The Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio is this year’s 46th Commencement Speaker on June 15, 2016 at the MSU-IIT Gymnasium.
Justice Carpio earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1970. He finished his law degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law graduating valedictorian and cum laude in 1975. He took sixth place in the 1975 Bar Examinations.
Below are the other details about SC Justice Carpio taken from the SC Philippines Official website:
In his student days, Justice Carpio was Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Philippine Law Journal of the U.P. College of Law. He was Editor-in- Chief of The Guidon, the school paper of Ateneo de Manila University. He also served as Managing Editor of the Philippine Collegian, the school paper of the University of the Philippines.
Fresh out of law school, Justice Carpio went into private practice and founded the Carpio Villaraza and Cruz Law firm. He was a Professorial Lecturer of the U.P. College of Law from 1983 until 1992 when he was appointed Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, Office of the President of the Philippines.
Justice Carpio was a member of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines from 1993 to 1998. He was a member of the Technology Transfer Board of the Department of Industry from 1978 to 1979. He served as Special Representative of the Department of Trade for textile negotiations from 1980 to 1981. He was elected President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Pasay-Makati Chapter (1985-1986), Director of the U.P. Law Alumni Association (1984-1989), and Director of the Philippine Bar Association (1989-1990).
For his “distinguished and exemplary service” to the Republic, Justice Carpio was awarded in 1998 the Presidential Medal of Merit by then President Fidel Ramos. In 1991, Justice Carpio received the Outstanding Achievement Award in Law from the Ateneo de Manila Alumni Association. In 2002, he was also the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Ateneo de Davao Alumni Association. In 2009, he was conferred a Doctorate of Laws, honoris causa, by the Ateneo de Davao University.
Justice Carpio is the Chair of the Second Division and Chair of the Senate Electoral Tribunal.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte was the guest speaker during the Institute’s 45th Commencement Exercises held at the MSU-IIT Gymnasium on April 7, 2015.
Duterte arrived by helicopter from Davao City landing at the Iligan City National High School grounds. He was met by an MSU-IIT official party led by former BOR regent and Protocol Officer Eduardito C. Maruhom, Rex G. Ortega of the Office of the Chancellor, and former Iligan City Mayor Franklin M. Quijano.
After signing autographs and posing with some of his admirers who were on hand to greet him at the high school grounds, Duterte, wearing a plaid, polo shirt and jeans then proceeded to the MSU-IIT with police escorts.
MSU-IIT Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol and top officials as well as the incumbent Iligan City Mayor Celso Regencia were among those who greeted Duterte upon his arrival at the MSU-IIT where he was again mobbed by an adoring crowd.
After he changed into the academic gown, everyone went post haste to the Gymnasium for the graduation ceremony.
Setting aside his prepared speech, the Mayor spoke extemporaneously tracing first the country’s history leading to the Mamasapano killings.
He began when the Spaniards stayed in the country for 400 years imposing her religion, Christianity, and her attempts to convert Muslims to Christianity hence, the Muslim resistance; and the coming of the Americans who stayed for 50 years imposing treaties with so-called “parity rights” but in reality, he said, it was anything but “parity or equal”; and, America’s influence to this day has resulted in inequities in the sharing of income and resources by today’s politicians or today’s elite who are based in Manila who decide on who will receive and how much share is given to certain groups when, ironically, Mindanao contributes about 54 per cent of its income from agricultural products to the national coffers. He then lamented what all Mindanaoans know that Mindanao gets only, in return, a small share of the nation’s wealth.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte
In Duterte’s historical meanderings, he explained that the Mamasapano killings happened because, like the colonizers who did not ask permission from the country’s inhabitants to stay in the country, he said, the “bright boys among the Police” went into Mamasapano territory violating the ceasefire agreement.
Duterte later had a luncheon meeting at the Institute Board room with local businessmen led by his former dorm mate at the San Beda College’s Law School, Benny Badelles.
After this, Duterte left for the College of Engineering (COE) Amphitheatre where a multi-sector crowd gathered for his “Listening Tour” on Federalism organized by Quijano.
The multi sector forum on federalism at the COE Amphitheatre
The forum opened with a power point presentation on federalism by Chancellor Tanggol based on his own book on federalism.
MSU-IIT Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol
Federalism simply means a system of government where there are two levels of distribution of power within a given territory. Today, the Philippines runs a unitary form of government where the central government holds all the powers to chart the country’s present and future, including the local concerns of cities and provinces.
In his extemporaneous speech again at the COE Amphitheatre, Duterte mentioned the newspaper article from Inquirer where Peace Secretary Ging Deles warned of ‘bloodshed’ if the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is not passed. Duterte agreed about this prediction but elaborated that the battleground will be in Mindanao and not elsewhere.
However, Duterte reiterated his allegiance to the country as a Filipino and asserted that he is for peace.
He also talked about the unspoken differences between tribal groups and the less known fact that is common knowledge among Mindanaoans of the gap between the tribal groups. For example, he said, the Tausug cannot like the Maranaos and vice versa, and if the central government deals with the Maguindanaos through the BBL, then it must deal with Nur Misuari, a Tausug, as well as the Yakans and the Sama.
A lawyer who finished his Law degree from San Beda College, Duterte has been Mayor of Davao City for 23 years and is serving his seventh term as Mayor. He was also a one-time Vice Mayor and Congressman. A son of a provincial governor of a once unified Davao, Duterte is known to have cleansed Davao of rebels, and criminal elements, an achievement all peoples of Mindanao acknowledge.
Most of all, Duterte is known as a Mayor with the common touch. He is said to never turn away anyone who wants to see him. He accommodates everybody and is not time conscious of his appointments making some MSU-IIT students to remark, since he was already running late for the MSU-IIT Commencement Exercises, “he is worth waiting for.”
And this is borne out of present realities. Minutes after the MSU-IIT official Facebook (FB) page announced that he, Duterte is this year’s commencement speaker, 200 gave positive comments and shared the post and 1,000 likes were posted.
Called alternately as “idol”, and “hero”, Iligan residents turned out to greet him despite the noon day heat. His commencement speech was live-streamed by the MSU-IIT Center for E-Learning (Micel) because only about 4,000-5,000 could be accommodated in the MSU-IIT Gymnasium at any one time.
This year’s graduating class of 1,612 hung on to Duterte’s every word during his speech before the MSU-IIT Class 2015 that had 35 magna cum laudes; 261 cum laudes for the degree courses; 15 With Honors in the three-year Diploma courses and five (5) for the two-year Diploma courses.
The 2015 class was led by Class Valedictorian Rachel Anne O. Monteclaro, a BS Biology graduate major in Zoology, summa cum laude with a GPA of 1.19848. The School of Engineering Technology (SET) posted the highest number of graduates at 320 followed by 229 from the College of Business Administration & Accountancy; 224 from the College of Arts and Social Sciences; 211 from the College of Education; 199 from the College of Engineering; 182 from the College of Science & Mathematics; 117 from the School of Computer Studies; 84 from the College of Nursing; and, 33 from the School of Graduate Studies. Thirteen more joined the graduating class that brought the total number of graduates this year to 1,612. The MSUS President Macapado Muslim was represented by MSUS Executive Vice President Dr. Emmanuel M. Lagare during the two-hour graduation ceremony. Lagare conferred the various titles and degrees on the 2015 Graduating Class in the presence of BOR regents, Chancellors of the different MSUS units and the MSU-IIT Chancellor Tanggol.
It would seem now that University of the Philippines (UP) Professor Felipe Mendoza de Leon, Jr. is the best choice for a speaker during this year’s 5th Mid-Year Commencement Exercises which is hosted by the College of Arts & Social Sciences (CASS).
He delivers the commencement address to over 600 graduates at 9:00 AM at the Gymnasium on November 20, 2014.
De Leon graduated with an Electronics and Communications engineering degree from Feati University,but he has, since the late 1960s, turned to a lifelong study of the country’s music forms and has led in the promotion of the country’s culture and arts.
At present he is the Head of the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) National Committee on Music and the Head of the Sub Commission on the Arts, at the same time, the Chairman and Commissioner of the NCCA. He is also Chairman of the NCCA’s Committee on Filipino Intangible Heritage. In this capacity, he led the process responsible for having the country’s two major epics, the Ifugao Hudhud and the Maranao Darangen proclaimed as UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage for Humanity.
He had previously headed many other posts at the NCCA since the 1990s for instance, as Chairman of the NCCA Sub Commission on the Arts from 2004-2007, and the Sub Commission for Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts from 1992-1998 during which period the Schools of Living Traditions (SLTs) were established all over the country.
He was Chair of the Humanities Division of the National Research Council of the Philippines; the Commissioner of UNESCO Philippines in 1999-2002; and, as Chairman of the Gawad Sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasures Awards) this award was institutionalized in recognition of the masters of traditional arts in the country towards the preservation and transmission of skills to the younger generation.
This passion for the country’s culture and arts is shown in his home where material and art objects showcasing Philippine arts and crafts become an integral part.
He is the son of the National Artist for Music Felipe Padilla de Leon, famous for translating the lyrics of the Philippine National Anthem into Tagalog from the original lyrics in Spanish. De Leon, Jr. who admires his father said that among his father’s famous compositions are “Noche Buena” which was composed in seven minutes and “Pasko na Naman” which was composed in five minutes.
He is father to the multi-awarded film music scorer Diwa de Leon and the multi-awarded triathlon athlete Ani de Leon.
De Leon, Jr. has held other administrative positions in UP Diliman — as Chairman of the Department of Humanities where he charted the shift from a Eurocentric to a World Art approach emphasizing Southeast Asian and Philippine arts; as President of the National Association for Philippine Psychology, elected as Vice President of the International Music Council (IMC) of the UNESCO in California, eventually becoming the only Asian member of IMC to represent the country in meetings in Malmo, Sweden, in Rome and in Brno, Czech Republic.
He was instrumental in bringing Philippine music not only around the country but in the US, Finland, Lithuania, Sweden and in Italy.
Among his numerous compositions are the music for various plays such as Yerma by Federico Garcia Lorca, Lysistrata by Aristophanes and Rizal’s Noli me tangere directed by Tony Mabesa; the official hymn, Diwang Pilipino commissioned by the National Centennial Commission which was launched at the Quirino Grandstand by then President Fidel V. Ramos; the Senate Hymn and the NCCA Hymn.
De Leon also finished an AB in Humanities, cum laude from UP; a Fine Arts degree in composition and music theory also at the UP; his musicological studies at the Madras Music Academy in India and Philippine Studies at the UP College of Arts & Letters.
His published works include Philippine Art and Literature, Volume III of the Filipino Nation Encyclopedia published by Grolier International in 1982; Art, Man and Nature: Selected Readings in the Humanities and numerous articles on cultural issues especially on cultural creativity and diversity, worldviews and values, and culture and development. He was the main author of the ASEAN Declaration for Cultural Heritage.
His many awards include the Gawad Chancellor Award by the UP Diliman; Achievement Awardee of the National Research Council of the Philippines; Bayani ng Alamat Awardee by the UP Manila; one of ten Outstanding Citizens of Quezon City; Outstanding Achievement Award by the Phi Kappa Phi International Honor Society; and, a Gawad Parangal by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for outstanding service to the DFA. — for OC OPI
The Iligan City Mayor Celso G. Regencia is the 44th Commencement Speaker on April 10, 2014 at the MSU-IIT Gymnasium.
Regencia was elected City Mayor after his term as the City Director of the Iligan City Police Office in 2011-2012.
He took his Bachelor of Science in Public Safety, his Bachelor of Science in Criminology and his Masters in Public Administration at the Philippine National Police Academy.
The main special courses he had taken as part of his training as a Police Officer include: A Public Safety Officer’s Basic, Advance and Senior Executive Courses in various venues around the country; an Internal Security Operations Course; an International Human Rights Law Seminar; a Moral Recovery Program; an Anti-Human Smuggling Seminar, and an Anti-Drug Trafficking Seminar with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Aside from his having served as the City Police Director, he has been assigned in various capacities as Chief Regional Logistics Division RIO; Battalion Commander of the 911 PNP Company; as Satellite Officer of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force; as Group Director of the Iligan City Mobile Group; as Chief of the City Intelligence Division and the Patrol Division; as Intelligence and Operations Division of Lanao del Norte and as Station Commander of Kauswagan and Maigo Police stations.
Among his awards are: Best Station Commander Region 12; Best Company Commander Nationwide in 2003 and in 2006; as Best City Director of the Region in 2011, and as Best Senior Police Commissioned Officer for Administration in 2011.
Along with these awards, he has received several medals of honor and distinction such 24 Medalya ngPapuri; 9 Medalya ng Paglilingkod; 18 Medalya ng Kasanayan; 6 Medalya ng Paglaban sa Manliligalig; 6 Medalya ng Paglilingkod sa Mindanao; 8 Medalya ng Kagalingan; the PNP Badge of Honor; and, the Long Service Medal for 30 Consecutive Years of Service with a Bronze Anahaw Leaf Medal.
Duterte arrived by helicopter from Davao City landing at the Iligan City National High School grounds. He was met by an MSU-IIT official party led by former BOR regent and Protocol Officer Eduardito C. Maruhom, Rex G. Ortega of the Office of the Chancellor, and former Iligan City Mayor Franklin M. Quijano.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte
The multi sector forum on federalism at the COE Amphitheatre
MSU-IIT Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol
MSU-IIT Batch 2015
