30 October 2025
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde celebrated 769 graduates during the 3rd Term AY 2024-2025 Commencement Exercises at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City. This year’s ceremony carried more than celebration as it sparked civic reflection and personal resolve.
History Professor Emerita Maria Serena Diokno, Ph.D., took the stage with a message that didn’t hold back. She spoke plainly about political dynasties, budget insertions, and the blurred lines between public service and personal gain. “Political families have also captured the party list system,” she said. “In the last elections, at least 78 out of the 156 certified party list groups belong to dynastic families.”
She urged graduates to act, organize, and speak up. “We must push and push relentlessly until that law comes to pass,” she said, referring to the long-delayed anti-dynasty legislation. Her call was clear: reject dynastic candidates in 2028 and demand accountability from those in power. “If it’s wrong, wrong,” she repeated, a phrase that echoed throughout her speech.
Diokno broke down how pork barrel funds sneak into the national budget and how contractors and lawmakers benefit from vague, overpriced, and unfinished projects. “There is only one test for the budget,” she said. “Does it reflect our people’s needs and priorities? Does it favor those most in need?” She also called for the replacement of agency heads who enable corruption and stressed the need for transparency in budget hearings.
Summa Cum Laude Cyril Karl B. Carandan followed with a speech that brought the conversation home. He opened with a quote from Desiderata and shared how his journey to Benilde started with financial uncertainty and a leap of faith. “Our true success lies not in speed,” he said, “but in commitment to a calm, balanced and meaningful life.”
Cyril is a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy and International Affairs (AB-DIA), a program that trains students to understand global dynamics, engage in policy work, and navigate the real-world intersections of diplomacy, development, and governance. The curriculum blends theory and practice, with tracks that cover state-to-state relations, civil society engagement, and everything in between. It’s a program built for future diplomats, policy analysts, and advocates who want to make a difference both locally and globally.
Carandan credited Benilde’s scholarship program and the School of Diplomacy and Governance for changing the course of his life. He talked about joining international simulations like the Jakarta International Model United Nations and the ASEAN Foundation Model ASEAN Meeting Plus Japan. He also helped launch the first Benilde Model ASEAN Meeting. These experiences are part of SDG’s co-curricular track, which includes workshops like the Harvard World Model United Nations, Open Trade Asia Negotiations, and POSIBLE: An SDG Youth Action Building Workshop. Students also join research conferences, immersion programs, and internships, backed by global partners such as Universitas Gadjah Mada, Washington Global Institute, and Instituto Cervantes.
This isn’t new territory for SDG. Just last March, the College hosted a roundtable on AI in Global Affairs, bringing together diplomats, academics, and tech leaders to explore how emerging technologies shape international relations. In the same month, the 26th Benilde Model United Nations opened with a strong call for diplomacy in a changing world, a student-led simulation that mirrors the real work of global negotiation and policy-making.
Carandan didn’t shy away from the hard truths. “Let us be enablers of accountability and transparency,” he said. “And disruptors of the systemic issues of our country.” He warned against falling into the trap of corruption, privilege without merit, and silence. “Our country needs deep reform,” he said. “It is only possible if we stand united as a generation that chooses integrity over convenience.”
He closed with heartfelt thanks to his mentors, family, and the Benildean Community. “May this moment inspire us to do more for ourselves, our loved ones and our nation,” he said. He urged his fellow graduates to carry the Benildean DNA into the world and be a light for others, especially the least, the lost, and the last.
The Commencement Exercises became more than a send-off. What was once a solemn formality turned into a call to lead with courage, clarity, and conscience. For the AB-DIA program, the event showed exactly what it stands for: preparing students to engage with the world, speak truth to power, and serve with purpose.
For more information on Benilde’s undergraduate programs, contact us at (63) 2 8230 5100 local 1801 or admissions@benilde.edu.ph. You may also visit our website at www.benilde.edu.ph.
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