the CHAMP

Carl Jamie Simple S. Bordeos

Speaker during the 12^th Commencement Exercises

Holy Family Center of Studies, March 27, 2009

The graduates, the parents, the Father Director and the faculty and staff of our beloved school, the Holy Family Center of Studies, the SMAHE community, and all of you who are here present on this momentous event of these young ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

Last month of February, Sr. Rosalie de Belen, SMAHE, the Adviser of this graduating class, talked to me personally telling me that the good Sister and Brother teachers of HFCS unanimously picked my name, with of course the blessing of the Director, to be this year’s Commencement Speaker. Right there and then, I did not say my ‘yes’ to the invitation considering all the pressures you are giving me including preparing for this speech which I am giving you now. In the past, I never say ‘no’ to HFCS if the school needs me since I owe much to your beloved school, to our beloved HFCS. Let me repeat what I just have said few seconds ago, I owe ‘much’ to HFCS. As in, ‘much.’

This time, I appeared in your occasion, first, because of you. Second, I am here in front to once again pay back and at the same time pay tribute and respect to my considered ‘second’ home as I have several homes already. That’s why, please refrain yourselves from calling me your guest speaker or treating me as if I really am a guest or a total stranger to you since HFCS is really a home to me. HFCS is deep within here. Instead, I suggest to you to call me at this very moment, not a guest, but the Speaker of the house. Would that be okay to you?

Since I am the Speaker of this house, please give me enough time to tell you everything why I owe ‘much’ to HFCS. Because of this, I believe that I have the obligation to be here, the same way I believe that I come here for a purpose. These could be the reasons why I said ‘yes’ to the offer of HFCS inviting me to be the Speaker of the house.

This occasion will somehow be memorable to me since on this very occasion of yours I will reveal some of the things untold about me. The things that I believe are not yet seen by Lavezares. For I believed that my life and my family have never been kept private because all eyes were set on us, on me particularly.

Please bear with me because I will be telling you about my past: the struggles, the challenges, and all those sacrifices that tested me as well as those circumstances that controlled me. I hope we can have a two-way connection, I mean you can relate to me, to what I am saying here so that my being here would be meaningful. This talk is still focused on the theme My Education: My Contribution to the Future.

I have a favorite quotation of philosopher George Santayana that says, ‘Those who cannot remember the past are deemed to repeat it’ (or in Filipino it is ‘Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan’).

To tell you honestly, ladies and gentlemen, I had a very difficult teenage years, and those were the times that I was still a sophomore student at the Holy Family.

My father’s job is a musician working in Manila. There were times that he was not able to send money for my family’s basic needs or if he does, it was delayed. By the way, my mother did not know how to write correspondence to him. That’s why, she would request me to write letters for my father. When sending money to us was delayed, we ate only lugaw for our meals. Well, at that time, I really cannot grasp what was happening since I was still young then. But I can testify to you how great my mother was because she never stopped caring for her children because in the evening, she and my brother Yul would go around the town selling balut where we got some of the family’s basic needs for the following day. I never heard from my mother complaining, how tired it was to be working, her problems with my father.

One day, it all surprised us when my mother would come face to face with the buses or vehicles that passed by the National Highway. People thought she had nervous breakdown. For me, she was not suffering from nervous breakdown. To my understanding at a young age that what my mother needed most during those times was attention. Attention from all of us her children as we were all away of the house playing. Attention from my father, who had another woman in Manila. Most of all, attention for herself. I never thought that my mother who manifested a very strong personality and character to me would have easily been defeated by those unavoidable circumstances contributed primarily by my father.

During those times I really did not know where to go. In school, some of my classmates would laugh at me because of what happened to my mother. They would ask me several questions about it. Because of this, it was very difficult for me to concentrate to my studies. I also became rebellious to my parents, yes to some extent. Neighbors had a bad impression on me for hurting physically my mother. Honestly, I really did not know what to do for each time I went out of the house I did not have the face for those people whose eyes were set on us, on me particularly.

This situation affected my being top of the class. From first honors in my freshman year at the Holy Family, I ended up only at second honors after the Recognition Day when I was a sophomore. I did not attend that particular recognition because for me it was useless. I also planned of transferring to another school or worse, not continuing my studies because of the situation. Much worse was when I planned of committing suicide just to get out from the mess my father has created. Yes, I really have that plan to myself but what stopped me from doing that shameful act? It was because of my younger brothers and sisters. I realized when I was about to cut my wrist with a blade that instead of being part of the solution to the problem, I was adding up to the problem my family was facing. God must have sent me angel Gabriel, my guardian angel since I was born on Monday, for enlightening me. Because it helped those lessons I have learned from my Religion Education subject at the Holy Family. That’s why, thank you HFCS! Thank you also Father Director for the HFCS! And thanks God for the HFCS!

Everything that you think I have now, they all started from HFCS. My humble beginnings started at HFCS. I started to strive hard at HFCS. I started to be a responsible student or brother to my siblings at HFCS. My abilities including the ability to write started at HFCS through the Marian Adorers, the school’s publication.

That’s why, I owe a lot to HFCS. One greater thing that happened to my life at HFCS was Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India. I got acquainted about this great woman during one of the monthly recollections at HFCS during a movie review about her life. From that simple movie, I was inspired to be like her. In her life, she had met so many problems including the problems of the society, of our society. And those were more than the problems I faced in my family. Because of Mother Teresa, I was able to surpass those problems. Mother Teresa changed me. She really changed me the way I perceived at things, the way I perceived life. Mother Teresa also gave me the sense of hope. From that incident and up to now, she is always the heavenly angel sent to me by God. And God used HFCS as the instrument for me to know Mother Teresa. I do not know what I would be now if I enrolled in a different high school when I was in that greatest problem ever I have encountered in life. I know I will be a different Champoy that you will encounter.

Mother Teresa also brought me closer to God. She let me recognize that I have a Creator. That I should value life and use it only for good. When I recognize to myself that I have a Creator, I struggled to study better. The bad experience we had in our life, in my family, became my strength, my guide, and my light.

The story did not end there. My father went home. One morning, he had a heart-to-heart talk with my mother which all of us his children did not know. All of a sudden we have learned that my mother left the house for Manila that I did not know also.

Days after, my father talked to me personally to take care of my siblings while he will be working in Manila. He promised to send us money for our daily needs. On that moment, I took a greater responsibility of being a father and a mother to my younger brothers and sisters. I attended PTA meetings representing my parents; I followed-up their academic status; I did the budgeting and other things that parents do. What was even more difficult for me was to discipline them. I grew up and acted like an adult in the body of a teenage boy then.

When my father returned home one day, he reprimanded me because my brothers and sisters would not follow all of his requests which was a different story when I was the one asking favors to my siblings. All of them were obedient to me.

Even with the greater task, I did not forget that I also have a responsibility for my own self, and that was, my studies. I did better in school. Yes, there were times that I did not attend some of my classes especially the Major subjects, because the lessons taught to me became boring. That’s why, there were some instances that I only went to see my teachers during examination days. Thanks God, I got perfect scores even in my Mathematics subjects that let Bro. Richie L. Armas, SMAHE, to give me one of his favorite figurines as a gift. Bro. Riche, thank you.

I met all the deadlines set for submitting school projects which was until 12:00 midnight. I did not experience to be punished to squat for not having my assignments. I was active in all of the activities be it in school or in the community. Together with my group mates, we have won most of the medals in the Intramurals. My stay at the Holy Family was great. It was fun. I enjoyed much. And I learned much.

Maybe you will say to yourself that I was a perfect student. No, I was not. I also have experienced, like those bad guys in school, to be in the school principal’s office for several times already. In my first year, I had a complaint against my teacher in Filipino 1 for deducting five points each time I would ask him a question in class. That teacher wanted us to keep silent all the time during his class even when your query was relevant to the topic. From the highest 130 total scores of my daily quizzes, I ended up at 90.

In my English 1, I even experienced to be punished to stand up for a few minutes with some of my classmates for not constructing correctly a sentence. I was also late in coming to the school. That’s why, I was again punished, by the school together with the other late students to clean the school’s surrounding, fetch water for and clean the restroom of male and female students after saying the daily rosary which we missed when we were late each morning.

In my third year, I challenged the Core Commander of the CAT for his maltreatment on me. He requested me to eat the santol that I spitted out and was in the ground using my mouth. Instead, I reprimanded him for that inhuman act. Thanks God for Sr. Elma Carlon, SMAHE, then the school principal, for believing in me that it should not happen in schools like HFCS.

Despite what had happen to my life, the difficulties I met on my life’s journey, I am like Jesus who is on his way to the Mount Calvary rising up after each fall and became stronger, wiser.

As a student then, I have learned to sacrifice. For I believe that success gets sweeter after every sacrifice. Simply by studying your lessons is a sacrifice. A parent paying for your tuition is a sacrifice for your parents. The money given to you by your parent is hard-earned is also a sacrifice to them. To simply provide all your needs as well as your needs in the school: the uniforms, school supplies, etc. is a sacrifice for your providers. To stay up late at night because of studying is sacrifice to you. To pass the examination is another sacrifice.

That’s why, when I graduated in high school at the top of the class is a victory for me. But the honor deserves me not, there was somebody who deserved it more than I do. And they were my parents. I must have surprised my father for putting the medal on him instead of putting it on me. For me, he was the real Valedictorian. Being at the top of the class would not be sweeter for me, would not be a victory for me without also his sacrifices for me, without the trials that we all have surpassed. Also, when I graduated in high school, people thought I was the happiest boy in the world. I was not because the person who brought me in this world was absent on the very special day of my victory, of my success.

Again, the story did not end there. On my high school graduation, I promised that ‘the eagle will soar high’ and I have made that ambitious dream to HFCS that the ‘eagle will soar high even beyond the clouds.’

I guess I have fulfilled that very ambitious dream. Later did I realize that in the logo of the University of the Philippines (U.P.), the country’s National University, there is the eagle. What a coincidence right? While many high school graduates are hoping and striving hard to enter the said most prestigious and best university, for me, it was a direct blessing coming from Him. Just imagine that of the 70,000 applicants in 2006, the university only admitted 18,000. For the nursing course alone, the university only 70 were admitted out of the 14, 000 applicants in 2005.

In 2002, at the School of Health Sciences, a community-based school and degree-granting unit of the University of the Philippines Manila located in Palo, Leyte, we were supposed to be 100 scholars in my batch coming from different regions in the country. But only fifty-six of us appeared in the orientation. Of that 56, we were only three from the province of Northern Samar. The 56 was further split into two sections, and fortunately, I belonged to the first section.

I have to adjust to my new environment, and it was not easy. I was in the group culturally, regionally, and geographically speaking different from me. Plus, my classmates were really best. The first few months, I got sick for a week with nobody attending for my needs. My adjustment was challenging since it was my first time to be away from home.

The Father Director and my sister teachers visited me there and they saw how much I lose weight during my first few weeks in UP. But mind you, I survived and finished the first program, the Midwifery. By the way, I started my U.P. life a month after my graduation in high school, which was April 2002. So, I did not enjoy having the summer break after high school. UPM-SHS has a different curriculum from traditional schools. Instead of having two semesters for one school year, UPM-SHS has four. I have classes from eight to five p.m. during Mondays until Saturdays.

I returned back to Lavezares to have my community service, which is a requirement before I would be able to continue up to the Nursing level. I spent six months in the community, living with the kind-hearted people of Balicuatro, my adopted barangay. I made the reports and submitted it to U.P. In October 2004, I had my one-month review for the board examination. I took the examination in November 2004 and successfully passed it. Proud to say to you that I have no grade below eighty in all of my board examination subjects.

Then, a week after the result was released by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), we were required by UP to take another examination, the UP Pre-qualifying Examination for Nursing. But before we take the UP Pre-qualifying examination, our grades in the first program were assessed whether these grades are good enough for you to qualify to the next program which is Nursing. I was lucky again to be among the forty-eight who took that examination, and UP admitted only 22 to continue. Of the 22, 16 came from my original batch. In January 2005, I was already a Nursing student.

Most of the UPM-SHS students encouraged me to run for the highest student position in the Student Council. I have received supports especially from my kuya and ate who were students of the Medical program. In February 14, 2005, I received a total vote of 96 from the three departments, Midwifery, Nursing and Medicine against 16 votes of my opponent. There were 121 scholars who voted in that February 2005 SC Election from a total student population of the college of 150. Again, it was an honor for me to be the youngest and the only Nursing student to be elected in the SHS SC history since all of my predecessors and those who were elected after me were all coming from the Medical program.

Being in U.P. particularly in the Student Council has helped me a lot most especially in my current work. UP is where I have the best education I ever received. I met several people, I have visited the UP campuses in Baguio, Diliman, Padre Faura in Manila, Los Baños in Laguna, Cebu, Miag-ao and Iloilo City in Iloilo province. I was also lucky to be on board in a plane for the first time in going to Manila with expenses paid by friends in UP. I had the opportunity to be in the meeting with the first woman president of UP at the Board of Regents Conference Room, Quezon Hall in Diliman.

But being a student leader and at the same time a student was not easy. All of the concerns related to the students were added responsibility to me. When allowances of the scholars were delayed for two months, I wrote a letter to the college dean demanding for reasons as to why it happened. My heart was broken for the first time when one of my councilors approached me one day telling me about the reported scholars who have nothing to eat because of the delay of monthly allowances. I made a boarding house to boarding house hopping to talk with these students. And I found out that one scholar would have Rebisco biscuit/cracker for the 3 meals a day. One part of the biscuit for her breakfast, the other part for the lunch, and the other one for the evening. I almost cried and was saddened to have it seen by my two eyes that these happen to one of the Iskolars ng Bayan. By the way, UP students and graduates enjoyed the title Iskolars ng Bayan or the Scholars of the Nation. Another student also experienced hunger strike, drinking only water for one week just to survive. Now, these students were already successful nurses. Aside from we have to hurdle difficult subjects in UP, because you knowif you get enrolled in the best school, you will also have tough teachers, that’s why you have to prove that you have the right to be in UP as they say.

Why I am telling you this? I want you to prepare yourselves to the struggles and challenges you will meet in college. College life was difficult. The difficulties that you will meet is more than three times harder than our life in high school. When these happen to you, at least you will know already what to do. I have shared to you my life including the pains in me as my gift to all of you, our beloved graduates.

Let us ask all ourselves with the question Padre Florentino asked in Jose Rizal’s El Filibusterismo: ‘Where are the youth ready to offer their lives and their aspirations for the country?’ Or “Nasaan ang kabataang naglalaan ng magagandang sandali, ng kanilang mga pangarap at kasiglahan alang-alang sa ikabubuti ng kanilang bayan ? Saan naroon ang handang magpakamatay upang hugasan ng dugo ang napakaraming pagkakasala? Upang karapatdapat ang pagpapakasakit ito’y kailangang malinis at busilak. Nasaan ang kabataang may lakas na tumanan na sa aming mga ugat, ng kalinisan ng diwa na narumihan na sa amin, ng apoy ng sigla na patay na sa aming puso? O kabataan, kayo’y aming hinihintay!”

Jose Rizal has a very high regard for all of us, for you, graduates, the hope of the fatherland. And you will only be the hope if we will all study harder, if we will all commit ourselves to education.

“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well” says my idol Abraham Lincoln. Please also read the life of this great man.

Allow me please to read to you the poem written by Jose Rizal entitled “Through Education Our Motherland Receives Light.” It says:

The vital breath of prudent Education

Instills a virtue of enchanting power;

She lifts the motherland to highest station

And endless dazzling glories on her shower.

And as zephyr’s gentle exhalation

Revives the matrix of the fragrant flower,

So education multiplies her gifts of grace;

With prudent hand imparts them to the human race.

… So education without stint or measure gives

Security and peace to land in which she lives.

Where education reigns on lofty set

Youth blossoms forth with vigor and agility;

His error subjugates with solid feet,

And is exalted by conceptions of nobility,

She breaks the neck of vice and its deceit;

Black crime turns pale at Her hostility;

The barbarous nations She knows how to tame,

From savages create heroic fame.

… So he who prudent Education doth procure

The towering heights of honor will secure.

From out his lips the watercrystal pure;

Of perfect virtue shall not cease to go.

With careful doctrines of his faith made sure,

The powers of evil he will overthrow,

Like feaming waves that never long endure,

But perish on the shore at every blow;

And from his good example other men shall learn

Their upward steps toward the heavenly paths to turn.

Within the breast of wretched humankind

She lights the living flame of goodness bright;

The hands of fiercest criminal doth bind;

And in these berats will surely pour delight

Which seek her mystic benefits to find, —

Those souls She stes aflame with love of right…

… So he that takes wise Education by the hand,

Invincible shall guide the reigns of motherland.

On sapphires shall his service be engraved,

A thousand honors to him by his land be granted;

For in their bosoms will his noble sons have saved

Luxuriant flowers of his virtue transplanted;

And by the love of goodness ever laved…

And as in early morning we behold

The ruby sun pour forth resplendent rays;

And lovely dawn her scarlet and her gold,

Her brilliant colors all about her sprays;

So skillful noble Teaching doth unfold

To living minds the joy of virtuous ways.

She offers our dear motherland the light

That leads us to immortal glory’s height.

I cannot afford to live another life. That’s why, life is so precious to me. For life is too short. Allow me please, to let me thank all those people who have great contributions and influence to me (Read the list).

My dear graduates, thank you very much and Congratulations! Again, good afternoon to all.#