AMID criticisms from the academic community, Southwestern University (SWU) conferred the honorary degree of ?Doctor of Humanities? (Honoris Causa) to People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao in a ceremony held at the Waterfront Cebu Hotel in Lahug, Cebu City last night.
Dr. Eldigario Gonzales, SWU president dismissed criticism for the move, saying the boxer deserved to be conferred the degree for excelling in boxing on the world stage.
A degree of ?Doctor of Human Kinetics (Honoris Causa)? was not approved by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) since it was not on their list.
Awarding that degree met with criticism from two former government officials turned academicians.
However, Gonzales reasoned that many schools wanted to confer a degree to Pacquiao and the SWU managed to overtake them.
He said SWU is known for sports, having scholars as boxers.
?We feel that the accomplishment of Manny has caught international attention for the Filipinos,? Gonzales said before the conferment ceremony.
Earlier Dr. Aparicio Mequi of the Foundation University and former Ched Commissioner Angel Alcala voiced objections to the awarding.
Mequi, dean of the Foundation University’s graduate school, said while Pacquiao brought honor to the country, a doctorate of human kinetics (honoris causa) may be a violation of Ched policy which limits honorary degrees to law, humanities, music, pedagogy and science.
Human kinetics is a study of sports, fitness and health.
For his part Alcala, director of the Silliman University?s Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Management, said the SWU?s decision ?cheapens the degree.?
Gonzales admitted that the university appealed to Ched to be allowed to confer the degree of doctor of humanities after Ched rejected the conferment of Doctor of Human Kinetics since it was not on their list.
The SWU request was approved by the Commission en banc last Feb. 12 and a copy was faxed to Gonzales’s office last Feb. 17, a day before the conferment day.
A copy of the Ched resolution showed that it was signed by Ched chairman Emmanuel Angeles and commissioners Nenalyn Defensor, William Medrano, Luningning Misuarez-Umar, and Nona Ricafort.
However Defensor placed a comment signifying their approval ?on the condition that actual proof of accomplishment be verified by OCC.
Gonzales said the school submitted all the requirements to Ched, including Pacquiao’s resume.
?We got an approval for a doctor of Humanities, so we are conferring him what was approved by CHEd?Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa). The Doctor of Human Kinetics is not their list, therefore it can not be given?, Gonzales said.
Gonzales said the school first talked with Pacquiao about the degree and the boxer accepted the offer on his birthday last December.
?He is an exemplar of using human kinetics?sports to pursue a higher profession, that?s a God-given talent that he must maximize. Being an ultimate boxer, you carry with you the necessary values, discipline and everything,? he said.
