Davao del Sur State College (DSSC) conferred degrees and certificates upon 1,394 graduates during its 7th Commencement Exercises held on July 10, 2026, at the Davao del Sur Coliseum. The graduating class included completers from diploma and certificate programs, bachelor’s degree programs, and master’s degree programs, marking the college’s largest academic milestone of the year.
This year’s commencement carried the theme PamanaHiusa: Celebrating a Culture of Quality, Values, and Innovation in Shaping Future-Ready Professionals, a theme that captured both the character of the graduating class and the direction the college continues to work toward.
Mirabel Enriques Ho, Executive Director of the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP), delivered the commencement address. She spoke directly and without pretense, grounding her message in something the graduates could carry beyond the ceremony. “Education is very essential because it provides us new opportunities, expands our horizons, and of course, education is the major factor in life that lifts us up from poverty,” she said.
Angel Mae Sulotan, this year’s Summa Cum Laude, also took the floor. She closed her message with a charge to her fellow graduates that drew the attention of the room. “I hope you will never forget that the lasting legacy you leave behind will never be measured solely by what you accomplished, but by the lives you inspired, the people you uplift, and the hope you give to others.”
College President Dr. Augie E. Fuentes addressed the graduates with visible pride, telling them that watching each class cross the finish line never gets old. “Every year, this college produces people the region can count on. Today is your day, and I could not be more proud of every single one of you.”
The ceremony closed with a Ben and Ben medley of Courage, Ride Home and Sarangola as the graduation song, a fitting send-off that the coliseum received warmly. Few choices could have suited the moment better.
The 7th Commencement Exercises supported Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) by marking the formal end of academic programs across different higher education levels, reaffirming the College’s commitment to learning that is accessible and of high standard; Sustainable Development Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), with more than a thousand graduates ushered into the workforce, ready to handle productive roles in their chosen fields; and Sustainable Development Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities), with the College’s ongoing push to bring higher education closer to communities.
#OneDSSC #DSSC #DavaodelSurStateCollege #ShapingFuturesBeyondBorders
