Renowned entertainer, host, and comedian Vice Ganda delivered a powerful and deeply personal keynote address at the graduation ceremony for the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) Class of 2026. Striking her trademark balance between humor and unflinching honesty, Vice Ganda urged the new generation of media professionals to serve as catalysts for structural change in the country rather than adding to the noise and disorder of social media.
Addressing the graduates as fellow “iskolar ng bayan” (scholars of the nation), Vice Ganda initially lightened the atmosphere by revealing her own unrealized dream of completing a UP education, playfully joking about the rigorous standards of the university before shifting to the structural inequities facing millions of Filipinos.
The Word of the Day: Dagitab
The central anchor of Vice Ganda’s address revolved around the word dagitab—a Tagalog word meaning a spark or electric current. She defined it beautifully as:
“Dagitab—isang maliit na liyab ng apoy na maaaring maging mitsa ng mas malaki pang mga bagay.”
(A spark—a small flame that can serve as the ignition for much bigger things.)
Vice shared how her own dagitab was forged through an intense upbringing of financial instability and social trauma, recalling the grief of losing her father to violence without obtaining justice.
Reflecting on her ascent to fame, she pointed out that she refused to let her background dictate her limits:
“These experiences did not break me. They sparked a spark inside of me. These experiences made me realize that I do not want to be poor. So I decided: I would not continue to be poor. I knew I needed to stand up, I knew I needed to step up, I knew I needed to hustle and work very, very hard.”
Confronting Systemic Injustice
Vice Ganda did not shy away from critical political commentary, using her platform to highlight the vast disparities in Philippine society. She contrasted the harsh realities of everyday workers with the privileges enjoyed by lawmakers:
“Sa bansang ito, wala kang ibang aasahan kundi ang sarili mo… 600 plus [pesos]—iyan ang kita ng karaniwang manggagawa depende sa kung anong rehiyon ka. Pero humigit-kumulang 300,000 ang suweldo ng senador na hindi pumapasok at nawawala.”
(In this country, you have no one else to rely on but yourself… 600-plus pesos—that is the daily wage of an ordinary worker depending on the region. But a senator who doesn’t show up and goes missing makes roughly 300,000 pesos.)
She also heavily scrutinized the state of the media industry and political accountability, recalling the controversial shutdown of her home network, ABS-CBN. Through these trials, Vice realized that her voice had to stretch far beyond comedy:
“Doon ko higit na naunawaan ang aking saysay ay higit sa pagpapatawa. Sapagkat ang mikroponong tangan ng aking kamay ay aking kapangyarihan.”
(That was when I truly understood that my purpose goes beyond making people laugh. Because the microphone held in my hand is my power.)
A Call to Action for the Next Generation
Concluding her address, Vice Ganda reminded the UP CMC graduates of the enormous societal expectations riding on their shoulders. Armed with their communication degrees, she challenged them to prioritize truth over manipulation, and nation-building over social disruption:
“Much is expected of you because you are the product of the country’s premier university. You are expected to spark change—change, not chaos. You are expected to share your education, not disinformation.”
By weaving together side-splitting humor and systemic critiques, Vice Ganda left the graduates with a resounding reminder that communication is a tool of empowerment, challenging them to utilize their skills to uplift the margins and protect the freedom of truth.