Graduates of La Consolacion College Bacolod’s Graduate School and Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program were urged to resist complacency, rise above prejudice and pursue lives anchored in purpose during the institution’s 27th Graduate School and 10th ETEEAP Commencement Exercises on Saturday, July 4, 2026.
Atty. Raymund A. Besa, LCCB ETEEAP alumnus and commencement inspirational speaker, told the Class of 2026 that success is shaped not by one’s starting point, but by the choices one makes in response to challenges, doubts and opportunities.
“Our real enemy is not always failure. Most of the time, it is forgetting the reason why we began,” Besa said. “Complacency will erode more lives than hardship ever will.”
The commencement exercises were held at the La Proa Ballroom of L’ Fisher Hotel, with the theme, “107 Years of Faithful Journey Towards Integral Transformation.”
Besa, who completed his college degree through LCCB’s ETEEAP in 2019 before earning his Juris Doctor degree from the University of St. La Salle College of Law in 2025, drew from his own experience as a nontraditional learner. His profile also notes that he previously entered the Philippine Military Academy before being honorably discharged due to a sports and training-related injury.
He recalled an encounter during his first semester in law school, when a classmate questioned whether an ETEEAP graduate who completed the program in about 10 months was prepared for four years of legal education.
“In her mind, perhaps, she thought that her background was superior,” Besa said. “She measured people by where they came from, while I chose to measure myself by where I was going.”
Besa told the graduates that they, too, may one day be underestimated because of their background, age, educational pathway or life circumstances. He urged them not to allow the judgment of others to limit their growth.
“People who spend their time looking down on others will not notice those who quietly fly past them,” he said. “Never let someone else’s opinion become the ceiling of your own redemption.”
Addressing both Graduate School and ETEEAP graduates, Besa acknowledged the discipline and sacrifice required to complete higher education while balancing careers, family responsibilities and personal obligations. He congratulated those who pursued further studies for personal growth, as well as those who returned to school for career advancement.
“To those who pursued further studies because you wanted to grow, congratulations,” he said. “To those who pursued further studies because you needed it for promotion, congratulations also.”
Speaking particularly to fellow ETEEAP graduates, Besa reminded them to receive their degrees with humility.
“Do not use your diploma to belittle people, especially those whose paths were different from yours,” he said.
Besa also urged the graduates to treat adversity as a teacher rather than a reason for bitterness. He said every person has the responsibility to decide whether disappointment becomes a source of weakness or wisdom.
“You decide whether disappointment weakens you or educates you,” he said. “You decide whether your struggle becomes bitterness or wisdom. You decide whether your potential withers or becomes your legacy.”
Grounding his message in Christian faith, Besa encouraged the graduates to live Christ-centered lives and remain grateful for the blessings they have received.
“There is someone else dreaming of the job you have, the house you complain about, the people you sometimes forget to appreciate, and the health you take for granted,” he said.
Besa ended his message by congratulating the graduates not only for receiving their diplomas, but also for persevering through the demands of their academic journeys.
“From the bottom of my heart, congratulations — not only for the piece of paper you have received today, but because you fought hard to be where you are right now,” he said.
The commencement exercises conferred graduate and postgraduate degrees, along with nearly 100 baccalaureate degrees under ETEEAP, as LCCB continued its 107-year mission of Catholic education and integral human formation.