By Patricia Pedroso, BA-Communication 4, The Centralian Link Intern

CPUES graduates pose for their group photo alongside key University Officials as the ceremony comes to a close.

Anchored on Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trusting God’s Perfect Plan, Confident in His Promised Tomorrow,” CPU Elementary School proudly celebrated its 97th Graduation Ceremony at Rose Memorial Auditorium. Held on March 28, 2026, the event was a culmination of academic excellence, faith, and guidance.

With 137 graduates, Florence D. Bogacia, the Vice President for Finance & Enterprises, opened the event with an invocation, noting that the day was a significant milestone for the young learners. Afterwards, Rev. Dr. Ernest Howard B. Dagohoy led the opening remarks. “Six years ago, they entered the portals of CPU Elementary School as children— eager yet uncertain about the challenges ahead,” he noted, “however their tenure here in the CPU Elementary School has been a time of profound growth and discovery.”

On behalf of the students, honor graduate J.C. Jino gave his words of salutations, thanking his fellow students, friends, their teachers, families, and their parents for their unwavering support, love, and sacrifices which shaped the graduates to the people they have become on that day. “May we leave a mark, not just through what we achieve, but also through the kindness, empathy, and integrity we carry with us,” Jino urged.

As the event’s guest speaker, Atty. Albert Jan Matthew A. Java, a proud product of CPUES who once balanced the rigors of academic excellence with the weight of student leadership, recollected how his countless accolades and path was paved not by his own strength, but by a higher calling. Drawing from the reassurance of Zechariah 4:6, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord,” the speaker traced his journey from a hesitant Grade 1 student to a nationally recognized leader and gave five significant lessons to serve as a compass for the graduates as they further their education.

He advised the students to trust the vision of their parents in times of uncertainty– to return to those who have cheered for them from the very start and ask what potential they saw in their children. In times of hardship, he cautioned them to respond wisely. In times of success, he warned them not to confuse it for happiness, for the former may seem synonymous as the latter, but it was fleeting if unrooted in purpose. Acting as a sobering reality check, he noted that life would only be harder from then on, and that they were not the main characters in the world. He challenged the graduates to look beyond themselves, emphasizing that their lives are affected by a multitude of factors and people, and true growth begins when one realizes they are not the sole authors of their own potential.

He concluded by anchoring every lesson in a single source of strength, reminding the graduates that while the road ahead will be difficult, they will be okay because they are never truly alone. “Who do you think knows your full potential?” he asked the graduates once more. “We are created beings, and only God knows what we are truly capable of.” On a resounding note, he encouraged the graduates to know Christ more to fully understand their own capacity.

The graduates were then officially recognized with the assistance of University President Ernest Howard G. Dagohoy, alongside Aries Roda D. Romallosa, Vice President for Research, Development, and Extension, University Registrar Charissa June G. Deocampo, Merle L. Junsay, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Florence P. Bogacia, Vice President for Finance and Enterprises, Esther Rose A. Romarate, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Engr. Dany C. Molina, Vice President for Administration.

In commemoration of the late Dr. Carmen Pama-Santos, her eldest son Rowland Kim Pama-Santos awarded cash incentives and medals to the top fifteen learners. The program was enriched by performances from alumna Claire Marie Somosierra-Lorenzo, while honor awardee Ryza Kaye Q. Bauisan reminded her classmates that they remain one family despite their coming departure. Following the Alumni Pledge and Dr. Merle L. Junsay’s “SHINE” challenge, the batch performed their graduation song, “What God has Planned.”

The ceremony concluded with a benediction by Pastor Louvel Edson L. Caspe, sending the graduates into their next chapter anchored in the University’s commitment to faith and excellence.

Congratulations, CPUES Batch 2025-2026, and may God bless you on your future endeavors!