MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday received an honorary degree from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and urged its newest graduates to measure success by the lives they uplift.
Marcos received Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa — PLM’s highest honorary degree — during the university’s 58th Commencement Exercises at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
The honorary degree, the university said, was conferred in recognition of the President’s efforts to advance the rule of law, economic development, access to education, public health services and social equity.
Marcos said he accepted the recognition with gratitude and a renewed sense of responsibility, noting that it affirmed the principle shared by his administration and the university that education must create opportunities and drive national progress.
“This recognition affirms a principle that my Administration shares with the PLM: that education must remain a pathway to opportunity, a catalyst for progress, and a cornerstone of nation-building,” Marcos said.
Addressing the graduates, Marcos said education should go beyond earning a degree or securing personal advancement.
“May your learning be guided by wisdom, your success measured by the lives that you uplift, and your achievements dedicated to the progress of our nation,” he said.
He urged the graduates to use the knowledge and skills they gained to help build “a stronger, more prosperous, and more compassionate Philippines.”
Marcos also highlighted the government’s efforts to widen access to higher education and training, particularly for students from disadvantaged and vulnerable sectors.
The administration, he said, continues to implement the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education law while expanding government financial assistance.
He said 2.62 million students now benefit from Free Higher Education, alongside scholarship and assistance programs such as the Tertiary Education Subsidy and the Tulong Dunong Program.
The government has also launched the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program for outstanding senior high school graduates pursuing priority degree programs.
Marcos said technical-vocational education and training would likewise remain a key pathway to employment and livelihood.
“Every Filipino who completes higher education or training represents far more than a diploma or a certificate earned,” he said.
“This achievement gives someone a fairer chance to succeed, brings a family closer to a better future, equips a worker with the knowledge and skills for greater opportunities,” Marcos added.
“Wherever life takes you, remain true to the ideals of this university. Use what you have learned to help build a stronger, more prosperous, and more compassionate Philippines,” the President told the graduates. (PNA)
