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Bella Cariaso - The Philippine Star
April 2, 2026 | 12:00am
Lenivie Latiban (center) completes kindergarten at Buko-Buko Elementary School in Davao Oriental.
DEPED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — A mother completed kindergarten alongside one of her children. A visually impaired man, now a lawyer, returned to his alma mater as graduation keynote speaker.
In this graduation season, the Department of Education (DepEd) shared these inspiring stories yesterday.
“These graduates are the living proof that education is a lifelong journey, and our schools remain open doors for every Filipino who has the courage to dream, regardless of their starting point,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.
In Boston, Davao Oriental, 33-year-old laborer Lenivie Latiban received her kindergarten certificate from Buko-Buko Elementary School alongside one of her three children.
Latiban, who hauls abaca and produces copra for a living, enrolled with a simple goal – to read her cellphone messages and help tutor her children.
Despite the physical demands of her work, she attended classes with her child and made time to study before heading to work.
She expressed gratitude to her teachers for their patience and support, and now hopes to complete her elementary education.
Meanwhile, lawyer Martsu Ressan Ladia returned to his alma mater in General Santos City SPED Integrated School as keynote speaker for its senior high school graduation ceremonies.
Ladia, who has partial blindness, overcame visual impairment and childhood bullying to earn his law degree from Mindanao State University-General Santos City in 2023 and pass the Bar examinations.
As a Special Needs Education (SNED) learner, he said he turned challenges into motivation to rise above adversity and prove his worth.
His story resonated with graduates such as Jann Anthony Gabutan, a SNED learner with an orthopedic disability, who received his diploma in a wheelchair with a smile that lit up the graduation hall.
“These successes exemplify the adage that it takes a village to educate a child, where dedicated teachers and supportive communities enable learners to transcend their circumstances,” the DepEd said, adding that these stories reaffirm that classrooms remain spaces for second chances and breaking barriers.
School year 2025-2026 ended on March 31.
