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Friday, March 29, 2024

Binay hails 2 seniors, 2,680 UMak graduates

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Makati Mayor Abby Binay expressed her admiration for two senior citizens, both women, who recently earned a Certificate in Barangay Governance after completing, as city scholars, one year of the ladderized executive program offered by the College of Governance and Public Policy (CGPP) at the University of Makati (UMak).

Remedios Malabag Sta. Ana, 84, of Barangay South Cembo, and Teresa Pablo Jacinto, 65, of Barangay Pinagkaisahan, were among some 2,680 graduates who participated in the 45th Commencement Exercises of the city-run university last Saturday at the PICC.

“I am so impressed that these two women, despite their age, promptly took up our offer for scholarship to the elderly for various courses at UMak, which started only last year. I salute them for inspiring the youth of Makati to make the most out of the free quality education being provided by the city government,” Binay said.

In 2017, the City Council passed ordinances granting free tuition and incentives to senior citizens who pursue and finish senior high school, college or post-graduate studies at the city’s public schools, including UMak.

“Nanay Remy” (Sta. Ana) and “Nanay Tery” (Jacinto) are both working in Barangay Pinagkaisahan as health worker and as utility worker, respectively. They both decided to enroll at UMak when they learned of the scholarship offer of the city government.

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The sprightly octogenarian thanked the city government for the opportunity for higher learning and expressed her willingness to continue being a public servant of Makati.

“I was born here in Makati and I work here now. I am very much willing to continue serving the people of Makati,” stated Nanay Remy who has worked at Pinagkaisahan Barangay Health Center since 1996. 

Her classmate and colleague, 65-year old Nanay Tery, a high school graduate, also said she did not hesitate to grab the chance to be a UMak scholar and study for free even at her age.

After obtaining her Certificate from UMak, Nanay Tery now aspires to become part of the Lupon Tagapamayapa (Pacification Committee) of her barangay. She said her final paper dealt with the duties and responsibilities of the Lupon and hoped she would be given the chance to serve as a Lupon member.

Born in Makati on September 1, 1934, Nanay Remy was married to a jeepney driver and is now a widow with five children and 15 grandchildren. In her younger days, she worked in several law offices after she finished a two-year secretarial course.

Nanay Tery has been working at Pinagkaisahan Barangay Hall since 2008.  A single parent to five children, she had engaged in selling RTWs and products, and tried networking and real estate sales in her younger years. To date, she has 21 grandchildren.

Meanwhile, Mayor Abby congratulated this year’s batch of graduates from various courses, which included 294 honor graduates, for earning their diplomas after years of hard work and perseverance.

In a video message shown at the ceremony, Mayor Abby referred to the graduates as “world-ready professionals” who have been equipped with the right knowledge and skills to meet the demands of their chosen profession.

This year’s honor graduates of UMak consisted of 11 summae cum laude, 111 magna cum laude, and 146 cum laude under its baccalaureate programs; 18 with honors and two with high honors from non-baccalaureate programs; and six awards of distinction from masters and doctorate degree programs.

Based on records of the UMak Registrar, the university’s College of Business and Finance Sciences has the most number of graduates this year with a total of 576 graduates. It is followed by the College of Computer Science with 391 graduates, and College of Education, 273.

College for Workplace-Based Learning has 223 graduates; College of Technology Management, 207; Center of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 200; College of Arts and Letters, 190; and College of Allied Health Studies, 150.

Completing the roll of graduates are 132 graduates of the College of Science; College of Governance and Public Policy, 94; College of Construction Sciences and Civil Engineering, 92; College of Maritime Leadership Innovation, 81; and Center of Human Kinesthetics, 71 graduates.

This year, the city government of Makati has allocated a total budget of P181.2 million for the programs and operations of the University of Makati.

Through UMak, the country’s first ISO-certified local university, quality tertiary education has been made accessible to all, including children from poor families in the city. The city government has invested billions in modernizing its facilities and expanding its course offerings to keep abreast of prevailing trends in the workplace.

In August 2017, UMak School of Law (SOL) was opened through the initiative of its founding dean, former Vice President Jejomar Binay. It has started offering Juris Doctor on full scholarship to deserving students. Aside from free tuition, SOL scholars also enjoy P10,000 monthly allowance and P10,000 book stipend every semester. 

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