DEUS PATRIA LETRAN
Text of Speech at Letran Recognition Day
Most Outstanding Student
11 March 2008
You may be wondering why an auxiliary service personnel seem to be gatecrashing my party. His name is Rico Tuibeo, also known here in school as Tony Parker, his basketball player lookalike. I asked him to come and help my parents present this award to me as my way of saying “thank you” to him for literally opening the doors of Letran to me.
Three years ago when I was looking for a school to resume my long-neglected studies, this man accommodated all my queries about Letran. In fact, he was the one who threw the first question: “Ie-enroll nyo po ba ang anak ninyo?”
He was very friendly and courteous and patient, and he even gave me guidance about enrollment procedures before leading me to the Admissions Office. The rest, as they say, is history. I am here today in this hall because Rico opened Letran for me.
Rico is one of our frontliners. He is the outsiders’ connection into our world. Like receptionists and telephone operators and security personnel, the frontliners are reflections of the institutions they represent. The impression that Rico gave me smacks of professionalism, and that impression helped me decide to pursue my education here. If the security personnel are excellent, the rest of the Letran community surely can’t be that bad.
Rico, maraming salamat sa iyo.
I am standing here today because of one and one reason alone: my grades. I wish it had been more than that. And I am saying this, because I look back in frustration and a little bit of regret for the many things that I failed to do during this brief stopover. If I had still youth and time, I would have liked to do many more things. I would have liked to join the Letran Dance Troupe because I just love to dance. I would have accepted the offer to be the editor-in-chief of The Lance and probably “ruffle a few feathers” by rallying towards more radical expressions of the mind. I would have been a street activist marching alongside those who like to get to the bottom of the truth, and not as one who passively watch as history unfolds before his eyes. I would have liked to be involved in marketing the school, going from one high school to the next so that we could entice fresh batches to join us here.
But, the sad truth is that age has a way of rearranging priorities. Age and true-to-life responsibilities. Aside from studying and trying very hard to get a degree, I also have that tremendous responsibility of making sure that there is enough food on the table for a very large family. And so, you can perhaps appreciate my frustrations.
I love school. But things were quite different when I was younger. The school was the center around which children converge to be educated. But with information technology being available in almost every corner of the world, education and the thirst for knowledge can be quenched by a mere click of the computer mouse. The sources of information and knowledge are boundless and limitless. If we are going to be honest about it, it might seem as if the school only becomes a venue for formality just because the standard of society demands that our completion of education is certified.
Given the alternatives available online and out-of-line, it cannot be far from truth that the educational institutions are challenged. Add to this the many technological diversions that the current crop of students are engrossed in, taking their attention away from classroom activities. So, the irony of the times is that while information and knowledge are available in prolific proportions, we still hear sighs bemoaning how half-baked the graduates are today, how ineloquent in their speech, how diverse their interests and how lacking in expertise.
There is a new paradigm shift in the marketing world. Businesses do not just offer their customers good service. More than that, they now offer and brand customer experience. It is in the experience of the brand that word-of-mouth translates in big volumes of customer interest.
That is why it my humble opinion that more than just the facilities for learning, the educational institutions, like any other business entity, must also offer a unique experience for that short-lived period of academic life – something that will make it distinct.
The halls of this school have produced heroes and presidents and nationalists and we do not want to see our future graduates relegated to call-center agents or production assistants or accounting supervisors or marketing managers. We like to see them lead. We like to see them empowered. We like to see them as dynamic builders of communities.
I am happy that during my stay in Letran so far, I have nothing but fondness for what the school is allowing me to experience. This is my home. This is where I know I can come back to and will be warmly welcomed.
And there are bits and pieces of that exceptional Letran experience I will always carry with me. Let me name just a few of the people who have made a difference in my life. Professor Rosauro Encinas, for instance, made us leave our class in Christology one day because he wanted us to get involved in raising funds for the victims of the Bicol tragedy two years ago. How best can Christlikeness be shown than in a case like that? Dr. Raquel Espiritu uses storytelling to very good effect when she engages her class in real-life discussions. Ma’m Claire Rivera gives 10-point quizzes answerable only by Yes or No, but will require you to really squeeze your brain before you could pick the approximate answer. Professor Eric Calantas spares time to tutor slow-learners like me. I scored a 156 in my bowling class, and Ma’m Eunice Villaruel made me dance the swing. I gained a son among my classmates in the person of Ralph Hojilla and an inaanak sa kasal among the faculty. This is the kind of experience I am talking about.
And this is also the part where I like to thank Ma’m Wen Reyes, our Director at the Institute of Communication for her tireless efforts in making sure that her flock are mentored by practitioners in the various communication fields. The experience of interacting with these professors have truly enriched not only myself, but the rest of my batch in AB Journalism. In fact, in spite of my 30 years professional working experience, she still wants me to go through my first ever OJT. Ayaw paawat ni Ma’m.
To my fellow scholars, I pray that our recognition will not stop at just having good grades. It is a good thing to have high marks as rewards for hard work. But our choice is not limited only between what is good and what is bad. We can extend those choices to being good or better. God has gifted us with the ability to absorb knowledge in exceptional ways. It is good. But it will infinitely be better when that gift is put to further good use.
Think if each of us could spare some time to nurture and tutor at least one classmate per semester. What difference could we make in their lives? Who knows if they might become somebody bigger than us in the future? Sabi nga ng isang kanta, “Maybe you and I can’t do great things. We may not change the world in one day, but we still can change something today in our small ways.”
I made a promise that this is going to be the last time I am going to speak at a Recognition Day, and I will tell you why. Next year, it is my fervent prayer to finally, finally graduate from college, 33 years after finishing high school. It is about time.
I thank the Colegio for this recognition and accept it on behalf of each and every Dean’s Lister. To be recognized as Most Outstanding Student is too magnanimous. But it will surely encourage me to be on my toes all of my waking hours. I thank the faculty because you are the backbone of the institution. Thank you for the spark that you pass on.
Ihinahandog ko rin ang pagkilalang ito sa aking mga magulang. ‘Tay, ‘Nay – maraming salamat sa pagiging mga unang guro ko. Hindi lamang ABKD at 1+1 ang itinuro ninyo sa akin. Binuksan ninyo rin ang mga mata ko, kahit sa murang edad pa lamang, tungkol sa mga mapapait at matatamis na katotohanan ng buhay. Sino naman ang mag-aakalang sa edad nating ito, na naghahabulan na sa pagiging ulyanin, magkakaroon pa tayo ng pagkakataon para umakyat nang sabay sa entablado para sa okasyong kagaya nito. Salamat po sa inyo.
Most of all, I offer this recognition at the feet of my Father in heaven from whom all perfect things come, and who is the source of everything that I have and all that I am – a blessed child of God, a proud Filipino, and an even prouder Letranite.
Mabuhay ang Diyos, ang bayan, at ang Letran.
Most Outstanding Student
11 March 2008
You may be wondering why an auxiliary service personnel seem to be gatecrashing my party. His name is Rico Tuibeo, also known here in school as Tony Parker, his basketball player lookalike. I asked him to come and help my parents present this award to me as my way of saying “thank you” to him for literally opening the doors of Letran to me.
Three years ago when I was looking for a school to resume my long-neglected studies, this man accommodated all my queries about Letran. In fact, he was the one who threw the first question: “Ie-enroll nyo po ba ang anak ninyo?”
He was very friendly and courteous and patient, and he even gave me guidance about enrollment procedures before leading me to the Admissions Office. The rest, as they say, is history. I am here today in this hall because Rico opened Letran for me.
Rico is one of our frontliners. He is the outsiders’ connection into our world. Like receptionists and telephone operators and security personnel, the frontliners are reflections of the institutions they represent. The impression that Rico gave me smacks of professionalism, and that impression helped me decide to pursue my education here. If the security personnel are excellent, the rest of the Letran community surely can’t be that bad.
Rico, maraming salamat sa iyo.
I am standing here today because of one and one reason alone: my grades. I wish it had been more than that. And I am saying this, because I look back in frustration and a little bit of regret for the many things that I failed to do during this brief stopover. If I had still youth and time, I would have liked to do many more things. I would have liked to join the Letran Dance Troupe because I just love to dance. I would have accepted the offer to be the editor-in-chief of The Lance and probably “ruffle a few feathers” by rallying towards more radical expressions of the mind. I would have been a street activist marching alongside those who like to get to the bottom of the truth, and not as one who passively watch as history unfolds before his eyes. I would have liked to be involved in marketing the school, going from one high school to the next so that we could entice fresh batches to join us here.
But, the sad truth is that age has a way of rearranging priorities. Age and true-to-life responsibilities. Aside from studying and trying very hard to get a degree, I also have that tremendous responsibility of making sure that there is enough food on the table for a very large family. And so, you can perhaps appreciate my frustrations.
I love school. But things were quite different when I was younger. The school was the center around which children converge to be educated. But with information technology being available in almost every corner of the world, education and the thirst for knowledge can be quenched by a mere click of the computer mouse. The sources of information and knowledge are boundless and limitless. If we are going to be honest about it, it might seem as if the school only becomes a venue for formality just because the standard of society demands that our completion of education is certified.
Given the alternatives available online and out-of-line, it cannot be far from truth that the educational institutions are challenged. Add to this the many technological diversions that the current crop of students are engrossed in, taking their attention away from classroom activities. So, the irony of the times is that while information and knowledge are available in prolific proportions, we still hear sighs bemoaning how half-baked the graduates are today, how ineloquent in their speech, how diverse their interests and how lacking in expertise.
There is a new paradigm shift in the marketing world. Businesses do not just offer their customers good service. More than that, they now offer and brand customer experience. It is in the experience of the brand that word-of-mouth translates in big volumes of customer interest.
That is why it my humble opinion that more than just the facilities for learning, the educational institutions, like any other business entity, must also offer a unique experience for that short-lived period of academic life – something that will make it distinct.
The halls of this school have produced heroes and presidents and nationalists and we do not want to see our future graduates relegated to call-center agents or production assistants or accounting supervisors or marketing managers. We like to see them lead. We like to see them empowered. We like to see them as dynamic builders of communities.
I am happy that during my stay in Letran so far, I have nothing but fondness for what the school is allowing me to experience. This is my home. This is where I know I can come back to and will be warmly welcomed.
And there are bits and pieces of that exceptional Letran experience I will always carry with me. Let me name just a few of the people who have made a difference in my life. Professor Rosauro Encinas, for instance, made us leave our class in Christology one day because he wanted us to get involved in raising funds for the victims of the Bicol tragedy two years ago. How best can Christlikeness be shown than in a case like that? Dr. Raquel Espiritu uses storytelling to very good effect when she engages her class in real-life discussions. Ma’m Claire Rivera gives 10-point quizzes answerable only by Yes or No, but will require you to really squeeze your brain before you could pick the approximate answer. Professor Eric Calantas spares time to tutor slow-learners like me. I scored a 156 in my bowling class, and Ma’m Eunice Villaruel made me dance the swing. I gained a son among my classmates in the person of Ralph Hojilla and an inaanak sa kasal among the faculty. This is the kind of experience I am talking about.
And this is also the part where I like to thank Ma’m Wen Reyes, our Director at the Institute of Communication for her tireless efforts in making sure that her flock are mentored by practitioners in the various communication fields. The experience of interacting with these professors have truly enriched not only myself, but the rest of my batch in AB Journalism. In fact, in spite of my 30 years professional working experience, she still wants me to go through my first ever OJT. Ayaw paawat ni Ma’m.
To my fellow scholars, I pray that our recognition will not stop at just having good grades. It is a good thing to have high marks as rewards for hard work. But our choice is not limited only between what is good and what is bad. We can extend those choices to being good or better. God has gifted us with the ability to absorb knowledge in exceptional ways. It is good. But it will infinitely be better when that gift is put to further good use.
Think if each of us could spare some time to nurture and tutor at least one classmate per semester. What difference could we make in their lives? Who knows if they might become somebody bigger than us in the future? Sabi nga ng isang kanta, “Maybe you and I can’t do great things. We may not change the world in one day, but we still can change something today in our small ways.”
I made a promise that this is going to be the last time I am going to speak at a Recognition Day, and I will tell you why. Next year, it is my fervent prayer to finally, finally graduate from college, 33 years after finishing high school. It is about time.
I thank the Colegio for this recognition and accept it on behalf of each and every Dean’s Lister. To be recognized as Most Outstanding Student is too magnanimous. But it will surely encourage me to be on my toes all of my waking hours. I thank the faculty because you are the backbone of the institution. Thank you for the spark that you pass on.
Ihinahandog ko rin ang pagkilalang ito sa aking mga magulang. ‘Tay, ‘Nay – maraming salamat sa pagiging mga unang guro ko. Hindi lamang ABKD at 1+1 ang itinuro ninyo sa akin. Binuksan ninyo rin ang mga mata ko, kahit sa murang edad pa lamang, tungkol sa mga mapapait at matatamis na katotohanan ng buhay. Sino naman ang mag-aakalang sa edad nating ito, na naghahabulan na sa pagiging ulyanin, magkakaroon pa tayo ng pagkakataon para umakyat nang sabay sa entablado para sa okasyong kagaya nito. Salamat po sa inyo.
Most of all, I offer this recognition at the feet of my Father in heaven from whom all perfect things come, and who is the source of everything that I have and all that I am – a blessed child of God, a proud Filipino, and an even prouder Letranite.
Mabuhay ang Diyos, ang bayan, at ang Letran.
posted by joeylgarcia at 11:46 PM
1 comments
