FIND DEEPER MEANING IN THE THINGS WE DO

(Graduation message of Renato M. Alarcon at the Pampanga High School 88th Commencement Exercises on April 16, 2003)

 

Thank you very much for the kind introduction.

 

Distinguished Guests, our energetic and beloved Principal Dr. Mel Macaspac, Members of the Faculty, Dearest Parents, My Mother and My Family who are with us this afternoon, Class 2003 Graduating Students, Fellow members of Class’65 and Friends of Pampanga High School.

 

About 5 weeks ago, your esteemed English Department Head and my fellow Class’65 alumni Madam Sol Santos, called up informing me that I was unanimously selected by the school administration to be the Graduation Speaker before you today.

 

I replied that I am deeply honored but I need time to decide and get the comments of our brighter and more successful batch mates who are my officers in our Foundation. I sent the message across to about fifteen classmates starting from our valedictorian and so on. They gave encouraging comments and said that it will be a great honor for Class’65 to have me as Graduation Speaker of our Alma Mater.

 

I relayed to Madam Sol their comments then she hurriedly asked, so, what is your final answer? I felt she was putting me on the spot and attempted to ask for more time but she was persuasive. She told me that it was the principal who nominated me, that as President of the PHS Class’65 Foundation, it is part of my duty to inspire and motivate the graduating students and that I should prove that our class is among the successful batches PHS has ever produced.

 

Hearing such a grand premise, I could only say “Yes, I’ll be there.” Indeed, whenever Madam Sol calls, I answer, whenever our Foundation summons, I come. Such is the magic of our love to our wonderful batch, such is the drawing power of the outstanding alumni foundation of PHS.

 

How about you, Graduating Students, are you proud to be a member of batch twenty O three?

 

Detang ali mekibat siguro puyat la qng pamagsucad queng malagu dang malan ngeni o caya queng pamanaya da queng pamaglilip ng ima  para mag casiya ing seli ng sobra kaba pantalon o malualas a palda. Ding aliwa siguro masakit la bitis uling bayu la at mascup la sapatos. Pero apansinan cu mas matula la at mas excited la deng pengari yu uling metupad ya ing karelang caburian a mabiasa at mayari cayu qng pamagaral yung high school. Ila ing malugud a pengari mag sacripicio para adinan da lang matatag a kinabucasan deng anac da. Ing kabiasnan at mayap a kaugalian ing pecamaulagang bage a buri dang ipamana caring balang metung quecayu.

 

Ing cabiasnan dalan ye at gamitan abang mabie cayu caya dapat yu lang pasalamatan at palakpakan deng anggang pengaring tinagun qng graduation yu ngeni.

 

Beginning tomorrow, you will each go your separate ways. But the high school spirit, the friendships you have forged and the aspirations you share will always keep you united forever. Soon you will have your Class Reunion, I advise you to find time to attend because you have no reason to miss your friends.

 

Most of you will go to college not by accident or chance. You have a destiny to fulfill – that destiny is to bring yourself to heights of achievement and that destiny will change your life forever.

 

 Now, before you begin your journey to build your own future, it is time to talk about your plans on how to achieve your goals. Here is a suggestion of a self-imposed goal that you may want to adopt:

 

     In front of the mirror, when you reached home, tell yourself or write a covenant     

     that:

    

     “In the year 2007 or 2008, you must have graduated from college;

     In 2009, you must have passed all government examinations;

     In 2012, you must be earning at least P50,000.00 a month;

     In 2016, being a millionaire, you must have your own house and lot and on that same year you must have married the girl of your dreams.

     And in 2018, you must have your children and a happy family together.”

 

Please remember, a Goal is a dream with a deadline. You will not be given another time to restart but you can start now and have a happy ending.

 

What I am trying to impart is you must have your individual DREAMS, clear and distinct hopes that will serve as the source of ideas and goals in life.

 

A philosopher named Henry Thoreau once said –“if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors the life which he has inspired, he will meet with success.”

 

Dear students, dreams are just the beginning of having a purpose in life. So, we should not be afraid to dare to dream.

 

We can achieve our dreams or goals by being PERSISTENT. Kailangan maging masigasig cayu at ali cayu pasaul careng problema daratang qng bie tamu lalu na ing cacaluluan. Manintun tamung paralan para ayabut taya at ayari ing cursung buri tamu.  Remember, life is not a bed of roses, along the way, we will all fall, stumble, become frustrated, unhappy and in despair. But the answer to these all can be summed up in one word – Persistence. I always make U.S. President Abraham Lincoln as a favorite example of a most persistent man. In his early years, he ran for the State Congress and lost. He then ran in the Senate twice and lost. But he was persistent. In the end, he won the U.S. PRESIDENCY on the issue of emancipating the black slaves of America. President Lincoln is now considered by historians as the greatest American President

 

All kinds of achievement and success will never be so in the eyes of others if a man has not the important virtue of INTEGRITY. Ali taya didinan dungis ing malinis yung laguio queng pamamirayit. Ali yu babayaran deng professor yu para ipasar da cayu at lalu na deng examiner para dinan da cayung licensia. Dacal nang casung macanian at dacal nang malpractice at aksidenteng miliari uli na niti. All the wealth, money and power in the world cannot replace a good name. And no matter what pinnacles of success you may have reached, if all this has been without integrity, then there is no real achievement in the eyes of others and in the eyes of God.

 

And so my dear students, let us continue to dream, to persist and to act with integrity. And beyond all these, after our efforts are crowned with achievement and success, what next? Are you going to have more dreams, goals and ambitions to become rich and powerful? Yes, you can, but this time, none of us can ever be sure that we will achieve all of them when we want them. Only God can give us the answers. But what is important is for us to find “deeper meaning” in the things we do.

 

To illustrate, I would like to close with my favorite story which I want you to listen.

 

One day, two very wealthy and retired friends decided to travel around the world. They reached a big city and stayed at a very expensive 70-storey hotel. They booked the most expensive rooms at the topmost floor. One evening, when they got back from sightseeing, they found out that the elevators were not working. So they decided to use the stairs.

 

As expected, when they reached the 25th floor, they became tired. While resting, they began to tell each other the stories of their lives -  starting with their youth, their education at the most expensive schools, their scholastic awards and honors.

 

Then they proceeded to climb the stairs and again on reaching the 50th floor, took a breather, continuing their story telling about their lives – how they began their careers, how their business empire grew, how they became rich, famous and powerful. Finally, they proceeded their walk up and reached the 70th floor. Only then they realized that they had forgotten to get the keys to their room from the front desk.

 

This story is a valuable analogy. Each and every floor in that 70-storey hotel is like one year in our lifetimes. Each and every year we gain much knowledge, experience and successful careers. We become wealthy, famous and powerful only to realize that perhaps, at the very end of our life’s journey, we may have forgotten to bring the keys that we need to open the doors to our next destination.

 

I believe that sharing our blessings to those with less in life is a wonderful way to remind ourselves about the keys that we need. Sharing what we have to others reminds us that it is not only knowledge that is important but also WISDOM; not only wealth and money but also CHARITY AND GENEROSITY; not only power but COMPASSION; not only justice and righteousness but also TOLERANCE AND FORGIVENESS. Those we help need not just be our family, relatives and friends. We can help even the unknown, nameless, faceless and less fortunate in our society.

 

These values my dear students are the keys that will open the doors to our next destination. And as we ENTER, the welcome will be something like this – ‘COME IN, YOU HAVE MY FATHER’S BLESSINGS. WHEN I AM HUNGRY, YOU GAVE ME FOOD; WHEN I AM THIRSTY, YOU GAVE ME DRINK. WHATEVER YOU DID FOR THE LEAST OF MY BRETHREN YOU DID IT FOR ME.”

 

May all of you find peace and happiness in your soul during this Holy Week.

 

MAYAP A GATPANAPUN PU KEKAYU NGAN AT DACAL A SALAMAT, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GRADUATING STUDENTS!

 

Renato M. Alarcon