The Catalyst

𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗢𝗪: Last minute preparations are underway for Eastern Samar State University Main Campus' 63rd Commencement Exercises at the University Grandstand today, Friday, May 15, 2026.

More than 2,000 ESSUdyantes, along with their families, are expected to attend the ceremony, marking the culmination of their academic journey.

Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV is also expected to arrive shortly as this year's commencement speaker.

John Laurence Morales | The Catalyst
Photos by R. Anacta | The Catalyst Multimedia

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀

In a country grappling with threats to press freedom, choosing to write even when hands tremble and to speak in spaces where voices are silenced is more than a burden journalists must carry, it is a shared responsibility we must all uphold. For truth should never remain hidden.

Stories like that of Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a community journalist known for her critical reporting on human rights, remind us of the risks that come with speaking truth to power. Arrested in 2020 on terrorism-related charges, her case reflects how labels can become tools of suppression, direct and unjust attacks on journalists whose work centers on the marginalized and the oppressed. This reality weighs even heavier on young individuals who aspire to enter the field with courage and conviction.

The press is not something to be feared or branded as anti-people. It is a vital institution that must be protected and uplifted, for it carries the voices of the unheard and preserves the truth for generations to come.

Today, on World Press Freedom Day, The Catalyst joins in raising awareness on the importance of press freedom as a cornerstone of democracy. Let this be a reminder that defending the press is, ultimately, defending the people.

Words by Phoebe Joy Amos | The Catalyst
Layout by J. Pagayanan | The Catalyst Multimedia