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“Education is a lifelong process of becoming, and commencement is not the end of learning but the beginning of a new chapter,” these were the words of Dr. Neyrma M. Neyra-Cabatac, Vice President for Academic Affairs of Southern Christian College, who served as the Guest of Honor and Speaker during the 4th Commencement Exercises of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) Palma Cluster Campuses for the Class of 2026, on June 26, 2026 at Libungan Municipal Gymnasium, Libungan, Cotabato.
With more than 30 years of experience in education, research, and academic leadership, Dr. Neyra-Cabatac has dedicated her career to teaching, institutional development, and public service. In her commencement address, the educator reflected on her own journey as a product of Mindanao’s schools, encouraging graduates to continue learning beyond the classroom and to see education as a lifelong journey of growth and transformation.
A proud alumna of the University of Southern Mindanao, she earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biology from USM before completing her Ph.D. in Environmental Science at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. She continued her talk and reminded the Class of 2026 that success is shaped not by titles, status, or background, but by character. Using the story of a balloon vendor, she emphasized that integrity, kindness, and resilience are the qualities that enable people to rise above life’s challenges.
Dr. Neyra-Cabatac also compared life’s journey to the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly, explaining that struggles and disappointments are essential in building strength and preparing individuals for greater opportunities. “The cocoon is not a place of ease, but a place of struggle. And yet, without that struggle, there can be no wings,” she said.
She further challenged the graduates to live by USM’s core values of goodness, responsiveness, excellence, and standing firm for what is right and true.
She concluded her address by reminding the graduates that true success is measured not by personal achievements, but by the lives they touch, the communities they serve, and the values they leave behind.
“One day people will not remember how quickly you succeeded. They will remember the kind of person you became,” she ended.
Text by: Jillian Untua, Jehan Fashua Saban, Justin Roice Potente, Alfarabie Lumambas, Reymond Benedicto | USM DevCom Interns
