By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
It was a momentous event. Andrei Aquino Domogo became the first Igorot graduate from UP Baguio with a PhD in Mathematics.
It brought back memories of Norman King, the first from his Aeta tribe to graduate from college, with honors, cum laude, from the University of the Philippines Manila. When he marched up the stage in what appeared to be a genuine Aeta G-string or “bahag” (bare legs and no upper garments or headgear), the media, especially television reporters were ready to lap up the whole affair. Emphasized in the footages on prime time were his fraternity brods shouting, clapping, and raising their fists or hands in jubilation. They were so proud and happy, and nobody in his right mind would have tried to stop that once in a lifetime phenomenal celebration. The whole nation celebrated with them.
Then came the graduation of Andrei Aquino Domogo the other day from the University of the Philippines Baguio with a PhD in Mathematics. It was as momentous. As he marched up the stage in full Igorot regalia, the audience clapped with obvious admiration especially when his expertise was announced, Mathematics. My heartbeat skipped a bit. He was KKK—Kailian, Kabagian, Kaibigan.
But MY GOD! Manang Penny! Why did you not sound me up? The first person I would have dragged beside me in that affair would have been your elder sister, Bernice Aquino, to be near me along with other UP Baguio graduates of my time and perhaps fraternity brods who were in town or in campus. And we would have rocked the whole building in joyful noise and other gestures worthy of how important and phenomenal the occasion was. The noisy joy would have been so infectious the audience would have shed off any trait of being demure to celebrate with us. The noise and joy when Norman King graduated would have been put to shame. The joy would have banished any sense of propriety. i
I know some of my professors then in the same campus who were in attendance would have muttered, “I thought we graduated (got rid of) that guy long ago? How did he even make it to the UP College of Law?” But I would have been so absorbed by the celebration to mind such petty things.
Even more admirable in Andrei is his being a director of the Ugnayan Ng Pahinungod. As far as I could remember, that is the social service arm of the UP. About 25 years ago I heard of colleagues from UP Baguio and our group of UP Los Banos alumni doing some Pahinungod activities. These were events to help Cordilleran high school graduates improve their chances of passing the UP College Admission Tests.
In short, Pahinungod is social service oriented. Helping others.
This means that Andrei’s heart is in the right place. What’s the use of having exemplary academic achievements if one does not even know the importance of social service? It would be useless?
Our salute and admiration for Andrei. Hopefully, younger Igorots would appreciate him as an idol for them to work hard and achieve more with whatever talents, intelligence and other assets or resources they have.
**
