BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Mountain Province State University (MPSU) celebrated a historic milestone today, June 3,2025, with its first commencement exercises as a full-fledged university, a proud and symbolic moment for the institution, its students, and the entire community.
With the theme “MPSU at the Summit: Rooted Globally, Rising Sustainably,” the ceremony honored a total of 437 graduates: 31 from various graduate programs and 406 from undergraduate degree programs.
The ceremony’s keynote address was delivered by Atty. Jennilyn M. Dawayan, Regional Executive Director of the Department of Agriculture- Cordillera (DA-CAR). In a heartfelt and reflective speech from her dad, she shared three guiding points for the graduates to carry with them as they face life beyond the university:
- Anticipate What Lies Ahead. Atty. Dawayan spoke about the sense of anticipation that follows graduation, be it the pursuit of a career, taking board exams, furthering studies, or choosing to rest or start a family.
- Act Beyond the Anticipation and reach the Summit. She reminded the graduates that reaching the summit, earning a degree is only the beginning. What they do after defines the course of their lives.
- Achieve with Purpose. The final message was one of persistence and passion.
Further, Dawayan posed a meaningful challenge to the graduates, “How will you pay forward the education you have gained?”
This question, she said, is one that each graduate must reflect on deeply. She encouraged them to give back to their communities, explore innovative careers, and consider opportunities in agriculture, an industry that is evolving beyond traditional farming into one that is technology-driven, entrepreneurial, and sustainability-focused.
Moreover, she highlighted government programs like the Young Farmers Challenge, which provides funding and support for aspiring agri-entrepreneurs, and emphasized ongoing DA partnerships with state universities like MPSU in the fields of climate-smart agriculture research and development, internships and real-world training in agri-business and food production. and technology adoption to help local farmers improve productivity. By Leny D. Mendoza
