Magandang hapon.
Thank you for inviting me on this special day. I commend all of the graduating students, their professors and their families for all their efforts that have led to this crowning moment of achievement for so many bright young minds.
Thanks to President Adel A. Tamano for his leadership and vision in making Pamantasan one of the top universities in the country.
It is a pleasure to be here with The Honorable, Mayor Alfredo Lim.
You, as new graduates, are beginning a walk down a fascinating and challenging road into the future. Many others have opened this road for you, but only you can determine where that road takes you. The possibilities that are open to you are dazzling and may even seem overwhelming. As you venture out into the working world, you will be swept up in the excitement of finding a job and making your mark. You should enjoy this time. You have earned the chance to pursue your dreams.
I congratulate Pamantasan for building a culture of commitment to public service in its students, faculty and alumni. The satisfaction of serving your country is a feeling that I hope you all feel during your careers. While the challenges and complexities that our world faces may seem daunting, the only hope we have of facing those difficulties is that brave, committed and talented young people will rise to the challenge. You are those young people and your time is now.
I am proud to have chosen to dedicate my life to public service and I have been privileged to feel the satisfaction of making a difference for my country and its citizens. Nowhere has that feeling been stronger than in my current job as the U.S. Ambassador to this great country. Our countries have shared so much: families united, battles won and lost, and bridges built, both literally and figuratively. Those bonds continue to grow through our shared aspirations for freedom, prosperity, and justice for our citizens and our friends throughout the world. It is truly an honor to serve my country and doubly so to serve here. I see in the faces before me here today the future public servants of the Philippines.
While I have chosen government service through which to make my contribution, and I hope some of you will also, “public service” can take more diverse and subtle forms. You can serve by mentoring and tutoring children, participating in neighborhood clean-up programs, involvement in civic groups, leadership in parent-teacher organizations, paying one’s taxes, exercising one’s right to vote, participating in Earth Hour by turning off lights for one hour tonight; these are all forms of public service. Public service is not a position, it is an action and anyone who acts to make their fellow citizens’ lives safer, healthier, intellectually richer, or filled with more beauty is worthy of our thanks and respect. Please join me in thanking our teachers, professors, doctors, artists, law enforcement and firefighters.
U.S. and the Philippines have a long standing partnership of public service, especially in education. Most of you probably know about the Thomasites, U.S. civil servants who founded the first public education system more than 100 years ago in the Philippines. While they initially taught children directly, their true legacy was their partnership with the thousands of Filipino educators that they trained. Those Filipino teachers trained other teachers and together they taught a nation. This partnership has been a blueprint for U.S.-Philippine cooperation ever since.
Peace Corps volunteers, Fulbright scholars and other Americans have continued to work with their Filipino counterparts, not only in formal educational settings, but side-by-side in cities, villages and barangays throughout the Philippines. Through exchange programs like Fulbright and the International Visitor Leadership Program, Filipinos have worked side-by-side with U.S. counterparts in our country, displaying their world-class talents, adaptability and insight.
As you all rise to meet the challenges and opportunities that await you and your country, we will be with you. The U.S. and the Philippines are bonded by decades of friendship, cooperation and joint sacrifice. That bond will remain strong, not only because of our shared past, but our shared vision of the future where our two countries prosper together in a world of freedom, security, and justice.
You have invested in yourself throughout your school days, and I am sure you are eager to get jobs and reap the fruits of your labors. As you succeed individually, I hope that you remember what others have done to make your successes possible and that you choose to give back to your family, your community and your country.
For the graduates, I’d like to offer some career advice as you begin the next phase of your life. These are guidelines that have helped me throughout my life and I hope will help you as well. I call these my “keys to success” –
1. Be Your Best. You have unique talents and should never settle for being anything less than your best. Challenge yourself to improve everyday.
2. Be a Player. Make a difference, solve problems, offer ideas. Life is too short to spend all your time sitting on the bench or to wait until you are asked to contribute.
3. Play fair. Show integrity. Don’t get ahead at the expense of others. You have to live with yourself. Success is only meaningful if earned the right way.
4. Love what you do. Pick work that makes you happy and you will succeed. If you find joy in what you do, that is what matters. Being happy is far more important than having a big salary or a big title.
5. Be Proud. Take time to celebrate your achievements, both big and small. Starting with today – you have achieved a great milestone. Congratulations. You should be proud of yourself and we, your families, friends, and teachers share your pride.
Thank you for letting me share this moment. Congratulations and best wishes. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay tayong lahat!
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