By Maria Criselda Santos, Faculty Correspondent

ANTIPOLO CITY—Over a thousand graduates received their diplomas on July 31 at the Assumpta Theater during Marikina Polytechnic College’s 65th Commencement Exercises.

The event featured two separate ceremonies for the graduating class of 2025. TESDA Director General Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez delivered the morning keynote, while Philippine Normal University professor Dr. Marie Paz Morales addressed graduates in the afternoon.

College President Dr. Rene Colocar emphasized three core qualities that define MPC graduates—skills, grit, and the “Marikina-made hustle”—especially crucial as artificial intelligence reshapes the global workforce.

“This year’s theme, ‘Celebrating Global Citizenship: Advancing TVET Education in the Age of AI,’ reflects both your achievements and the exciting challenges ahead. In this digital revolution, your TVET training has given you something irreplaceable—the power of human ingenuity, adaptability, and hands-on expertise,” he said.

A total of 1,235 graduates from the Institute of Technical Teacher Education, Institute of Technology, Institute of Engineering, Institute of Entrepreneurship, and the Graduate School of Education were formally inducted into the MPC Alumni Association.

Built Differently

Citing the uniqueness of polytechnic education, Hon. Benitez praised the class of 2025 for being future-ready—equipped not just with intelligence, but with “thinking hands and thinking hearts.”

“Engineers, teachers, technicians, and entrepreneurs like you know how to harness technology—not just to stay globally competitive, but to stay deeply and authentically human,” he said.

As testimony to the values and skills imparted by MPC, BTVTEd graduate Jeric Candelaria and BIT graduate Angel Alliyah Lapuz delivered heartfelt batch messages in the morning and afternoon ceremonies, respectively.

Local and Global Workforce-Ready

In her keynote, Dr. Marie Paz Morales emphasized the role of graduates in addressing local issues with a global mindset.

“Global citizenship doesn’t mean forgetting our roots. It means bringing our bayanihan spirit to the world stage,” she said.

She urged the graduates to align their performance with ASEAN and global competency standards, and to ensure their strategies are inclusive.

“If the data show gaps, it’s an opportunity for you to innovate,” she added.

A Marikina-Made Future

As the ceremonies drew to a close, MPC’s newest alumni left the theater carrying more than diplomas. They carried the skills, values, and vision forged by the College they proudly call home.

SNAPSHOTS during the AM Batch:

SNAPSHOTS during the PM Batch: