Beyond the crisp white uniforms and the palpable air of anticipation, a deeper current was flowing. The recent 59th Capping, Pinning, and Candle Lighting Ceremony, held on September 25, 2025, at the Convention Center, was more than a rite of passage; it was a transference of a legacy, a sacred charge passed from one generation of healers to the next. For 374 students—295 women and 79 men—this was the moment theory met purpose, and a student’s
ambition began its transformation into a nurse’s resolve. The event opened with a welcome remark from Doctor Marian Grace Gascon, who, on behalf of the Board of Directors, framed the institution’s mission not as a mere curriculum, but as a forge for “lifelong learners through transformative discipline.” Her words laid the foundation for an evening rich with symbolism. She dissected the iconic uniform with poetic precision: the cap, a “Christ Above the Person” promise, is not just fabric but a crown of responsibility. The act of kneeling to receive it—a seemingly simple gesture—was reframed as an ancient language of modesty, a necessary posture for a profession that requires one to stoop to lift others. The pin, placed not on a collar but adjacent to the heart, was presented as a literal and figurative anchoring of one’s pledge to the very core of their being—a constant, physical reminder that intelligence must be tempered by love, and procedure by kindness. Then came the light. Doc. Gascon masterfully linked the single candle flame to the lamp of Florence Nightingale, “seen in the dark alleys of the Crimean War.” This was not just a history lesson; it was a declaration that every nurse carries this same light into the modern battlegrounds of disease and despair. The ensuing pledge was the final seal—a vocal contract to uphold a practice where integrity is the default and compassion is the primary intervention.
The Echo of Familiar Footsteps
The past spoke directly to the present through the guest speaker, Ms. Sandra Sagubo. Introduced by Ms. Adela Gomez as a native who once navigated these very halls, Ms. Sagubo’s presence was living proof that the journey leads to triumph. “This event brings back a flood of memories,” she began, instantly bridging the 33-year gap between her seat and theirs. She spoke not as a distant expert, but as a compassionate veteran who remembers the “long nights of exams, case preps, and personal challenges, fueled by caffeine.” Her address was the emotional core of the day. She elevated nursing from a job to a “profound connection of mind, heart, body, and soul,” a vocation that demands every fiber of one’s humanity. She paid tribute to the mentors—the “terror instructors” who were, in truth, master sculptors of character. Her most resonant wisdom was a clarion call for the difficult days ahead: “Nursing is not just about medicine, procedures, and charts; it is about people. It is about seeing humanity in every patient.” In a world of metrics and data, she reminded them that their most crucial tool is their own humanity.
The Student’s Pledge: A Covenant of Care
Ms. Cherry Sereño, Level 1 and 2 Coordinator then gave voice to the collective heartbeat of her cohort. She articulated the internal shift from learning about care to vowing to enact it. For her, the cap became a commitment, the pin a pledge, and the candle a beacon. “Our commitment lies not just in physical health,” she noted, “but in the human connection.” This distinction is the very soul of nursing—the understanding that healing is not synonymous with curing, and that comfort is a medicine in itself.
When Ms. Buna Racal, Dean of the College of Nursing, said, “Enjoy while studying,” she offered a message that was both simple and deeply meaningful. In just a few words, she reminded students that their academic journey—though often filled with pressure, sleepless nights, and endless responsibilities—should also be a time of joy, growth, and discovery.
To “enjoy while studying” means not to wait until graduation or success to feel happy or fulfilled. It means finding moments of happiness even in the most challenging times. It’s about appreciating the process: the excitement of learning something new, the friendships built along the way, the pride in small accomplishments, and even the lessons learned from failure.
Her words encouraged students to shift their mindset not to see studying as a burden, but as a privilege and opportunity. They serve as a reminder that nursing is not just a career, but a calling filled with purpose. And when that purpose is embraced with passion, even the hardest parts of the journey can become meaningful and yes, even enjoyable.
Ms. Racal’s message was a call for balance. A reminder that while hard work and dedication are necessary, joy is just as essential not as a reward at the end, but as something to nurture throughout the entire journey.
The Flame That Never Flickers
As the ceremony’s formal lights dimmed and the students filed out, their individual candles may have been extinguished, but the inner flame it represented was only just kindled. They now carry a dual light: the historical lamp of Nightingale and the personal fire of their own sworn commitment. They step forward not as finished products, but as living, breathing vessels of a promise—to be a presence in the absence of family, to be clarity in the fog of fear, and to be dignity in the face of vulnerability.
Let this not be the brightest their lamps will ever burn, but merely the first spark. Through the long nights, the complex cases, and the moments of doubt, let the nursing heart continue burning—a steady, unwavering flame of intelligence, compassion, and hope, lighting the way for all who are entrusted to their care. #Ashley Jane Abad (BSN)
