587 Cebu City scholars finish with latin honors

CEBU, Philippines — Close to 600 academic scholars of Cebu City government graduated this year with latin honors--two of them are summa cum laude.

Cebu City College Scholarship Program (CCCSP) executive director Judy Navarrete said that this year’s batch of city scholars produced a total of 587 graduates with distinction.

Navarrete said that aside from John Dale Quiñones and John Lloyd Vargas who graduated with the highest honors of summa cum laude at the Cebu Institute of Technology-University, there were also 156 who finished magna cum laude, and 429 cum laude.

Navarrete said this is the first time since the establishment of the scholarship program in 2016 that they are able to produce a summa cum laude.

“This is the first time naka kuha ta duha ka summa cum laude from CIT-U,” said Navarrete.

The graduates were given recognition by the city government the other day at the IEC Pavilion.

The two summa cum laude received P20,000 each and a plaque. The magna cum laude were given P15,000 each and plaque while each cum laude scholars got P10,000 and a plaque.

From 4,000 in the early years, there are now 15,000 scholars the city government is supporting in different colleges and universities in the city.

Navarette said the scholars should be thankful for the full support from Mayor Michael Rama and the City Council.

Mayor Rama, thru a video message, told the scholars not to sit on their laurels.

“Please take care on these laurels, don’t sit on it. Don’t focus on your recognition, it has to be coupled with a heart with conviction and develop the conscience that you will end up a catalyst, stirring, motivating others,” Rama said.

Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia echoed Rama’s message while encouraging the awardees to continue their pursuit of excellence and to use their education to make a meaningful impact in their community.

Councilor Joel Garganera, though not product of the City scholarship program, but a scholar himself at the University of the Philippines hopes the scholars to also “give back” in whatever way they can, just like he did, not only thru public service, but other assistance he can extend for his alma mater.

Councilor Donaldo Hontiveros, who chairs the scholarship program, hopes the scholars will be grateful to the city government and will help improve the program. He lamented how previous graduates refused to help when tapped for a project by the city government. —/FPL (FREEMAN)