KABACAN, North Cotabato – Poverty and old age should not impede Filipinos from pursuing school studies as education recognizes no boundary and is the key to understanding, peace and development, especially in the underdeveloped south.

North Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Piñol aired this sort of advice to the people of Mindanao including his fellow elected officials, shortly after he received yesterday his diploma in Master of Science in Rural Economic Development (M.S. RED) at the 63^rd commencement exercises of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) here.

The 55-year old Piñol was among some 2,000 graduates of baccalaureate and post-graduate degrees in formal ceremonies at the USM campus ground graced yesterday morning as guest speaker by Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Aguilar-Villar.

Piñol has fulfilled fully the academic requirements of the M.S. RED degree with his thesis entitled “Innovations in Governance: Its Impact on Rural Development and Poverty.”

He said the thesis contents were culled mostly from records of unprecedented programs he has implemented and helped transform North Cotabato from being the country’s 10^th poorest province to its current lot as among the 29 provinces with lowest poverty incidence.

In a chance interview in the middle of the graduation rites, Piñol said he will enroll this June at the same USM campus to take up a doctorate degree on the same field of study – rural economic development, in pursuit of his drive to exemplify a Filipino pursuing study even at late age.

“Poverty and age should not really deter Filipinos from studying…I would even encourage other elected officials to further enhance academic experience,” Piñol said.

When he was in last term as governor in 2006, Piñol graduated his bachelor’s degree in development communications at the same USM campus under the school’s expanded tertiary education equivalency and accreditation program.

A former seasoned journalist, Piñol has admitted that poverty had once forced him to drop his study and seek employment to earn money for his family.

Yesterday’s graduation rites became memorable locally when USM president Dr. Jess Derije embraced warmly the vice governor while receiving his diploma. The elected official has protested the appointment early this year of Dr. Derije. (Ali G. Macabalang)