Distinguished Guests, CHED Director,
Dr. Freddie Bernal, CTS
President, Ms. Candice Gotianuy, CTS Vice President,
Atty. Nendell Hanz Abella, Exec. Asst. to the Vice President, Ms. Ana Lou
Navaja, TechVoc Director, Dr. Eugene Ynclino IV, faculty, fellow graduates, parents,
friends, ladies, and gentlemen, good morning.
“ Should I give up? Or should I just
keep chasing pavements even if it leads nowhere”? My life was once compared to
this famous song. Everything seemed to be uncertain and full of questions.
I didn’t have a normal childhood. I
learned to walk at two years old due to my clubfoot, and it saddened my family
so much. But, with God’s love, he allowed me to walk normally.
In my elementary years, I was never serious
in my studies just like any other ordinary kid. I had uncountable truancies
not to mention other offenses in school. In short, I never had a dream. So, it
was like traveling on pavements that lead to nowhere.
However, after my high school graduation,
I started to form that dream and I felt the need to do something to make that
dream a reality. Thus, I started to step foot on the first step of my journey.
From my hometown in Leyte, I traveled
alone, trying my luck here in Cebu City, a place that is a total stranger and
unknown to a 16-year-old kid. I was
almost empty-handed back then, with only a 500 peso allowance in my pocket. Yet,
it didn’t stop me to reach my goal because I knew that I was not literally
ALONE… I had my family on this journey.
My father was an alumnus of CTS-C and
he wanted me to get my degree from the same school. Without hesitation, I made
a decision. And this DECISION makes a lot of difference in my life now.
Fellow graduates, we may be living a life full of uncertainties but what matters most is to set goals to make things certain. But, if we will not put a deadline to our goals, it will just remain a dream, beyond our reach.
However, being here now on our
graduation day shows that we set goals and we successfully met its deadline.
So, I extend my sincerest congratulations to all of us. Only, we need to be
steadfast and to continue what we have started because the real challenge in
life is yet to come.
Graduation brings mixed emotions. It
is a time to put an end to our hard life in school: no more promissory notes,
no more stretching of allowances just to sustain for the next days, no more
project deadlines, no more research, no more group works, no more SAFETY
FIRST signage, no more terror professors. Yet, all of those shapes us to become
better individuals, well prepared to face challenges in the real world.
Graduation is also a time of
tremendous joy and overwhelming happiness: parents cry seeing their children
marching on stage with pride receiving their diplomas, teachers take pride
watching their students develop holistically, classmates smile feeling fulfilled
for the uncountable memories they shared together with their classmates. All of
these are great highlights in our lives that help us become what we have become
today.
Life can also be compared to sailing.
I remember the saying “We cannot direct the winds, but we can adjust the
sails.” Adjusting our sails means making choices. Often, these choices are not
easy, but ultimately, it’s easier than trying to change the direction of the
wind. In life, we make choices every day. Sometimes, we make them consciously
with a good thought, but more often than not, we make them without solid thought.
Fellow graduates, this proves that
what we will become in the future, will depend on what we are doing with our
lives today. We may depend on others, but at the end of the day, the one who
would “adjust the sails” would still be US.
I would also like to thank the people
behind my success. I am forever grateful for the contributions you made in my
life.
Special thanks to my mentors,
teachers, and fathers, Engr. Ferdinand Batayola and Mr. Peter John Rosario.
Thank you for the knowledge and guidance.
To my CTS family, thank you for
providing me quality education to make me globally competitive. Without a doubt,
I can say that Father knows best.
To my classmates and friends, thank you for the memories. I am
forever indebted to you especially that you provided me when I had nothing. Thank
you for correcting me at times as well. It made me realize that I am not
perfect.
To my relatives, thank you for the
support and inspiring words which motivated me to strive more.
To my family, my parents, and my siblings, thank you. You are the reason why I am here today in front of you.
Your continued support, undying love, and generosity pushed me to continue my
journey even if I was about to give up.
To all those who are not mentioned here, my
heartfelt appreciation. Everything that you did will never be forgotten.
Above all, I would like to thank God for His
generosity and Love.
Thank you very much and may our ever-gracious God bless us even more.
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