The Vice President was in Tarlac and Pampanga for a series of events.

At 10:00 am, she attended the 72ndCommencement Exercises of Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU) in Camiling, Tarlac. TAU was created by RA No. 7722 or the Higher Education Act of 1994 to provide advanced education, higher technological, professional instruction and training in the fields of agriculture, agribusiness management, science and technology, engineering, teacher education, non-traditional courses, and other relevant fields of study. It shall also undertake research, extension services, and production activities in support of the development of the Province of Tarlac, and provide progressive leadership in its areas of specialization. For this year’s commencement exercises, there were a total of 1,083 graduates.

In her speech, the Vice President talked about how she witnessed various acts of ordinary Filipinos across the country that contribute to nation-building and how these should inspire the youth to step up. “Up to this day, many Filipinos are still seeking saviors who will solve our country’s problems. But in my heart of hearts, I know that we do not need new saviors. What we need are everyday heroes like you, whose collective acts of compassion and servant-leadership, are the ones that can truly transform our nation.”

At 2:00 pm, the Vice President went to the inauguration of VXI Global Solutions-Clark Site in Angeles, Pampanga. VXI Global Solutions is an international organization that helps their clients develop technologies and customer care services that enable them to improve their business processes and customer relations services. It currently has 13,026 Filipino employees nationwide. With the launch of the VXI Clark Site, 1,500 more career opportunities will be available for Filipinos.

In her message, the Vice President mentioned the challenges of AI may bring, which calls for a collective action to prioritize workers’ welfare. “Despite these many challenges, one of the things that we realized early on is that if we put all our acts together, nothing really is impossible. So my presence here this afternoon is also an invitation to VXI to be our partner. To be our partner in making sure that progress is felt not just by the employees that we—the employees that join our company, but the challenge also is how to make sure that the progress that our company is feeling right now is made felt also to the least of our brethren.”