Tuloy ang laban ng buhay

Tuloy ang laban ng buhay

I congratulate first the administration of Far Eastern Polytechnic College, Inc. for this wonderful achievement of achieving another feat.  If it is difficult to establish an educational institution, it is more difficult to nurture students and much more difficult to see these youngsters graduate through the years of pains.

So that I individually salute –

-         FEPCI President Mr. Ben I. Gomez

-         FEPCI Vice-President and School Director Gabriel Dapon

-         Human Resources Director Professor Virginio “Boy” Edang;

-         Director Corazon delos Santos;

-         Director for General Services Frank Magrare;

-         Head of the Academe Professor Rosalia Espejo;

-         Dean for Computer Studies Rey John Valeria; and

-         Dean of Technical Education and Business Management Dr. Fernando

I congratulate the parents and elders of these graduates. I do not know your names but rest assured my message to you is the most profound I could.

I also congratulate Attorneys Berteni “Toto” Cataluña Causing and Cirilo P. Sabarre Jr., who are here now witnessing history unfold, for helping FEPCI weather through legal storms. By the way, they are also my personal legal counsels.

I also specially mention Cavite Province TESDA Director Dr. Leticia O. Ogbao for your satisfactory if not excellent presiding of technical education in this part of the Philippines. Really, if there is one aspect the government should push hard is technical education. We can see that skilled men and women are employed faster than any degree holders.  In fact, skill professionals earn more than those who have better academic biodata.

In fact, I know that Mr. Dennis Causing, a brother of Atty. Toto Causing, was offered whopping salaries by an Australian company in exchange for his consent to migrate there along with his family.  Dennis is a graduate of BS Criminology but a TESDA-certified expert welder and an expert in fine carpentry at the same time.  That is how profitable the vocation of skills is.

            I salute the only Cum Laude of this year’s batch of FEPCI graduates. I doff my hats to you, Mister Lester Cuadre, for graduating at the top of your class with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Surely, no less than your parents are happier than all of us here.

            I also congratulate the recipients of special awards. 

-         Angie Catipay for her leadership that she has been named the Special Award for Leadership.

-         Gel Ann Padilla for being a hardworking girl that she now receives a diploma after working while studying at FEPCI. You set an example that work is not a hindrance for one to achieve a distinct milestone in education.

Let me re-tell to you that undergraduates or college dropouts in the persons of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are one of the richest in the world and among the meaningful geniuses who made very rare marks in world history. 

I mention the names of Gates and Jobs because I am also an undergraduate like them.  While these two men have achieved marks no one can equal, I am proud of myself that despite my aridity in educational certificate or diploma I made my own mark in business, driven by extra-strong belief that everything I know how to do will result in some degree of success as long as I do.

My intention is to inspire all of you graduates that there is actually nothing that can stop anyone from succeeding.  Of course it is always an edge if you have a diploma. But there must be no fear if you decide to start a business of your own.  Be sure you know the business or professional service shops you are opening.  

My experience that educated me has ingrained a teaching that to succeed in a business one secret is to have FRIENDS and continuously learning how to improve from poor work.  Facebook will never be a Facebook if it has no friends therein.

And another lesson I got from the best school in the world, which is the School of Life Experience, is how to keep friends.  I got mad at a friend and I may lose him. Sometimes, I had to decide to lose one if that friend gave me pain rather than gain.  But I always keep in mind that in case I lose one I gain at least two more friends.

In the art of keeping friends, I learned from life that you need to get in touch with them at least as often as you could, even if there was no purpose.  I do this because I will never ever know what the future would bring. Sometimes I was amazed that the friends you expect the least would bring out the most to you.

There is a need to manage anger. Of course any person gets mad at any point no matter how kind he or she is.  But in doing so, I let a day pass first before confronting the friend I have any issue with.  And do not be afraid to confront, but do it slowly because in speaking slow your train of restrained thoughts will never betray you to anger.  Yes, be frank but do it first that you want to keep friendship although you are compelled to speak.

Any person has that natural greed.  But always think of suppressing your greed and instead think of giving your best for the cheapest cost if you do business with your friends.

Any person may fall easily to lust.  But always think of suppressing your desire if it means you would steal the wives or husbands of your friends.  Always ask a question: If priests can do it why not me?

After all, you will be amazed that when things ran out to bring you hard times, other than relatives you can always call a friend.  If you have a thousand friends, at least 100 of them will continue doing business with you to keep your pockets with something for your personal and family wants and needs.

Sometimes, a call to service would beckon in one person.  Always answer the call because one man’s or woman’s life is not complete without that feeling that he or she has at least served his or her community.  But in so answering, please do it in the most honest way you can.  Let us therefore change our political landscape and let you be the change that you desire. 

I know you are idealists. Stay as it is even if practicality dictates you to do otherwise.

Now, I am in the portal of another service call while drawing to a close my service as president of the National Press Club, the biggest and the oldest group of newsmen all over the country.

Together with Atty. Berteni “Toto” Cataluña Causing and Atty. Cirio P. Sabarre Jr. we organized a political partylist called “ALAB NG MAMAHAYAG” or ALAM.  I know you will help your new friends, yours truly who is Mr. Jerry S. Yap and our lawyer Atty. Berteni “Toto” Causing. We filed our petition for registration last March 30.  We hope the Commission on Elections would grant us the right to run.  And we hope our new-found friends will be with us in this new journey.

With many friends that we have accumulated, I am so confident that we will win to serve the country as a modern Filipino politician. If we succeed in this endeavor, with the help of our friends, rest assured that we will bring in modern politics to encourage more underprivileged to rise to the occasion to be heroes of their own rights, like the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are mostly the parents of this graduating class.

Now, although I may not know your names, YOUR ARE ALL MY FRIENDS. So I ask you to share my post of goodwill to your walls.

          For any parent, there is nothing sweeter than seeing their child marching up the stage to get a diploma.  Much more is the happiness if the diploma to be received is the certificate of completion of a college degree or of a special skill.

            I congratulate the parents! Nanay, Tatay, para sa inyo po ang diplomang ito.

            LET’S BE FRIENDS!