Esteemed Guest Speaker Mindanao Development Authority Secretary Maria Belen Sunga-Acosta, UP Mindanao officials, faculty, staff, and students, beloved alumni, distinguished guests, awardees, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to this momentous occasion as we celebrate UP Mindanao's Foundation Anniversary. It is with pride and joy that we commemorate 29 years of honor, excellence, and service.

Reflecting on that journey evokes wonderful memories and invaluable lessons.

The alumni fought a long 19 years for a UP in Mindanao. We are honored to have here with us this morning alumni Mr. Sebastian "Anggie" Angliongto, Mr. John Gaisano, and Mr. Danny Guillen. These were among the brave and at the forefront of that battle. We are also honored to have in our presence officers and members of the different alumni associations of UP. Salamat, po, sa inyong pagsama sa aming selebrasyon ngayong umaga. They and many others are now the silent stalwarts of UP Mindanao.

A number of you have been with the university since we started from the ground up, including the early batches of students. I'm sure the habal-habal days with the abortion road are still fresh in our recollection. How can it not be when several of us have fallen victim to that road?

Yet none of those difficulties and dangers had stopped us from doing our mandate and mission. Indeed, we have literally and figuratively blazed the trail of bringing education closer to the farthest south, the marginalized, and the underserved. At the end of that trail is a small beacon of light called UP Mindanao.

Those who have gone before us fought for that light and carried it to places where it is needed. I would like to recognize the presence of our former chancellor, Larry Digal. Thank you, sir, for being with us this morning.

Kita naman ang bag-ong henerasyon nga tinugyanan sa Unibersidad, the new-generation stewards of that light. How we nurture that light will define our legacy.

Light is transformative. It turns darkness into brightness. In science, light can be converted to useful forms of energy. In the arts, light brings out beauty. In business and institutions, the light of a vision drives focus and forward direction. In our society, light exposes the truth.

In other words, the light that we carry with us has the power to bring impactful and meaningful change in our lives and in our society. UP Mindanao's light permeates the developmental agenda of Mindanao, from sustainable agri-food systems, to bio-cultural diversity, smart and sustainable environment, health, sports development, and innovation.

We are now moving towards a comprehensive University. I am a product of UP Diliman. In Diliman, you have almost everything at your fingertips with the wide range of academic programs and facilities. My dream is for UP Mindanao to become the Diliman of the south- with the right blend of people, services, and facilities for a truly transformative impact in Mindanao and even beyond, including BIMP-EAGA.

This transformative journey shall be accomplished through our collective efforts. This year's anniversary theme, "Duyog sa Pag-alágad: Sustainable Partnership in the Service to the People," is a declaration of our continued commitment to align and work with each other, fostering positive change in our self and in our communities, even for the most painful or uncomfortable issues of the day.

We are strengthening our core values of honor and excellence through leadership programs and by exercising quality standards and practices. We are remodeling academic curricula and building research and innovation hubs to drive academic excellence and public service. 

We are at the helm of public service in Mindanao, especially the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas of BARMM and CARAGA.

We are innovating our service to our internal constituents by transforming the university into a community campus and improving our welfare programs.

We may not be perfect, there are times that we have failed you, but progress is in our blood. With a can-do attitude and collaborative culture, we will get there.

We are thankful for our partners who have trusted us these years. Muhayag pa ang UP Mindanao tungod sa Duyog.

To celebrate Duyog, we celebrate our people. Our Foundation Anniversary is an auspicious occasion to recognize UP Mindanaoans who have demonstrated honor, excellence, and service.

Last week, we opened the semester by honoring our college and university scholars. Today, we shall commend our faculty and staff who have demonstrated exemplary service and contribution to the University. Daghang salamat sa inyong pasalig ug dedikasyon. Ang kahayag sa UP Mindanao nagdag-an tungod ninyo. Let us continue our service. Let it shine with meaning.

Oprah once reminded us: Do not worry about success but work towards significance, and success will follow.

UP Mindanao, let us fix our eyes on the higher purpose. The light we carry is not for success. We shine our light to be significant. 

To be significant is to serve with meaning. To serve with meaning is to serve with love.

Remember, it's love month. Love is in the air. 

We might not gain the whole world, but with love, we can gain the hearts of the people that really matter- our family, our community, and our beloved Mindanaoans.

Happy anniversary, UP Mindanao.

Thank you for the 29 years of carrying the light through your service with love.

Makigduyog tang tanan para sa kauswagan sa Mindanao.

Malipayong adlaw sa atung tanan!