Outstanding Filipino Teacher Returns to Alma Mater to Inspire BukSU Graduates

As a teacher, he crossed rivers to reach his classroom. But on June 17, 2025, he crossed a stage—not to receive a diploma, but to deliver a message shaped by years of teaching where roads are unpaved, electricity is scarce, and students walk miles for learning.

Junmerth C. Jorta, a graduate of Bukidnon State University’s Bachelor of Elementary Education program, returned to his alma mater not just as an invited speaker—but as an example of where service-driven education can lead.

Speaking before 446 graduates during the university’s 91st Annual Commencement Exercises, he delivered a message informed by nearly a decade of work in one of Bukidnon’s most remote indigenous communities.

Assigned to Sitio Balugo, Kalagangan, San Fernando since 2015, Jorta helped establish and lead Keupiyanan Te Balugo, a school that has grown into a hub for community-led learning. His programs have addressed hunger, literacy, and early marriage, drawing support from both local and international partners.

These efforts earned him national and global recognition, including the 2022 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino Teacher Award and a place among the Top 50 finalists for the 2025 Global Teacher Prize.

In his speech, Jorta urged graduates from the College of Education and the College of Technologies to view their careers as opportunities to serve others.

“Make yourselves an instrument for everyone to succeed,” he said. To future educators and technologists, he offered a reminder: “You may create brilliant softwares and teach STEM subjects, but if your work points students towards truth, kindness, integrity, and service, you are fulfilling a higher purpose.”

Achievements Across the Colleges

Among the graduates was Joanne Cris Y. Mahilum, a Magna Cum Laude from the Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Filipino program, who shared that her family was her “biggest motivation.” Achieving honors, she said, was her way of honoring her parents’ sacrifices. Mahilum plans to continue her journey through either employment or graduate studies in the Filipino language.

The ceremony recognized 272 graduates from the College of Education, including 56 with honors—45 Cum Laude and 11 Magna Cum Laude. The College of Technologies conferred degrees on 174 graduates, 10 of whom earned Cum Laude distinctions.

Recognitions and Academic Distinction

University President Dr. Joy M. Mirasol reported that BukSU ranked in the Top 5, 7, and 10 in the 2024 Licensure Examination for Teachers, and again placed in the Top 5 in 2025. The university received recognition from CHED for Excellence in Quality Assurance in Teacher Education.

She also noted the College of Technologies’ 100% passing rate in the Automotive Servicing NC I assessment and its second-place win in the 2024 PSA Infographic Competition. Eighty-five percent of BS Automotive Technology graduates, she added, were absorbed by their host training establishments.

The 91st Commencement Exercises carried the theme ‘Leading Innovative Pathways through SMART Education,’ a message reflected in both BukSU’s recent achievements and in Jorta’s personal story of bringing learning opportunities to far-flung communities. (Genavev Labora, IU Intern)