, third honors, at the Claveria West Central School in 2002 and at the Cagayan State University in Sanchez Mira in 2006. In college, he was a consistent university scholar.

Agpaoa spent one year at Illinois State University in the United States as 2009-2010 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGrad) grantee. A program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, Global UGrad provides scholarships to outstanding college students from non-elite, underrepresented sectors in society. At Illinois, Agpaoa earned a string of As, the highest grade a student could get, in all of his subjects.  Because of his US stint, he spent five years to finish his four-year course.

This is the first time in seven years that the top graduate is not from the College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy.  From 2005 to 2010, BS Accountancy graduates held the distinction of delivering the valedictory address. The last non-accountancy graduate to emerge class valedictorian was Brian Jay Corpuz (BS Industrial Education, Magna cum laude) in 2004.

Jerwin Mark L. Guillermo, also of the BS Computer Science program, comes second in rank with a GWA of 1.2157. He is from Laoag City and the first of two children of Benjamin A. Guillermo, a seafarer who is currently in Europe, and the former Erlinda Llagas. His younger brother Julius Michael graduated last March 29 from the Philippine Science High School, San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur campus where Jerwin also finished high school, with high honors, in 2007.   He is a product of the MMSU Laboratory Elementary School in Laoag where in 2003 he graduated first honorable mention. Like Agpaoa, Guillermo was also a consistent university scholar in college.

Other honor gradutes
 
The other magna cum laude graduates are: Eunesse Marie U. Retutal (1.2917), accountancy; Valerie Mary Anne C. Ablan (1.3357), accountancy; Dennis Sam M. Lim (1.3931),  mathematics; Marc Meinard M. Mariano (1.4345), accountancy; Ma. Cristina A. Raguindin (1.4440) accountancy; and Ma. Katherine Q. Aguilar (1.4464), accountancy.

Graduating cum laude are: Alwyn Joy A. Tabije (1.4798), accountancy; Via Bing T. Bulaun ( 1.4976), accountancy; John Paul C. Vallente (1.5131), secondary education; Imee Ruth T. Francisco (1.5155), accountancy; Ma. Eda Lee V. Acido (1.5571), accountancy; Ramil J. Baltazar (1.5598), secondary education; Geraldine D. Ortal (1.5619), elementary education; Mark Rodney P. Vertido (1.5641), secondary education; Laarni L. Carpon (1.5876), elementary education; Amado G. Calventas Jr. (1.5879), industrial technology; John Michael B. Lumabao (1.5889), secondary education; Frances Jane C. Lopez (1.5893), accountancy; Kenneth E. Alonzo (1.5958), nursing;

John Lois L. Langaman (1.5976), accountancy; Marlon R. Mamala (1.6023), secondary education; Frances Mae R. Castillo (1.6035), management accounting; Marie Kris Pilar (1.6099), secondary education; Jhinky F. Pagdilao (1.6131), accountancy; Debrah Lee M. Peralta (1.6131), accountancy; Dharen Jake R. Garcia (1.6191), secondary education; Kara Camille L. Pedro (1.6214), accountancy; Ruth Anne F. Unel (1.6353), elementary education; Regina Kriezel Mae A. Coloma (1.6361), management accounting; Graciela Anne M. Miguel (1.6480), nursing; Allan Joy C. Calventas (1.6505), secondary education; Alyssa Trixia F. Ilagan (1.6542), nursing; Jehoshaphat Hezekiah R. Recta (1.6571), accountancy; Genevieve Gale L. Estavilo (1.667), accountancy; Catherine S. Lagran (1.6701), secondary education; Fatima Faye G. Ildefonso (1.6702), accountancy; Reichel V. Quijano (1.6781), computer science; Edina Monique F. Garcia (1.6819), management accounting;

Keyziel Joy M. Domingo (1.6881), accountancy; Rhea Lyn P. Yanos (1.6901), Lei Frances E. Ribac (1.6917), management accounting; Madelle M. Acosta (1.6949), management accounting; Johnwilfred B. Bacnat (1.6953), management accounting; Cayzel Mae D. Ancheta (1.7003), management accounting; Emerson A. Batin  (1.7023), secondary education; Cyrille Dawn C. Diño (1.7032), tourism management;  Ma. Susana P. Gaoat (1.7110), management accounting; Flor Elena C. Reynon (1.7120), secondary education; Ralph Emerson Ray A. Agonoy (1.7121), biology; Ruby Mae C. Balinong (1.7135), management accounting; Jeanzen Muriel P. Ruiz (1.7139), management accounting; Arnelyn Q. Batugo (1.7145), industrial education; Vanessa Mae Batallones (1.7168), human resource development management;

Jennylei F. Bolo (1.7190), accountancy; Alemar B. Soliman (1.7214), nursing; Diane I. Echepare (1.7216), elementary education; Bernard Q. Garcia (1.7242), industrial technology; A-Xavier R. Ruiz (1.7281), tourism management; Ma. Nathalie A. Cruz (1.7298), accountancy; Isabel Jeanne A. Ragadi (1.7313), nursing; Jho Mar A. Factor (1.7345), elementary education; Mariz R. Guab (1.7349), cooperative management; Joe Allan Mark G. Tumamao (1.7350), industrial education; Abigail Kathleen A. Ventura (1.7358), human resource development management; Zeny R. Rasalan (1.7363), industrial education; Guia Allysson A. Marcos (1.7436), elementary education; and Reynie A. Rarangol (1.7473), industrial education.

Guest of honor and speaker

In his 17 years of public service, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has achieved for himself a distinguished record as a lawmaker, government official, and public administrator, most of which were accomplished away from the spotlight.

Bongbong became drawn to the challenges of public service early on in life, having observed how both his parents devoted their lives to public service for more than two decades. At a very young age of 23, he was elected vice governor of Ilocos Norte.

The events that transpired after the EDSA Revolution in 1986 forced the Marcoses to leave the country in exile. While he was away, Bongbong’s thoughts nevertheless remained focused on being able to serve his country, as he continued to study and develop his skills while aspiring to be able to come home to the Philippines soon.

Braving the possibility of arrest from the new regime, Bongbong was the first among his family to return from exile in 1992. No sooner had he stepped back on Philippine soil than he took up where he left off and started serving the Filipino people once again. In the same year, he was elected to Congress as representative of the Second District of his home province, Ilocos Norte. Among the measures he authored was the landmark law establishing the Philippine Youth Commission. He was also instrumental in advancing the cause of cooperatives by devoting most of his Countryside Development Fund (CDF) to organizing cooperatives of teachers and fanners in his home province.

In 1998, he ran and won Governor of Ilocos Norte, where he served for three consecutive terms. In his nine years as governor, he transformed Ilocos Norte into a first-class province, showcasing its natural and cultural tourism destination areas, as well as its pioneer wind power technology that serves as an alternative source of energy for the needs of the province and neighboring towns.

In 2007, he was elected back to the House of Representatives, where he served as deputy minority leader. During this term, one of the important pieces of legislation he authored was the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law or Republic Act No. 9522.

In 2010, Bongbong Marcos won a seat in the Philippine Senate, placing seventh overall and first of the two real Senate newcomers. Presently, he chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government and the Committee on Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlements, and is a member of several other committees.

Born on Sept. 13, 1957, Bongbong is the second child of former President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos and former First Lady and incumbent Congresswoman Imelda Romualdez Marcos of the Second District of Ilocos Norte. He studied elementary at De La Salle College; finished his secondary education at Worth School in England, and earned his bachelor’s degree in political science, philosophy, and economics from the Oxford University in 1978. He obtained his Masters in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business.

He is married to lawyer Louise Cacho Araneta, with whom he has three sons.