​

​On 9 July 2026, the graduation stage of the University of the Philippines Visayas, which traditionally hosts academics, public officials, and industry leaders, welcomed a fisherfolk leader whose reveal video garnered more than a million views within a week. His name is Pablo “Ka Pabs” Rosales.

His selection was not an isolated decision but part of a deliberate effort to rethink who deserves a place on one of the university's most important stages.

In 2024, when I assumed a university leadership position that automatically made me chair of the Steering Committee for the commencement exercises, I saw an opportunity to broaden the voices
we celebrate.

One initiative was the adoption of annual themes that reflected the university's values and social
commitments. In 2024, the theme was Serve the People, one of the university's core values. In 2025, it became Aton ang Kinse, advocating for the preferential rights of small-scale fishers in municipal waters (inland and coastal water zones that extend up to 15 kilometers from the shoreline of a city or municipality). In 2026, we adopted Just Harmony, inspired by the Fifth World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress – a reminder that there can be no true harmony without justice.

The second initiative was more significant: giving a platform to fisherfolk leaders. Years of research and engagement with fishing communities introduced me to individuals whose wisdom was shaped by experience and whose leadership transformed communities despite adversity. In 2024, we invited Roberto “Ka Dodoy” Ballon, a fisherfolk leader and recipient of the 2021 Ramon Magsaysay Award, often described as Asia's Nobel Prize. His mangrove restoration work rehabilitated 500 hectares and transformed livelihoods in Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay. As Ka Dodoy reminded our graduates,

 

“Ang serbisyo ay hindi naghihintay ng anumang bayad. Ang tunay na serbisyo ay ang kaligayahan at ang fulfillment ng ating buhay.” (Service does not expect any payment. True service is the happiness and fulfillment of our lives.)

​

In 2025, we welcomed two fisherfolk leaders. Reynilda Partida of Carles, Iloilo, was recognized for advancing marine conservation and improving fisherfolk livelihoods in her community. In her message to the graduates, she said,

 

“Hindi mo kailangang maging kilala para makagawa ng pagbabago. Hindi mo kailangang maging mayaman para makatulong. Ang kailangan natin: paninindigan, puso, at malasakit.” (You do not have to be famous to make a difference. You do not have to be rich to help. What we need are conviction, heart, and compassion.)

We also invited Fredel Muid, a Tagbanua elder from Busuanga, Palawan, who helped his community reclaim ancestral lands and more than 50,000 hectares of ancestral waters. Reflecting on the theme Aton ang Kinse, he shared:

 

“Ito rin ay tungkol sa kung paano tayo pinagbubuklod ng ating mga likas na yaman – kung paano ang dagat, lupa, at kalikasan ay hindi lamang pinagkukunan ng kabuhayan, kundi ugat ng ating pagkatao bilang isang komunidad.” (It is also about how our natural resources unite us – how the sea, land, and nature are not only a source of livelihood, but the root of our identity as a community.)

 

 In 2026, we chose Pablo Rosales, known to many as Ka Pabs, whose advocacy for municipal waters, ethical fishing, and the fight against plastic pollution has inspired fishing communities across the country. Speaking on Just Harmony, he reminded us that development should not benefit only a few, depend on environmental destruction, or be built upon the silence of the oppressed, because there can be no harmony without justice.

These leaders may not hold doctoral degrees or occupy positions in government. Yet they have built movements, restored ecosystems, defended rights, and transformed lives.

Universities are places where society decides whose knowledge matters. By inviting fisherfolk leaders to stand before our graduates, we affirm that wisdom is not confined to classrooms and that leadership is measured not only by titles, but by service and transformation. In doing so, we reaffirm the university' s commitment to public service and to communities whose knowledge has too often remained unheard.

 

Some of the most important lessons come from those who have spent their lives serving communities that society too often overlooks. They remind us that education finds its highest purpose not in personal achievement, but in using knowledge to build a more just and humane society.

​

Note: All accompanying photos were downloaded from UPV Facebook Page being administered
by the UPV Information and Publication Office.

​​​​