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Bearing the weight of tradition: Gervacio bares his hopes and forethoughts as new Mace Bearer

by Kassandra A. Buenafe, OfCom | Feb 20 2025

The strength to lead is not given, it is gathered. It emerges from the silent yet powerful hum of the convictions of our hearts and the roaring cruelties of this paradoxical world. 

As he steps into the honorary role of MSU-IIT’s Grand Marshal, taking the lead in the processional march and tasked to carry the University Mace in every Commencement Ceremony, Prof. German V. Gervacio of the College of Arts and Social Sciences confronts the fact that he now holds a greater responsibility, bigger than what he already has on his hands— to carry the weight of MSU-IIT’s tradition, values, and legacy. 

In history, maces were used as weapons for actual combat but have now evolved into symbols of authority, wisdom, and academic integrity. The tradition of the mace traces back to medieval times in England when the mace was carried by a bodyguard for dignitaries at ceremonial functions. To Prof. Gervacio, the true essence of this role is one humbling and honorable process of learning.

“Iniisip ko, ano nga ba yung Grand marshal? Ano nga ba yung Mace Bearer? Wala talaga akong ideya nung una,” the Professor said in an interview, recalling the time when he first heard the buzz about him succeeding the now-retired Grand marshal and Mace Bearer, Prof. Cesar Guinanao Demayo. It was a concept beyond his grasp, one with a magnitude he could not fathom at first. 

Sitting down as a panel in a dissertation defense in his department, the Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan, he received the official news of his designation. Prof. Gervacio then did his research and processed the next steps to take. “May excitement na may kahalong takot at pag-aalala. Unang-una, isang itong malaking responsibilidad; hindi lang sa mismong event kundi paano ito masasabuhay–kasi parang simbolo kana rin ng institute. Pinag-aaralan ko sa katunayan kung paano at ano yung mga mabuting gawin, ano yung mga sakop ng responsibilidad ng designasyon,” he said.

A renowned and well-respected writer in the country, Prof. Gervacio has cemented his reputation as someone compelling and perceptive in weaving words, having been awarded as a four-time winner of the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and a four-time winner of the Homelife Magazine National Poetry Competition. Prof. Gervacio has the heart of an artist.

Recalling his beginnings as a writer, Prof. Gervacio started as one of the first batch of writers of MSU-IIT’s official student publication, Silahis. Writing, for him, was not necessarily a grand spiritual calling nor a dream cultivated at a very young age as one would expect; instead, it was an accident—“Aksidente ang pagiging manunulat,” he said. Without any experience, he applied for the student publication because he said he had nowhere to go after not making it to the MSU-IIT basketball team. He ended up as the Associate Editor for Filipino, with the younger German Gervacio wondering, “Paano nangyari yun?” But it reshaped the course of his life. He initially pursued a BS in Computer Science at MSU-IIT before shifting to AB Filipino. He later earned his MA in Malikhaing Pagsulat from UP Diliman and his PhD in Filipino from MSU-IIT.

He is a poet who captures the beauty and complexities of human fragility, tenderness, and strength yet, beyond his mastery of words, he is, at his core, an educator, and in this new role, he finds himself once again in the humbling position of a student. Teaching has always been a lifelong pursuit of knowledge, not just for those who learn but also for those who impart it. As an educator, Prof. Gervacio has already spent 32 years sharing his creativity, passing down knowledge, and inspiring his students in his classes. He always has an immeasurable love for teaching and finds fulfillment in the learning of his students. But stepping into the role of Grand Marshal and Mace Bearer, he once again realizes that learning never truly ends. 

“Binalikan ko yung ating mga core values, tapos nag-iingat na rin dahil syempre, magiging repleksyon ka na ng University,” he said.

“Mula nung estudyante ako, may pagka-rebellious ako ng kaunti at sa akin talaga kung ano yung nakikita kong mali, vocal ako— sa social media at kahit saan. Pero ngayon, sa nakikita ko, kailangan iniisip ko na talaga kung ano man ang aking gawin,” he added.

Known for his outspoken nature, Prof. Gervacio has always carried a spirit of activism, never shy in articulating the truth. He is a person who is sure of his principles. The new mace bearer is a truth bearer, and this role is not one to restrict him but rather a platform to empower him, making him more judicious.

He leaves these words to the graduates, “Bago sila lumabas ng University, dapat tumibay ang kanilang prinsipyo, dahil sa labas ng unibersidad ang reality, kahit sa social media, pasama ng pasama. Kailangan malinaw sa kanila kung ano yung kanilang gusto, lalo na yung mga values nila, yung integrity–mahalaga yun."

As Prof. Gervacio prepares to face a new chapter of his life, one that marks a significant distance from his beginnings, he hopes for the whole of the MSU-IIT community to listen to each other.

“Ang isang unibersidad ay hindi lang isang tao o dalawang tao; tayong lahat ay mga sangkap. Hindi mabubuo ang unibersidad pag wala yung isa, napakahalaga ng isang community na maunawaan natin na may iba-iba tayong papel…napakahalaga na matanggap natin na hindi pwedeng magkakaiba ang tingin natin, dapat naka-focus tayo sa isang goal at magsikap na pag-aralan paano tayo maging mahalagang piyesa.” 

In many ways, this new journey parallels his own craft, like a poet carefully choosing the right words to convey meaning and resonance, so must he tread this duty with precision and the wisdom from experience. With the heart of a true educator and a crusader for justice and change, Prof. Gervacio finds himself standing at the intersection of many callings but in the end, it is his heart for the community that will guide him in this path.

And so, maybe, being the Grand Marshal and Mace Bearer isn’t just about the strength to uphold a legacy and an image, or replicating a stance of combat, but it is also about having a heart as gentle and as soft enough to listen to what must be heard.

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