Early Morning Graduation Ceremony in Lapu-Lapu City Explained
COMMENCEMENT RITES – The principal of a school in Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City explained the 3:00 a.m. graduation ceremony.
The early morning graduation ceremony in Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City as early as 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday (May 29, 2024) went viral and garnered various reactions from the online community.
Garvin Velos, the principal of the school, explained that the schedule for the graduation ceremony had to be changed several times.
Originally, the commencement ceremony was set for June 7, 2024. However, a DepEd memorandum required all school activities to be completed before June. The school had no choice but to reschedule the completion rites.
Velos and his team negotiated with a private school that booked the only available venue, the Hoops Dome, to use the venue early in the morning. With 1,513 students and their families attending, the event required a space that could accommodate about 4,500 people.
DepEd-7 Director Salustiano Jimenez confirmed that the only available time for the ceremony at the Hoops Dome was at dawn. The call time was set for 3 a.m., with the recessional beginning at 4 a.m.
Previously, a graduation ceremony elicits reactions after graduates made disrespectful gestures
Jimenez explained that the tight schedule left no other options, as the DepEd directive mandated all ceremonies be completed by May 31, 2024.
DepEd Lapu-Lapu City education program supervisor Irene Pilapil approved the unusual schedule. The school’s Parent-Teacher Association vice president Celestino Hiyas, stated that a meeting was held with parents to agree on the schedule.
The meeting aimed to ensure that parents were informed and involved in the decision-making process.
The Marigondon National High School’s graduation ceremony reportedly ended at around 9 a.m. and by 10 a.m.
According to DepEd’s Department Order No. 003, S. of 2024, the school year ends on May 31, 2024, with the school break starting on June 1, 2024. Jimenez acknowledged that there is no specific DepEd memorandum outlining the appropriate schedule for graduation ceremonies.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the post:
