Malacañan Palace
14 May 2015

President Benigno S. Aquino III was conferred with a Doctor of Humanities (honoris causa) by the Tarlac State University (TSU) officials led by its president, Dr. Myrna Mallari, in Malacañan Palace.

The President was awarded with the honorary degree in recognition of his “distinguished political service to the Filipino people” as the fifteenth President of the Republic of the Philippines; as representative of the Second Legislative District of Tarlac Province from 1998 to 2007; and as Senator of the 14th Congress from 2007 to 2010.

The award was given in reverence of his programs “anchored on clean, honest, and effective governance for all Filipinos,” placing the Filipino people as the “Boss” and as the “foremost stakeholder in the development plans and reform programs.”

In his speech, President Aquino thanked TSU for the conferment of the degree, saying that it warms his heart knowing that his fellow Tarlaqueños recognize his achievements. He emphasized the importance of education, relating how his father told him that “knowledge will enable us to build better lives for ourselves and our families; more importantly it allows us to render service to our fellowmen.”

He also highlighted the importance of asking the question “why”, which led to the success of suitable programs that geared the country to further development, such as the increase of attendees in schools, the rise of the IT-BPO (information technology – business process outsourcing) sector, and the lowering of unemployment in the country.

President Aquino assured everyone that he would continue to work for his fellow citizens towards building a greater Philippine nation and show that “indeed, the Filipino is worth dying for.”

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