A quarterly newsletter for the visitors of the University of Makati written, compiled and layout by the Website Management Team and Corporate Communications Center.

1. UniversityOfMakati1 @UMak_Official @OFFICIAL_UMAK google.com/+UniversityofMakati1
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A quarterly newsletter for the visitors of the University of Makati APRIL—JUNE 2015 • ISSUE NO. 3 • VOLUME 1
2,669 GRADUATES RECEIVE
DIPLOMAS IN 2ND HSU
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES:
Another Breakthrough in the History of the Philippine Education System
University of Makati Oval,
Saturday, April 11 – The big-
gest number of senior high
school graduates in the country
was once again recorded by the
Higher School ng UMak (HSU)
as 2,669 graduates received
their senior high school diplo-
mas from national and local
officials led by Makati Mayor
Jejomar Erwin Binay, Jr., De-
partment of Education (DepEd)
-Bureau of Secondary Educa-
tion Director Jocelyn Andaya,
DepEd Makati Superintendent
Dominico Idanan, UMak Exec-
utive Vice President Raymundo
Arcega, and UMak Vice Presi-
dent for Academic Affairs Da-
lisay Brawner.
It may be recalled that Univer-
sity of Makati (UMak) was one
of only 33 institutions in the
country that piloted the K to 12
Senior High School Program in
2012. With the blessings of
Mayor Binay, UMak President
Tomas Lopez, Jr. boldly ac-
cepted the invitation from De-
pEd Secretary Armin Luistro
by declaring a moratorium on
the acceptance of first year col-
lege students for two years.
This paved the way for the full
implementation of the program,
unlike other institutions that
made it optional for the stu-
dents and opened only one or
two pilot sections.
President Lopez prophesied
that “this educational reform
can be the key to unlock the
full potential of the 21st centu-
ry Filipino” during the orienta-
tion summit and soft launch in
2012. Now on its fourth school
year of implementation and
with two batches of
senior high school stu-
dents successfully
graduated, the HSU is
living proof of an edu-
cational reform that
has enhanced the stu-
dents‟ learning-to-
learn competencies in
the context of Filipino
culture and values,
while equipping them
with course options
aligned with their area
of interest for speciali-
zation or potential
work opportunities.
The HSU graduates are
therefore ready for the
world – be it for the
world of higher educa-
tion or the world of
work.
“I am highly confident
that the Higher School
ng UMak has suffi-
ciently prepared our graduates
for the demands of tertiary edu-
cation, and even for employ-
ment should they decide to en-
ter the workforce. Such prepar-
atory learning is assured with
the facilities UMak provides
and its strong partnership with
the business community. The
theme of the Commencement
Exercises, „A Legacy of Institu-
tionalizing a New Education
Paradigm‟, reflects the cher-
ished thrust of UMak of proac-
tively embracing change to
mold its students into produc-
tive, innovative and dependable
citizens and leaders of the fu-
ture,” said Mayor Binay as he
congratulated the graduates.
Other key officials who graced
the event were Vice President
for Administration and Finance
Aurora Serrano, University
Secretary Elyxzur Ramos, HSU
Dean Estrella Chan, HSU Prin-
cipal Gloria Mallari, University
Registrar Ellen Punzalan, plus
other academic deans, directors
and heads, administrative direc-
tors and heads, and faculty
members.
In her Commencement Ad-
dress, Dir. Andaya narrated the
four-minute mile stories.
“Batch 2015, there will be
times when you might encoun-
ter the four-minute mile barrier.
They come in many forms:
financial, physical, emotional,
personal or even family. There
might even be people around
you who say you can‟t do it or
that it simply couldn‟t be done.
If you encounter them, it is all
the more reason for you to per-
severe, to be determined. Don‟t
be afraid or get discouraged.
All it takes is faith … if you
have faith even as small as a
mustard seed, you could say to
this mountain, „Move from here
to there,‟ and it would move.
Nothing is impossible.”
Before concluding her speech,
Dir. Andaya paid tribute to the
parents of the graduates for
their untold sacrifices to send
their children to a good school.
In consonance with this, Carlos
Nicolas, the 2nd HSU valedic-
torian graduate, honored his
recently departed mother.
“To my best friend, super hero
and alarm clock, to my mother,
this is for you.” Nicolas, who
specialized in local government
management, recalled his moth-
er‟s financial struggle. Facing
the thousands of graduates, he
recalled how he was deter-
mined to surpass the trials he
and his mother were going
through so he pushed himself to
study hard to earn the coveted
medal and make his mother
proud. Nicolas‟ story is surely
worthy of joining the ranks of
the four-minute mile stories.
A tripartite memorandum of
agreement was signed by De-
pEd, Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority,
and the City Government of
Makati back in August 2012 to
formally launch UMak‟s senior
high school modeling program,
branded Higher School ng
UMak or HSU. Envisioned to
produce “holistically developed
learners who have 21st century
skills and are prepared for high-
er education, middle level
skills, employment and entre-
preneurship,” the HSU model
offers four tracks: 1. Academ-
ic; 2. Technical-Vocational; 3.
Sports and Arts; and 4. Needs
of the Locality or Community.
All students of HSU enjoy the
privilege of free tuition, books,
school supplies and uniform.
The hour-long procession of the biggest senior high school graduates
in the country
Mayor Binay and EVP Arcega are all smiles as they hand the diploma of a Grade
12 graduate.
info@umak.edu.ph
www.umak.edu.ph

2. Page 2 APRIL—JUNE 2015 • ISSUE NO. 3 • VOLUME 1
UniversityOfMakati1 @UMak_Official @OFFICIAL_UMAK google.com/+UniversityofMakati1
UMak Commencement Exercises:
NOTABLE SPEECHES FROM EQUALLY NOTABLE
SPEAKERS
A charismatic, singing preacher
who urged the graduates to
dream big, spread their wings
and fly;
A beauty and brains lawyer,
named first female Asia Pacific
CEO of the year in 2013, about
to face the senate, who gave her
practical three-point advice in
life;
An emphatic educator-writer,
math and science guru who
articulately enlightened both
teachers-to-be and teachers that
to excel in the hardest job in the
world takes courage, commit-
ment and true love; and
A high-ranking member of the
academe, Hall of Fame award-
ee, the epitome of a strong-
willed achiever, with her finalé
four-minute mile stories and
her challenge to break the four-
minute mile barrier;
These and more were show-
cased during the University of
Makati (UMak) 42nd
Com-
mencement Exercises on April
7, 8 and 10, 2015 and the High-
er School ng UMak (HSU) 2nd
Commencement Exercises on
April 11, 2015.
The notable commencement
addresses from equally notable
commencement speakers were
lessons and legacies that the
new UMak graduates can live
by, all in keeping with the
theme of the commencement
exercises, “A Legacy in Institu-
tionalizing a New Education
Paradigm”. Take a look at
some of the unforgettable lines
from the experts.
Bro. Alvin Barcelona
Singer and Preacher
Light of Jesus Philippines
7 April 2015, College of Busi-
ness Administration
“Napakasarap mangarap, im-
portante ang mangarap pero
tandaan ninyo, hindi madaling
abutin ang pangarap. (It feels
good to dream. It‟s important
to dream but remember, it‟s not
easy to reach your dream or
aspiration.) It‟s not served on a
silver platter. Hindi yan dinide-
liver sa‟yo ng LBC o ng FedEx.
(It‟s not delivered to you via
LBC or FedEx.)"
Pastor Nixon Ng
Senior Pastor
Victory Malate
7 April 2015, College of Busi-
ness Administration
“I know you learned a lot at the
University of Makati. But the
thing is, learning does not stop
here and, in as much as you
have learned so much at the
University of Makati, my hope
is this - That the one thing that
your teachers imparted to you
is, not just that you learned
something from them but, that
you love learning because one
of the things that you will never
stop doing in this world is to
learn.”
Dr. Oscar Torralba
Technical Panel Head
Commission on Higher Educa-
tion
8 April 2015, College of Com-
puter Science and College of
Engineering and Technology
Management
"Perseverance, more than luck,
is the secret of people who
make it through difficult times -
falling a few times but rising up
stronger and more determined
to carry on."
Atty. Darlene Marie Ber-
berabe
President and Chief Executive
Officer
Home Development Mutual
Fund
8 April 2015, College of Arts
and Sciences
“Helping has, in turn, helped
me to become more open, more
humble, more thankful. The
kindness that you received
along your way coming to this
day, pay it forward, give it back
to others and your success will
have more meaning and pur-
pose. I hope that you will for-
ever remember the people who
helped you make today happen.
Remember your parents who
sacrificed so much so today
could be your day. Dear gradu-
ates, please do consider these
three points in life – be grateful,
be bold and be gritty. Do not
just be anyone. Be someone
and be someone that matters
positively.”
Dr. Alex Brillantes, Jr.
Commissioner
Commission on Higher Educa-
tion
10 April 2015, College of Gov-
ernance and Public Policy, Col-
lege of Allied Health Studies,
Center for Broadcast and Digi-
tal Arts, and Center of Human
Kinesthetics
“We look at things the way
they are and we can say that
there are things that we have to
reject, there are things we have
to accept, and there are things
we have to deconstruct. Things
change as we discover
knowledge.”
Dr. Queena Lee-Chua
Writer and Educator
Ateneo de Manila University)
10 April 2015, College of Edu-
cation
“A business executive asked
me, „Ang galing mo! Bakit ka
teacher lang?‟ Alam ninyo
kung anong sinabi ko? „Kasi
magaling ako kaya teacher
ako!‟ („You‟re so brilliant!
Why are you just a teacher?‟
You know what I told her?
„Because I‟m brilliant that‟s
why I‟m a teacher‟)”
“We have to prove that we
know what we are doing and I
ended by telling the business
people, and I will also end by
telling you, that being a teacher
is thrilling ...dramatic... it is the
hardest job in the world. You
are sick, your heart is breaking,
your kid is in the hospital. You
have to go into the classroom
and act as if you are totally
okay. You have to smile even
if you feel like crying. You
feel like staying at home but
you cannot. Why can‟t you?
Because you love your stu-
dents, because it's a choice,
because you want them to grow
and you want that when they
become teachers ... scientists ...
writers ... TV announcers ...
ballet dancers ... athletes ... you
want them to be like you.
You're their best role model ...
Taking education is an act of
courage but it is something our
country so desperately needs.”
Dr. Jocelyn Andaya
Director and OIC
Bureau of Secondary Educa-
tion, Department of Education
11 April 2015, Higher School
ng UMak
"Do you have what it takes to
break the four-minute mile bar-
rier? As you create your four-
minute mile stories, do not fear.
I firmly believe that more than
the knowledge, the University
of Makati has taught and given
you the weapons to arm your-
selves with, in your journey.
More important than
knowledge is, of course, the
strength of your character. So,
hold on to the positive values
that your Alma Mater has
taught you. Never let go of the
absolutes or the non-negotiable:
the love of family and friends,
the importance of values and
the unwavering and steadfast
faith in God."
As more than 5,000 graduates
marched to receive their diplo-
mas, the University and the
City are hopeful that they have
done their part in molding
UMak Batch 2015 into world
class, productive citizens of the
country.
FULL HOUSE GRAND THEATER. The first day of the four-day, seven-
part graduation ceremonies commence with the biggest number of
college graduates from the College of Business Administration.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: HDMF President and CEO, Atty. Darlene Marie Berberabe, Victory Malate’s Senior Pastor Nixon Ng and Technical Panel
Head of the Commission on Higher Education Dr. Oscar Torralba