The Office of the Legal Affairs hosted the May 19, 2025 flag-raising ceremony. After the ceremony, Mark Sandave B. Bautista of the Office of the Legal Affairs shared a trivia about the date May 19, 1893. On this date, the Maura Law named after Antonio Maura y Montañer was promulgated. Maura was then the minister of the Colonies of Spain. The law aimed to grant increased autonomy to towns and provinces in Luzon and the Visayan Islands of the Philippines. However, its flawed implementation was perceived by many Filipinos as insufficient and inadequate contributing to the rise of nationalist movements and outbreak of the revolution.
This date also marks a key event in Philippine history with the return of Emilio Aguinaldo to the Philippines from Hong Kong after the Battle of Manila Bay, leading to the Philippine – American war that lasted from 1899 to 1902. Aguinaldo’s return led to the resumption of the revolution against Spain which have been temporarily halted after the American victory. According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Philippine – American war saw the Filipino revolutionaries fight against United States for independence.
Botengan added that the RAATI assessment covered different areas such as administrative efficiency, training management, military proficiency, overall quality of training and cadet competency. He also expressed his gratitude to the University for the support given to the NSTP – Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) for this year.
“In other words, heritage is our foundation, culture is our foundation, cultural awareness, and cultural preservation could be among our identity as a University” he said.
The Flag Raising Ceremony and the short program that follows it usually consisting of announcements, recognition of student and employee achievements, physical exercises, performances and speeches from guests and university officials is a regular activity of that supports and contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals specifically #Goal4, #Goal3, #Goal8, #Goal10, #Goal16, and #Goal17. In essence, the activity serves as a regular platform to reinforce values, disseminate information, and celebrate achievements that directly or indirectly support the broader objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals, creating a more sustainable and equitable university community.//DPaydowan