Let me share with you a speech I wrote to inspire the students from my former high school. Some notes:

1. Pisay = Philippine Science High School
2. UPCAT = University of the Philippines College Admission Test

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Every time I get introduced in front of a big crowd, I somehow cringe when I hear my credentials being read out loud, because I really feel that it’s a totally different person who’s being introduced. Not that those were untrue, no. Well, I gave them my resume and yes, everything said about me came from a well-polished resume which I, myself, authored to impress whoever’s looking at it, mainly directed towards employers. But I’m not here to impress you, that’s why I am very excited for this unique and special opportunity for me to share with all of you, the real story behind that resume, stories which are not necessarily full of triumphs. I don’t expect you to agree with everything that I am about to share with you, in fact, as Pisay students and would-be Pisay alumni, I expect you to challenge them, although, I would be really happy if you at least get to take home one small bit of learning from me, then I can say I was successful in this task.

Now, let me tell you my story.

Fifteen years ago, I entered Pisay Bikol. That was in 1999, when the Backstreet Boys and ‘NSync and Westlife were famous. I belong to the 2nd batch of students who graduated from this school. My batch had the distinct privilege of having to transfer from the very first campus in San Rafael, Tigaon to the rented campus in Partido State University and then finally, here in Tagongtong. You probably heard about how hard the living conditions were back then, when the school was just starting, and most probably you’re fed up with those stories, so I’m not going to discuss that but will rather talk about myself in my speech.

I came from a public elementary school in Virac, Catanduanes. In Virac, I happened to belong to this special class of students who were selected to engage in a more science- and math-oriented education in primary school, so that’s how I was able to pass the PSHS exam.

When I entered Pisay, I had zero experience with computers. I literally do not know how to save a document in a folder, much more create a folder. I don’t know how Sir Sevedeo Malate managed to find all my files in Computer Science 1 because I do not know where I saved them and what the file names were.

When I entered Pisay, I had no idea about integers. I was very thankful that Mr. Arnel Bermejo did not see that as a major setback but kept the challenging math questions coming. He did not adjust to me, I worked double time just to get to the level where all others are.

I did not have prior experience in drafting, either, but I am grateful about Sir Miguel Lavadia’s fearsome remarks, and thanks him for throwing our mediocre drafting plates outside the classroom, into the canal, because he made us realize that we could be better. Ma’am Christine Obusan’s taste in research and technical writing was quite hard to please. No one’s ever prepared for that. I lost count of all the sheets of paper I have wasted just to get her elusive approval. Again, this was because she encouraged us to do better.

What I’m saying is, what I brought with me here were just the most basic foundations of science and math. Luckily, I did not forget bringing along with me that hunger for learning.

Lesson number 1: You made it here because you are capable. Do not ever entertain thoughts saying you’re not well-equipped, because I believe you are. Do not tell me you’re not ready to compete and succeed, because I think you are and you can. Take it from someone who didn’t know how to save files in a computer. Let us let our teachers do their magic on us and mold us into the best students we can be. Our teachers are so used to challenging our abilities, let us challenge them, too, so that together, we can contribute in building this culture of maximizing our gifts, because true learning is very powerful. Strive for nothing less than excellence. You don’t stop at getting high grades. You don’t stop at passing the UPCAT. You don’t even stop when you’ve truly learned, but you start doing something about that learning.

For the graduating batch, let your college professors do their thing and make sure that you maximize the learning you’ll get from them. Because believe me, you are very much capable to do great things, things beyond what your current imagination can reach. Trust yourself. Listen to your heart. Your heart knows your deepest desires. It can direct you to where you truly want to go. It is the GPS which points to the direction of success.

Yes, I was salutatorian, but that does not mean that I haven’t experienced failing in an exam. A Social Science exam from Ma’am Delia Casasis was unforgettable. I got 4 points out of 40 or so items. You know what those 4 points were for? For my efforts in writing and for the ink of my pen. So, yes, I had my fair share of failures in exams and in life, in general.

The fact that you’re alive, that’s actually a guarantee that you’ll fail at some point. And I’m not even talking about grades, here. But bear in mind that what’s really more important is what you do after you fail.  I urge you to accept failure fast. And get out of it faster.

Lesson number 2: Acknowledge failure when it comes your way. There’s no way you can beat it by avoiding it or working around it. You have to come face-to-face with it.  You have to go through it to overcome it. Again, accept it fast so that you may get out of it faster. Do not dwell on your mistakes. Do not dwell on your failures. Remember what we do with our calculators when they seem to malfunction? You get a pin, find the re-set button at the back and push to re-set. Just re-set yourself and you’re ready to go. Don’t forget though, that you’re better than the calculator. You are, after all, human. Because once the calculator re-sets, the memory is emptied. Do not empty your memory when you re-set your own self, because what you learned when you failed will be the key towards conquering the next step, onto the next failure.

Sometimes you can overcome failure by yourself, but most of the time, it is a lot easier doing that with family and good friends. Pisay is one family who’s forever ingrained in your system. Because you get to go through a lot of pressures together, the relationships that you formed here are very much solid and really go beyond the school’s gates.

When I was in first year, we used double-deck beds in the dorm. I got the bed space on top and this girl from Camarines Norte happened to be assigned to the bottom bed. During weekends, she would always go home while I get to stay in the dorm with my fellow islanders. Every weekend, I make it a point to clean the floor under our bed, because I was very OC about it and there’s literally lots of time to do that because we did not have TV at the dorm then.

Unfortunately, this girl from Camarines Norte did not know how to clean her own stuff. Sometimes, I see used socks thrown under the bed. Other times there’s a fungus-infested rotting instant noodle broth or an open can of sausages (without the sausages but with the bad-smelling broth inside). I remember myself hating her during the first few months of my first year in Pisay, because I just couldn’t stand it.

I don’t exactly remember how it happened but we were able to talk about it. And I was amazed at how she listened and changed. Grabe, naging mas malinis pa siya sa gamit kesa sakin. And she was very consistent. After having been able to talk, we eventually discovered that our values and principles are very much aligned and we actually became the best of friends, pretty much like sisters.  I even took the UPCAT in Camarines Norte because I felt closest to home when I’m in their house.

She’s now in the US, about to finish her PhD in Chemical Engineering and all through those years after Pisay, we continued to be each other’s confidant and source of strength. I would rush to her when I feel that everything about my life is falling apart. She comes to me when she needs direction. We continued getting each other’s opinion before making huge decisions in our respective lives. I actually told her I was going to tell you about this, how proud I am about our friendship that started here in Pisay 15 years ago. That girl from Camarines Norte, she turned out to be our class valedictorian. The valedictorian is the salutatorian’s best friend. Pretty cool, right?

Lesson Number 3. Value your relationships. Value the friendships that you have built here and those that you will build in the future. Your huge talent, intelligence and extraordinary abilities are meaningless if you do not know how to keep true friends and give importance to the people who stayed with you through tough times, the people who really matter.

When I look back at the life that I have lived so far, those 28 years, I would always say that deciding to enter Pisay and convincing my parents to allow me to do so was among the best decisions I have made. When you graduate from this school, your diploma will say that you belong to this special pool of gifted students who received special training in the sciences, stamped with bragging rights. Very nice, right?

But, please don’t let it all end there. Don’t let it all end at the prestige that being a student or an alumnus of this school brings. We owe our education to the Filipino people. Let us not waste the hard-earned money of our taxpayers. Let us all be grateful about this unique and rewarding experience that is Pisay. And when you find yourself being too occupied about dreaming or using your education for your own selfish intentions, remember how taxpayers have sacrificed their own comforts to fund your education.

I’m not sure if everyone here has seen how the average Filipino employee struggles to fit inside a very crowded MRT in Metro Manila, just to get to work every day. They literally go through one-hell-of-a-ride. With the taxes these people pay, they can conveniently get themselves their own cars and buy some level of convenience in commuting. But they have no choice, they have to pay the right taxes and contribute to nation-building. Some of those taxes, they went to you.

Lesson number 4. So, please, do not ever forget that there are people you don’t know who are sacrificing their comforts for you. And I hope someday, you will be able to help them, too.