Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan opened the ceremonial proceedings of its 86th Commencement with the Baccalaureate Mass and the Convocation on 25 June 2025. Most Reverend Raul B Dael, DD, Bishop, Diocese of Tandag, presided over the Mass, and University President Fr Mars P Tan, SJ blessed the hoods and diplomas.
Dr William G Padolina, Honoris Causa was this year’s Commencement Speaker. He has been involved in institution building, managing research and organizations engaged in agriculture and biotechnology, with microbiology playing a key role in many of his initiatives.
In his address, he reminded the graduates of the deeper values that must guide their path: “The compass that guides us towards the practice of the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… Let us not forget our university goals, as we all enter into a world so complex and at times confusing and disheartening.”
The recipient of the Fr William F Masterson SJ Award was Atty Benedicto R Bacani. Atty Bacani is particularly involved in fostering critical conversations on autonomy, governance, and the complexities of peacebuilding. His insights helped bridge gaps between policymakers, Moro leaders, and Indigenous Peoples, ensuring that the evolving Bangsamoro narrative remained inclusive and responsive to the diverse communities it sought to serve.
“I wish my generation can hand over to you, the next generation leaders, a political and governance system that liberates, not confuse; a system where everyone has opportunities for a better life.”
Xavier University also awarded the Archbishop Santiago TG Hayes SJ to the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas - Philippines. The ministries of the Sisters of Mercy reveal a tapestry of committed service, educational leadership, healthcare innovation, ecological advocacy, spiritual formation, peacebuilding and the defense of the vulnerable.
Sister Helen Libo-on, RSM, who represented the Sisters of Mercy, urged the young generation to hold fast to hope.
“In a world that often feels divided, let us be instruments of unity and understanding. Let us continue to build bridges of love and mercy, just as Christ taught us.”
In his speech, the Class of 2025 Valedictorian, Mr Ameer Sajid M Adzis, AB International Studies Summa Cum Laude, emphasized that education is not an end, but a mission grounded in compassion, truth, and justice.
“If we are to mean anything as Ateneans, it must be this: that we do not rise while others remain buried beneath the rubble of neglect, silence, war, and of systems that decide who gets to dream and who must learn to live without one. The world we inherit is fractured, aching in many places too long ignored—but it is ours to mend, not out of pity, but in a deep and abiding sense of shared humanity.”
Finally, Fr Mars sent his message to the graduates to “never settle for less.”
“... the innate human yearning, as children of God, to make a meaningful difference through love and service. After years of rigorous intellectual, moral, and spiritual formation here at Xavier Ateneo, we trust that this desire within you has been refined and strengthened. You are now equipped to pursue your deepest aspirations with clarity and confidence. May you never settle for less than what your hearts truly long for. Let the lives of St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Peter Faber—whose unwavering pursuit of their holy desires brought great good to the Church and the world—serve as enduring models for your own journey.”
The Commencement Exercises for different colleges followed on 26 and 27 June 2025, with Fr Antonio Moreno, SJ, leading the invocation on Day 1, and Fr Amado T Tumbali, SJ, on Day 2.
Read full copy of speeches here
Communications & Promotions Office