SINCE LAST year’s Baccalaureate Mass and send-off rites were interrupted by rains, one thing bothered the minds of some graduating Thomasians as they arrived at the University’s Open Field: the weather.
But on May 29, no dark clouds hovered above the campus. The grass appeared greener as the ground began to crack under the afternoon sun. Instead of umbrellas, students clutched portable fans as they posed for photos, reminisced with friends and waited for the celebration to begin.
That day, it seemed as though nothing could rain on this graduating class’s parade.
“I’m really hoping for good weather,” Marketing senior Allyah Amboy, the overall valedictorian of Class of 2026, told The Flame.
Amboy’s batchmates from the College of Commerce and Business Administration cheered as they walked past her at the St. Raymund’s building.
“As you can see,” she said, pointing to the students, “the energy of our college and other colleges is very good.”
For a few hours, at least, uncertainty was kept at bay.
This year’s Baccalaureate rites brought together 7,329 graduating students from different colleges and faculties, including 774 students from the Faculty of Arts and Letters, for a final send-off before their commencement exercises.
Beneath the pyromusical spectacle and graduation traditions, however, many seniors found themselves contemplating a future far less predictable than the weather that day. They are set to become adults in an increasingly competitive job market situated in a country beset with political tensions and rising prices of goods and services.
Political Science instructor Anna Esperanza Aquino-Sison witnessed a growing hesitation among her students, some of whom are opting to move abroad rather than explore career opportunities locally.
“Natatakot kasi sila na the Philippines is not that stable, tapos mamaya magkaroon pa ng epekto sa buhay nila,” she said.
(They fear that the Philippines may not be that stable and it might have an effect on their lives).
“Naghahanap sila ng mas magandang or mas stable na kakalabasan in the near future.”
(They’re looking for a more stable outcome in the near future.)
Waiting time
The mass and evening program was held successively at the open field during the previous years. However, Class 2025 experienced a drenching send-off rites, prompting the administration to transfer the ceremonies inside the Quadricentennial Pavilion (QPav).
Members of class 2026 also held the Baccalaureate Mass in QPav, adhering to a schedule that divided them into morning and afternoon batches. The send-off rites and recessional walk were held in the evening.
Because of this adjustment, some graduates had to wait for hours before the resumption of the rituals.
Students wandered across campus, sought refuge in air-conditioned rooms or gathered beneath gazebos while clutching portable fans to escape the heat. Many seniors took this opportunity to take photos at campus landmarks or to have lunch with their friends.
Families occupied shaded corners of the open field, while younger siblings chased one another across the grass.
But the waiting time was nothing compared to the additional year Biology seniors Eunys Abad and Luis Peralta had to spend to complete missing units.
“Today, I’m coming to this send-off, fully knowing that my time is up,” Peralta told The Flame.
“Parang nangangati na ako sa sobrang pagka-excite (I’m so excited, I’m itching to get started).”
He and Abad were sitting in a gazebo near the field, where their most anticipated moment would soon take place. From their experience at the University, they learned that progress does not always arrive on time.
“Alam naming long wait ‘yung [additional year], pero ‘yung mga small steps na ginagawa namin towards our goal to become a doctor mean a lot,” Abad added.
(We know that the additional year was a long wait, but the small steps that we are taking for our goal of becoming a doctor mean a lot.)
Journalism senior Shane Quiachon drew parallels between the period of waiting between the two events and the nervous anticipation that graduating students face.
“Ang daming pangamba kanina habang naghihintay kami — sa panahon, kung matutuloy ba o hindi,” she said.
“Gano’n din kami sa future namin dahil, siyempre, pagka-graduate namin, hindi naman agad masasabi na matatanggap kami agad (sa trabaho),” she added.
(There was a lot of fear while we were waiting — about the weather, whether the event would push through or not. That’s how we are towards our future because, of course, graduating does not guarantee getting a job.)
Navigating uncertainty
As they enter college life, students often bring with them outlooks that are eventually molded by the experiences they will have.
Sison noticed that uncertainty has become a recurring concern among students preparing to leave the University.
“Once you go outside of the classroom, iba na ‘yung hinihingi ng mundo. Hindi na nandito lagi ‘yung mga professors to tell them what to do next or whatsoever. This time, [ang students] na mismo ‘yung gagawa ng decision for themselves,” Sison said.
(Once you are outside of the classroom, the world demands something else from you. The professors won’t be around to tell them what to do next or anything. This time, the students will have to decide for themselves.)
Law seniors Ann Borja and Hannah Whraxelle Tandoc are preparing to enter a profession filled with possibilities and difficult choices. While Borja’s doubts emerge from not knowing where to begin, Tandoc approaches graduation rather differently.
“I feel free,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m ready for you, outside world.”
For English Language Studies student leader Kian Margaret Makiramdam, uncertainty is something one should prepare for rather than fear.
“Whatever the circumstances are, whatever is given to us, we need to prepare ourselves for the uncertain,” she said.
“Learning to adapt and adjust is very important.”
During his homily for the morning mass, UST Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P., acknowledged the challenges that await the seniors beyond graduation.
“Hindi ito madaling gawin — ’yung labanan ang korapsyon,” he said in his homily. “May makakabangga kayo. May kokontra sa inyo, pero kakayanin sa paggamit ng mga tamang pamamaraan.”
(This is not easy to do — the fight against corruption. You will face opposition. There will be people who will clash with you, but you can be overcome them through the right means)
As students move into the workforce and wider society, Ang reminded them to remain guided by their principles despite conflicting values and worldly pressures.
“Go forth not just as people who believe in the Gospel, but as people who have become the Gospel for everyone. Batch 2026, kayo ang mabuting balita (you are the good news),” he said.
For Communication senior and Tiger Jock Mylferd Joshua Supnet, the pyromusical is less about what he is leaving behind and more about what he is taking with him after a “fruitful” four-year stay. From friendships and mentors to student leadership and broadcasting opportunities, the University became a place where memories were formed alongside academic credentials.
Still, graduation arrives with mixed emotions.
When asked whether Supnet felt excited or anxious, he only had one response: “In this economy, both.”
The uncertainty of entering a flawed system remains intimidating, but he believes Thomasians are called to face challenges rather than retreat from them.
“With everything that is happening, I’m going to do it scared and always have fun,” Supnet said.
As the second half of the event began, graduating students marched from the holding rooms into the open field.
Different departments animated the procession with various costumes and gimmicks. Mascots littered the grounds and marching bands played familiar tunes. Uniforms, once kept clean and always pressed, became canvases for goodbye messages.
As the program went on, the once scorching daylight faded into shades of pink and violet. The Open Field gradually transformed from a waiting area into a farewell stage.
UST’s mini-Coachella
The evening program unfolded with familiar Thomasian traditions — the parade of colors, the blessing of the Thomasian Mission Cross, the pledge of loyalty and the Lumina Pandit. As graduates lit each other’s candles, the field was slowly bathed in a sea of warm light.
“This is the symbol of Christ, from whom our dear graduating students will come and draw their light,” Ang said during the lighting ceremony.
“Serving as a beacon and guiding light for our beloved University.”
Soon after, music echoed across the field as the much-awaited pyromusical began. Its bursts of colorful explosions carried the theme of “Passion towards the future.”
Gen Z music filled the venue, drawing graduates to dance and sing along to songs such as Beauty and a Beat by Justin Bieber, Ribs by Lorde, History by One Direction, Latch by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith, Saranggola by Ben & Ben and A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay.
The show also featured Bieber’s timeless Never Say Never.
“Bieberchella,” some joked.
For many graduates, the fireworks represented more than celebration. They became a marker of everything they had endured — and everything they were finally ready to leave behind.
Chemistry senior “Azy” immediately thought of the countless requirements, laboratory work and sleepless nights that defined her undergraduate years.
“ ‘Yung thesis,” she said with a laugh when asked what hardships would come to mind during the fireworks display.
“Parang, ‘Hala, paano ko kaya makayanan ‘to kung mag-isa lang?’”
(The thesis. Like ‘how will I endure this all by myself?’)
Looking up at the fireworks, she sees not only the end of a difficult chapter but the beginning of another.
“Passion towards the future gives you something — a purpose,” she said, “because it drives you to do the things that you want to do.”
Not enough?
Despite this year’s celebration theme encouraging graduates to pursue their passion, many students acknowledged that passion alone may not be enough.
The tension between passion and practicality surfaced repeatedly among graduates interviewed during the Baccalaureate Mass.
Amboy described passion as important but incomplete.
“I think passion is ideal to have in facing today’s realities,” she said.
“But you’ll also have to be aware of what’s happening.”
For Amboy, graduation represents a challenge to move beyond classrooms and examinations.
“What can we do beyond the books, beyond the tests that could contribute not just to our country, but globally as well?” she added, believing that students must remain engaged with the world around them even after earning their degrees.
Sociology senior and UST Mediartrix member Enrico Sacramento said graduating today requires a balance between idealism and practicality.
“Realistically, I believe that passion is not enough,” he said.
“Not everyone is blessed with generational wealth to pursue passion.”
As someone active in theater and student media, Sacramento understands the value of following one’s interests. Yet he also recognizes the realities awaiting graduates as they join the labor force.
The challenges ahead are impossible to ignore, but Chemistry senior Lovely Rabago expressed optimism for the country’s future through a simple wish.
“We should vote wisely,” she said.
“I think this should be a time that Filipinos realize they should choose politicians who are qualified — not just famous.”
Political Science senior Patricia Suarez views civic awareness as a responsibility rather than an option.
“The current political climate in the Philippines is at a very critical point,” she said.
“Dapat kaya natin itong sipatin, i-analyze, at tugunan,” Suarez said.
(We should be able to examine it, analyze it, and respond to it.)
For Suarez, the Thomasian values of competence, commitment, and compassion provide a foundation for serving others despite uncertainty.
“The future is uncertain,” she said, “but studying here has taught me to embrace that uncertainty.”
From separation to mission
When the final fireworks faded, smoke lingered above the Open Field.
The bright bursts of color disappeared almost as quickly as they came, leaving behind scattered conversations, family photographs and graduates preparing for the last symbolic act of their student lives.
Soon, they would once again pass through the Arch of the Centuries — not as incoming freshmen but as departing seniors.
The transition carries its own kind of loss.
For History Instructor Lance Gérard González Abalos, graduation affects not only students but also mentors.
“There is a sense of separation anxiety,” he said.
Students leave familiar circles of friends and professors. Teachers, meanwhile, say goodbye to batches they have watched grow over several years.
Yet beyond the nostalgia lies a deeper hope.
Abalos said he wants graduates to remember that they are more than professionals entering the workforce.
“You are not only Filipinos. You are not only professionals,” Abalos said.
“Most importantly, you are going out of the Arch of the Centuries as full-blooded Thomasians.” F
