Senator Loren Legarda challenged graduates of Batangas State University on Tuesday to reject mediocrity in their careers, invoking three of the province’s revolutionary heroes as models of discipline, patience and judgment.

Speaking at the university’s 58th Commencement Exercises on 28 July, Legarda urged the graduating class to resist settling for work that is merely “good enough.”

“Whatever profession you enter, when someone trusts your knowledge, time, service, or judgment, lives and futures can be affected by your work,” Legarda said. “Do not let ‘almost right’ be enough if you have the chance to make it right.”

Legarda framed her address around three historical figures from Batangas: Gen. Miguel Malvar, the last Filipino general to surrender to American forces; Marcela Mariño Agoncillo, who hand-sewed the first official Philippine flag; and Apolinario Mabini, known as the “brain of the revolution.”

“They were not born heroes,” Legarda said. “A moment simply came when something needed to be done, and they chose not to walk away.”

She drew direct parallels between the historical figures and specific academic disciplines. She connected Malvar’s discipline to Criminology graduates, Agoncillo’s patience to Hospitality Management majors, and Mabini’s analytical mind to the entire graduating class.

Legarda also traced the growth of Batangas State University from a small trade school founded in 1903 into the National Engineering University, which now serves more than 60,000 students across 12 campuses.

She linked the university’s expansion to the economic weight of Batangas as a central hub for shipping, refining, and heritage tourism in the CALABARZON region.

“Batangas has never had the luxury of choosing between commerce and conscience,” Legarda said. “It has always had to carry both.”

Highlighting her legislative record, Legarda noted her co-authorship of Republic Act 10931, the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which made tuition free at state universities and colleges. She also pointed to her support for direct funding to BatStateU, including land acquisition for its Lemery campus.