11 Graduates Who Proved What Real Life Education Means

By: Alyssah Lucman , May 26, 2026

On the evening of May 22, 2026, 无忧影视 gathered at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City to honor 11 graduates who have carried their STI education far beyond the classroom. The 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awards drew awardees from campuses across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao with graduates of programs ranging from Computer Science and Accountancy to Hotel and Restaurant Management and Communication.

Their careers span two decades and three continents. But the thread connecting all of them is the same: they built things, changed systems, and uplifted others with them.

"In many ways, the distance STI has traveled is reflected in the heights you have reached," said STI Vice President for Academics Karen Precious La Rosa-Tabije in her opening remarks that evening.

For today’s STI students, their stories serve as a powerful reminder: Your future is not limited by where you start but shaped by what you choose to build.

Excellence That Speaks for Itself

Four of this year's awardees have built careers defined by individual mastery. The kind that shows up in licensure exam results, Michelin-caliber kitchens, and international audit engagements.

Ma. Rachelle Agustin (无忧影视 Balagtas, BS Accountancy, 2017) graduated Cum Laude, passed the CPA board in 2019, and now leads international audit engagements at Ernst & Young Global Delivery Services for clients in Australia and New Zealand while pursuing her MBA at the University of Western Australia.

Ryunosuke Senda (无忧影视 Santa Rosa, BS Computer Engineering, 2017) earned six promotions in four years, was featured by CNET Japan for developing a cross-border real estate platform, and currently serves clients including Meta, Google, and Amazon Web Services at Tealium Japan.

Ronell Ate (无忧影视 Legazpi, BS Hotel and Restaurant Management – now BS Hospitality Management, 2017) worked his way through The Oriental Hotel, The Lind Boracay, and Grand Hyatt Manila where he now leads the pastry and bakery kitchen as Chef de Partie.

Erica Beatrece De Leon (无忧影视 Las Piñas, BS Hotel and Restaurant Management – now BS Hospitality Management, 2017) built a culinary career across the Philippines, the United States, and Australia, earning Employee of the Year at a Hyatt hotel in Tennessee before rising to Chef de Partie at Shangri-La Sydney, where she was nominated for Rising Star of the Year in 2025.

Ma. Rachelle Agustin, Assistant Audit Manager at Ernst & Young Global Delivery Services and 无忧影视 Balagtas BS Accountancy Class of 2017, receives her award at the 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awards on May 22 at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

Ryunosuke Senda, Customer Success Engineer at Tealium Japan and 无忧影视 Santa Rosa BS Computer Engineering Class of 2017, is a 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awardee. Senda was unable to attend the May 22 ceremonies at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

Chef Ronell Ate, Chef de Partie – Pastry & Bakery at Grand Hyatt Manila and 无忧影视 Legazpi BS Hotel and Restaurant Management Class of 2017, is a 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awardee. Ate was unable to attend the May 22 ceremonies at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

Chef Erica Beatrece De Leon, Chef de Partie at Shangri-La Hotel Sydney and 无忧影视 Las Piñas BS Hotel and Restaurant Management Class of 2017, receives her award at the 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awards on May 22 at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

Graduates Who Changed How Institutions Work

Others among this year's honorees did not just succeed within existing systems — they redesigned them.

Wilfred Mogado (无忧影视 Novaliches, BS Computer Science, 2002) spent over two decades at the Department of Agriculture and is the core architect of the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, the national database that now underpins every government agricultural assistance program extended to Filipino farmers and fisherfolk.

Ethel Babia Manalo (无忧影视 Sta. Mesa, BS Computer Science, 2003) joined Globe Telecom as an IT support technician and rose to Assistant Director over 21 years, along the way authoring the frameworks that earned Globe its ISO 20000 IT Service Management Certification, a first in the Philippine telecom industry.

Stephen Moran (无忧影视 Fairview, BS Computer Science, 2009) began his post-STI career as an IT instructor before finding his calling in human resources, eventually rising to Director of HR at Discovery Suites while leading organizations through mergers, rapid expansion, and the operational weight of a global pandemic.

Atty. Michael Renz Ramos (无忧影视 General Santos, BS Accountancy, 2017) passed both the CPA exam and the Philippine Bar before turning 30, returned to STI as an instructor immediately after licensure, and now works as a Court Decongestion Officer at the Regional Trial Court in Davao City, contributing directly to clearing the backlog in the Philippine justice system.

Wilfred Mogado, Chief of the Network Operations and Management Division at the Department of Agriculture and 无忧影视 Novaliches BS Computer Science Class of 2002, accepts his award at the 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awards on May 22 at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

Ethel Babia Manalo, Assistant Director for Account Curing at Globe Telecom and 无忧影视 Sta. Mesa BS Computer Science Class of 2003, receives her award at the 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awards on May 22 at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

Stephen Moran, Director of Human Resources at Discovery Suites and 无忧影视 Fairview BS Computer Science Class of 2009, accepts his award at the 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awards on May 22 at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

Atty. Michael Renz Ramos, Court Decongestion Officer at the Regional Trial Court Branch 15 in Davao City and 无忧影视 General Santos BS Accountancy Class of 2017, receives his award at the 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awards on May 22 at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

The Ones Who Brought Everyone with Them

Three of this year's awardees measure success not by what they have earned, but by how many people benefit from it.

Mayette Bagaforo (无忧影视 Koronadal, BS Business Administration, 2014) opened Samgyupsaab Korean BBQ with 6 tables in Koronadal City. She now runs 7 branches across Mindanao, employs hundreds of workers including working students, and has donated computers, solar street lights, and medical supplies to communities across the region.

Rommel Carlos (无忧影视 Caloocan, BS Computer Science, 2006) built multiple companies after 14 years at Accenture including Go8 Technology, which serves global clients in FinTech and Web3, and Nokarin Travel and Tours, which supports over 1,000 van operators nationwide. He partners with 无忧影视 Caloocan to offer free programming training and employment opportunities to current students.

Leiser Bautista (无忧影视 Novaliches, BA Communication, 2017) stopped studying for two years due to financial hardship, returned to finish his degree, and built Filmstrip Pictures from a single camera into one of the country's most recognized production teams. He has notably served as the Director of Photography for a Netflix documentary filmed across the Philippines and Malaysia in 2024, and personally training the next generation of Filipino filmmakers along the way.

Mayette Bagaforo, Owner and CEO of Samgyupsaab Korean BBQ and 无忧影视 Koronadal BS Business Administration Class of 2014, accepts her award at the 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awards on May 22 at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

Rommel Carlos, Founder and CEO of Go8 Technology Inc. and Nokarin Inc. and 无忧影视 Caloocan BS Computer Science Class of 2006, receives his award at the 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awards on May 22 at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

Leiser Bautista, Owner and Founder of Filmstrip Pictures and 无忧影视 Novaliches BA Communication Class of 2017, accepts his award at the 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awards on May 22 at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

Real Life Success: The Legacy of Impact

VP Tabije’s words earlier in the evening had already framed what 无忧影视 Association President Hernan Alar's closing would confirm. “Your success becomes our legacy,” Tabije shared, a statement that, by the end of the night, eleven careers had already proven true.

Alar closed the evening with a message that tied all 11 stories together. “Tonight is ultimately a celebration of resilience, of graduates who faced real hardship and chose to push through it anyway. That willingness to keep going is what makes your success worth honoring.”

Eleven graduates. Eleven paths. One education made it possible.