TOL Views
Senator Francis N. Tolentino
A graduation is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. It is a milestone to be celebrated in the presence of one’s family, teachers, and peers. It is a celebration that showcases not only the accomplishments of students, but also the educational institution’s heritage and tradition. For two years, the COVID-19 pandemic had taken away this experience from our recent graduates – until February 5, 2022.
On that date, the University of St. Louie in Tuguegarao City, Province of Cagayan, made headlines as the first educational institution to hold a face-to-face graduation ceremony since the start of this pandemic in 2020.
The university was allowed by its local Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to conduct a physical ceremony. To ensure that proper health and safety protocols were in place, the event was monitored by the Tuguegarao City government. Protocols, such as the wearing of face masks, observance of social distancing, and the limitation on graduates to bring only one parent or guest, contributed to the success of the face-to-face graduation rites.
As we come close to what seems to be the end of this laborious trail that is the pandemic, we are hopeful that more face-to-face graduation ceremonies will be held.
Under the IATF Resolution No. 164, series of 2022, issued last March 10, 2022, the conduct of limited face-to-face classes for higher educational institutions operating in areas under Alert Level 1 was approved.
On March 7, 2022, Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones expressed that with the resumption of physical classes, the conduct of face-to-face graduation will follow. It was further reported that the Office of the Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction is preparing for guidelines on how to conduct face-to-face graduation ceremonies in the new normal.
With the easing restrictions, it is time to allow parents, beaming with pride, to watch their child be conferred with his or her degree. The euphoria that comes with celebrating a graduation in the physical presence of one’s family, classmates, and teachers is like no other. This feeling is one that can never be captured in virtual ceremonies through the use of technology.
After all the hard work and enduring two years of remote learning, our graduates should be given the experience of marching to the graduation hymn, provided, of course, that the IATF guidelines are duly followed.