AS THOMASIAN graduates enter the workforce and encounter conflicting values and moral pressures, UST rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P., stated that ethics and the humanities must remain in the general education curriculum to continue teaching the youth correct values.
During the morning session of the 2026 Baccalaureate Mass, Ang emphasized that graduates need moral formation to guide them through situations that may require them to stand up for truth, decency and justice.
“As your Rector, I strongly believe that ethics and the humanities should always be an essential part of the general education curriculum as it equips students with the faculty for moral reasoning needed for making the right choices in life,” Ang said on Friday, May 29.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recently deferred the implementation of its draft proposal to reduce the general education curriculum from 36 to at least 18 units , after it sparked concerns among various educational institutions, including UST.
READ: UST faculty members hit CHED proposal to remove humanities subjects
Ang cited that graduates may face possible moral dilemmas graduates may face in their respective fields once exposed to ethical situations.
“When you stand your ground, those who are against you may distance themselves from you…When you choose to defend what is right rather than what is convenient, you often find yourself against the odds of the world,” the rector said.
He linked his message to the Gospel reading in the book of John, where he explained that Jesus’ farewell to His disciples allowed them to prepare for the world’s hatred and persecution of His teachings.
In the Gospel, Jesus warned His disciples that while the world rejects them after His death, their suffering would come from their identification with Him.
“The type of relationship that the disciples have with the Lord is not viewed favorably by those who trust only in power, coercion, or manipulation,” Ang said, explaining that Christian values often conflict with systems rooted in domination and control.
The students’ impending goodbyes to friends, classmates and teachers would be painful but necessary for growth, according to Ang, just like how Jesus’ departure from His disciples paved the way for a deeper relationship with the Holy Trinity.
“Every graduation is actually a redirection towards something that aligns with your happiness and fulfillment in life… It is to your advantage that you leave and step forward into a new chapter of your life,” Ang said.
Ang called on the graduates to embody the values and virtues they had received from their Thomasian formation by letting these guide their actions beyond the University.
“Promote integrity and human dignity as Christian witnesses. Align your actions with your values as you navigate this world and be active agents of positive change. Make it contagious once and for all,” Ang said.
This year’s Baccalaureate Mass was attended by a total of 6,929 graduates in the higher education level, with 3,755 attending the morning session at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. Masses were divided into two sessions in the morning and afternoon before proceeding with the post-mass events at 3 p.m. F — Francia Migyel Violeta
