Thank you for that kind introduction and thank you for inviting me to speak today.

To our very own supportive and active school principal Mr. Dindo B. Lopez, to our

visitors from Baybay city division, to all the teachers of Mailhi National High School,

parents, relatives and friends, good morning and thank you for inviting me to speak

here today. I'm very pleased to be here to join you in celebrating this momentous and

wonderful occasion.

First of all, congratulations to all of you. You should be very, very proud of

yourselves for accomplishing this goal. Well done!

-----------------------------------Graduation Theme 2022--------------------------------------

Our graduation theme for this school year 2021-2022 is “Gradweyt ng K to 12:

Masigasig sa mga Pangarap at Matatag sa mga Pagsubok” or “K to 12 Graduates:

Pursuing Dreams and Fostering Resilience in the Face of Adversity”.

It means that no matter what trials, hardships, and challenges in life we should

not despair and we should not worry about it because there are many ways to solve

and meet it. Just like the saying “poverty is not the hindrance to success”. Maraming

nakapagtapos sa pag-aaral kahit mahirap lamang sila, marami ang mga taong

mayayaman ngayon ay hindi dahil sila ay anak mga mayayaman tao kundi dahil sila ay

nag sikap nang maigi upang maka pagtapos nang kanilang pag-aaral at maabot ang

kanilang mga pangarap sa buhay. Maraming mga taong matagumpay dahil na rin sa

kanilang pagsusumikap na makapagtapos nang kanilang pag-aaral. Education is the

most empowering force in the world. It creates knowledge, builds confidence, and

breaks down barriers to opportunity. And it opens the door to a better life.

Like me, life as a student has not been easy for me. Hindi madali para sa akin

ang lahat hindi katulad nang iba na ang routine ay pumasok lamang sa paaralan,

gumawa lamang assignment, at mag handa lamang para sa kanilang mga pagsusulit.

My life as a student was not like that. Bago ko nakamit ang aking pangarap na

makapagtapos sa pag-aaral at makakuha ng magandang trabaho bilang isang guro sa

St. Vincent Learning Center dumaan muna ako sa bagsik nang buhay. Elementary

palang dumaan na ako sa bagsik nang buhay. I still remember when I was in the third

grade that's where it all started. Noong nganak ang aking ina, ako ang naging

katuwang nya sa pag-aalaga sa aking kapatid at sa kanya dahil palaging wala ang

aking tatay dahil ito ay nag tratrabho sa bukid. Madaling araw pa lamang 4:00 am nang

umaga gumigising na ako upang mag laba nang mga lampin at mga damit namin bago

pumasok sa paaralan minsan late na ako dumadating sa school. After sa school uwi

kaagad para hindi mapagalitan, pag uwi galling school nag-iigib na kami nang tubig,

nag huhugas nang mga plato, nag lalaba, at saing nang kanin. Pag gabi dapat nasa

tabi ako ng aking nanay at tatay matulog. Hina-handa ko ang mga lampin, gatas, timba

nang tubig at iba pang mga gamit. Imagine ako ang ginigising nang nanay ko upang

mag timpla nang gatas, mag palit nang lampin, mag patulog sa aking kapatid. Imagine

mura gyud og ako ang nanganak hahaha…. Then gigising na naman ako nang 4am ng

umaga para mag laba at gawin lahat nang mga routine ko sa bahay. Palagi akong

puyat walang tamang tulog kaya siguro hindi na ako lumaki at palagi nalang akong
naka-upo hahahaha. Sometimes I would just cry because my mother would make me

absent to coming to school just to take care of my little brother or do the laundry. I

would cry a lot because I'm the kind of student who really wants to go to school and

study. I really don't want to be absent from school but I can't do anything because my

mother would always hold a hanger and If I insist to go to school, na mabunalan gyud

ko niya ahahahaha. Napapagalitan dahil minsan matagal makauwi dahil sa school lang

ako nakakapaglaro, napapalo pag namimirthday dahil wala daw magbabantay sa bata.

Naging routine ko yan hanggang sa Grade six. Kaya palagi akong na-iingit sa mga

kababata ko dahil sila nagagawa nila ang gusto nila di katulad ko nasa bahay lang

bantay bata 163. As much as I want to live the comfortable life that I really want but I

couldn’t. I can’t also blame my parents of their parenting style, it’s because of poverty.

I also stopped studying for three years to work early and help my family. Naging

yoyo ako asawa ni yaya hahahahaha. My job is all around babysitting, doing laundry,

cleaning, cooking, at higit sa lahat sinasama ako nang aking mga amo sa bukid para

manguha nang panggatong na kahoy, mag bugaw nang mga ibon sa pilapil, at mag

hatid nang pagkain nila sa farm.

Ganyan ang naging buhay ko nang tumigil ako sa aking pag-aaral dahil sa hirap

nang buhay. Hindi ko man gustong tumigil sa pag-aaral pero wala akong magagawa

dahil hirap kami sa buhay at akala ko noon na ito na ang kasagutan nang aming

paghihirap dahil magkakasweldo na ako at makakatulong na ako sa nanay at tatay ko

pero mali pala ako dahil hindi ito sapat sa amin dahil na ang aking sweldo noon isang-
libo lamang. At na pagod na din ako dahil sa tatlong taon kong pagtigil sap ag-aaral

grabe ang hirap at pagod na naranasan ko tatlong pamilya ang amo ko grabe talaga.

One day I realized that this is not what I want to happen in my life, and this is not

my dream. I asked myself what would happen to me and my family if I would not

achieve my dream? How are my desires and goals in life? Habang buhay ba akong

ganito na lamang mag-alaga ng bata, mag linis, at iba pa.? So, I told myself I would go

back to school no matter what happens, mag working gyud ko. I must finish my

education and I must achieve my dream.

Kaya ginawa ko ito pinanindigan ko ang ang aking mga sinabi. Sinabi ko sa

aking mga magulang na wag na kayong mag alala dahil ako na mismo ang mag

hahanap nang paraAn upang makapagtapos ako sa aking pag-aaral hanggang high

school at college.

Naging ice cream store vendor ako sa tapat nang Roble shipping at western union,

minsan nag babantay ako ng bata, minsan din nag lilinis nang bahay at naglalaba ako

tuwing Friday hanggang Sunday dito sa baybay ito ang aking mga ginagwa at

tinatrabaho para may pang allowance at project ako para sa aking pag-aaral.

Noong nag second year high school hanggang college na ako hindi na

masyadong mahirap ang aking pag-aaral dahil may isang taong kumupkop at tumulong

sa akin at siya na ang naging tulay para makapagtapos ako sa aking pag-aaral. I know

some of you know about him, and there are some of you are not. He is Mr. Deodato I.

Flandez, he is also a teacher at Baybay I central school. I always adhere to the

principle that everything happens for a reason. God will allow you to stay in a situation
for a reason, whether if it’s a good or challenging situation. When the road gets bumpy,

God would always give us the greatest opportunity to meet different people in our lives

who would teach us a lesson and reach our dreams. Murag sa relasyon ba, naay mo

abot sa atong life para maghatag nato ug either kasakit or kalipay. Sir Datoy has been

one of my greatest blessings since day one, and I consider him as my constant. He

was the one would who really made me realize to always value my dreams, to always

persevere for my education, and to always work hard for my passion. Sa mga panahon

nga grabe ang kalisod, he came in at the very right time. Because of his help, I was

able to graduate from high school and eventually college. Sa mga panahon that we

would always feel down, hopless, and helpless, always trust the divine intervention of

God that He will provide us with so much blessings in the most unexpected time.

After I graduated high school, I passed the entrance exam at Visayas State

University specifically at the College of Education. I also got a scholarship that helped

me sustain also my education so I don’t have to pay my tuition anymore until 4 th year

college. Then when time that the government passed the RA 10931 or the Universal

Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which institutionalizes free tuition and

exemption from other fees in state universities and colleges, and local universities and

colleges in the Philippines, so lahat nang mga babayarin sa school ang government na

ang magbabayad kaya yong scholarship na nakuha ko sa university yon ang ginagamit

ko bilang allowance ko kada semester. If you will come to think of it, life in general is

not easy. Finishing my education was not easy, it was indeed a roller coaster ride. But I

never didn’t quit. I kept on moving forward and fighting for my dream.
 Class of 2022, life is full of uncertainty. We don’t know what will happen in the

future. We don’t know what the future holds for us all. But always trust God for the

process. This year’s theme is very timely and relevant because it tells you that despite

all the struggles, failures, and hardships that you will encounter along the way, just be

strong and never stop believing in yourself. Along the way, you would experience a lot

of failures, but always remember to stand up and keep going because that’s what life is

all about. We may have different stories, differences, and privileges in life, but what I

am sure of is that if you have the desire to learn, perseverance, and dedication you will

definitely achieve your dreams. You have already experienced so much devastations in

your life. Therefore, don’t let any strong, disaster, and pandemic hinder your desire to

learn and reach your dreams.

Alam ko na hindi magaganda ang mga pangyayari sa atin nitong mga nakarang

buwan dahil sa bagyong Odette at Agaton madaming nawalan nang mahal sa buhay,

na walan nang kaibigan, na walan nang kaklasi, na nawalan nang tirahan, at higit sa

lahat nawan nang paAralan. Masakit man sa atin na nangyari ang lahat nang ito pero

wag tayong ma walan nang pag-asa at sikapin natin na bumangon at tumayo para sa

ating mga naiwang mahal sa buhay, para sa ating sarili, at higit sa lahat para sa ating

mga pangarap dahil hindi dito tumitigil ang buhay natin. Hanggat tayo’y humihinga,

hanggat tayo’y may buhay at gina-gabayan nang Diyos makakamit natin ang ating

pangarap na puno nang pag-asa at saysay.

To all the parents out there who are listening right now, thank you for believing in

your children. I hope nga bisag unsa kalisod ang kinabuhi, you would always support
and believe in your children. Always remember that whatever it is that you sa to them it

becomes their inner voice and that is what they would believe and carry for the rest of

their lives.

To the class of 2022, this is not yet the end. In fact, this is just a beginning of

another meaningful chapter in your life’s journey that will lead to your future. Sabi pa

nga, papunta palang tayo sa exciting part. Once again, mabuhay and congratulations!