Yesterday, in the university named after the father of the man who defeated her own father Diosdado Macapagal in the presidential race in1965, Mrs. Arroyo received her first honorary doctorate as Pre-sident.
She was conferred an honorary doctorate in humanities at the 20th commencement exercises of the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in Agoo, La Union. The President was amid 1,643 graduating students, led by Flvieline Allibang, a pyschology student.
"Actually, I was reluctant to receive an honorary doctorate from your school because I have so many doctorates which I earned through hard work for so many years," the President said. "That’s why I came here with my own hood and my own hat of the Don Mariano Marcos State University. But I am also happy to learn that I am the first president to be the commencement speaker on the Agoo campus of this university," the President added.
Mrs. Arroyo has an Economics degree from the Georgetown University in Washington DC, where former US President Bill Clinton was a classmate.
She returned to the Assumption College in 1966 where she also completed an economics degree, magna cum laude.
Mrs. Arroyo pursued her master’s in Economics in 1978 at the Ateneo de Manila University, where newly sworn-in Defense Secretary Gen. Angelo Reyes was a classmate. She then took up her doctorate in Economics at the University of the Philippines in 1985.
Chairman Ester Albano Garcia of the Commission on Higher Education conferred the honorary doctorate on the President, assisted by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.
The President impressed upon the new graduates the thrusts of her two-month old administration, which include information and communication technology and agricultural modernization.
Mrs. Arroyo was accompanied by Press Secretary Noel Cabrera, Undersecretary Roberto Capco, Public Works Secretary Simeon Datumanong, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Juliano-Soliman, Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza and Housing Secretary Mike Defensor.
They were welcomed by La Union Gov. Justo Orros Jr., university president Ernesto Gapasin, Agoo Mayor Eufranio Eriguel and other local officials.
After the graduation rites, Mrs. Arroyo motored to San Fernando City for a dialogue with multisectoral groups and to formally open the P95. 5 million San Fernando by-pass road.
The road is a project of the Department of Public Works and Highways, former La Union Rep. Victor Ortega and Rep. Manuel Ortega.– Marichu Villanueva, Vic Alhambra Jr.