Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto had to take a second look at one of the pictures taken during graduation week in his city.
The city chief on Thursday, July 20 shared some images of 17,000 fresh graduates from the Pasig Schools Division Office‘s 39 elementary and senior high schools (SHS).
He showcased the city government’s usage of the “Sablay” instead of a toga and shared that it has the city’s slogan or motto in Baybayin, a pre-colonial writing system in the Philippines.
Pasig’s slogan under Sotto’s administration is “Umaagos ang Pag-asa,” a reference to the famous water body that bisects the nation’s capital and its surrounding urban area.
It also connotes hope and development, adjectives that people associate with the millennial mayor’s brand of leadership.
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According to Sotto, the usage of the “sablay” instead of the graduation toga is “more practical.”
“Sa parehong presyo ng pag-renta ng toga, nakakapagpagawa tayo ng sablay na nagiging remembrance na rin ng mga nagsisipagtapos. Nakakapaglikha pa tayo ng trabaho — marami na ring na-train na Pasigueño na manghahabi,” he said.
CONGRATULATIONS to our 17K new graduates from the Pasig SDO's 39 ES & SHSs.
The LGU provided for various ceremony needs, but most remarkably, the "SABLAY". Inspired by the malong, this is a piece of clothing worn in graduations, instead of togas.
Mas PRAKTIKAL din ito: sa… pic.twitter.com/adLmXJJpon
— Vico Sotto (@VicoSotto) July 20, 2023
The same post can be seen on his official Facebook page.
Meanwhile, one of the photos he uploaded on another platform caught online attention. It featured a snapshot of kids with outstretched arms that appeared to be in a typing position.
“Akala ko may pa-laptop kami, diploma holder lang pala,” the mayor wrote as a caption.
Akala ko may pa-laptop kami, diploma holder lang pala pic.twitter.com/zB1La8iJW7
— Vico Sotto (@VicoSotto) July 20, 2023
The tweet amused some Pinoys who shared their thoughts in the replies thread.
“Hahaha! Kulet! Pa-laptop ka naman daw, Mayor!” a Twitter user wrote with a grinning face emoji.
“Jokerist yarrrrn, Mayor?” another user tweeted with laughing-with-tears emojis.
“Hahahahaha,” commented a different Pinoy.
What Sotto was referring to in the photo is a certificate folder, a folder designed to hold and display a document, particularly for special occasions such as graduations or signing ceremonies.
It also protects the document from spills and other wear and tear.
