Former and incoming graduates of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina (PLMAR) will accept their diplomas on stage in the presence of their teachers, peers, and family this June at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), courtesy of the local government of Marikina City.
The venue for the graduation rites and ceremonies was announced by the city's public information office (PIO) on Friday, May 27.
The Sunday morning rites, June 26, will be reserved for those who graduated for both academic years 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021.
Two days will be dedicated for those who will graduate for the academic year 2021 to 2022 on Sunday afternoon, June 26, and Monday, June 27.
Specific time schedules and other details regarding the graduation ceremonies have yet to be announced.
The local government made the initial announcement on May 8 through the PIO.
" Dahil sa pagtutulong-tulong nating pababain ang Covid-19 cases sa Marikina at gawing ligtas ang lungsod para sa pagsasama-sama ( Because of our cooperation in reducing Covid-19 cases in Marikina, and making the city safe for mass gatherings)," said Marikina City Mayor Marcelino "Marcy" Teodoro.
The mayor said many former PLMAR students who only had virtual graduations in 2020 and 2021, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, also requested for a belated ceremony.
"Batid ko na ang graduation ay isang makasaysayang academic at family milestone (I believe that graduation is a historic academic and family milestone)," Teodoro said.
"Kasiyahan ko ang inyong tagumpay sa pag-abot ng inyong pangarap...Buong kasiyahan at sama-sama nating ipagdiwang ang inyong tagumpay! (Your victory in achieving your dreams is my happiness...Let's gladly come together to celebrate this achievement)," Teodoro added as a message to the graduates.
On-site school classes and mass gatherings were not allowed for almost two years as the nation grappled with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The highly transmissible nature of the Covid-19 virus imposed citywide lockdowns and quarantines that made virtual or online classes the only means of learning for children and students.
Around December of 2021, pilot runs of limited face-to-face classes were held, led by the Department of Education (DepEd), following the loosening of Covid-19 restrictions in Metro Manila.
Two schools in Marikina City were among the 28 in Metro Manila that participated in the pilot run of the face-to-face classes, led by the DepEd on Dec. 6, 2021.
These schools were St. Mary Elementary School in Barangay Nangka and Tañong High School located in Barangay Tañong.
In an interview with DZRH on May 23, Teodoro said their "balik eskwela" measures are on-going, as schools in the city are holding their own hybrid, limited face-to-face setups.
Handwashing facilities are being built in the schools, classrooms are being added, cross ventilation is being improved, and teachers are being trained on the new normal protocol, he said.