Ninety-two (92) students graduated from the Governor Mariano E. Villafuerte Community College (GMVCC) Tinambac on June 28, 2026, during the school's 4th Commencement Exercises at Tinambac Central School I, held under the theme "Class of 2026: Values-Driven Workforce, Digitally-Inclined Lifelong Learners." Thirty-one earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems (BSIS) and 61 completed a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship (BSEntrep) — each diploma the product of a Provincial Government program built to put a college education within reach of families who could not otherwise afford one.
Among them was Milbert Behande, who crossed the stage as a Cum Laude after years of working as a construction laborer and coding websites just to make ends meet.
For Behande, the road to graduation was never a straight line. A working student from the start, he was forced to pause his studies when the pandemic upended his family's finances.
"Nag-stop po ako dahil sa financial problem. Si mama at si papa halos wala na rin pong trabaho kaya kumbaga nag working student na lang ako. Nag-umpisa po ako sa pagiging laborer, hanggang sa nag-extra-extra sa mga nagpapagawa ng mga school website, mga coding, at pag-encode po ng mga research," he recalled.
It was news of GMVCC Tinambac's free tuition that pulled him back. "Noong pandemic po nag-stop ako. Nang nalaman ko na mayroon nang GMVCC dito na may libreng tuition, agad po akong nag-enroll," he said.
Balancing coursework with side hustles, Behande built more than an income — he built a skill set. Through his BS Information Systems degree, he sharpened his abilities in software and application development, eventually leading a team to the regional finals of the DICT AI-DEAS Hackathon, a national competition testing young Filipino innovators' capacity to build practical, AI-driven solutions. "Na-enhance po ang aking knowledge lalo na sa BS Information Systems — sa paggawa ng apps at software systems," he said.
By graduation day, his name was tied to a growing list of distinctions: Cum Laude, Most Practical Research for their "Medicine Supply Inventory System for Barangay San Isidro, Tinambac," Excellence in Software Development, Best in Practicum, and the hackathon recognition. He dedicated all of it to the two people who had sacrificed the most for his education—his parents.
With his degree now in hand, Behande is set on becoming a professional web developer — a goal that once felt distant but is now within reach because of the degree he proudly holds.
"Importante ang ganitong oportunidad lalo na sa mga walang pambayad sa tuition. Magpursige tayo kasi education ang pinaka powerful tool na magagamit natin sa future,” he said, likewise reminding others to persevere and make the most of the opportunities available, adding that the government continues to stand behind students by providing support for their education.
A few rows from where the newest graduates sat, Mark Anthony Tabernilla watched the ceremony from a different vantage point — not as a student this time, but as one of the very instructors now shaping GMVCC Tinambac's next generation. Tabernilla belongs to the college's pioneer batch, having graduated Cum Laude in 2023 back when GMVCC Tinambac itself was still finding its footing. Just a year later, he returned — not to the classroom seats, but to the front of the room, hired as a college instructor at the same institution that had educated him. Today, he also serves as Coordinator for Gender and Development (GAD) and for LiKAP Culture and Arts.
The shift from student to educator was not immediate or effortless. "Medyo kinabahan ako noong una. From a former student, ngayon ay nae-experience ko na ang mga responsibilidad ng isang guro," Tabernilla admitted.
That early hesitation has since given way to purpose, as he channels his experience into mentoring students who remind him of himself — young people from Tinambac who might otherwise have had no accessible path to a college degree. "Natutuwa talaga ako at sinabi ko [sa sarili ko] na gagawin ko talaga ang lahat na makakaya ko para tulungan ang aking mga estudyante, lalo na ang mga taga Tinambac," he said. His teaching career has also allowed him to support his own family, turning what began as a scholarship opportunity into a sustainable livelihood.
Tabernilla is quick to credit the Provincial Government's initiative for making his trajectory possible in the first place. "Very thankful po ako kay Governor Lray, Congressman Luigi, at Congressman Migz Villafuerte dahil nagkaroon ng GMVCC Tinambac. Lumapit ang kolehiyo sa amin kaya hindi na kami nahirapan," he said, adding that the college's presence in Tinambac has made higher education tangibly more accessible for residents who once had to travel far, and pay dearly, for a college diploma. To the Class of 2026, he offered a simple message: "Sa mga graduates, fly high and soar high. Huwag kayong matakot mangarap."
GMVCC Tinambac is one of several community colleges established and managed by the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur to deliver free and quality tertiary education directly to towns that need it most. The model removes two of the biggest barriers to a college degree — tuition costs and distance — allowing young people like Behande and educators like Tabernilla to build futures they might not have otherwise been able to afford. Governor Lray Villafuerte has consistently framed the initiative as a long-term investment strategy, one built on the belief that education is the greatest gift we can give our people.
