Thank you, Sir Darryl Jake for that kind introduction!

To our highly esteemed municipal mayor, Mayor Erwin C. Ocana, our District Supervisor,
Ma’am Lolita P. Legaspi, our School Prinicipal, Ma’am Myla P. Macanas, our dear teachers who
appeared to be so familiar to me for they were also my teachers nine years ago, proud parents,
and most especially to you graduates, my warmest greetings to all of you!
I must begin by saying CONGRATULATIONS to all of you for today marks the attainment and
at the same time beginning of fulfilling your dreams. This day will be a very special and
meaningful moment to all of you because today, you are about to harvest what you have planted
for six years. But of course, I must also extend my congratulations to our very proud parents
there at the back. This day is much as an achievement for the parents as it is for the graduating
students. I’m pretty sure, parents are now thinking, “Yes, natapos gihap an unom katuig na ak
paghinatag hin balon ha ak anak, napulo nala katuig!” So graduates, don’t forget to congratulate
your mother and your father later after you receive your graduation gifts. Remember that your
mama and papa are so proud of you today. Take a look at them, they surely are smiling and will
be taking photos of you later. Today is the best day to ask money from them. Mahatag ito hira
yana.
Well to be honest when Ma’am Myla contacted me through Messenger that I be the guest
speaker for today’s graduation rites, I immediately asked this question to myself, “Why me?”
“Kaino ako, Ma’am? Kaino ako an iyo napili?” It’s not that I don’t want to, it is actually one of
my dreams when I was younger, to become a guest speaker of my alma mater one day. So, I
want to say thank you to the faculty members of DZR for making one of my dreams come true.
But then, I’ve realized “Hala, baga tikaedad naman ngayan ak hini because it was already 9 years
past when I was just like you, cute pa.”
Also, ever since I was a child, whenever I hear the words “GUEST SPEAKER”, what comes into
my mind is a person who already have achieved so much, yung Pang Presidente na ng Pilipinas
na level, or should I say yung mga mayayaman na na alumna/ alumnus ng isang school.
However, whatever their reason for choosing me was, there’s no denying that I am really
privileged to be right here in front you, hoping that you’ll learn something after my speech. Yun
nga lang may request din ako sa inyo. Ok lang ba? I want you to listen to me attentively because
we’ll be having a graded recitation pagkatapos nito at ang hindi makaksagot sa mga tanong ko,
kukunin daw ulit ang mga certificates at diploma nila. Ok lang ba yun?
Sige, let’s start!
The theme of your graduation ceremony today is “Pagkakaisa sa Pagkakaiba: Kalidad na
Edukasyon Para sa Lahat” or in English, “Unity in Diversity: Quality Education for All”. May I
just ask you this question. When you began studying here in DZR way back when you were
Grade 1, did you really know one another? Kilala na ba niyo tanan na iyo classmates? Most
probably, no. Right? You came from different barangays here in Tolosa or even from other
towns. You all have different backgrounds. Different personalities. Different likes. All of you are
different in somany ways. But here you are, in one place, gathered in this very special day as one
group of successful children. You are all one as graduates of Daniel Z. Romualdez Memorial
Elementary School Batch 2019.
I want you to remember this that after this ceremony, when you already have your diploma with
you, your journey as a pupil in DZR has already ended. BUT, here’s the big but. When you step
into high school in a few months, and eventually in college, or even up to the time that you land
on your dream job, the name Daniel Z. Romualdez Memorial Elementary School will always be
with you. Yes, you’ll forever bring that name with you. Bear that in mind because every time
you achieve great accomplishments, DZR will also rejoice and celebrate it with you. And I am
witness to that because when I fortunately passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers last
year in the month of September, I saw my name on the tarpaulin posted on the high walls of our
school saying congratulations. And at that very moment, my heart was just so full because it felt
like I gave honor and pride to my dear alma mater. So, let me also take this opportunity to thank
the persons behind the making of that tarpaulin. Thank you po!
Well going back, aside from saying farewell and goodbyes to your favorite classmates and
friends, I guess one of the things that makes you frightened right now is the thought that
maghihigh school na kamo. Today is April 4 and on June 3, maklase na liwat kamo. There, the
environment is far wider than you ever imagine, you’ll encounter more people from different
places, far places, you’ll adjust seeing new faces of your new teachers, and surely more
assignments and projects to test your limits. Of course its part of the process, you’ll definitely
face new changes as a high school student. But do you know what should remain with you? The
thing that will never change? That is the fact that you are a graduate of DZRMES.
You know what, the reason why I can say all these things its because this was exactly what
happened to me during the times when I was struggling or whenever I felt like giving up when I
was in high school and especially in college. Studying is never easy. We have to admit it. I
remember, in college. We had this system of elimination. Sa course namin, kung makakuha ka
po ng grade na mas mababa sa 85 or 2.0, agad agad kang tatanggalin sa kurso mo. It’s like your
dreams suddenly faded and vanished like a bubble bursting. So of course, I didn’t want to get
eliminated because it would be a shame for me, for my family, and for DZR. That is the reason
why I always did my best with whatever school works given to me by my professors, I sacrificed
a lot of time and effort, iniiwasan ko po talagang malate in class, so kapag 7:30 and pasok ko, I
wake up at 4:30 and prepare things para pag 5:30, naghihintay nalang po ako ng jeep na
masasakyan kaysa naman maging rason ko pa ang pagtravel para malate, and in the end, in the
long run, all of those sacrifices were rewarded when I graduated as Magna Cum Laude. Yes, it is
definitely one of the highlights in my life story but what it made more special is when my
elementary teachers also showed how proud and happy they were with what I have achieved.
And there, I thought, I raised the banner of DZR so high that the recognition given to me was
also a recognition given to the school itself.
What I just would like to emphasize here with you today is that you all have to do your best all
the time not only for yourself, or for your parents, or for the Almighty God, but also of course for
your alma mater, the DZRMES. I know these group of children in front of me now will be the
future engineers, doctors, teachers, nurses, lawyers, or maybe one of them will become the
President of the Philippines because they are graduates of DZR. May tatak DZR na ini hira.
Ngan basta tatak DZR, they surely will soar high and achieve great things in life.
Today marks the end of your journey as a pupil of our dear DZR, however, all the learnings,
memories, and quality education you have experienced for six years staying in the classrooms of
DZR shall forever remain with you.
Before I end my speech, let me spend more time to extend my sincerest gratitude to my teachers
when I was in elementary. My humble achievements, I also honor them all to you. Sa inyo po
ako unang natutong magbilang, magbasa, at sumulat. Kung wala po kayo na tumayong
pangalawang magulang ko noon, wala po ako sa harap ng mga batang ito ngayon.
To all the parents gathered here today, lalong lalo na sa may pinapaaral pa, magtiyaga lang po
kayo because I know your children will be doing their best in their studies. Tama ba ko? They’ll
surely achieve greater accomplishments than what I did.
And of course, to you, dear graduates, make your parents, your teachers, and our DZR proud of
you every single day of your lives in the future. Dream big and work hard to reach it! There is no
easy way to success, remember that. Work hard for it!