MY SPEECH AS GRADUATION SPEAKER 2019

My respect to Almighty God for bringing us here, to all our happy graduates, to our proud parents, to the
Schools Division Superintendent, Maria Theresa Avanzado on her authorize representative Sir Emmanuel
C. Pomada PSDS of Cluster 9, to the faculty and staff of Olandao Elementary School headed by Maam
Jeanalyn Montederamos, to the Barangay Councils under the regime of Hon. Pampiana Bernabe.,
visitors, ladies and gentlemen, good mornin!

Feeling greatness and dignity reign in my heart for you have chosen me as your guest speaker of today’s
significant occasion, the Commencement Exercises of School Year 2018-2019.

Before I go further with my speech, may I first congratulate the graduates for today marks the
attainment of your dreams. Today is a proof that you have surmounted the challenges of elementary
education. You are victors at this moment because you have attained your victory. You have acquired the
knowledge and skills necessary for you in stepping the next ladder of learning.

Secondly, I want to congratulate you parents for you are now harvesting the fruit of your sacrifices. You
have done a big part in molding these children from their birth until this very moment. You are the
forerunners in the education of your children, molding their behaviour and characters, abilities and
knowledge.

The next persons whom I would like to congratulate are of course the teachers. You have successfully
done great responsibilities in bringing these children to what they are now. Your guidance and
commitment to teach these children have made great changes in their lives. We can say that they are
now better persons because of you.

We are all here today to celebrate the temporal fruit of unity amidst our diversity in descent, status,
ethnicity affiliations, and beliefs. Yes, it is sadly temporal, but time and again, we always find a slice of
our precious time for many historic occasions like this.

This year’s theme, “Unity in Diversity: Quality Education for All”, is a concept which encompasses
acceptance and respect, that we have to understand that each individual is unique and have to recognize
their individual differences. We can be different to each other but still being firm friends with each other
supporting each other and working together for a common goal. Unity in diversity is a lesson that
everyone should learn from their earliest years because it helps us to live together in a kinder and more
loving way.

Diversity is within each one of us, it can be along the dimensions of gender, socio-economic status, age,
physical abilities, religious and political beliefs, or other ideologies, but it is the exploration of these
differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment that we will be united and education for all be
achieved.

As teachers, parents, students and even government officials, let us all join hands to understand each
other and not to divide ourselves against each other into different camps because this is where real
conflicts begin. We should move beyond simple tolerance to embrace and celebrate the rich dimensions
of diversity contained within each individual. The principle of “unity in adversity” teaches us that
fundamentally we are all equal to each other and we all have equal rights. Quality education for all
therefore is just within our reach, right before our hands.

My dear graduates look at your teachers. Once they were just like you but because of embracing
Education they are now one of the noblest of all people, having the ability to impart you knowledge and
enhance your skills and talents. Truly, Education is a big help in attaining goals in life and everyone has
the right to have equal opportunity in education, regardless of their social class, gender, ethnicity
background or physical and mental disabilities.

I was once like you too. Namat-an nako among kapobrehon maong nkaingon jud ko sa akong
kaugalingon nga mueskwela jud ko ug maningkamot ko nga makahuman ky para makautwas mi sa
kalisud. Bata palang ko nanganduy nako nga maluwas mi sa kalisud ug ang edukasyon akong nakita nga
maoy tubag sa akong panganduy para makakita ko ug maayong trabaho ug mkatabang ko sa akong mga
ginikanan.

Pobre jud mi kayo saona pero kay ni eskwela man ko ug tarong taliwala sa among kalisud nasantus ra
gyud ko kadugayan. Kamo karon wala namoy rasun para dili makahuman ug eskwela ky wla namay bayad
or tuition fee ug maabot namo ug college unlike namo sauna dili paman to free ang tuition fee perting
lisuda namo pobre kaau among ginikanan unya 3 pajud mi gadungan ug skwela ug college. Giingnan mi
sa among silingan nga dili kuno mi mkahuman ug skwela, dili kuno makapahuman akong mga ginikanan
ky Unsa raguy pangita sa akong tatay naa ra sa baol dayun akong mama gamapaligya ug pagkaon sa
elementary didto sa actin unya usahay manglibud sya ug utan. Mao nga giingnan mi sa among silingan
nga dili kuno mi mkahuman ug skwela ky lisud kaau mi. Pero walay makababag sa tawo nga determinido
ug naay panganduy sa kinabuhi. Nakahuman ko ug college nga full scholar ko sa CHED kami duha sa
akong manghud. Ang akong magulang ra ang dili scholar namo 3 maong lisud ghapon mi kaau in terms of
financial. Maayo nalang gani ky naa mi magulang mu abag2x sa among mga galastuhan. Dli mi
makadawat ug balun ug dli namo patuluan ug luha ug singot. Kada sabado naa mi sa baol sa akong tatay
ky pagunahon mi nya sa maisan, usahay mangabuno mi usahay pud mananggi mig mais.. Nakasulay ko
nga ako maoy galukdo sa usa ka sakong uling gkan sa among baul paad2 sa daplin karsada para ikonsumo
namo sa boarding house. Nakasulay pud ko nga sengkwenta pesos ra akong balun tibuok simana.
Imagine 50 pesos imong budgeton kuhaan ug plete, ipalit ug sud-an unya naa pay ga left and right nga
photocopyhanan kada subject. Pero ka2ng tanan nga kalisud nga akong naagian gihimo nako 2 nga
inspirasyon para makahuman ko. Ky dako kog panganduy sa akong kinabuhi. Bata pa ko nanganduy nako
nga makahuman ko ug skwela para makapangita ko ug maayong trabaho para makatabang ko sa akong
mga ginikanan. Ug wala ra damha nkahuman ko sa kurso nga Bachelor of Secondary Education. And who
would have thought that become a Licensed Professional Teacher nga pareha raman pud ko ninyo
sauna. Ni graduate ko ug elementary tawun mayutmot kayo ko, Ulawon kaau sauna pero kay nanganduy
man akong mama nga mahimo kong maestra so mao 2 akong gituman iyang panganduy without realizing
mao man pud d I ni akong panganduy.

By dreaming those impossible dreams, we can realize that there will be realities that we have to face.
Graduates, I encourage you to dream. Libre ra btaw manganduy.

But we should not forget the most important thing of our existence which is to have faith and love with
God.

Faith, love and service towards God should be put above our dreams. We have to put God first on
everything, and then everything will be set in place. We sould never compromise our faith to God for the
sake of material needs in this temporal world. Unahon ato ang Ginoo sa tanan natong pagpaningkamot.
Kay kung walay Ginoo, dili ka makatagamtam ug kalipay sa imong tanang pagpaningkamot. You will
always feel that there is something lacking without God.

My dear graduates, Imagine yourself as this green leaf. Imagina inyung kaugalingon nga kamo ning usa
ka lunhaw nga dahon.

Kung sige ka ug tuon, kug sige kag paningkamot sama sa usa ka tanom nga maningkamot makasupsop ug
tubig ug makakuha ug mga minerals, mahimo kang sama ingnani, usa ka himsog, usa ka green pag ayo
nga dahon. But, without the presence of sunlight, kaning usa ka green kaau nga dahon bisan pa man ug
abunda ug minerales ang yuta, dili kini mahimong himsog. Mahimo kining yellow or puti instead of
green. Sama sa dahon, if wala tay pagtoo sa Ginoo, if wala tay enlightenment gikan sa Ginoo, dili kita
mahimong usa ka tanom nga mabungahon sa katilingban.

I will end my speech with a quote by Colin Powell:

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hardwork.”
As a parting gift, a great poet John Donne once said, and I requote: “We have become not a melting pot
but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different
dreams.”

Thank you and God bless us all!