On July 11, 2026, CCAD gathered its graduating Class of 2026, their families, faculty, alumni, and friends for Pagbudyong 2026: Rito sa Pagtadlas ug Pasidungog, the College’s annual pre-commencement rite honoring the graduates of the Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Bachelor of Fine Arts – Studio Arts, and Bachelor of Fine Arts – Product Design.
More than a celebration of academic achievement, Pagbudyong marked a meaningful transition from university life to professional and creative practice. Rooted in Visayan cultural tradition, the ceremony reaffirmed the graduates’ shared calling as communicators, artists, and designers—to create with purpose, communicate with integrity, and serve the communities they will encounter beyond the University.
The rite commenced at the Oblation Square, where the graduating class donned the UP Sablay, symbolizing the culmination of years of perseverance, scholarship, and service. Led by the resonant call of the Budyong, graduates then made a ceremonial procession through the historic Administration Building before proceeding to the Performing Arts Hall, where they were formally welcomed into the College’s long tradition of creative and civic engagement.
At the heart of the ceremony was the conferment of the Binitoon Medallion, a distinction unique to CCAD. Inspired by precolonial Visayan symbolism, the Binitoon represents courage, excellence, and the enduring commitment to use one’s craft in the service of society. As each graduate received the medallion, the rite affirmed not only the completion of an academic journey but also the responsibility that accompanies the knowledge and skills they now carry into the world.
The ceremony also recognized graduates whose outstanding achievements exemplified the values of excellence, creativity, scholarship, leadership, and service that define a CCAD education.
Among the awards conferred was the Ganti sa Hamiling Paniksik (Best Thesis Award), recognizing exceptional undergraduate research and creative scholarship across the College’s three academic programs. In Communication, Erna Josette Mazo Bonsukan, Adrian Aguilar Campugan, and Jade Ipong Himalaloan received the Best Thesis Award for their study on the disaster risk constructs of the Badjao community in Sitio NABA, Mambaling, Cebu. In Product Design, Jessin Amor Cartagena Kionisala earned the distinction for HAYAG, a modular mobile community library that reimagines informal urban spaces as child-centered learning environments. In Studio Arts, Phil Angelo Manigos Sevilla received the award for REMNANTS: A Solo Thesis Exhibition, recognized for its artistic excellence and conceptual depth. Other finalists and awardees were likewise recognized for their outstanding contributions to research, design, and artistic practice.
A Special Citation for International Research Presentation was also conferred upon Cris Fernan L. Bayaga, Alyanna Nicole N. Lauzon, and Lynda Katherine B. Mecaros for presenting their undergraduate thesis at the 2025 International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) Conference held at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Their participation underscored the global relevance of undergraduate research produced by CCAD and the College’s commitment to internationally engaged scholarship.
The College likewise honored graduates who demonstrated exemplary commitment to serving the CCAD community through the Ganti sa Halangdong Alagad (Service Award). The distinction was awarded to Cris Fernan Locaylocay Bayaga (Communication), Ardinian Jaq Quilisadio Sanque (Product Design), and Ram Andre Papasin Cosmo (Studio Arts), recognizing their dedicated service and meaningful contributions to student life and the College.
Recognizing graduates who embodied integrity, initiative, and servant leadership, the Ganti sa Halangdong Pangulo (Leadership Award) was presented to Jade Ipong Himalaloan (Communication), Jan Paolo Ygot Cormanes (Product Design), and Ram Andre Papasin Cosmo (Studio Arts). Their leadership reflected a commitment to fostering collaboration, empowering fellow students, and advancing the mission of the College throughout their undergraduate years.
The ceremony also celebrated the College’s highest academic achievers through the Ganti sa Bantugang Iskolar (Outstanding Graduate Award). The distinction was conferred upon Cris Fernan Locaylocay Bayaga of the Bachelor of Arts in Communication, who graduated Summa Cum Laude with a General Weighted Average of 1.19270; Precious Angeli Sinco Suarez of the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Product Design, who graduated Magna Cum Laude with a General Weighted Average of 1.35204; and Jasper Manubag Villacin of the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts, who graduated Magna Cum Laude with a General Weighted Average of 1.37244.
Following the conferment of the awards, each recipient delivered powerful speeches reflecting on the journeys, challenges, and communities that shaped their years in the University, offering words of gratitude and inspiration to their fellow graduates. Cris Bayaga reminded fellow graduates that UP education is shaped by the communities they encounter, paying tribute to the farmers, fisherfolk, workers, and marginalized sectors whose lived experiences became his greatest teachers and whose stories deserve to be heard. Jasper Villacin called on his fellow artists to continue creating with purpose, urging them to use their craft in the service of advocacy and to stand “for the least, the last, and the lost,” affirming that artistic practice must inspire meaningful social change. Meanwhile, Precious Suarez reflected on the privilege of studying in a national university, expressing gratitude to Filipino taxpayers whose investment made her education possible. She challenged the graduating class to live lives worthy of that public trust, carrying forward the values of honor, excellence, and service beyond the walls of the University.
Read the full excerpts of their speeches published by Lanog here:
Cris Bayaga – https://web.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122381194322010753&set=a.122110063496010753
Jasper Villacin – https://web.facebook.com/photo/ fbid=122381166818010753&set=a.122110063496010753
Precious Suarez – https://web.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122381179592010753&set=a.122126669108010753
As the ceremony drew to a close, the sound of the Budyong echoed once more—its call no longer one that gathered students into the College, but one that sent them forth into the wider world. It served as a reminder that while their years at UP Cebu had come to an end, the values nurtured within the University—honor, excellence, and service—would continue to guide them in the paths they choose to pursue.
More than a farewell, Pagbudyong 2026 was a celebration of becoming. It honored not only what the graduates had accomplished, but also the responsibility they now carry as communicators, artists, and designers whose voices, ideas, and creations will shape the communities they serve.
As the Class of 2026 crossed this final threshold, they carried with them the enduring echo of the Budyong—a call to lead with purpose, create with compassion, and leave a meaningful mark on the world.
Photos by Christie Mae Sato & Andrie Gabutan