Alex Lacson
Baccalaureate Speech
Philippine Women University
1 July 2016
To all of you – seekers of a beautiful future, dreamers of a better life, a better Philippines and a better world, to all of you dear graduates, hope of our future, hope of the Filipino people – it is truly my great honor to have been invited to speak to you this morning.
Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.
I speak to you today with so much faith in the Filipino, with so much faith in our potential as a people. Despite the many problems we face as a people and as a nation, I am firm in my belief that the Filipino remains one of the most wonderful human beings in the world. For the Filipino is one of the kindest persons on earth. For the Filipino is one of the most caring and one of the most helpful human beings in the world. Ang puso po ng Pilipino ay punong puno ng malasakit at pagmamahal sa kapwa. Ang puso po ng Pilipino ay isa sa pinaka malaki sa buong mundo. And for that, I truly believe that the Filipino is one the best hopes of humanity today to build a better world for all humanity.
I am also firm in my belief that God has given us a beautiful and a bountiful country. Our Philippines has one of the richest natural resources in the world. I believe that there is no country in the whole world that is more beautiful and enchanting than the one where God planted you, than the one given to us by our Creator.
But since God is very fair, He did not only give us the good things. He also gave us the bad things. That’s why God also gave us many corrupt leaders – corrupt senators and congressmen, among others.
My dear graduates, like your parents, I also dream of a prosperous Philippines – a country where there is enough for everyone, where no Filipino is left behind in poverty, a country where every Filipino family enjoys a life of comfort even if not prosperity, where every graduate has a good paying job or business, a country where the weak can also be strong, where the poor can also become rich, a country where every child has a future, where dreams are possible to attain however high they may seem, a country where you can reach your highest potential as a person, as a human being, a country that can bring out the best in the Filipino people, and one that can make the Filipino truly great and respected in the eyes of the world.
It is for this reason that I accepted your invitation to be your speaker today, because I truly want you to succeed in life. I want you to achieve your dreams. Your dreams are part of our collective dream of a beautiful Philippines. Your success is part of the collective success that we desire to see in our country. As Filipinos, we are interconnected with one another. We are one people. We are one nation. We are one family. We must help one another achieve each other’s dreams.
My dear graduates, today, I wish to share with you what I believe are the 3 most important things you need to know and must always remember for you to achieve your highest dreams, as well as for you to become a good person and a good Filipino.
The first & most important thing that you must always remember is this – “You are a child of God. You are not only a child of your parents.”
For me, this is one of the most important things, if not the most important thing, every person needs to learn early in this world. You see, your parents may not love you all the time, but God will always love you all the time. Your parents cannot protect you all the time, but God can protect you all the time. You parents may not be able to give the best in this world to you, but God can give you the very best that this world can offer. Your parents may not be able to help you achieve your dreams, but God can make all your dreams come true. Your parents cannot perform miracles for you, but God can do miracles for you. Your parents cannot make the impossible possible for you. But God can make all things possible for you, including those that seem impossible to your eyes. Please always remember this. You are God’s child. He wants the best, the highest, and the most wonderful for you. He wants you to succeed. He does not want you to fail and be poor. He wants you to be happy. And because He wants you to succeed, God has equipped you with all the essentials you need, within you and around you, to succeed in this world. But please remember this – You cannot achieve your big dreams on your own. You need the help of God to attain them. So always ask God for help. Always put God in the center of your dreams.
The Second most important thing you must always remember is this – “Love is the most powerful force on earth. It is also the most beautiful”
Love is an important ingredient in achieving success, happiness, and greatness in this world. Let me explain. Those who have achieved great successes in the world are those who greatly love what they do. Michael Jordan is a product of his great love for basketball. Michael Jackson produced great songs because of his great love for music. Michelangeo and Vincent Van Gogh are among the famous painters in the world today because of their great love and passion for their works. Those who have attained great successes are those who greatly loved their works. As you go out into the world, and as you look for a job or work, always look for the one that you truly love, or teach yourself to love the one that was opened for you. If you do not love your work, or if you cannot love the work that you have, keep on looking, until you find the one that you love. Do not settle for anything less. Remember this – you will only succeed if you truly love the work that you do. Love is also an important element, if not the key ingredient, of happiness. If you love what you do, you will be happy, and most likely, you will be successful. If you are happy, the people around you will most likely be happy too. But if you are not happy with what you are doing, you will feel miserable and most likely, you will not succeed in what you are doing. So if you fall in love with a person, protect that love. Nourish it with all of your heart. Do not settle with anyone or anything less. Pero pag sinagot ka na niya, be careful with her heart.
But love is not only a key ingredient of success and happiness, love is also is the most important element in achieving greatness. Mother Teresa is revered in the world today because of her great love for the poor and the neglected. But my dear graduates, when you learn to show love and respect to every person you meet or deal with, you attain greatness not only in the eyes of the world, you also attain greatness in the eyes of the Lord. For God is in every person. That’s why Jesus Christ tells us that whatever you do to the least of people, you do to me. God is in every person. That’s why Jesus Christ said whenever you receive a child in my name, you receive Me and the One who sent Me. That’s why the second highest commandment of God according to Jesus Christ is this – we must love our neighbour as we love ourselves. God is in every person. Love is a key element of success, of happiness, and of greatness.
The final and the third most important thing I want you to remember always is this – “There is a special reason why you are who you are, why God planted you in this part of the world. “
My dear graduates, I hope you will always believe that, as a Filipino, you are as perfect and as great as your Creator wanted you to be. I hope that you will always believe in yourself, that as a Filipino, you are no less than any person on earth, that you are no less than the Japanese, you are no less than the Chinese, you are no less than the Americans, or anyone else in our world. I hope you will believe that there is a special reason why your Creator, the Master Planner of the whole universe, made you as you are, why He planted you here and not somewhere else. Always remember this – if God wanted you to born in Africa, you will be there today, because God has the power to do that. If God wanted you to be born in Saudi Arabia, you will be there today, because your Creator has the power to do that. But why do you think that He did not do that? Why do you think that he planted you here, in this part of the world? Believe me, God has a special reason why He put you here. Perhaps your life mission or purpose is here. Perhaps your true happiness can only be found here. Perhaps your true love can only be found here. Perhaps your highest potential can only be reached here. Perhaps God wants to use you as a light against the darkness in this part of the universe. Perhaps God sent you here as part of the Answer to the many problems of our nation. Perhaps, God sent you as part of the HOPE to our people and our motherland.
My dear graduates, let me end my speech with 3 wishes.
Firstly, I wish that you will all aspire for greatness. I wish that you will aspire for the best, the highest, the most wonderful.
Secondly, as you aspire for greatness, I wish that you will always bring and carry the Filipino and our country with you.
Finally, I wish that God will grant all the desires of your heart. I wish that all your dreams will come true, so you and your parents will truly be happy.
God bless all of you and your parents. May God always use you wonderfully and mightily.