I always pay attention to speeches. People of great achievements inspire me so much. I have this continuous desire to be successful and effective in my every endeavor. Thus, i get inspiration from those who have reached what I still am working on.
This speech is extra special to me. This was delivered by Engr. Guillermo Pantuhan, our high school valedictorian and a very good friend. (General Santos City High School, March 2010) I was controlling my tears especially on the part when his father died. This is special because, I felt like I was part of the journey. I remembered how it was and I felt him.
But apart from these personal reasons, this is something that every student must get inspiration from.
What defines a great nation is how great its people are. What defines a great person is how wise he utilizes his resources, how full are his potentials and how whole his being is. And in everything, beyond all the hard works and passion, is the need for education.
History speaks how education has changed the world. Education, springing out of man’s natural desire to satisfy his curiosities, has changed the life of mankind. It was education that built the ancient Pyramids and the modern skyscrapers. It was education that tamed the lions and cloned the sheep. It was the same education that created the alphabet and enabled us to type our text messages. And in all man’s intelligence, and even in all his foolishness, there was education behind them.
Back when I was a child, my parents would always remind me to value education. Lagi nilang sinasabi na mag-aral ng mabuti, na ang edukasyon ay ang pinakamagandang kayamanang maipapamana nila sa akin. Ito raw ang magdadala sa akin sa tagumpay at ang magbibigay katuparan sa aking mga pangarap. Ako naman, isang batang napakamura pa ng isipan, umaayon lang sa kanila nang di talaga naiintindihan ang kahulugan at lalim ng mga salitang yon. Even when I went to high school and college, they never falter in reminding me to work hard for my education. And now, years after, I fully comprehend what they taught me.
When you have education, there seems to be no limit to what you have and to what you can do. Education has not only given me knowledge, but as well as power, privilege, influence and confidence, among all other things. It is not just knowledge on science or mathematics or language, but wisdom, the type of intellect that enables me to make the best choices and the right actions. Ito ang talinong kayang desisyonan kung kelan ang tama ay makakabuti, o kelan ang mabuti ay siyang tama. Education has given me power to change my life in several aspects – financially, materially, emotionally, and spiritually. It has given me the privilege to make my dreams come true. It has given me confidence that I could freely express myself and the influence that I could be more responsive and I could touch other people’s lives. And more than anything else, it has given me much more than what I wanted for myself, for my family, and for the society. According to Nelson Mandela, an African Nobel prize – awardee, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” And indeed, in countless ways, education has changed the world, and our lives.
Ang masaklap nga lang, hindi lahat sa atin ay nabibigyan ng pagkakataon sa edukasyon. According to a study conducted, 96.77 percent of Filipino elementary school-age children go to school while only 66.06 percent of high school-age teenagers go to secondary school. Ibig sabihin, kulang-kulang na pito sa bawat sampung kabataang Pinoy ang nakakapag-high school. Pito sa bawat sampu. Kung wala sa paaralan, nasaan ang tatlo? Sa bahay lang ba, o nagtatrabaho na, o nasa kalye lamang? Moreover, 27 out of 100 Filipinos aged 25-64 have completed at least tertiary education. O naging tatlo na lamang sa bawat sampu ay nakatapos ng kolehiyo. At sa mga nakatapos, hindi pa lahat ay may angkop na trabaho. Yan ang sinasabi ng mga numero, mga statistikang sumasalamin sa tunay na kalagayan ng ating bansa. Kahit ano pa ang kadahilanan ng mga numerong ito, napakahalaga pa rin ng eduakasyon. It is education itself that can actually change the figures.
Our quest for education, and as well as for fulfilling our dreams in the process, is never easy at all. Mahirap, masakit at minsan pa nga ay malungkot. At makailang beses, madadarapa tayo at paulit-ulit na susubukin ng pagkakataon.
I am not exempted to these hardships. I faced several trials along the way; and like all of us, I struggled. My family lived a very simple life; with my parent’s simple means of sustaining the family’s needs, somehow, we survived each day. Iyon nga lang, maraming pagtitipid at pagtitiis. May mga bagay na kelangang isantabi muna, ipagpaliban, hanapan ng alternatibo, at minsan pa, di na talaga pwede. Hindi ako namulat sa maluhong pamumuhay; ang sapat ay talagang sapat nga lang, at ang sobra ay kailangang ilaan sa iba. Dahil dito, natuto akong itaguyod ang aking sarili at mangarap nang higit pa sa kaninuman. Naging matatag at masigasig ako. At labis-labis na ipinagpapasalamat ko ito sa aking mga magulang.
Fortunately, by the Almighty’s mercy, I got a scholarship in high school; and in college, I acquired more scholarships that I truly became financially independent. Lahat-lahat, ako na ang gumagastos para sa aking sarili. It was a good feeling – to be of great help to myself, and to be of greater help to my family. Anyone can gain scholarships, if only we explore our strengths and use them to our greatest advantage. There are plenty of opportunities and privileges for those performing well in sports, dancing, singing, theater, and academics; and what needs to be done is to develop and nurture them.
But there are some events we cannot reckon that will happen to us. Early 2007, I underwent an eye operation. I had a cataract in my right eye. For the past days, I was living with only one good eye. Hindi ko lubos mawari kung paano ako nagkaroon ng katarata, basta’t nagising na lamang ako isang umaga na ang nakikita ng aking isang mata ay puro ulap. Mga ulap na kulay abo, kulay ng kalungkutan at paghihirap. Parang isang malaking kumot ang bumalot sa aking pagkatao. Ngunit sabi nga nila, “behind the clouds, the sun shines.” After a sensitive eye surgery, I was able to see clearly again. Life was clearer again, and the world was much brighter. Ang ganda ng mundo. Truly, health is wealth.
After all the hard work, I finally reaped all the harvests. Amidst all the applause and happy faces, I received my college diploma by March 30, 2007, with the honors of Cum Laude. I was very happy.
By August that year, after a long review, financial drain, and struggle with frequent asthma attacks, I took the licensure examination for agricultural engineers. After a few days, the results were released – I placed second in the national ranking. In the newspapers, and on the Internet, I found my name. Ang sarap palang malathala ang iyong pangalan! Ang aking kaligayahan ay abot hanggang langit. Nanalig ako sa Diyos at ibinuhos ko ang aking enerhiya at galing sa isang bagay na lubos kong inaasam-asam. At nagbunga ang lahat. By November that same year, I was accepted at Mindanao State University – General Santos City as a faculty member.
I felt most blessed, and I have never felt happier in my whole life. But just when I thought I have everything I have worked hard and prayed for, a tragedy struck my family. By December 8, 2007, before my glorious year had ended, my father died. He died of cardiac arrest and complication in his internal organs. He died so suddenly. He died only few months after I graduated and topped the board exam, and only two weeks after I started my job at the university. He died before Christmas and New Year came. He died even before I could share to him my first salary. Days after, I received my first pay check, and for a very long time, I stared at the piece of paper. It was a two-month pay and it was big. But no amount of money could fill the sorrow in the heart; I have never felt sadder in my whole life. My father had always been very proud of me. Tuwing recognition o graduation ko, gustong-gusto niya na siyang yong aakyat sa stage at magsasabit ng aking ribbon o medalya. Napakahilig niyang payuhan ako tungkol sa mga bagay-bagay kahit na minsan ay hindi naman ako nagiging interesado. Napakadami niyang pangarap para sa akin na kanyang bunso at junior. At habang tinititigan ko ang cheke na iyon, inaalala ko ang kanyang mukha. Ipininta ko sa aking isipan ang kanyang mukha. Gusto kong ibahagi ang lahat sa kanya, at kahit sa huling pagkakataon ay yakapin siya at pasalamatan. Ngunit imposible; kaya kahit sa isip man lamang at imahinasyon ko, ginawa ko iyon. Yong cheke ay isang kapiraso lamang ng papel, ngunit kinatawan nito ang lahat ng pinangarap ng aking ama para sa akin at sa buong pamilya. At ikanga, aanhin pa ang damo, pag patay na ang kabayo.
2007 is such a memorable year for me; it was the year of my greatest triumph and greatest loss. But I must continue. The world will not stop turning for me, so I must persevere. 2008 and 2009 passed. The years rolled by and more opportunities and blessings came to me.
Education has indeed fulfilled my dreams. It has fulfilled others’ dreams as well. Yet, education is not a free gift. It is something earned by hard work, patience and perseverance. It is not a one strike victory, not something we get overnight. It is more of a seed that needs to be planted deep in ourselves; it has to be nurtured, developed and protected. More importantly, education is not a one-man battle.
There are those teachers who had been with you throughout this endeavor. Graduates, if you are happy right now, I assure you that your teachers are a hundred times happier than you. Pag sinabi ni Ma’am o ni Sir mamaya na “proud sila sa iyo”, believe them. Dili na siya atik-atik lang. I am a teacher myself.And when it comes to their students, teachers are the most caring and most sincere people in the world.
There are also those parents who are right now the happiest and proudest fathers and mothers in the world. My parents may not have provided me before with the best of the world; but they gave me the best love, the best understanding and the best support I needed to succeed. And from a child’s perspective, I say na masarap harapin ang mga laban sa buhay hangga’t alam mong may mga magulang kang lagi lamang sa iyong likuran na gumagabay at tumutulong.
And above anyone else, there are the students who are right now the graduates. You have done an excellent job; in the following years, I believe you can do so much more and so much better in your life. Life is like a classroom lecture, there are lessons being taught, but it is up to us to listen, to take notes, to study, and to learn. And if ever we fail the quizzes, we can always redeem ourselves, strive harder and score high in the major examinations.
In everything we achieve, let us always remain humble. This is one of the best lessons in life – to be humble. When we make ourselves humble, others will make us great. In every blessing that comes, always share and give back. Always keep in ourselves a thankful and giving heart. In this way, we will succeed in life. For true success only comes when we start dreaming less for ourselves, but more for our loved ones, for our community, for the country, and for the whole world.
Graduates, high school chapter has ended, but there are still more chapters to come. Don’t let this be the end of your education. Push forward and aim high, yet, working within your own limitations. Dream, persevere, and succeed. As you received your diploma, you also accept the challenge of being responsible Filipino youth, the hope of our motherland. To all of you graduates, CONGRATULATIONS!
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning and Magandang Gensan!
