University News

First batch of Education on Wheels graduates earn degrees in Office Administration

Jan Vincent Lanuza, News, Communication Management Office

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) marked a groundbreaking achievement in the 2025 Year End Commencement Exercises as the first batch of Education on Wheels (EOW) students from Smokey Mountain, Tondo, Manila received their diplomas.

During the undergraduate commencement rites of the PUP Open University System on September 20, fifty-one (51) Education on Wheels (EOW) students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Office Administration (BSOA) program marched after four years of learning in the EOW mobile classroom.

Commencement speaker Milalin Javellana, Program Director of the Australia Awards and Alumni Engagement Program – Philippines and one of the main benefactors of the EOW advocacy project through the Australian Awards Alumni Grant Scheme, emphasized the values that the Iskolar ng Bayan have gained throughout their studies.

“Dear graduates, the knowledge [and] the wisdom that you have gained, is not just the modules and the lessons that you have finished, or the exams that you have passed, it is the discipline, the sacrifice, and the perseverance,” Javellana said.

She further urged the graduates to embrace the advantages provided by innovation and technology to foster learning and development—with a condition to use it properly and ethically.

The EOW graduates expressed gratitude for the University’s program, which gave them the opportunity to believe that finishing college is possible. One of them, Norie Ann T. Nicole, shared that simply graduating was already an overwhelming experience.

“Hindi hadlang ang kahirapan, parang ito ang magiging sandata mo. Kahit nahihirapan ka, i-push mo lang lalo na at may mga sumusuporta sa iyo,” added Danica Legaspi, an EOW graduate who managed to complete her studies while also fulfilling her responsibilities as a mother.

(Poverty is not a hindrance; in fact, it can be your weapon. Even if things are difficult, just keep pushing forward—especially since there are people supporting you.)

For John Andrew V. Dela Cruz, the achievement serves as a call to give back and help more Filipinos attain quality and accessible education through EOW. He shared, “katulad na lang din ng Education on Wheels na sila ang pumunta sa amin sa Tondo para bigyan kami ng aral, ganoon din ang gagawin ko sa mga kabataan.”

(Just like Education on Wheels, which came to us in Tondo to give us lessons, I will also do the same for the youth.)

The success of EOW highlights PUP’s commitment to providing affordable tertiary education to Filipinos and empowering them to rise above poverty. This initiative aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4: ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Continuous search for EOW potential partners
Education on Wheels (EOW) program through the Communication Management Office (CMO), is continuously searching for potential partners that can help fulfill the dreams of aspiring learners to finish a four-year degree in PUP.

_{(Note: Grammar check and English translation generated by AI.)}