Davao del Sur State College (DSSC) held its Baccalaureate Mass, Tribute to Parents, and Recognition Ceremony on July 9, 2026, at the Davao del Sur Coliseum, a day before the College’s 7th Commencement Exercises.
The Baccalaureate Mass opened the day’s program, giving graduates and their families a moment to pause before the formal proceedings took over. Rev. Fr. Lionel R. Mechavez, S.M., set the tone early, calling it “a day of thanksgiving, a day of celebration,” a fitting frame for everything that followed.
The Tribute to Parents followed, and it was the part of the program that the coliseum felt most. Graduates came forward with gifts and words of thanks for the people who saw them through years of sacrifice and quiet endurance. The hall filled with the kind of emotion that does not need much explaining: parents who worked long and gave much, and children who finally had a moment to say so out loud. It was unhurried and sincere, and it stayed with the room long after it ended.
The Recognition Ceremony came after, honoring students for academic achievement and other distinctions earned during their time at the college.
Zabdiel L. Zacarias, Director III of the Office of the Technical Director of the Department of Agriculture, served as guest speaker for the occasion. He spoke plainly and with purpose, reminding the graduates that the credential they were about to receive was only part of the picture. “Success is not measured by diploma or degree,” he said, “but it is always measured by the lives you touch.” It was a straightforward challenge, and one well-suited to a room full of people preparing to step into communities that will need them.
In her message, College President Dr. Augie E. Fuentes reminded the graduates that finishing a degree marks a beginning rather than an end. “You did not finish a program. You finished a chapter, and the work that comes next is the one that will matter most. Go back to your communities, and do not be afraid to start small.”
The ceremonies supported Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) by marking the completion of formal academic training and affirming the college’s commitment to producing graduates ready for professional and community work, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by recognizing students prepared to enter and contribute to the workforce, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through the participation of a national government official, reflecting the ties between higher education institutions and government agencies working toward shared development goals.
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