Graduation held at PICC - September 3, 2015 - Valedictory Address

1. Engineer Rodrigo C. Silvestre, our honorable guest speaker; Members of the
Board of Trustees; Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea, President and Chief Executive Officer of
MAPUA Institute of Technology; the school administrators; deans and faculty of
different schools; our dear parents; my BA-utiful friends, and my fellow batch mates,
magandang buhay!
Ang graduation ay maaring maihalintulad sa pinakahihintay na matamis na
OO ni Alden mula kay Yaya Dub. Tulad ng masigasig na panliligaw ni Alden kay
Yaya Dub upang makuha ang loob nito ay gayundin ang pagpupursigi natin mag-
aral bilang estudyante upang makamit ang pinakaaasam-asam na diploma sa
tamang panahon, ikanga ni Lola Nidora.
All of us must have been waiting for the day when we can finally get hold of
our diplomas. Our diplomas serve as proof that we have satisfactorily met the
requirements set by this Institute. However, the diplomas that we are about to
receive will not guarantee success in our respective fields; these are just tickets to
endless opportunities awaiting us. We need to flex our muscles to achieve the goals
we’ve set for ourselves. As we do that, as we journey towards finding success, I’m
certain that there will be rough roads ahead. We’ll be encountering obstacles that
will come in all shapes and sizes. There is nothing to be afraid of, I have to say,
because braving challenges is something Mapuans are not unfamiliar with. Don’t be
afraid to make mistakes. Our experiences in Mapua have prepared us to face and
overcome challenges we might face in the workplace.

2. Personally, I learned that “Failure is just a postponement of success”. When I was in
high school, I always dreamt that my parents would accompany me on stage to get
an award because for me, it would bring them so much joy. Unfortunately, my
aspiration of becoming an honor student did not happen because I failed to meet the
target grade. However, I never lost sight of this dream because I know that God is
always by my side and He never lets me down. And so, I promised myself that I
would graduate a Cum Laude. You see, becoming the class valedictorian is beyond
what I wished for. I am grateful for this unexpected blessing. Hard work indeed pays
off and I am glad to have finally honored my parents through this academic
achievement.
We are now officially alumni of Mapua which means we are students no more.
Summer breaks, Christmas breaks and Term breaks are gone forever. Welcome to
the real world where vacation leave credits are earned and are subject to approval
by our immediate supervisors.
Speaking of the real world, I had this professor who, before he would start his
lectures, would share life lessons with us, his students, for us to be prepared and
equipped in the workplace. I would like to slice and dole out to everyone about one-
half of the cake of insights. First, opportunity is like a fleeting moment soon to pass
which means we should never waste any chance that may come our way. Second,
after death and taxes, the only permanent thing in life is change. What he meant by
that is to learn to adapt and to adjust with the changes in life. Third, he told us to
make ourselves obsolete every day which means we have to step out of our comfort
zone and try something new. Fourth, sana bukas pa ang kahapon. No one wants to
have regrets, right? That is why we should always give our best shot in everything
we do. Fifth and lastly, always give it to Him so God should be the center of
everything.

3. Since we are about to become part of different industries, we might have been
starting to think about more serious concerns, for example, the ASEAN Integration.
The ASEAN Economic Community or AEC will be implemented by the end of this
year, which means that professionals from ASEAN-member countries can move
freely in the region. It sounds exciting, but it can be intimidating. My two cents on
this is that we have a certain degree of confidence that we will stand out and do well
whether here or abroad because Mapua prepared us to become globally
competitive. The quarter-term system taught us to show grace under pressure. Local
and international internships sharpened our technical skills. The group projects and
activities developed our soft skills – we learned how to socialize and cooperate with
our peers. All of these, among others, have prepared us to engage in a healthy
competition with other nationalities. So today, we are here to remove the two training
wheels of our bikes. It is time to move forward by ourselves towards the track we
wish to pursue.
Before I end my speech, I would like to thank the following people for being
part of my life. Thank you Ma’am Karizza Bravo for guiding me with this speech. I’m
grateful to my professors in Mapua Makati especially to the dean of ETYSBM,
Professor Marthinson Villanueva for imparting not just academic knowledge but also
values that may come in handy when we become part of the workplace. To my BA-
utiful friends and fellow batch mates, thank you for making my college life fun and
exciting. I would also like to thank the parents of my batch mates for helping your
sons or daughters over the years in their pursuit of earning their bachelor's degree.
To my family, Lolo Rey & Lola Nida; Tito Jojo & Tita Rubie; Tito Shinji & Tita Weng;
Tito Joseph & Tita Racquel; Tito Rene & Tita Nida; Tito Ramon & Tita Nelia; Tito
Rex & Tita Che; my Cousins; specially to my Mama Lanie and my only brother
Kouichi, thank you for your support and unwavering love. Domo Arigato Papa
Yamada. Above all, I thank the Almighty Father for leading me towards the right path
at all times. Thank you very much! A pleasant afternoon to all of you and have a
wonderful day! VIVA Mapua!