19/05/2026
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱, 𝗦𝗶𝗿! 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗦𝗶𝗿!
The Basic Graduation and Turnover Ceremony of Corps Year 2025-2026 was graced with the presence of Vgd Luis Juan B Oreta ‘77, the National Commander of the UP Vanguard Incorporated (UPVI) and the Guest of Honor and Speaker.
As he congratulated the cadets for their graduation, he reminded them of the significance of the shibboleths of Duty, Honor, and Country beyond their ROTC training. He emphasized that being a cadet at the University of the Philippines makes us embrace a dual identity of a scholar-soldier who understands the pursuit of knowledge is incomplete without the discipline to apply it in the service of others.
Below is his inspiring message for the graduating cadets.
—
VGD LUIS JUAN B ORETA ‘77
National Commander, UP Vanguard Incorporated
UP Diliman Advanced ROTC “Kamandag” Class of 1977
16 March 2026, University Amphitheater
𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗖
We mark the conclusion of this academic year today on a field that has served as the birthplace for generations of leaders. To be a cadet at the University of the Philippines is to embrace a dual identity: to be a scholar-soldier who understands that the pursuit of knowledge is incomplete without the discipline to apply it in service to others.
Before anything else, I want to say what must be said plainly and without reservation: congratulations. Not just for completing the ROTC program, but for the manner in which you completed it. You attended every training day. You stood your ground through hardship. And when the Regional Annual Administrative and Tactical Inspection — RAATI 2026 — came, you did not merely pass. You proved your mettle across every category on the field. That is the result of discipline, of teamwork, of choosing to be excellent when it would have been easier not to be.
𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘪 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘕𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘺𝘰 𝘬𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘢𝘯𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨.
Remember that feeling. It is what you are capable of.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴
You are coming of age in a world that feels increasingly precarious. Closer to home, the Philippines navigates its own period of profound uncertainty: high inflation, a growing national debt, and a political environment peppered with tremors as the nation prepares for critical transitions ahead. The global landscape is dominated by the echoes of conflict in the Middle East, where recent escalations remind us that the peace we often take for granted is fragile.
But it is precisely because the world is uncertain that your training matters. The nation requires a bedrock of stability. You — the young men and women of this Corps — are that bedrock. If you looked up the word shibboleth in the dictionary it would say it meant “ a widely held belief or a truism”. And if I asked you what were the shibboleths of the Corps of Cadets you would tell me they were “Duty, Honor, Country”.
𝗗𝘂𝘁𝘆: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲
In a world that prizes instant gratification Duty is the quiet voice that commands you to stand tall when your body begs you to slump. It is the commitment to show up at 0500 hours — not because someone is watching, but because your unit depends on your presence. It is making ROTC training a tool for critical thinking and problem-solving in high-stakes environments, not merely a box to be checked.
Your duty as a UP cadet extends far beyond these drills. As Iskolar ng Bayan, you carry a moral obligation to excel in your academic pursuits so that you may eventually offer your expertise to a country squeezed by economic pressure. Whether you study engineering, law, or the social sciences, the discipline forged on this field is the discipline that will carry you — and the communities you will serve — through whatever comes next. Excellence is a duty, not an elective.
𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗹
While Duty governs your actions, Honor governs your spirit. Amidst reports of corruption and long-standing debates over political reform, honor becomes your most vital asset. For a cadet, honor is the uncompromising integrity that ensures your word is your bond — even when no one is watching, especially when no one is watching
Honor is what separates a leader from a mere commander. It is the quality that allows your fellow Filipinos to trust you with their future. By standing here today, you have chosen the harder right over the easier wrong. Carry that into every classroom, laboratory, and workplace you enter. Never let the noise of the world tarnish the internal shine of your character.
𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Finally, we speak of Country — and in 2026, this is no longer an abstract concept. It is the reality of a nation striving for resilience. By wearing this uniform, you have made a promise to the Republic. You have signaled that if the time comes when our sovereignty is challenged, or when our communities need organized and disciplined leadership in a crisis, you will be among those who possess both the skill and the will to respond.
The role of a UP ROTC graduate in continuing the tradition of public service and nation-building is not ceremonial. It is active and constant. Whether your path leads you into military service or a civilian career, carry these values of the Corps with you. Think critically and lead with integrity. Serve without condition. Our nation needs leaders who are as brave in their thinking as they are in their actions.
𝗧𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀
We are also here to witness the turnover of responsibilities by the graduating 1st Class Cadet Officers. This symbolizes the vital continuity of leadership and the importance of mentorship within this Corps. To the outgoing officers: you have paved the way for those following you, embodying the qualities of effective leadership. The officers you are handing these responsibilities to are watching how you carry yourselves even now, in this final act. Lead them well by leaving well. Let me tell you those under you will continue to have their eyes on you well beyond your years in the University.
As the National Commander of UP Vanguard Inc., I recall my own time in UP ROTC. The lessons I learned in discipline, teamwork, and resilience have been the foundation of my life beyond this field. This tradition of public service and nation-building does not belong to the past; it belongs to you—if you choose to seize it.
To our UP Vanguard alumni joining us today for this homecoming celebration — welcome back to the field that shaped you. The initiatives of UP Vanguard to build and sustain a strong alumni network are a testament to what this institution stands for: that the bonds forged here do not expire at graduation. To the first class cadets: these alumni are a resource. Engage with them. Learn from them. The network you are part of extends far beyond this field, and it is ready to support you as you build your careers and serve your communities.
𝗚𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
As you return your equipment and transition back to the full-time life of a student, do not leave these principles behind in the armory. The discipline of the Corps — the attention to detail, the punctuality, the grit — must become the hallmark of your life. The challenges you faced this year, the personal growth you have experienced — these are not memories to be filed away. They are tools to be used.
Carry Duty, Honor, and Country as a living commitment you renew each morning. Make the discipline, punctuality, and grit you developed here the hallmark of your life, whether in military service or civilian careers.
The world is watching what your generation will do. More importantly, your country is watching.
𝘕𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢 𝘪𝘯𝘺𝘰. 𝘕𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘴𝘢 𝘪𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘺𝘰𝘯.
The University has produced people of extraordinary courage in her darkest hours; people who stepped up when it was easier to step aside. Go forward with that weight and that privilege.
𝘿𝙪𝙩𝙮. 𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙧. 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮. Not just for this year. For the rest of your lives.
Push on, UP!
𝘔𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘩𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴. 𝘔𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘩𝘢𝘺 𝘬𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘵.
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