BACOLOD CITY — The daughter of a food vendor led the 907 graduates of the Bacolod City College (BCC) who received their degrees during the 18th Commencement Exercises at the SMX Convention Center Wednesday afternoon.
Chrisma Jane Manalo, 20, who obtained a degree in Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics, was the lone Magna Cum Laude of Class 2018.
Manalo and her two siblings were raised by their mother, Christine, a widow, by selling native food just outside her school campus. Her father died when she was in grade school.
“I’m very blessed to have achieved this award. I’m thankful to God,” the top graduate said in an interview on the sidelines of the graduation rites.
Manalo, a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) scholar, said her academic achievement is a result of hard work which she dedicates to God and her parents, and to her school, which molded her to become what she is now.
In his commencement message, Mayor Evelio Leonardia, chairman of the BCC Board of Trustees, exhorted the graduates to be proud of being educated by the city college and show that they can compete with graduates of other colleges and universities.
“If you can make it in BCC, you can make it anywhere,” the mayor told them.
Leonardia, who founded the BCC during his first term as mayor in 1997, said the tuition has remained at PHPP30 per unit in the past 21 years.
He added that once the BCC obtains an accreditation from the CHED, tuition and other fees will also be free under Republic Act No. 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.
As of 2018, the BCC has produced a total of 10,056 graduates.
“Many of our graduates are now productive members of our society.
BCC has played a major role in the growth and development of our city,” Leonardia said.
During the ceremony, Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya awarded the honor graduates who are CHED scholars with the “Kampeon sa Edukasyon” Academic Excellence Award.
BCC Class 2018 also produced 28 Cum Laude graduates and 45 academic excellence awardees.
This year’s number of graduates is the second highest recorded by BCC. Last year had 976 graduates. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
