A Dozen of Lessons for Batch 2013 Graduates

On 22 March 2013, I was invited to be the commencement speaker for the graduates of Bacongco National High School.  As I was preparing for my speech, I could not help but reminisce the memories I had in high school.  Here's a dozen of lessons I learned from it...


To our principal, Mr. Valentin Dignadice, Teachers, parents and of course our dear graduates, good afternoon.  Ma’am Aileen, thank you for that generous introduction and it is actually too much.

Thank you for inviting me to be your speaker.  Youth empowerment has always been my personal advocacy.  And I pray that you will be empowered even in this very simple message.  My credentials read by mam Aileen are not as impressive compared to others.  And my reputation is not of something that is beyond reproach.  But this I assure you, I have experiences and lessons learned which you can also relate with.  I hope these are more than enough for you to be empowered or the least be interested and listen. 

Kilala ba ninyo si Juan Dela Cruz?  Some may say, “ah, si Coco Martin sa teleserye” “ang bayani ng bagong henerasyon” “ang kalaban ng mga aswang” “ang taong may hawak sa bakal na Krus”.  Or maybe one will answer me, “ewan lang ma’am baka hindi po sya estudyante ng Bacongco National High School, baka po nasa KN sya” – pwede.   All answers are pwede.

But what if instead of asking, “kilala ba ninyo c Juan Dela Cruz?” I will ask you, “Kilala ba ninyo ang inyong mga sarili?” Lagot, pag may sumagot pa ng “ewan mam baka hindi sya taga-dito”.

A wonderful life journey begins with knowing yourself and making friend with yourself.   Are you a friend of yourself? Are you comfortable with just being yourself? Or are you trying to be somebody else and quarrel a lot with yourself? Have you ever experience doing something which you don’t want to do? Or committing a mistake which took you so long to overcome?  Your answers to these questions can tell if you truly know yourself.  When I was your age, I was asking these questions already.  Oftentimes, I quarrel with myself.  My inner thoughts would say “hindi mo alam yan” but my “prideful self would say, no, you know this, just pretend that you know it” And myself vs. myself would argue for a long time -leaving myself anxious, unsure and insecure.  I think many of you are on this stage now.  If you are, keep asking yourself, even if you don’t have the answers to your questions, just ask still.  The basic question which we must ask ourselves is, “Ok ka lang ba?”  May I request everyone to please raise your right hand, then put it on your left shoulder, tap your shoulder then ask “Ok ka lang ba?”  You may not answer your question now, reserve it, and reserve your answer when you are in solitude.  That is my lesson number 1: know yourself! You will never know where to go, what to do after this graduation if you don’t know yourself //

I know not all of you here could be able to go to college or to school after this day.  For those who will be enrolling this June for college or for technical vocational schools, be the best that you can be while in school.  No matter what, make sure that you excel and savour college life.  Huwag maging tamad.  Mag-aral, galingan ang pag-aaral.  Remember not all has the same opportunity as you have to enrol.  Remember that and be grateful of that opportunity.  And in your gratefulness, bring out the best in you, para naman sulit ang paghihirap ng mga magulang ninyo.  For those who cannot enrol this June, I wish I can say “akong bahala, mag-enrol kayo”.  But unfortunately, I cannot say that.  Even if you cannot enrol, please move on with your life like you are in college.  Ibig sabihin, keep on learning.  There are lessons that can be learned outside the classroom.   Move on, keep on moving on.  Pagmakarating kayo sa kanto, keep moving on, don’t be stranded sa kanto at maging tambay.  Sa halip gumawa ng bagay na mas makahulugan kaysa sa pagtatambay.  That is my lesson number 2: In whatever situation, whether you are in school or outside, whether you are happy or sad, rich or poor, keep on learning. //

Lesson number 3: Dream and make it a big time dream. And when I say dream, I don’t mean being idle.  What I mean is aspire for something great – mangarap ng isang makabuluhang pangarap.  The world is so big, so dream to go to that bigger world.  .  Hndi nagtatapos ang mundo sa bakuran ng Bacongco National High School o sa syudad ng Koronadal.  Mangarap na mapuntuhan mo ang kabilang dulo ng mundo. The sky is high, so aim to soar high.  You can never fly high because you are not a bird but you can ride a plane to be in the sky.  And ride the plane on first class.  Have a big time dream and work for it.  Sayang ang pangarap mo kung hindi lang din matutupad. Mangarap ka at magtrabaho upang maabot mo ang mga pinapangarap mo.   Never allow anyone or anything to hinder you from reaching your dreams.   Not poverty must hinder you in working for your dreams.  Let me share to you a life I lived as a student.  (ad lib) ... “all things work together for good to those who love and serve the Lord and to those who are called according to His purpose” Don’t be discouraged with poverty or desperation or sadness.  Just remember, “all things will work together for good...

”I know the feeling of those who are still unsure of where to go after this ceremony.  I felt that too when I graduated high school.  I was unsure if I can go to college.  I got some scholarships from universities away from home but the hidden cost - allowances, boarding house, uniform, etc. seemed too much to bear.  But I keep telling myself; “all things will work together for good...” all things will work together for good”  Until the end of summer I was still unsure.  But because all things will work together for good, good news came one day – my uncle will shoulder my enrolment fee.  I was a late enrolee and the last to enrol in the university.   That’s my lesson number 4:  When you are in despair, sad and lonely, keep telling this to yourself, “all things will work together for good”. It will.  It takes time sometimes but it will.//

Because I was the last enrolee, I was not able to join the block section.  This means I was not privileged to choose my schedules and classmates.  I got a class during the most unholy hour and my classmates are engineering students and my subject is math.  This simply means – boring and terrible.  But I had no choice.  What I did was, I made friends with my classmates.  Engineers are those who are good in math but not in English.  It was a fair trade – they will teach me with our math lessons and I will teach them with their English assignments.  I also had class early in the morning; my classmates are from the humanities.  Humanities students are also not good with math.  Since we use the same textbooks, I can teach them with what my engineering friends taught me.  Ang sabi nila, “ang galing galing ko daw.  Sa loob ko, hindi naman nagpapaturo lang” These are my lessons numbers 5, 6 and 7: Know your weaknesses, help others as long as you can and let others help you as long as they can.//

My second year in college was my most reigning year./  Because of not having joined the block sectioning, I was able to make many friends from different courses – this made me famous in my year level and because of that I was elected as the president of our year level.  Instant victory for me.  That’s my lesson number 8: my most favourite lesson.  Sometimes what we think as a misfortune is actually a blessing in disguise.  You see, all things work together for good.

My brother and I were actually of the same college – the college of liberal arts – He was major in Philosophy, I was major in English.  I wanted to get philosophy also, but I didn’t for reason that I might just live behind my brother’s shadow because my brother was popular.  That’s my lesson number 9: show who you are.  You are unique beyond compare.  Do not allow to be outshined by others.  On your own, be the best that you can be. //

I said my second year in college was my most reigning year.  I discovered my leadership skills and I also discovered my oral communication skills.  I can speak well.  In high school, I was the silent type, so nobody knew that I can speak well except myself.  In college, myself vs. myself arguments continue to happen.  One day, there was an audition for membership in our collegiate debating team.  Myself would kick my other self and say, “join ka na” and my other self would retort, “shut up, be silent”.   Because of this quarrelling self, I became insecure, anxious and unsure again.  Then I realized, why am I doing this? I closed my eyes and in surrender I asked for a sign. When I opened my eyes I was looking at a blackboard of announcements and in big, bold, all capital letters I saw, “MAG-AUDITION KA” other parts of the announcement of course has no relation with the debating team.  But it was clear, mag-audition ka.  And so I auditioned.  Most of those who auditioned are fourth year college students.  Out of almost 20 who auditioned, only three was picked.  I was among them and I was the only second year student.  My two other team mates were seniors.  Lesson number 10:  Know where you are good at and find opportunities to nurture your potentials.  Nurture it to become skills.  And do not be afraid to show and share your skills.  Being conceited is different from acknowledging and letting others know where you are good at.  Volunteer your talents and skills –not because you want to be sikat but more of because “you want to bring back the greater glory to the One who bestowed it to you. //

Let me tell you this, the job market, the world displays a tough competition.  Very tough competition and only those who are brave and courageous can make it to the top.  You still have time to nurture your potentials.  Nurture it now.  Do not wait for old age before you do something about it.  They say, that it is just ok to be born from a poor family but it is a sin to die in a poor state.  Because it simply shows that you never use your lifetime to make yourself to become a better person.   They say that there are only two kinds of person – one, those who have money and second those you are rich.  Which kind are you? Me, I have no money but I am rich.  The yard stick of being successful is not all about money.  It is how you use your lifetime to be rich with friends, in good values, in virtuous character.  When you are rich in good values and have a virtuous character, you will be rich with friends.  When you have two million friends and they will contribute one peso each, you will never die in a poor state.  Lesson number 11: Be rich! Make sure that you share your talents, your skills with others that you may be able to touch their lives.  The richest people in this world are actually your teachers.  Why?  Because they create great impact in many lives.  Can we please give our teachers a round of applause (clap, clap).  Never forget your teachers.//

Lastly, never be too curious with pleasure.  Sir Val, parents pls. Allow me to say this boldly.  Dear graduates, never be too curious with sex.  Our country does not need unplanned, teenage pregnancies.  Our country needs youth leaders who can help in the Nation building.  Please be among those youth leader who can contribute in our nation building.  This year’s theme is, “Building the Nation’s future leaders through K to 12...”  Be among those youth leaders and don’t just wait for the nation to build you but do something that you can also help build our nation.  You can never find joy in rushing up things.  Let me end my talk with an anecdote entitled The Two Drops of Oil by Paulo Coelho.  

 You see, you can find joy not in rushing things but in savouring every moment...Enjoy life but never forget your values. Have fun but never forget your dreams.//

Please do not forget to thank your parents.  Nobody can be better than your parents now. Thank them and obey them.

I wish all of you good luck.  I wish I can sing this for you but since I am your speaker now and not your singer, I will just say this song to you, “I hope the days comes easy...I hope each road leads you where you wanna go.  If it’s cold outside show the world the warmth of your smile...I hope you help somebody every chance get... I hope you find God’s grace in every mistake...

Thank you and good afternoon.