I may say that this lovely evening, this 20th day of February in the year 2009, will be greatly

rated for being one of the volumes of the most prestigious blockbuster film- our lives. In a few more episodes, we, seniors, will ascend to more difficult tapings and pictorials because we will encounter a greater production; more actors to be met and more roles to be performed. And of course, one thing is for sure: we are always the writer of our own story. As for now, let's congratulate ourselves for we all have been doing so great to make this tale as fulfilling as we want it and as adventurous as we make it.

In four years of staying here in this institution, I may conclude that counting the wonderful moments that we shared in our high school days is a mind-boggling thing because even the depressing ones that we lived through contributed in helping us to become what we are today. Yes, even the giving of any sizes of paper during quizzes, "buraotan" during breaks and being "pasaways" in front of our teachers, all are considered factors that made this experience complete and of course, a perfect one. And if we are going to look at it, everything happened in a blast but, much unnoticed.

When I made my first footsteps in this school in the early days of my freshman year, one thing I can't forget is our innocent selves just like a blind person who seeks the right path, looking for the white light behind the darkness of that innocence. By all means, we looked for the knowledge we need and we craved for the wisdom we must possess before we depart from this home, from this family. We were so curious about all the things that we encountered everyday but we did not know to whom we must hold on and how to distinguish right from wrong. And because of such blindness, receiving only the radiance of the twilight, some succeeded in knowing all the essential things to be remembered and to be understood by the heart but others got lost in the labyrinth and failed to know the indispensable truth of life.

We have encountered many things as high school students but still, our journey will not stop after this stage. And I'm very proud that we never lost hope when failures and disappointments came to our way. We defended what we love, and fought for what we believe in.

And as for you, the juniors, in a few more days, your job will be to continue the unfinished tasks we will leave behind as we sail in our

respective ships to discover new oceans. In behalf of the seniors, we are thankful because you are our companions and these years will serve as memories that we will cherish forever. After we move on, after we step on another phase of our lives, you must learn and remember the things that have helped us to finish this stage.

You must learn how to be responsible. Responsibility is one key in order for you to succeed. Some things that we did might not have worked out well but we trust that after we leave the portals of this institution, you may learn from our mistakes. Expect the worst but always strive for the best. Whenever you fail, don't lose hope, just stand up. Consider such challenges as a blessing. We must learn from these challenges, particularly the failures so that we will achieve more success.

You must also learn how to be humble. Humility is one sign of being educated, of being wise. This will be the start of your time to grow up and make your own; we believe that you can do more than what we have done. But in doing so, always remember this:

"The taller the bamboo grows, the lower it bends."

And lastly, you must learn to be contented sometimes but grow most of the time. It is always right to be contented but this will sometimes hinder you from growing, from progressing. You only live once, so live your life to the fullest. It is not yet over so never make this as an excuse for you to be contented; there are many more fishes in the sea, waiting for you to discover them.

Just be grateful for all your achievements and be thankful to the One who is the first and the last thing we must think of, God, because His love for us and His will to guide us is everlasting.

We hope to see all your spectacular dreams come true.

Just remember that:

"All endings are also beginnings; we just don't know it at the time." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6a-yZu__rg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkFORODfrNU It was roughly a year ago when this same item I am now cuddling was bestowed on me theBook of Knowledge, which holds with it our pursuit for academic excellence, as long envisioned by our cherished alma mater. It was almost a year ago that I had delivered my speech of acceptance in this same occasion to humbly embrace this crucial responsibility. Now, I am at great euphoria to deliver my speech on behalf of all my fellow seniors-- this time, not another speech of acceptance, but a bequeathal speech. The purpose of which is to hand this Book of Knowledge down to our successors, the juniors. As we would be leaving the portals of Manolo Fortich National High School, we would also be bringing with us the experiences of both triumphs and plights that we have scribbled in the history of this institution. These fragments of our high school memories will never fail to bring smiles on our faces, as we would reminisce the days of our struggles, our victories, and our defeats; the times that we faltered, immediately followed by our stronger, more determined spring backs - the entire journey that we had jubilantly traveled along the academic arena of secondary education. Now as we are about to chart our new journey in the more serious grounds of college, we challenge the juniors to take on this responsibility with the same fervor and spirit that allowed us, the seniors, to push through. This is a great challenge that we pose on you - that you may be brave and smart in facing the adversities and tasks that you will encounter ahead (to continue bringing honors to our beloved Alma Matter). May you be models in ethics of good disposition towards the younger students. May you set yourselves as worthy keepers of this responsibility and carry on with the legacies that the quality products of MFNHS are known for. May you always keep the jewels of MFNHS spotless and blemish-free. With peace and love, good luck to all of us; and may God bless us in all our ventures in life!