QUALITY EDUCATION AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

16TH COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES ST. MARY’S BOYSTOWN, ALDAS, CAVITE. 16 DECEMBER 2004

MAGANDANG UMAGA BAYAN!

IN BEHALF OF MY FAMILY, I WOULD LIKE TO CONVEY MY WARMEST GREETINGS AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GRADUATES OF SISTERS OF MARY BOYSTOWN, ON ITS 16TH COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE ALL YOUR PARENTS AS WELL AS YOUR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, WITHOUT WHOM THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION WOULD NOT HAVE BECOME A REALITY. TO ALL OF YOU, I REITERATE MY HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS.

IT IS TRULY WITH GREAT PRIDE FOR PARENTS TO SEE THEIR CHILDREN GRADUATE BECAUSE FOR SOME, IF NOT MOST, EDUCATION IS THE ONLY LEGACY THAT PARENTS CAN GIVE TO THEIR CHILDREN. IN FACT, MY WIFE AND I ARE SO EAGER TO SEE OUR SON GRADUATE FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT THE ATENEO DE MANILA. BUT BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL’S CURRICULAR REQUIREMENT OF GRADE SEVEN (7), WE HAVE TO WAIT ONE MORE YEAR.

IT IS EVEN MORE TOUCHING TO PARTICULARLY NOTE IN YOUR CASE THAT AS YOU LEAVE THE PORTALS OF YOUR CLASSROOMS, YOU WILL BE VERY EQUIPPED WITH THE NEEDED SKILLS AND TRAINING TO FACE THE REAL WORLD. IN YOU ARE THE MANIFESTATION OF THE VERY IDEALS AND DREAMS OF MSGR. ALOYSIUS SCHWARTZ, FOUNDER OF THE SISTERS OF MARY AND THE BROTHERS OF CHRIST.

THE SKILLS AND TRAINING YOU RECEIVED FROM THIS INSTITUTION ARE THE WEAPONS AND ARMORS YOU WILL USE IN LANDING A GOOD JOB IN THE FUTURE ESPECIALLY SINCE SISTER OF MARY’S BOYSTOWN HAS ONCE BEEN ADJUDGED THE MOST OUTSTANDING AND MOST EFFECTIVE PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOL IN REGION IV, WHILE YOUR AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY GRADUATES ARE CONSIDERED AMONG THE BEST IN THE REGION.

I COMMEND THE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS OF THE SISTERS OF MARY FOR SPEARHEADING AND TAKING TIME TO TRAIN INDIGENT BUT DESERVING STUDENTS IN INTENSIVE VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL COURSES LIKE BASIC AND ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY, AND COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY. GRADUATES OF THESE COURSES WILL SURELY HELP IN SOLVING THE COUNTRY’S UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM AND LIKEWISE HELP OUR COUNTRYMEN BECOME MORE ENTERPRISING AS THEY ESTABLISH THEIR OWN SHOPS.

THE MORE THAN 30,000 STUDENTS WHO HAVE GRADUATED FROM SISTERS OF MARY’S BOYSTOWN WILL SURELY MAKE YOU A VITAL PARTNER OF THE GOVERNMENT IN NATION BUILDING AND IN UPLIFTING OUR ECONOMY. JOBS WILL BE GENERATED BY YOUR GRADUATES WHO WILL SOMEDAY VENTURE AND BECOME ENTREPRENEURS AS EARLY AS YOUR GRADUATION.

TO THE PARENTS OF THE GRADUATES, I CONGRATULATE AND JOIN YOU IN YOUR HAPPINESS TO SEE YOUR KIDS GROW UP TO BE INDEPENDENT AND SELF-RELIANT. THEY WERE THE NESTLINGS (BABY BIRDS) YOU ONCE PROTECTED UNDER YOUR WINGS TO KEEP THEM AWAY FROM HARM … NOW THEY ARE ALL GROWN UP AND READY TO FLY AND TEST THE JUNGLES OF LIFE EQUIPPED WITH SUFFICIENT TRAINING AND SKILLS ATTAINED FROM SISTERS OF MARY’S BOYSTOWN.

TO THE GRADUATES, I WISH YOU ALL GOOD LUCK AS YOU LEAVE THE RELATIVELY SAFE CONFINES OF YOUR SCHOOL TO GO OUT INTO THE ROUGH WORLD OF REALITY. MAY YOU UTILIZE THE SKILLS YOU HAVE ATTAINED TO FIND JOBS YOU TRULY DESIRE AND START CONTRIBUTING SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE GROWTH AND PROGRESS OF OUR NATION … AND WHEN YOU FIND A JOB REMEMBER TO EXTEND A HELPING HAND AND SHARE YOUR BLESSINGS TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF INDIGENT STUDENTS OF YOUR ALMA MATER…. BUT IF FINANCES AND SITUATION WILL ALLOW YOU TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION, THEN BY ALL MEANS GO FOR IT... YOUR FUTURE WILL BE MORE SECURE THROUGH THIS.

AS A FINAL ADVICE … LET US TRUST IN THE LORD AT ALL TIMES. IN YOUR DARKEST HOUR, HE IS SOMEBODY WE ALL COULD RELY ON. AND IN YOUR HAPPY MOMENTS, LET US NOT FORGET HIM AS WELL. WHILE WE SURELY SEEK HIS INTERCESSION IN TIMES OF NEED, IT IS RARE FOR US TO THANK HIM WHEN OUR PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED.

AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU: BELOVED GRADUATES, TO ALL PARENTS, FAMILIES, TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS. LET US ALL UNITE AND HELP OUR GOVERNMENT ATTAIN ITS GOAL OF SOLVING THE MANY ECONOMIC PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY ON UNEMPLOYMENT, IN WHATEVER SMALL WAY WE CAN.

MABUHAY KAYONG LAHAT AT MARAMING SALAMAT!

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