The Collegiate Headlight

𝐔𝐒𝐞𝐏 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟓 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝟕.𝟖 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐤𝐞

The University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) declared the resumption of onsite operations and the reopening of its buildings for occupancy beginning June 15 following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck on June 8.

The announcement was made through Memorandum Order No. 20260611-01 issued by the Office of the President after initial safety inspections and clearing operations were conducted across USeP campuses.

University employees are directed to adhere to the prescribed work arrangements effective June 15 in accordance with Memorandum Circular No. 2026-04, which outlines flexible work arrangements, class conduct, and energy conservation measures.

Based on technical assessment reports, buildings and facilities across all campuses have been declared structurally sound and safe for re-occupancy and normal operations.

However, the Mechatronics Building remains strictly off-limits after receiving a “Yellow-Tagged” status and will undergo scheduled structural retrofitting.

The rear portion of the two-story ARTIC Building also remains restricted due to extensive cracking and other defects associated with possible differential settlement and structural movement.

Meanwhile, the Multipurpose Covered Court in the Mabini Unit has been declared off-limits following the discovery of diagonal cracks and localized deterioration in several concrete pedestal supports and related structural components.

The University Management said it will continue conducting regular monitoring and structural inspections to ensure the safety of all institutional facilities.

Article by Mary Queen Cabanilla
Layout by John Michael Solatar

𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚, 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

There is a specific kind of disappointment that doesn't come from failure. It comes from being an afterthought.

The Class of 2026 of the University of Southeastern Philippines did not fail — they finished. They submitted their requirements, defended their theses, cleared their accounts, and waited for the moment every graduating student waits for: the walk across the stage. What they found instead, months into their final semester, was a graduation ceremony moved to September, tucked into the academic calendar without so much as a meeting or an announcement, and without asking the people most affected.

What followed—a viral uproar on social media, a tense virtual assembly on May 15, and eventually a landmark student-led survey was not simply a dispute over a date. It was a reckoning. It exposed a university that, in its rush to satisfy administrative timelines, forgot to ask the most important question: What do the students want?

The administration's central defense has been procedural: the September graduation date was approved by the Board of Regents, and the Student Regent, the official student representative in that body, was present. President Bonifacio Gabales Jr. and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jennifer Nueva pointed to this as proof of proper consultation.

But a representative who votes without consulting those they represent is not performing representation.

The Hear Us Survey, designed and conducted by USeP's own BS Statistics students under the Obrero Student Council, using stratified random sampling across all four campuses and all ten colleges, establishes this with statistical precision. Seventy- five percent (75%) of the graduating students for the Class of 2026 graduating students reported they were not informed or consulted regarding the September graduation schedule before the academic calendar was released. Across campuses, the exclusion was near-universal 87% at Mintal, 79% at Obrero, and 69% at Tagum. Even at Mabini Campus, the most favorable toward the September date, barely half reported being reached at all.

The administration cannot simultaneously claim inclusive governance and preside over a process in which three out of four graduating seniors never heard a word from their supposed representative before the decision was made. If the Student Regent voted without asking the graduating population, the very people whose most significant academic milestone was at stake, then the consultation mechanism itself was broken. Acknowledging this is not an attack on any individual. Instead, it is a call to fix a structural failure before the next batch of students will likewise experience it.

𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐟

The administration has drawn a careful distinction between June 26, 2026, when graduates will be officially recognized on paper and may begin requesting academic documents, and September 11, when the physical commencement exercises will be held. The logic is not without merit: it allows time for late completers, accommodates off-semester graduates, and reduces the risk of an incomplete graduate list, which are legitimate concerns.

But the administration presented this framework as though its reasoning were self-evident, when the calendar itself undermined it. The September date was buried under the label "Off-Semester"—a categorization that told thousands of up-and-coming graduates nothing about the fact that their ceremony had been fundamentally restructured. For a decision of this magnitude, affecting nearly 2,000 students across four campuses, the university chose a calendar footnote over a formal orientation.

And the students never fully understood it until the recent semester, when people shed light on the difference between the June graduation date and the September graduation ceremony. When asked whether the administration's rationale was fair and reasonable, 55% of surveyed graduates said no, even after having heard the administration's full explanation at the May 15 assembly. The administration's case, presented directly to its audience, failed to convince the majority.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬

Perhaps the most telling point in this entire controversy is not the delayed date itself, but what happened when students tried to convert their concerns into statistical figures.

BS Statistics student volunteers from the Obrero campus, in partnership with campus student councils, developed a probabilistic, randomized survey methodology designed to capture the graduating population's sentiments with statistical validity.

The student-led "Hear Us Survey" drew from a sample of 772 respondents across all ten colleges and four campuses, selected through stratified simple random sampling with a 95% confidence level and a 3% margin of error. Its findings were unambiguous.

Sixty-three percent (63%) of graduating students are not in favor of the September ceremony. Only 21% expressed support; 16% remained undecided. The opposition cuts across virtually every college: CBA at 80%, CDM at 77%, CEd at 73%, CAS at 71%, and CTET at 68%. Even among the undecided, qualitative responses revealed not neutrality but anguish, students wrestling with board exam conflicts and employment timelines, not students genuinely at peace with September.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) do not perceive the September date as beneficial to them. The administration framed the delay as an opportunity—more time to prepare financially, logistically, and emotionally. The students, however, rejected this framing. For most, a June or July ceremony would have been sufficient. The September date does not address a felt need; it creates new burdens while removing none.

Sixty-eight percent (68%) said they do not need the extra time that September supposedly provides. If the delay exists to give students more time, and students overwhelmingly say they do not need that time, the delay is not for the students. It is for the institution.

Moreover, 70% identified conflicts with personal plans or commitments as a concrete disadvantage. Board exam conflicts were cited by 61%. The extended financial burden was recorded at 49%. Prolonged emotional and psychological uncertainty by 50%. These are not abstract grievances. They are the lived consequences of a scheduling decision made without asking the people it would affect most.

When students who preferred an earlier date were asked which month they wanted, 74% said July—not a vague earlier window, but the traditional graduation month they had planned around since enrollment. And critically, 90% of surveyed students reported being aware that moving the ceremony earlier would also advance submission deadlines for requirements like thesis hardbound copies and clearances. Students who want July are not asking out of ignorance. Instead, they are making an informed, deliberate choice that they are willing to absorb the trade-offs for.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡.

Following the assembly and the survey, the university administration released an official statement acknowledging the survey initiative and affirming the significance of graduation as a milestone. The statement confirmed that the September ceremony would proceed as approved, that graduates would be officially recognized effective June 26, 2026, and that the survey's insights would inform "future academic calendars and institutional planning processes."

It was a carefully written document. It was also, in its most critical dimension, a non-answer.

The class of 2026 asked to be heard. The administration thanked them for raising the matter "in a constructive and organized manner" and then proceeded to do exactly what it had planned to do before the survey existed.

When students speak through social media, through virtual assemblies, through a statistically rigorous survey conducted by their own peers, and the institution responds by acknowledging their feelings and reaffirming its original position, the message received is not "we heard you." The message received is "we listened, and it didn't matter."

The statement also promised improved consultation mechanisms for the future. But the class of 2026 graduates will not be here for the future—they are here now.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

The administration's statement acknowledged that graduation is "a moment of celebration, thanksgiving, and recognition of years of hard work, perseverance, and sacrifice." That language is correct. But it does not fully reckon with whose perseverance is being celebrated, or what it cost.

This batch of graduating students is the COVID generation. Many of them missed their Junior High School moving-up ceremonies when the pandemic erased the school year they were supposed to celebrate. A significant portion also lost their chance to march for their Senior High School graduation. For years, they told themselves that college graduation would be different—that they would finally, after years of pixelated ceremonies and deferred milestones, stand on a physical stage in front of the people who had supported them. That promise was the invisible contract that kept many of them going.

To have that ceremony treated as a movable logistical variable—to have it scheduled without their input, defended without their agreement, and ultimately maintained over their explicit objection—is not simply an administrative disappointment but the breaking of a promise that was never formally made but was always implicitly understood.

The administration did not create this context. But it governs within it. And that governing requires more than procedural correctness. It requires empathy for the specific human weight that this particular batch carries.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭

One dimension of this issue deserves more direct attention than it has received: the September date places the graduation ceremony squarely in the middle of licensure examination season. Board exams in various programs are clustered from August onward — many of the same colleges that registered the highest opposition to the September schedule are precisely the colleges whose graduates face the most immediate board exam timelines.

Asking a board examinee to manage graduation logistics—rehearsals, clearances, gown fittings, family coordination—while simultaneously maintaining the focus required for a high-stakes professional examination is not a reasonable expectation. The administration framed the September date as the "most safe" option. Safe for whom? Not for the student in the middle of a review center schedule who now has to decide between showing up to graduation practice and showing up prepared for the exam that will determine their professional career.

𝐀 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.

In its official responses, the USeP administration repeatedly pointed to institutional timelines, internal clearances, procurement constraints, and the meticulous process of auditing graduate lists. None of these are invented concerns. Running a graduation ceremony for nearly 2,000 students across multiple campuses is genuinely complex.

But in its focus on these complexities, the administration made its most consequential error. It optimized the graduation ceremony for institutional convenience and described the result as institutional responsibility.

A commencement exercise is not an administrative audit to be checked off a list. It is the final act of a four-year relationship between a university and the students who trusted it. When the university decides without asking when that act will take place, and then defends the decision by citing procedures the students were never part of, it reveals where, in its hierarchy of priorities, the students actually sit.

They sit at the end. They sit where the decisions land, not where they are made.

The class of 2026 is asking the University of Southeastern Philippines to correct that. They are not asking for the impossible. They are asking for what every graduating class deserves: to be considered primary stakeholders in the ceremony that exists entirely for them. To have their data taken seriously. To have their preference—clearly, statistically, and repeatedly expressed—treated as something more than input into a process that has already concluded.

The students have spoken. Loudly. Rigorously. In their own voices and in verified numbers.

The university must now decide what kind of institution it wants to be when the people it serves are watching.

𝐈𝐤𝐚-𝟏𝟐𝟖 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐨 𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐚𝐧

Noong ika-12 ng Hunyo, 1898, iwinagayway ang watawat sa Kawit, Cavite. Isang sandali ng tagumpay na nagpahayag sa buong mundo na malaya na tayo.

Ngunit tunay nga bang malaya na?

128 taon na ang lumipas. Gayunpaman, milyun-milyong Pilipino ang nananatiling nakagapos — hindi ng mga kadena ng mananakop, kundi ng kahirapan, kawalan ng pantay na edukasyon, korupsyon, at maling impormasyon. Ang kalayaan na ipinagdiriwang natin ngayon ay kalayaan sa papel, ngunit para sa marami, hindi pa ito nararamdaman.

Ang Araw ng Kalayaan ay hindi lamang paggunita. Ito ay paalala na ang tunay na kalayaan ay hindi natatapos sa pagwagayway ng bandila. Nagsisimula ito sa bawat Pilipinong tinitiyak na may dignidad ang buhay ng kanyang kapwa, na may pananagutan ang bawat institusyon, at na ang katahimikan sa harap ng kawalan ng katarungan ay hindi kapayapaan — ito ay pakikiisa sa pang-aapi.

Kasama ang buong bansa, ipinagdiriwang ng The Collegiate Headlight ang ating kalayaan at patuloy na maniningil ng tunay na kalayaan para sa bawat Pilipino.

𝗠𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗵𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘀!

Layout ni Sam JV JAF Yñigo Panisa

𝐔𝐒𝐞𝐏 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) has retained its September commencement schedule for major campuses, affirming that graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2026 will proceed as previously approved despite calls from graduating students for an earlier ceremony.

The confirmation came through Memorandum No. 20260609-01 and a separate statement issued by the university administration addressing concerns raised through the student-led "2026 Hear Us" survey.

While recognizing the efforts of graduating students, campus student councils, student publications, and the United Statistics Students Organization in gathering student sentiment, the administration maintained that the graduation schedule forms part of the Academic Calendar for Academic Year 2025–2026, which had already been approved and announced in 2025.

Following its review of the survey report and the concerns presented by graduating students, the university said no revisions would be made to the existing commencement timeline.

Nevertheless, officials emphasized that students who complete all academic requirements by June 26, 2026 will already hold graduate status regardless of when the ceremonial rites are conducted.

Additionally, graduates may begin requesting academic credentials and records needed for employment, licensure examinations, scholarship applications, further studies, and other purposes after their applicable graduation date, subject to standard university processing procedures.

Under the memorandum, graduating students from the Second Semester of Academic Year 2025–2026 are required to submit bound and electronic copies of their theses or dissertations on or before June 15, 2026.

Meanwhile, students completing their requirements during the off-semester have until August 14, 2026 to submit their final thesis and dissertation requirements.

The memorandum also designates June 26, 2026 as the official graduation date for second-semester completers and August 28, 2026 for off-semester graduates.

Although students will officially graduate on those dates, commencement exercises will be conducted separately depending on campus and academic unit.

Graduates of the School of Medicine and School of Law will hold their commencement exercises on June 26, while the Malabog Extension Campus is scheduled to conduct its ceremony on July 1.

Meanwhile, ceremonies for the university's larger campuses will take place in September, with Tagum-Mabini Campus set for September 9, Mintal Campus on September 10, and Obrero Campus on September 11.

The memorandum was released amid continuing discussions surrounding the graduation schedule, particularly after graduating students conducted a university-wide survey to gather preferences and concerns regarding the delayed commencement exercises.

In its official statement, the administration acknowledged the disappointment expressed by many students who had hoped for an earlier graduation ceremony.

However, university officials explained that the approved schedule was established after considering academic timelines, administrative processes, logistical requirements, and institutional commitments across campuses.

Although the administration ruled out adjustments for the current graduating batch, it assured students that the survey findings would be considered in future academic calendar planning and institutional decision-making processes.

Reaction to the memorandum was immediate among some of the student leaders who helped spearhead the survey initiative.

Obrero Student Council Internal Vice President Zedrick V. Balan, one of the graduating student volunteers behind the study, said students would have been willing to accept the September commencement schedule if there had been meaningful dialogue regarding the recommendations they formally submitted.

In a Facebook post, Balan recounted how volunteers spent several days gathering responses, conducting statistical analyses, consulting faculty members, and preparing what he described as a rigorous and data-backed report representing the sentiments of graduating students across the university.

He said the initiative involved data gathering from May 20 to 27, statistical analysis and report writing from May 28 to 30, finalization and endorsement on May 31, formal submission to concerned offices on June 1, and endorsement by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs to the Office of the President on June 4.

"We did not submit a mere report. We produced a technically sound, methodologically appropriate, and rigorously crafted document," Balan wrote.

Despite those efforts, Balan said the endorsement was the last communication received by the student proponents and that no dialogue followed before the release of the memorandum reaffirming the September commencement schedule.

The Obrero Student Council likewise expressed disappointment over the university's decision.

Council President Siddalee Mozo described the issuance of the memorandum as a missed opportunity for the administration to demonstrate student-centered governance and engage more meaningfully with concerns raised by graduating students.

According to Mozo, the "HEAR US" survey was not intended to generate controversy but rather to provide university officials with a clear and data-driven picture of student sentiment through the efforts of graduating students and BS Statistics volunteers.

She argued that moving forward with the September timeline despite the survey findings and without directly addressing the struggles raised by a majority of respondents gave the impression that student voices had been sidelined.

While acknowledging the university's commitment to consider the survey findings in future planning, Mozo said such assurances do not resolve the concerns and burdens currently faced by the graduating Class of 2026.

"We want to see a commitment to meeting halfway," Mozo said.

She stressed that while the administration carries significant responsibilities and must balance numerous operational considerations, students remain the university's primary stakeholders and should be meaningfully involved in decisions that directly affect them.

Rather than viewing student opposition as noise or resistance, Mozo urged university officials to examine the root causes of student frustration and work collaboratively toward solutions.

Among the council's recommendations is the inclusion of student representatives in important administrative discussions to ensure student perspectives are considered before major decisions are finalized.

Mozo also pointed to survey findings showing that 75 percent of graduating students were unaware of the calendar change before it was released, which she said reflected a serious communication gap between the administration and the student body.

More importantly, she said the issue extends beyond the graduation schedule and highlights broader concerns regarding existing mechanisms intended to bridge communication between students and university leadership.

"We don't want conflict; we want a perfect balance where both sides listen, understand each other's constraints, and collaborate," Mozo said.

"We listened to your reasons; we ask that you truly listen to our data, check the root causes of our concerns, and meet us halfway."

As preparations for commencement continue, the university reiterated its commitment to strengthening communication with students while moving forward with the approved graduation schedule for the Class of 2026.

Article by King Willan Tabugoc
Layout by Roxy Blue De Jesus

𝐁𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐔𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭

A first in recent memory, the University's move to hold the graduation ceremony on September 11, more than two months after the official graduation date, has drawn flak from the Graduating Class of 2026, with many describing the decision as "uninformed" and "unjustifiable."

Amid the controversy, student volunteers from the United Statistics Students Organization, in partnership with student and local councils as well as campus publications, conducted and released a survey report in hopes of amplifying graduating students' voices, concerns, and preferences regarding the delayed graduation ceremony.

The findings reveal several "clear and consistent" patterns: most graduating students reported that they were not informed or consulted prior to the approval of the September 11 schedule, found the date unfavorable, and preferred that the ceremony be moved earlier to July or August, among others.

However, in an official statement released on Tuesday, June 9, the University maintained that while "the insights raised by the graduating students will be considered in the preparation of future academic calendars and institutional planning processes," the September graduation ceremony will proceed as approved in this Academic Year's calendar.

With the verdict now finalized, let us walk through when and how the graduation ceremony could have materialized from the students' perspective in response to the deferred date.

Written by John Rey Pagal
Layout by Roxy Blue De Jesus, Jill Leo Camarador, John Michael Solatar, and Sam JV JAF Yñigo Panisa

𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟗 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐖𝐅𝐇 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕.𝟖 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐤𝐞

The Davao City Government ordered the suspension of face-to-face classes in all public and private educational institutions and directed government offices to adopt work-from-home arrangements on June 9 following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake felt across the Davao Region on Monday.

The directive was issued as authorities continue structural assessments of buildings and facilities amid concerns over possible aftershocks. According to the city government, the temporary suspension of in-person classes will remain in effect pending the completion of safety inspections.

Educational institutions were encouraged to implement online or distance learning modalities to ensure the safety and welfare of students, faculty members, and personnel while inspections are ongoing.

Meanwhile, government offices in Davao City will operate under work-from-home arrangements, except for offices providing essential services, including public safety and security, health, sanitation, traffic management, social services, and disaster and emergency response.

The measures were implemented as a precautionary response to the strong earthquake and the possibility of subsequent aftershocks.

As of press time, the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) has yet to release an official memorandum regarding class arrangements and campus operations in response to the city government's directive.

Students, faculty members, and personnel are advised to monitor official university channels for further announcements.

Article by King Willan Tabugoc
Layout by John Michael Solatar

𝐔𝐒𝐞𝐏 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝟕.𝟖 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐤𝐞

The University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) - has extended several academic deadlines scheduled for June 8 following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that was felt across various places in Mindanao on Monday, June 8, 2026.

According to a university advisory, the deadlines for the posting of grades, processing of petition courses for the off-semester, submission of accomplished INC Completion forms, and thesis/dissertation abstract and approval sheets have been moved tomorrow, June 9, 2026.

The extension comes as the university temporarily suspended onsite classes and work in response to the earthquake.

Meanwhile, all other submission deadlines aside from the aforementioned will remain unchanged.

Furthermore, the use of electronic signatures for thesis/dissertation abstracts and approval sheets have been approved for compliance and graduation requirements. However, final hardbound copies are still required to bear handwritten signatures.

In line with local government declarations and as a precautionary measure, the university shifted its academic and administrative operations to work-from-home (WFH) arrangements and online synchronous or asynchronous learning modalities.

A rapid structural assessment by the university's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Infrastructure committee will resume tomorrow.

USeP added that the temporary remote setup will remain in effect until further notice.

Article by Emmanuel Centillas
Layout by Jill Leo Camarador

𝐂𝐈𝐂 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲

The College of Information and Computing (CIC) of the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) formally welcomed its student interns into the professional field through the 2nd Pinning Ceremony held on June 4, 2026, at the Social Hall.

The ceremony gathered interns from the Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLIS), Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS), Bachelor of Science in Information Technology–Business Technology Management (BSIT-BTM), and Bachelor of Science in Information Technology–Information Security (BSIT-IS) programs.

CIC Dean Dr. Cristina E. Dumdumaya delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the importance of professionalism, responsibility, and commitment as the students transition from classroom learning to real-world practice.

The highlight of the event was the pinning ceremony itself, during which faculty members formally pinned the interns, symbolizing their preparedness to apply their knowledge and skills in professional environments.

Following the pinning rites, the Vice Governor of the CIC Local Council led the Oath of Commitment, where interns pledged to uphold ethical standards, professionalism, and excellence throughout their internship period.

The ceremony concluded with closing remarks delivered by BLIS Program Head Ma’am Gresiel E. Ferrando, who encouraged the interns to embrace the opportunities and challenges ahead while carrying the values and reputation of the university.

Article by Ana Mercy Joy Olmedo
Photos by Gerose Cubio and Denver Clarence Ballena

𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞

The official results of the student-led survey on the September 2026 graduation schedule have been released, offering the most comprehensive assessment to date of graduating students' views on the delayed ceremony.

Findings showed that 63% of graduating students were not in favor of the proposed September 2026 graduation ceremony schedule, while only 21% expressed support and 16% remained undecided.

The report further revealed that 55% of respondents did not consider the administration's decision to reschedule the graduation ceremony to September 2026 as fair and reasonable, compared to 27% who found the decision fair and reasonable and 18% who remained undecided.

Conducted by Bachelor of Science in Statistics volunteers in partnership with campus student councils and campus publications, the survey gathered responses from randomly selected graduating students across USeP's Obrero, Tagum, Mintal, and Mabini campuses.

Campus-level estimates showed that the majority of respondents from Mintal Campus (77%), Obrero Campus (69%), and Tagum Campus (54%) opposed the September graduation schedule, while Mabini Campus recorded a contrasting result with 54% in favor, 12% undecided, and 35% opposed.

The initiative was launched following widespread discussions and concerns regarding the university's decision to move the traditional June or July graduation ceremony to September 2026.

Zedrick V***r Balan, Obrero Student Council Internal Vice President and one of the BS Statistics volunteers who initiated the survey, said the findings represent more than statistical figures and should be viewed as the collective voice of the graduating class.

"As one of the graduating students and a BS Statistics volunteer who initiated this survey, I know how much work, time, and sacrifice it took for us to reach this point," Balan said.

He emphasized that graduating students fulfilled their academic responsibilities and deadlines, expressing hope that the university would likewise honor the graduation schedule within the period students had worked toward.

"This survey isn't just a collection of numbers; it's the voice of the graduating class, backed by data and evidence," he added. "We've spoken, we've participated, and we've shown what the students of this university are capable of. Now it's time for the administration to listen and act."

Balan further argued that a university that values critical thinking and evidence-based advocacy should give due consideration to the sentiments expressed by its graduating students.

The report also revealed that an overwhelming majority of graduating students want the university administration to issue an official statement explaining the rationale behind the revised graduation date.

At the same time, the study recognized that some students see advantages in the September schedule, particularly in terms of academic completion and financial preparation.

Organizers said the survey aims to ensure that student perspectives are documented through statistical evidence and considered in discussions surrounding the graduation schedule.

The full survey report is now available for public access and may be viewed through the following link: https://bit.ly/GradSurveyReport

Article by King Willan Tabugoc
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