Kudos 2013 Graduates!

Just last May 20 of current year, I was chosen to grace my high school Alma Mater's 68th Commencement Exercises as their Guest of Honor. I really did not know what to say that I did ask advice from my virtual friends in Facebook. 

I think I was able to apply everything that these beautiful people have advised me. So, here was my speech (To capture the attention of the students, I first commanded "Batallions....Attention!", same command we use in the mess hall). :

Photo courtesy of http://cardsbyloribitter.blogspot.com

YEAR 1996, I ENTERED THE PORTALS OF MANAOAG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL AS AN UGLY DUCKLING AND IGNORANT FRESHIE. WHY UGLY DUCKLING? SOBRANG ITIM KO NOON AT SABI NGA SA SALITANG KALYE, JOLOGS PUMORMA. AND WHY IGNORANT? WALA AKONG ALAM NI ISANG BRAND NG DAMIT. HINDI AKO MAKARELATE SA MGA KAKLASE KO. NEVERTHELESS, THAT DID NOT HINDER ME IN MAKING FRIENDS AND BEING ON THE LIST OF HONOR STUDENTS IN MY CLASS. I NEVER DID PLACE NUMBER ONE BUT IF I MAY SAY, I WASN'T IN THE BOTTOM NEITHER.

          YEAR 2000 WAS ONE OF MY MOST MEMORABLE YEARS AS I GRADUATED IN HIGH SCHOOL. JUST LIKE YOU, I WAS ALSO EXCITED TO EXPLORE AND WAS EXCITED OF COURSE FOR COLLEGE LIFE. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE PASSED THE ENTRANCE EXAM OF UP AND TAKE BS MATHEMATICS. BUT THE ROADS HAVE NOT BEEN THAT SMOOTH FOR ME AT YAN ANG TATANDAAN NIYO. WHEN YOU GO ALONG COLLEGE, YOU SOMETIMES PICK THE WRONG CHOICES AND DO THE WRONG DECISIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, NAKAPILI NA KAYO NG COURSE NINYO, GUMUGOL NA NG MAHABANG PANAHON SA COURSE NA IYON, BUT IN THE END, MAREREALIZE MO NA HINDI PALA IYON ANG GUSTO MO ALL ALONG. PUPWEDENG YUN PALA AY GUSTO NG MAGULANG MO O DALA LANG NG BUYO NG KAKLASE MO. DONT GET ME WRONG HA. SA AKIN, MY COURSE IN UP FITTED ME WELL BECAUSE I DID LOVE MATH. IT WAS MY CHOICE. BUT NOT ALL OF US ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO CHOOSE THE COURSE WE PREFER. THAT IS WHY, AT THIS POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL ON THE ATTENTION OF THE PARENTS OF OUR GRADUATES. SIR, MAAM, PLEASE DO SUPPORT YOUR DAUGHTER OR YOUR SON’S CHOICE OF COURSE BECAUSE WHEN THE TIME COMES, MAREREALIZE NIYO BAKIT KO NASABI IYON.

          YEAR 2002, I MADE A DECISION OF TAKING THE PMA ENTRANCE EXAM. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PASS. SIGURO TATANUNGIN NINYO, BUTI PINAYAGAN AKO TO THINK I WAS THE ONLY BEGOTTEN DAUGHTER OF MY PARENTS. ACTUALLY, THEY DID NOT KNOW NA NAGEXAM AKO AT PUMASA NA AT MAGREREPORT NA PALA NG APRIL 1, 2003 KUNG HINDI PA DUMATING ANG NOTICE SA BAHAY. MY MOTHER WAS REALLY AGAINST IT. ALAM KASI NG LAHAT, I WAS QUOTE AND QUOTE, PHYSICALLY WEAK. BUT THEN AGAIN, I PURSUED MY CADETSHIP. WAS IT MY DREAM TO BECOME A PEEMAYER? NO. DID I PLAN EVERYTHING? NO. IT WAS ALL PERHAPS, GOD’S PLAN.

          APRIL 1, 2003, HINATID AKO NG PARENTS KO SA CAMP ALLEN SA BAGUIO CITY. FROM THERE, WE WERE BROUGHT TO FORT DEL PILAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL INSIDE PMA. YUN NA DIN ANG HULING ARAW NA NAKITA KO MAGULANG KO. NAGKITA NA LANG KAMI NG MAY 16 2003, DURING OUR INCORPORATION DAY. NAKAKATAWA NGA EH, DAHIL NUNG ARAW NA YUN, HINDI AKO NAKILALA NG MAGULANG KO. SI PAPA, HINDI TINITIGNAN ANG NAMEPLATE KO, NAGTANONG SA AKIN. “CADET, SAAN PO DITO SI CADET ESPIRITU?”. IMAGINE? GANUN KAMI KAITIM AT KAPANGIT THAT MY OWN FATHER DID NOT RECOGNIZE ME. I WAS TEARY EYED WHEN ANSWERING PAPA. “PAPA, AKO PO ITO.” TINALIKURAN AKO NI PAPA...KASI NAPAIYAK NA PALA. EVERYONE WHO VISITED ME THAT TIME, MY LOLA (SUMALANGIT NAWA), MAMA, PAPA, COUSINS, HINDI NILA AKO NAKILALA.

          NOVEMBER 2003, I WAS TURNED BACK, REPEATER IN LAYMAN’S TERM. MAY 2004, BUMALIK AKO SA PMA. SA SOBRANG PAGIGING SUPPORTIVE NG MAGULANG KO, TINANONG PA NILA AKO KUNG GUSTO KO PA NGA TALAGANG BUMALIK O PAG-AARALIN NA LANG NILA AKO. NAISIP KO, MAGANDANG OFFER. KASO, AT THE BACK OF MY MIND, I WANT TO PROVE SOMETHING, NOT TO OTHER PEOPLE BUT TO MYSELF NA. NAALALA KO KASI, MAY NAGSABI DAW KAY MAMA, KAYA DAW AKO HINDI NAKATAPOS NG COLLEGE KO SA UP EH DAHIL MALI DAW PAGPAPALAKI NG MAGULANG KO SAKIN. GUSTO KO SUGURIN IYONG TAONG IYON. PERO NAISIP KO, IT WAS NOT WORTH IT. NAISIP KO RIN, DI KO NA NGA TINAPOS ANG COURSE KO SA UP, HINDI KO PA RIN BA TATAPUSIN ANG PMA? HAHAYAAN KO BANG IYONG TAONG NAGSABI NG GANUN SA NANAY KO EH MAGING TOTOO NA LANG SINABI NIYA?

          SO MAY 2004, I RETURNED TO PMA AS FOURTH CLASS ULI. BACK TO ZERO. NEVERTHELESS, I WAS DETERMINED TO FINISH THAT HELL YEAR OF BEING A PLEBE. 2005, I BECAME A YEARLING AND IM PROUD TO SAY, DURING MY STAY IN PMA, I WAS NEVER OUT IN THE DEANS LIST. 2006, NAGING SECONDCLASS. 2007 WAS ALSO A SPECIAL YEAR SINCE THAT YEAR, I ANSWERED YES TO MY EX-BOYFRIEND, NOW MY HUSBAND GLINMAR, WHO IS ALSO PRESENT NOW TO SUPPORT ME. MY HUSBAND IS A MEMBER OF PMA CLASS 2007 BY THE WAY. AND YES, HE IS MY ORIGINAL MISTAH. SAME YEAR, AS CLASS 2007 GRADUATED, MY CLASS EVENTUALLY BECAME THE RULING CLASS. MY FIRSTCLASS YEAR WAS A HAPPY AND ROCKY ONE. MARCH 18, 2008 WAS THE BEST THOUGH. NAISIP KO THAT DAY, MAY DIPLOMA NA AKONG MABIBIGAY SA MAGULANG KO. AT YUN DIN SANA ANG MAGING AIM NINYO PARA SA MGA SARILI NINYO. MAKE YOUR PARENTS PROUD GRADUATES.

          IF YOU DID COMMIT MISTAKES AND FOR SURE YOU WILL STILL WILL WHEN YOU ARE IN COLLEGE, THINK OF YOUR PARENT’S HARDSHIPS. MAGKAMALI MAN KAYO, MATUTO KAYONG TUMAYO. I WILL GIVE YOU SOME TIPS IN ACHIEVING A SUCCESSFUL LIFE:

1.  HAVE THE DETERMINATION. SA PANAHON NGAYON, WALANG MAHINA ANG LOOB NA TUMATAGAL. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, CLAIM IT! BUT OF COURSE, HINDI PORKE DETERMINADO KA LANG EH MAGIGING SUCCESSFUL KA NA. SO WE PROCEED TO NUMBER

2.   WORK FOR YOUR DREAM. ANG DIPLOMA, ANG TRABAHO AT ANG KANAISAN MONG MATUPAD ANG MGA PANGARAP MO WILL NOT TURN INTO A REALITY IF BUHAY HAYAHAY KA, IF YOU GO HAPPY GO LUCKY.

3.   AS I HAVE SAID, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SMOOTH SAILING ROAD TO SUCCESS. YOUR ROADS WILL BE ROCKY BELIEVE ME. SO YOU MUST LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME. TURO DIN SAMIN YAN NUNG MGA PLEBO PA KAMI.

4.   WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER PROBLEMS, ISIPIN NIYO, THIS TOO SHALL PASS. LILIPAS DIN ANG PROBLEMA. WAG NIYONG GAGAYAHIN IYONG BAGONG NEWS LANG NA NAGPAKAMATAY NA ESTUJANTE DAHIL WALANG PANGTUITION. HINDI SAGOT YAN. IF WALA KANG PERA PANGTUITION, MAGTRABAHO KA. HINDI NAMAN IMPORTANTE ANG EDAD SA PAGAARAL.

5.   MATUTO TAYONG PASALAMATAN ANG MGA TAONG TUMUTULONG SATIN. MGA MAGULANG, KAMAG-ANAK, KAIBIGAN, TEACHERS ETC. MATUTO TAYONG TUMANAW NG UTANG NA LOOB. SILA ANG KASAMA MO NUNG PAAKYAT KA, SILA DIN MAMEMEET YOU WHEN YOU GO DOWN.

6.   PASALAMATAN DIN NATIN IYONG MGA TAONG NAGING MALIIT ANG TINGIN SA ATIN. MAGING ISA SA DAHILAN NA MAGPURSIGE KA LALO.

7.   PASALAMATAN NATIN AT LAGI TAYONG TUMAWAG SA DIYOS. DAHIL ANUMAN ANG MERON KAYO NA MAACHIEVE NINYO IN THE FUTURE AY GALING SA KANYA.

BEFORE I END THIS SPEECH, MAY I JUST SHARE TO YOU THE STATEMENT OF STEVE JOBS. AND I QUOTE, “DON'T LOSE FAITH. I'M CONVINCED THAT THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT ME GOING WAS THAT I LOVED WHAT I DID. YOU'VE GOT TO FIND WHAT YOU LOVE. AND THAT IS AS TRUE FOR YOUR WORK AS IT IS FOR YOUR LOVERS. YOUR WORK IS GOING TO FILL A LARGE PART OF YOUR LIFE, AND THE ONLY WAY TO BE TRULY SATISFIED IS TO DO WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS GREAT WORK. AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO GREAT WORK IS TO LOVE WHAT YOU DO. IF YOU HAVEN'T FOUND IT YET, KEEP LOOKING. DON'T SETTLE. AS WITH ALL MATTERS OF THE HEART, YOU'LL KNOW WHEN YOU FIND IT. AND, LIKE ANY GREAT RELATIONSHIP, IT JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER AS THE YEARS ROLL ON. SO KEEP LOOKING UNTIL YOU FIND IT. DON'T SETTLE.” UNQUOTE.

     CONGRATULATIONS 2013 GRADUATES OF MANAOAG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL AND MAY ALL YOUR ENDEAVORS BE FULFILLED. THANK YOU AND GOOD DAY.