The Taguig City University (TCU) reversed its decision barring summer class students who completed academic requirements from joining the graduation rites next month.
The TCU Graduation Rites will be held on Aug. 27 at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia Complex.
In an announcement on July 25, the TCU said, “The TCU Board of Regents (BOR) chaired by Mayor Maria Laarni ‘Lani’ Cayetano, unanimously decided in its meeting last July 23, 2024 to allow Summer Class students to join the TCU Graduation Rites on August 27, 2024 at SMX MOA, provided that they have completed all their requirements by August 8, 2024.”
The announcement by the Taguig City University allowing summer class students to join the graduation rites on Aug. 27 (Photos from Taguig City University)
“Those who cannot complete the requirements on time can join succeeding graduation rites,” it added.
Last July 16, TCU said that based on the decision by university officials including deans, and representatives of the Taguig City government, only students who completed academic requirements for the second semester of school year 2023 to 2024 would be allowed to join the graduation rites.
“Gayun pa man, magkakaroon ng espesyal na pulong ang Konsehong Pang-akademiko at ang BOR upang ang mga makakapagkumpleto ng lahat ng academic requirements ngayong summer ay maaari pa ring ituring na graduates (However, there will be a special meeting of the Academic Council and BOR [board of regents] so that those who will complete all the academic requirements this summer can still be considered graduates),” the university announced.
It added that the summer class students can get their transcript of records and join the graduation rites in 2025.
“Ang pagpapasyang ito ay naaayon din sa mga pamantayan at alituntunin na pinaiiral sa iba pang Unibersidad at Kolehiyo sa Pilipinas (This decision is in accordance with the standards and regulations that are being implemented in other Universities and Colleges in the Philippines),” it said.
The Facebook post was met with criticisms from students and netizens, while others asked Cayetano to overturn the TCU decision.
Here are some of the Facebook comments on TCU’s post:
- “Sana po bago po pinatupad yan pinagisipan po muna or inannounce man lang nung second semester po. ang dami na po kasi nagenroll ng summer class para makahabol. kawawa naman po yung students, kung ganyan lang din po edi sana nagregular class na lang po at hindi na hinabol sa summer. wag po sana kayo biglaan nagdesisyon kasi nakapagenroll na po ng summer class eh, inaapply na lang po sana yan next batch, at least na heads up na po.”
- “So sad. Hindi nyo inisip yung feelings ng students nag efforts mag take ng summer agad para makapag martya.”
- “Mahal Namin mayor bakit ganito Ang nangyari sa halip na makatulong na sa mga magulang bkit ndi nu paakyatin Ilan taon NILA yn pinaghirapan asan Ang katarungan Wala manlan consideration kala kopo ba edukasyon Ang priority Ng taguig parang Palala Ng Palala angbpatakaran”
- “Totoong bang ganito ang ibang unibersidad? Anyone experienced or knew this happened in other schools?? Please enlighten us. This is so unfair to those graduating students na naapektuhan lang ng pandemic kaya kinailangan mag summer class.”
The announcement by the Taguig City University on July 16 barring summer class students from joining the graduation rites (Photo from Taguig City University) 
Meeting of the Taguig City University Board of Regents chaired by Mayor Lani Cayetano on July 23 (Photos from Mayor Cayetano's Facebook account)