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Knowledge and Action

Delivered as a High School Graduation Message

M AGANDANG GENSAN . . .

“THE GREAT END OF LIFE IS NOT KNOWLEDGE BUT ACTION” THIS


IS YOUR THEME IN CELEBRATION OF THIS MOST MEMORABLE
OCCASION.

I MUST ADMIT THAT I HAD DIFFICULTY IN PREPARING FOR


WHATEVER SPEECH THAT I WILL DELIVER THIS MORNING.

AS FAR BACK AS I COULD REMEMBER, I ALWAYS BELIEVED IN THE


SAYING “YOU CANNOT GIVE WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE.” IN OTHER
WORDS, HOW CAN YOU GIVE EFFECTIVE SERVICE WHEN YOU ARE
NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE PROPER SKILLS? HOW CAN YOU DECIDE
WHICH CAREER PATH TO BUILD A SECURE FINANCIAL FUTURE
WHEN YOU DO NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE TO PURSUE
IT? OR PLAINLY, HOW CAN YOU TAKE ACTION ON SOMETHING YOU
HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT.

THIS WAS MY DILEMMA, BEFORE I CAME ACROSS AN OLD BOOK


ENTITLED “HOW TO STOP WORRYING AND START LIVING” BY A
CERTAIN MR. DALE CARNEGIE. HE SAID, “ LEARNING IS AN ACTIVE
PROCESS. WE LEARN BY DOING. ONLY KNOWLEDGE THAT IS USED
STICKS IN YOUR MIND.”

OUT OF THIS DISCOVERY, I CONCLUDED TO END MY DILEMMA BY


EQUATING KNOWLEDGE WITH EDUCATION AND ACTION WITH
SERVICE.
AS WE CELEBRATE TODAY THIS GRADUATION RITE, A GREAT
NUMBER OF GRADUATES WHO SIT THROUGH THIS CEREMONY ARE
THINKING THAT TODAY ALSO IS A CELEBRATION OF LIBERATION;
FREEDOM FORM HOMEWORK, FREEDOM FROM DEADLINES,
FREEDOM FROM EXAMINATIONS AND FREEDOM FROM THE
WATCHFUL EYES OF THE TEACHERS.

WELL, I MOST REGRETFULLY WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT IT


WILL NOT BE LIKE THAT AT ALL. BECAUSE BEGINNING TODAY, YOU
ENTER A NEW PHASE IN YOUR LIFE WHERE GREATER AND MORE
CHALLENGING ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED IF YOU ARE
TO SUCCEED IN YOUR CAREERS. IN A MATTER OF A FEW MONTHS,
YOU WILL BE ENTERING TERTIARY EDUCATION. EVERYTHING THAT
YOU HAVE (HOPEFULLY) LEARNED IN THE LAST TEN YEARS WILL BE
PUT TO PRACTICAL USES. THERE WILL BE LESSER TOLERANCE FOR
IRRESPONSIBILITY AND INCOMPETENCE. THE DEADLINES WILL BE
STRICTER AND NON-NEGOTIABLE BECAUSE TIME DEMANDS IT; THE
EXAMINATIONS WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE LIFE WILL BE
THE ONE GIVING IT; AND THE WATCHFUL EYE WILL NOW BE THE
PUBLIC AND THE COMMUNITY.

YES, MY DEAR GRADUATES. THE GREAT END OF LIFE IS NOT


KNOWLEDGE, BUT ACTION. YOU HAVE CONCLUDED YOUR FORMAL
SECONDARY EDUCATION IN ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE AND WITHOUT
A DOUBT THAT THE GSC SPED INTEGRATED SCHOOL HAS
PROVIDED IT TO YOU ADEQUATELY. IT IS TIME NOW FOR ACTION.
TIME HAS NOW COME FOR YOU TO PUT INTO MOTION ALL THE
KNOWLEDGE THAT WAS SHARED AND NURTURED IN YOU BY THIS
ADMIRABLE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT
THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE GAINED WILL BE
SUPPLEMENTED, YOU WILL BECOME SHARPER AND MORE WILLING,
EAGER AND ABLE TO ACT ON OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL CROSS
YOUR PATH.

THERE IS ANOTHER POINT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE WITH


THIS MORNING. IN AS MUCH THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT
ADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE MUST BE FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH
ACTIONS, WE MUST QUALIFY WHAT ACTIONS MUST BE TAKEN =
ONLY THOSE THAT ARE PURPOSEFUL, BENEFICIAL AND ETHICAL.
USING THE ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE IN ANY ACTION THAT IS
UNETHICAL, ILLEGAL, IMMORAL AND DISHONORABLE WILL NOT
PROSPER. WHILE SUCH DEEDS MAY GIVE YOU IMMEDIATE
MONETARY COMFORTS, IT CANNOT GIVE YOU PEACE OF MIND,
SECURITY AND LONG-TERM HAPPINESS.

FINALLY, TO SUM IT ALL UP, WE CAN SAFELY CONCLUDE THAT A


SECURE, SATISFYING AND PEACEFUL LIFE CAN BE ACHIEVED BY
PROPERLY ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE AND TO USE IT IN PURPOSEFUL
AND ETHICAL ACTIONS.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE ADMINISTRATION OF GSC SPED


INTEGRATED SCHOOL FOR INVITING ME HERE AND MADE A
WITNESS TO THIS VERY SIGNIFICANT MOMENT IN THE LIFE OF
THESE YOUNG GENERALS. AS THEY JOURNEY TO BECOME
BRILLIANT AND GLOBALLY-COMPETITIVE YOUTH THAT IS NOW PART
OF THE PRODUCTIVE ENGINES IN THE CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT
AND GROWTH OF THE CITY.

TO ALL THE GRADUATES, I PRAY FOR YOUR NEVER ENDING SELF-


EDUCATION AND FOR YOUR CONSTANT ENERGY FOR ACTION. I
WISH EACH OF YOU SUCCESS IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
MABUHAY AND MAGANDANG GENSAN SA ATING LAHAT!

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