By: Mae Anne A. Alipusan
| Screengrab from CAPSU Public Information Office Facebook live of the 19th Commencement Exercises of the Roxas City Main Campus where Castro delivers personally his message to the graduates of the entire University
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Capiz Province Governor Fredenil H. Castro graced the University’s graduation as this year’s commencement speaker.
While Castro was still the province’s Second District Representative, he had been a perennial graduation speaker in the campuses situated in his district.
Castro played a significant role to the birth of the first and only state university in Capiz. He was one of the sponsors of the bill which called for the conversion of the then Panay State Polytechnic College into Capiz State University, along with his fellow legislator, Cong. Rodriguez D. Dadivas of the 1st Congressional District of Capiz.
This eventually led to signing of Republic Act No. 9273 by the then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on March 21, 2004.
When tuition fees and matriculation were not yet free in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), the former congressman helped students and parents to somehow lessen their financial burden through his Gugma ni Castro financial assistance. Thousands of students benefited from this assistance and most of them were able to finish their college.
And when he assumed office as the province’s chief executive, he created the Comprehensive Assistance Program for Identified Scholars (CAPIS) which provides educational assistance and scholarship to Capiznon students, mostly enrolled at Capiz State University.
In his commencement address, Castro expressed his felicitations to the graduates for their achievements and praised the University for producing “strong and resilient members of our society worthy of being the future leaders and builders.”