Nigel Bautista is elated during graduation

Written and photographed

By Jude Bautista

from left: multi awarded musician Joey Ayala w IT grad Nigel Bautista

Nigel Emmanuel Paolo Bautista graduated with a degree in Information Technology from the Informatics Computer Institute last May 28, 2010 at the SMX Convention Center. His grandmother Erlinda Bautista accompanied him up the stage to accept his certificate. Grandfather Joe Bautista was in the audience to watch Nigel graduate. Although his Aunt Lilia B. Yang was not able to attend the graduation rites she is a huge inspiration and supporter of Nigel’s education from the beginning. Proud father Noel Bautista is in Wellington, New Zealand and is working as a govt. certified miller. Mom Zam resides in Christchurch New Zealand

Senator Allan Peter Cayetano addressed the 800 graduates of Informatics coming from all parts of the Philippines.

Noted singer Joey Ayala’s son Jed also graduated with the same degree at the commencement rites. Ayala to quote wikipedia: “Joey Ayala is a contemporary pop music artist in the Philippines. He is well known for his style of music that combines the sounds of Filipino ethnic instruments with modern pop music. His professional music career started when he released an album recorded in a makeshift-studio in 1982. To date, he has released six albums.

from left proud grandma Erlinda Bautista, Nigel and grandpa Joe Bautista

Some of the Filipino ethnic instruments Ayala is known to use include the two-stringed Hegalong of the T’Boli people of Mindanao and the 8-piece gong set, Kulintang melodical gong-rack of the predominantly Muslim peoples of the southern part of the country. He also uses modern instruments in his music, such as the electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums.

Joey Ayala w son Jed

Ayala is one of the few Filipino contemporary songwriters who insists on putting his creative energies at the service of cultural/social development, so much so that he has ventured directly in to non-formal education – the running of workshops demonstrating the use of arts as a language for education.

Awards and Honors Received

• Fr. Neri Satur Award for Environmental Heroism, For promoting environmental awareness and arts education from ancestral roots to new artistic routes of musical expression advocating for the protection of the environment and the conservation of natural resources, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), 2009

• Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. Award for Social Artistry, Federation of Catholic Schools’ Alumni/ae Associations (FeCaSAA)in partnership with the Good Citizenship Movement [GCM], 2007

Senator Allan Peter Cayetano gives Nigel's diploma and meets Erlinda Bautista

Senator Cayetano is mobbed by grads for pictures

Informatics Eastwood Batch graduate w a flair