To
the magnanimous Prof. Virginia Ecat, Principal of this institution; to the
benevolent Ms. Elizabeth Pitoy, Guidance Counselor; to the astute Mr. Nestor
Badillos, OSS Coordinator; to the diligent faculty and PTA; and most especially
to you the students, my future co-alumna, good evening.
I
feel incredibly honoured to have been invited tonight as your guest speaker. It
has been several months since I last stepped on the grounds of this school and
before that it has been almost a decade.
I
have many fond memories of my elementary and high school life in this school.
Over there by that tree, while I was in my 3rd year in high school,
I had advised a friend on how to pursue the girl that he admired and has been
going steady with her ever since then. By the left staircase leading to the
computer room, my classmates in second year offered me a stray cat which I
named Ceres and kept as a pet until I went to college in Manila. ON that
pathway, I shed a tear after finding out I passed the University of the Philippines
exam and four years before that, on that same path, I rejoiced as I won the
mayoral elections. By the Girl Scouts of the Philippines monument beside the
stage, my friends and I used to pretend we were Sailor Moon and the Sailor
stars going, “In the name of the moon, I shall punish you!” I was the cute
Chibi Moon, if you can imagine that. Now I’m more chubby than anything.
It
was so long ago and I still have them in my head and in my heart. I have so
many memories of this place – there are those in the four corners of the
classroom that I used in my pursuit of higher studies; and there are those
memories of my friends and I gallivanting about on the school grounds. All of
these memories are dear to me and has helped in molding the person you see today.
But
of all these memories, none if quite like those when I was a grade school
kagawad, the mayor of the elemtnary students, the yaer level mayor and board
member in high school, a writer and later on editor-in-chief of The Gold and as
the high school governor. And that is because those are the memories I made
serving my school – serving my fellow students. Those are the moments that I
was able to give something back to friends and classmates who built memories
with me, to teachers and administrators who built my confidence, skills and
knowledge; to an institution that has given me so much.
I
was in the position, with the opportunity, to say more than just a thank you.
I
am certain that your newly elected officers feel the same way as I did, and
understand what I mean when I say, “ It is a duty and a privilege to serve
those that serve you every day.”
No
matter how busy you get, how annoyed you get how utterly and completely
stressed you get from everything you have to do as a student and as a leader,
as a daughter or a son and as a friend, at the end of the day you know that you
love it all. It gives you a sense of purpose and it just feels so good to
finish and achieve something that benefits not just yourself but other people.
Just remember that the other people is more important than yourself. And that
when you do something for the, you don’t just do it. You do the right things in
the right way.
Like,
for example, sustaining the pride that echoes when we say, “ I am a product of
Abaño!”
You know what I’m talking about. Say it with me! “I AM A PRODUCT OF ABAÑO!”
Everyone
knows that when you come from this school, you’re not just some plain student.
You are one of the best that Camarines Norte has to offer – one of the best
leaders, one of the best students, one of the best minds in the province. And
you should be proud of this and maintain this reputation. And if you will allow
me to be so bold to say, that we should allow ourselves to accept this
reputation – embrace our greatness and inspire others to be one of us – to be a
leader, to be great, to be a product of Abaño – to be who we are.
One
day, I hope that some of you will have this same opportunity that I have now –
to be able to reminisce on the beauties of high school life in this school and
be thankful. But most of all to be beaming with pride.
I
hope you all will enjoy this evening, because I certainly already have. Thank
you once again and good evening.
