HEAVY RAINS may have pushed the exit of this year’s graduating class a day later than expected, but the sun still shone brightly upon Artlets seniors as they exited the Arch of the Centuries to cap off their college journeys.
For the first time since 2016, the graduating students illuminated the four sides of the Quadricentennial Pavilion (QPav) during the Baccalaureate Mass on May 31, a nostalgic feat for the batch that began their Thomasian journey in the same place during their Homecoming Walk nearly three years ago.
Yet the seniors did not exit the University the way everyone had planned it, and they did not get it easily either. On May 30, the dry afternoon seemed favorable for conducting an open-air ceremony for about 7,000 graduating students; but as the seniors trooped to the open field, the blue sky turned into an ominous grey, and harsh winds began to blow past umbrellas. By 4:40 p.m., the merciless rain had already begun.
While people were expected to run for cover, students from different faculties and colleges chose to have fun. Some abandoned their umbrellas and frolicked in the open field — their laughter competing with the loud lashings of rain and the pop music resounding from large speakers (Katy Perry’s “Roar” and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” were the crowd favorites).
Hydro Manila? “No, Hydro España,” some students in the field joked, referring to the water music festival.
“It was like we were just finding joy in chaos,” Communication senior Kent Lactuan said, sitting in the hallway of the St. Raymund de Peñafort Building in his drenched uniform.
“Instead of getting annoyed, we just danced in the rain.”
It was a familiar affair for the seniors after all, as they also endured heavy downpour that welcomed them in August 2022, when they had their Welcome Walk as sophomores. By then, pandemic restrictions were slowly being lifted, and face-to-face festivities were beginning to return. Most students in the batch had just finished their first year virtually.
“It’s such a déjà vu moment that it rained during both events,” Journalism senior Adriann Ancheta said.
“It’s inconvenient, but at the same time, we’re still going to go through this day. Patapos na ang lahat, so it’s a long time coming (Our college life is about to end, so it’s a long time coming),” he added.
Sunlight after the rain
Streaks of the afternoon sunlight gleamed upon the first batch of students who attended the Baccalaureate Mass on May 31, which sent off about 3,434 seniors, including 660 Artlets.
After the cancelled event that left some students with colds, others were hesitant to attend the event set the day after. Yet exiting the Arch of the Centuries was the closure that John Derreck Porlaje sought to conclude his six-year journey at the University.
Porlaje, who entered the Arch two times — first, in 2019, as an Engineering freshman, and second, in 2022, as a Creative Writing freshman — could not resist the prospect of experiencing the long-standing gimmicks of his program and organizations, from writing messages on uniforms to being shot by water guns by his comrades in his organization.
“Last year, I was one of those who sent off our seniors, and they were really doing the traditions,” Porlaje said, pointing to his uniform filled with dedications. Despite feeling unwell, he still showed up to write one himself.
After six years of shifting between passions and two years of serving as the artistic director of Teatro Tomasino, experiencing the exit rite was a “breath of relief” for him.
This year’s Baccalaureate Mass may have been different, but it was no less meaningful for the class of 2025.
Philosophy senior Reinica Eito appreciated being among the few graduating classes to experience the Mass in the QPav.
“I looked forward to exiting the Arch the most because I had waited long for this,” Eito said.
She admitted that her program was not her “priority program,” and that her first choice was to enter the College of Fine Arts and Design.
“Tiniis ko lang talaga siya for four years (I endured my program for four years),” she said. “Sobrang proud ako sa sarili ko, and nagugulat din ako na kinaya ko. (I am very proud of myself, and I’m still stunned that I did it),” she added.
Drenched from head to toe after the postponed event, Behavioral Science senior Alyana Galang recalled how she had to travel back home from España to Quezon City and wash the Type A uniform that she would have to wear again in less than 24 hours.
“Nag-prepare talaga kaming lahat to keep our spirit up and to still be happy today (We all really prepared to keep our spirit up and still be happy today),” Galang said after she and her friends exited the Arch.
For many, the symbolic rituals remained the heart of the event. The lighting of candles, called Lumina Pandit, and the imposition of the Thomasian Mission Cross brought a sense of “guidance for the next step of our lives,” as Behavioral Science senior Victoria Geli, one of Galang’s friends, put it. The place may have changed, but tears were still shed.
“Masaya pa rin kasi kasama mo ‘yung mga taong nag-support sa’yo buong journey (It’s still a happy moment because you’re with the people who supported you throughout your whole journey),” Galang added.
“It showed how we can still celebrate and be grateful even if there were unexpected challenges.”
‘Brave the storms’
The speeches delivered in the ceremony were quick to point out how this year’s Baccalaureate Mass became a testament to the adaptability of the Thomasian community. Metaphors of the meteorological sort abounded.
Meckia Mari Villanueva, the Central Student Council Secretary, said, “As a junior still a year away from donning the cap and gown, I am filled with admiration and inspiration as I witness my seniors carry in their drying Type A uniforms, wearing their sweetest smiles and carrying the hope of a successful life beyond the gates.”
“It feels as though I have witnessed your long years in this University — years of facing storms, yet still choosing to rise above them by showing up, standing strong and seeing the storm as a shower of blessings for the new beginning you are about to face.”
UST Secretary-General Fr. Louie Coronel, O.P., reminded the morning batch of graduates that life’s challenges, like the unexpected rain that postponed their Baccalaureate Mass, are part of a greater journey they must face with courage and faith.
“Sometimes it rains, sometimes it thunders, and yet, here you are,” he said.
Coronel encouraged the Thomasians to acknowledge the postponement as a symbol of life’s unexpected challenges.
“The storm that postponed the celebration is but a symbol. There will be many storms ahead. Your task is not to fear them but to carry Christ through them,” he said.
The secretary general also encouraged them to be ready for every challenge: “You are prepared for plan A. Eh paano ‘pag pumalya? Plan B. Paano kung wala pa rin? Plan C. ‘Pag wala pa rin? Plan D. Paano kung wala pa rin? Marami pang letters sa alphabet.”
(You are prepared for plan A. What if it fails? Plan B. What if it still fails? Plan C. If it still fails? Plan D. What if it still fails? There are many letters in the alphabet.)
“Siguro, preparation niyo kahapon to test you, at ngayong Bacc Mass — you’ll be back, mas malakas (Maybe what you went through yesterday was a preparation to test you, and now at this Baccalaureate Mass — you’ll come back, even stronger),” he added.
He urged graduates to protect the joy in their hearts despite difficulties, reminding them, “Do not let anyone snatch away that joy because Christ is in your heart. . . . When there is darkness everywhere and you cannot find the sun, be the sunshine. Spread that light. Be the light.”
In his final blessing, he wished that the graduates’ lives would be filled with enduring spiritual light.
“May the real fireworks — those of faith, hope and love — never fade in your hearts.”
Water, once more
It was about 3 p.m. when the Baccalaureate Mass for the first batch of students ended, but some still stuck around with hopes of seeing the momentous fireworks display that would grace the sky to send off graduating students.
Heavy rain began to pour by 6:30 p.m., and uncertainty loomed again for the second batch of students, who were about to exit the Arch. Nearly an hour later, the rain turned into a drizzle, and the recessional commenced once more.
Elementary Education senior Alec Valdez recalled how students beelined from the Arch to the muddied open field as fireworks started to pierce through the dim sky. The pyromusical show began while the recessional was still taking place. Digicams and mobile phones were held up to film themselves. OPM hit songs like “Liwanag sa Dilim” and chants of “Go Uste!” boomed in the background.
“Even though the situation didn’t go as we expected because of the rain, I was still amazed at how UST handled the circumstances,” Valdez said after the show. “They made us feel special despite everything, and that meant a lot to all of us.”
The fire still triggered the waterworks. For Tourism Management senior Krystal Bungihan, the struggles and memories she shared with her fellow irregular students played back in her mind while she watched the pyromusical show.
“I ugly cried the whole time,” she said.
“Romanticizing the rain during our exit through the Arch made it even more memorable. The rain didn’t ruin it — it made it feel like a scene straight out of a heartfelt ending. . . . It felt like a bittersweet farewell that I’ll never forget.”
While the event marked the end of the batch’s college journey, Communication senior Kier Angelo Vecina soaked in the sense of fulfillment that he felt upon his exit.
“I built myself in this University — what I am, who I am, how I treat people, how my outlook in life is. Everything now led up to this moment — that I’ve fulfilled my academic life,” Vecina said.
This year’s whirlwind of a Baccalaureate Mass ended with calm skies. The graduating students face a world fraught with ill weather, with hope for fair winds.
“Now, it’s time to move on with all the teachings that UST and, of course, my friends gave me,” Vecina said. F
