“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!