USePians: Our nation’s hope

(Valedictory Speech of Kobe Arn O Toledo, during the 40th Commencement Exercises of the University of
Southeastern Philippines Tagum-Mabini Campus, June 19, 2019)

To our esteemed commencement speaker DA Undersecretary Roldan G.

Gorgonio, University President Dr. Lourdes C. Generalao and members of the
Board of Regents present here today, to our Vice Presidents, Tagum-Mabini
Campus Chancellor Rafosala, Dean Matildo of CTET and Dean Limbaga of CARS,
administration, faculty, staff, our outstanding parents, visitors, my fellow
graduates. Maayong buntag kanato nga tanan.
Before I begin my speech, I would like to congratulate all the graduates for
making it to the world of unemployment, but most importantly were now
entering the world in service of our nation and for that let us give ourselves a
round of applause.
You may not have noticed but today is the birthday of Dr. Jose Rizal; and I can
remember one line from Rizal that is perfect for this occasion – “Ang kabataan
ang pag-asa ng bayan.” But when one hears it, one comes to ask: Why? What
makes the youth the hope of our nation? What traits must the youth possess
making them worthy of shaping our future? We might think of different traits like
strength, intelligence, courage, etc. Whatever it is you think about, it all boils
down to these three: a high standard of quality, excellence, and resilience. And
from where can you find the youth with these traits? Of course, in USeP.
USePians are the ideal youth
We, USePians, bear the mark of an ideal youth. Thus, we are given the
assumption of quality – that in everything we do, we always do it not for
compliance’s sake but for the love of doing it. We do things with passion, with
love, with commitment. We sacrifice our time to maintain the grade of our work.
Of course, cheating and fraud is a violation of quality. Kaya nga tuwing exams,
halos dalawang metro ang pagitan natin sa isa’t isa. In short, we never settle for
less.
As scholars, we are expected to be excellent – that nothing of what we do is
borne out of mediocrity and miserable style. We are seen to rise to the heights of
the skies, to the zenith. We are required not the work of the ordinary, not even of
the satisfactory, but of the best and the ideal. Acceptable works are thrown to the
trash, our instructors say, and merely passing work deserves the glaring 5.0. Sa
maikling sabi, hinubog tayo para maging magaling, hindi para maging katanggap-
tanggap lamang.
As leaders of the future, we were trained to withstand oppression, difficulty, and
bad timing. Sa USeP, sinubok ang ating katatagan. Many of us are born in poverty,
like I am. Dahil sa kahirapan, marami sa atin marahil ay inisip nang tumigil at
tumulong na lamang sa pamilya o mamasukan ng part-time jobs para mabawasan
ang gastos ng mga magulang. Ngunit sa kabila ng lahat, tayo ay nagpatuloy,
maging sa panahong tayo ay nagugutom o may sakit. Sa huli, nakita natin ang pag-
asa.
The USePian Youth is the hope of our nation
Everything that I had mentioned are hallmarks of a USePian graduate, and now
that we are venturing into new horizons and greater milestones, we will now be
using our quality, our excellence, and our resilience to brave and withstand the
challenges of our society. We are now part of the workforce, the people
responsible for keeping the economy rolling and maintaining the industries to
which this country relies. And with that, we need to be ready. Kawawa ang bansa
na ang manggagawa ay tigang sa kagalingan, kinulang sa pagsasanay, at walang
sigla na harapin ang mga hamon ng kasalukuyan.
As scholars for the nation, we are not mere victors of academics. As you know, we
are performing beautifully in the licensure exams, but it’s not enough. The
country needs more than just cum laudes or topnotchers, we need dedicated
workers. We need professionals with integrity and idealism. We need citizens
loyal to the nation, not blind followers to the whims of the powerful. We need
USeP graduates that live up to the core values of our university.
Scholars for the underprivileged
Ngayon na tayo ay nabigyan na ng pakpak para lumipad, panahon na para balikan
natin ang mga komunidad na ating pinagmulan – kung saan ang ating mga
pangarap ay nabigyang-buhay at kung saan ang ating mga pinagaralan sa
pamantasan ay mabibigyang-saysay. Many of us USePians are not well-off. Before
we made it, we faced the ruthless training in the University and in life. Now that
we are in a higher position as learned individuals, let us take a moment to turn
our eyes into the reality of the lowest of Filipino societies. May it pain us to see
the misery of the working class, striving forcefully through the oppression,
poverty, and unethical work environments, and totally obscure to the
opportunities we have been lucky to secure.
Finally, as USepian scholars, we are not bound for wealth. We are bound to our
oath as servants of the nation, who are forever entrusted with ensuring a
sustainable future for every man, woman, child, and worker in our struggling
nation. And being servants to the people, we are not bound for fame. But as long
as children are learning in schools, there is food in our plates, and each Filipino
lives in unconditional social justice, we know that our work is deserving of the
admiration of millions of citizens thirsty for genuine change.
Ngayong araw ng pagtatapos, pinagdiriwang natin ang ating katatagan, ang ating
galing, at ang ating husay. Natapos man tayo sa pag-aaral, ang ating paglalakbay
bilang mga mamamayan ng Pilipinas ay uumpisahan pa lamang. Ngayon, tayo ay
nagtagumpay. Bukas, tulungan nating magtagumpay ang sambayanan.
Closing Remarks
Before I finally end my address, I’d like to thank these people who made
everything possible:
Our parents, we love you and thank you so much. We thank you the most.
Our teachers, thank you for the undying support and guidance.
Our friends and companions, thank you for staying by our side.
To all, to each: Remember the words of Mark Twain: Patriotism is supporting your
country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. I hope all of you are
with me in this: ang kapangyarihan ay nasa taumbayan, wala sa politiko, at ang
lakas ng kapangyarihang ito ay para sa mga mamamayang Pilipino lamang.
All the greatness. Magandang umaga po sa ating lahat!