The last time I spoke before my classmates is on April 1986, that was almost 22 years ago and my parting words is that “this is not goodbye but rather so long and until we meet again”. Today, it becomes a reality and not only for me but for the hundreds of graduates this school had produced. Nothing change for me since I left this school, I am the same student & friend. The only change I had is my age and the biological changes that is taking place in my body – big belly, poor eyesight, minor aches, dental problems but definitely not impotence. These are just natural elements of the aging process.
Before I continue, I would like to give thanks and show our appreciation to the following:
To our Teachers – thank you for all the patience and understanding you’ve shown, we are just a little boys and girls then who are beginning to explore this world. You provided us with the tools – love, thrust, patience, simplicity and right values so we can travel the road. There are lots of humps and bumps but you thought us how to face it and we learn from it. Our journey becomes not just bearable but pleasant because of your help. Maari po bang mag-sitayo ang ating mga guro – mga kamag-aral bigyan po natin sila ng masigabong palakpakan…………Salamat po Ma’am.
To my classmates – thank you for being a good friend, I’m glad I have friends like you. After high school, our friendship becomes stronger – we’ve laughed together, dined together, cried together, worship together but I’m still waiting the time on when we can study the bible together. No man is designed to be alone. He needs friends and his friends need him, too. The only reason why friendship last is because love is there. Ngayon, magpasalamat kayo sa mga classmate natin na dumalo at marami pa kayong mapag-uusapan mamaya.
To Mrs. Francisca Valarao, our Mommy – thank you for establishing this school, it becomes a beacon in the community and it continues to do so. Look at your alumni, Mommy. These are the quality of graduates this school has produced; they are indeed the pride of our dear land as what the lyrics in our school hymn. Salamat po, Mommy Valarao.
Now, I’ve seen that almost of our alumni are successful in life and success for me can be defined as having a happy and content family. The title of my talk this afternoon is composed of three little words – COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.
Look around you, this is the school we attended in high school. Each part of this school has a story. For four years this has become our second home, in here we have our laughter’s, sadness and even heartaches. Who can forget that? Me! I can never forget that - It is always been a part of me. From that experiences and teachings we become strong to face the game of what we called life. I wish all of our alumni were here today for this is not simply a get together but a coming home, a celebration of life and paid homage to our Lady of Lourdes who continue guiding us on our journey.
Let me share some paragraph from a poem forwarded by my friend through e-mail entitled “Lord, Forgive Me When I whine.”
Today, while on a bus, I saw a lovely girl with golden hair
I envied her. She seemed so gay. And wished I were as fair,
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle
She had one leg and wore a crutch; But as she passed…. A smile!
Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two legs. The world is mine
“Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor’” say Benjamin Franklin.
Very true, isn’t it? This poem reminds me of the saying that goes this way:
“I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet. And then I was content”.
Ang patuloy na pagtaas ng bilihin, sa kabila ng pag ganda ng piso. Ang kakulangan ng hanapbuhay at serbisyo publiko. Ang mga bagay na ito ang nagbibigay sa atin ng problema upang tayo mag-isip. The best way to deal with all these things is to simply remember: No person can ever be happy until he has learned to enjoy what he has, and not to worry over what he does not have. Let us count our blessings………. Our body parts are complete, we are alive and we are all given 24 hours in a day to be productive.
Today is the most important day of my life, I say to myself every morning I wake up. Most mornings, I wake up to the alarm on my mobile phone. Amazing what this little piece of technology can do.
While driving off to work, My wife and I listen to the sound of the soul by Father Larry Faraon on radio at 105.1 Cross Over. We have 15 minutes prayers to guide us for a days work. When work time is over. Home time begins. We walk into our home and there were my two daughters waiting for us. Look at them now! Aibee (my eldest) is eight years old and AJ, six years old are in hurry to talk about their classroom experiences and I will teach them their assignment. And soon, in the next two weeks my wife will give birth to another baby girl. Tres Marias! They are all pretty! Must gotten it from their Nanay. But they says they want to be smart – like their Tatay. So what else could I ask for in life? I am really bless! I must also give thanks to my wife OB-GYNE who happens to be an alumni and a good friend – Dr. Shiela Marie Giron Santos of Batch 87 for taking good care of my wife. She is a very good Doctor.
When the day is over, I get into bed and lie down with the woman who’s been with me all these years. This woman who could have chosen somebody else wealthier, smarter – but not necessarily better-looking than me (that’s the attitude) yet has chosen to live her life and grow old with me – in sickness or in health. Whether richer or poorer, till death do us part. Sounds romantic? Perhaps. But not all the time. Most of the times it wasn’t romance, it was just plain and serious commitment. It still is now.
I thank God for Grace, maybe this is why they call it: Amazing Grace!
I always count my blessings so start counting yours.
Meron lang akong kwento na gusto kong sabihin sa inyo, tungkol ito sa isang may-ari ng isang kumpanya na umuwi sa kanyang probinsiya para mag-bakasyon. Sakay siya ng kanyang kotse at habang nasa daan ito ay may nadaanan siya sa isang maputik na kalsada at siya ay nabalaho. Hindi niya malaman ang kanyang gagawin dahil sanay lamang siya sa risk management at paggawa ng financial projections. He is totally helpless... May dumating na magsasaka at nag-alok ng tulong para hilahin ang kanyang kotse sa tulong ng kanyang kalabaw na ang pangalan ay Malakas.
Itinali na ng magsasaka si Malakas para mahila ang kotse, at nagwika ng hila ,FIDEL, hila. Hindi kumilos si Malakas.
Tapos, sumigaw ang magsasaka ng HILA, ERAP, HILA. Hindi pa rin kumikilos si Malakas.
Sumigaw ulit and magsasaka, HILA, GLORIA, HILA. At wala pa din nangyari
Habang ito ay nangyayari ay nakatingin lamang ang may-ari ng kumpanya. Hindi niya maintindihan ang ginagawa ng magsasaka. Pero nanatili siyang nagmamasid sa mga mangyayari.
Walang anu-ano’y sumigaw ulit ang magsasaka HILA, MALAKAS, HILA at nahila ng kalabaw ang kotse ng walang kahirap-hirap. May pagtatakang tinanong ng may-ari ng kumpanya ang magsasaka kung bakit tinatawag niya ang kanyang kalabaw sa iba’t ibang pangalan sa loob ng tatlong beses bago niya bigkasin ang tamang pangalan nito sa ika-apat na pagkakataon.
Sumagot ang magsasaka, ang aking kalabaw na si Malakas ay hindi nakakakita at kung alam niya na siya lang ang hihila ay hindi niya ito gagawin. Pero ang alam niya ay may tatlo pang kalabaw na katulong niyang humila kaya niya sinunod ang aking utos.
Ang aking tanong: - Have you ever encountered people in the workplace or in the community who wouldn’t even lift a finger unless he or she knows that someone else has been tasked to do the same thing? Meron po ba? Lahat po tayo ay binigyan ng mata para makita ang nangyayari sa ating kapaligiran, may puso para maipadama ang pagmamahal, at tayo may talino upang mag-isip kung paano tayo makakatulong hindi lamang sa ating kapwa kundi pati na rin sa komunidad.
Today, our Alma Mater is asking each of us to do the same, to work together - katulad ni Malakas, FIDEL, ERAP at GLORIA. Hindi tayo mga bulag para hindi natin Makita ang pangangailangan ng ating komunidad. Balikan natin ang ating mga sarili nuong tayo’y nag-aaral pa dito, may mga panahon na hindi tayo makabayad ng tuition dahil sa kahirapan ng buhay. Meron tayong mga kamag-aral na hindi nakatapos ng highschool at dito nais nating maging tulay para mabigyan sila ng oportunidad na magkaroon ng mahusay na edukasyon.
The idea was spearheaded by Father Rectorino from Batch xx, right now what we have is the scholarship program but we want to institutionalize it by registering as a foundation, the suggested name is LOURDES COLLEGE OF BULACAN ALUMNI AND FRIENDS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION (LAFS Foundation). We are presenting this idea so that we can have a vehicle to help providing quality secondary education to our poor and talented students. Sa tulong ng ilan nating alumni at kaibigan ay meron na tayong mga ilang beneficiaries. At gusto pa natin itong mapalawak para masilbihan ang malaking bilang ng mag-aaral.
Nais ko ng ibahagi ang Misyon and Bisyon ng Foundation sa iyong lahat.
VISION
Ang ating adhikain ay makatulong na mabawasan ang problema ng kahirapan sa ating komunidad sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay oportunidad sa ating mga kabataan na magkaroon ng mataas na antas ng edukasyon. Nais din natin isa-puso at isa-isip ng bawat mag-aaral na nagtapos sa paaralan ito na tayo ay naninindigan at tumutugon sa pangangailangan ng ating komunidad.
MISSION
Ang pangunahing layunin ng samahan ay makatulong sa pinansyal at moral na pangangailangan ng mga mahirap at natatanging mag-aaral na gustong patuloy na makapag-aral sa Lourdes College of Bulacan. Bukod ditto, nais din nating imulat and mga nagsipagtapos sa ating paaralan at mga kaibigan na mayroon tayong magagawa upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating komunidad sa isang mahusay at mataas na antas ng edukasayon.
Ang okasyon ito ay ginawa hindi upang tayo ay magkita-kita lamang at pagsaluhan ang pagkain na inihanda ng school administration. Kundi gusto nating ito ay maging makabuluhan sa pamamagitan ng paglulusad ng isang samahan na tutulong sa ating mga mag-aaral. Sa mga gustong sumuporta sa pagtatatag ng LAFS Foundation, meron po tayong pinamimigay na papel. Dito po nating isusulat ang ating pangalan at contact details para matawagan po namin kayo. Magkakaroon po tayo ng separate na pulong para maihain ang detalye.
Sana’y marami ang maging MALAKAS, FIDEL, ERAP at GLORIA na magtutulong-tulong para mai-ahon natin ang ating komunidad sa kahirapan sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng isang mahusay na edukasyon.
It will be a challenging task but if Lourdesian will embrace this opportunity, collectively we can make it happen and will soon make a difference. Tayo ay binibigyan ng pagkakataon tumulong sana’y tugunan natin ito.
I would like to close by saying that a paradigm shift has emerged– the graduates of LOURDES are men of others. Tayo ay naririto para magsilbi sa iba at hindi sa ating sarili. We are graduates that SHARE, DARE and CARE for this community.
START COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS AND SHARE IT TO OTHERS.
Salamat po.
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