Graduation Speech

UP Open University
26 August 2006

Dr. Ma. Cristina D. Padolina

 

Greetings!

Speaking at a graduation program of the UP Open University is certainly different from speaking at one in other colleges or universities. One simply has to look at you, the graduates, to know that. For one, you are not as young as those who graduate from other colleges and universities. Most of you, if not all, have already started on your careers and professional lives and a good number of you may have also started a family of your own.

Aside from maturity in years, however, what is the distinctive characteristic that UPOU graduates have? What do you carry with you as get out of the virtual walls of this university?

I submit that your most significant trait after having studied at this University is the ability to learn. In the words of Thomas Friedman, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner renowned for his views on international affairs and economic issues, this makes each of you an UNTOUCHABLE.

Friedman’s thesis is that the global world of work is such that many jobs are being outsourced to where it can be done more efficiently and cheaply. One of the moving forces that make this possible is the same moving force that drives the UP Open University. The developments in information and communication technology make it possible for the source of work and the worker to be separated in distance and in time, in much the same way as the teacher and the learner are separated in an institution as the UP Open University.

With this global work situation, an Untouchable is one whose job cannot be outsourced. You are therefore an Untouchable if you are “special”, one who has a talent uniquely yours whose work output has a global market and commands global-level work compensation. People like Bill Gates, the cellist, Yoyo Ma, or Tiger Woods.

You are also an Untouchable if you are specialized. You work in a highly specialized field, like Dr. Jorge Garcia, the notable heart surgeon who is based in the US but comes to the Philippines on a regular basis to operate on his patients who queue to avail of his specialized skill. Or you are a cutting-edge computer architect like David A. Patterson, hired by Sun Microsystems while continuing to be a fulltime faculty of UC Berkeley.

If you are an anchored worker, you are also an Untouchable. A very good example of an anchored worker is my gardener whose work has to be done in a special location, my garden. His job just can’t be digitized.

But the most important type of an Untouchable, one that concerns ordinary mortals like us are those who are capable of morphing to fulfill a job that is needed by the moment or created by the needs of the time.

Such a person has one critical skill and that is the ability and the desire to learn. In a world where competitiveness is almost equivalent to innovativeness, one must be constantly renewing one’s knowledge and skills or retooling to acquire new skills demanded by recent innovations.

The know-how of learning on your own is one you must have gleaned from studying in this University. The motivation to learn on your own is one you must have acquired if you did not have it yet when you entered this University. You will never be a dead wood or an NPA (nonperforming asset) in your workplace. It will be the workplace that may become antiquated for you, in which case you will move on because you have the capability to reinvent yourself and adopt to a new job situation.

Another characteristic of our world is the ubiquity of change. This is nothing new. Change, aside from taxes, are the constants of this world. In this new world, change has been re-labeled to the more sophisticated word, innovation.

Ubiquity according to the dictionary is “being everywhere at the same time.” The Internet and other communication tools have made many things ubiquitous.

An Untouchable aside from knowing how to learn, needs to be conscious about the ubiquity of learning situations. One needs to realize that there are also many other Untouchables in many parts of this interconnected global village of ours. What will differentiate one learner from another is the quality of learning that one makes.

In your professional world, the quality of your learning will be defined by yourself. You will no longer learn for good grades. You will be learning for yourself.

Friends, join me and let us raise our caps once more and give this recent crop of Untouchables another round of applause.

Now I would like to talk about an overarching aspect of life which goes beyond our professional lives. I am referring to the over-all quality of our life, to our well-being. It is a concern that goes beyond our knowledge, our skills, our creativity. I am talking about a fulfilling life.

First, a story. There was once a Filipino couple, married not many years ago. The woman just graduated from UPOU and to celebrate they went on a second honeymoon in one of our beautiful islands. There they befriended an old man who said he was a native of the island. In one of their conversations, the man asked them which choice they would make given three offers. The first offer was that they would be given enough money to buy land, build a house and buy a car. The second choice consisted of good paying jobs in the United States and green cards for both of them within a year. The third choice was a simple assurance that they will be given many, many opportunities to serve their country and their people.

The old man told them to think about the choices and to tell him in the morning of their decision. The couple laughed about it. They knew it was a hypothetical choice for certainly the old man was no genie who can grant them their wish. Ngunit nuong iniwan na sila ng matanda, sabi nang babae, “ Ano nga kaya, kung halimbawang may kapangyarihan yung matanda na ibigay ang ating gusto, alin ang ating pipiliin?” Umupo sila at nag-isip. Naging seryoso and usapan nila at parang nalimutan na nila na wala naman talagang katuturan ang pamimiling sinabi sa kanila ng matanda. Gayun pa man bago sila natulog, meron silang desisyon na nagawa.

Paggising nila sa umaga, nagmamadali silang nagbihis at sabik na sabik na makausap and matanda para masabi sa kanya ang kanilang desisyon. Pumunta sila sa lugar kung saan madalas nilang makita ang matanda, nag-antay sila nguni’t hindi dumating ang matanda. Ipinagtanong nila sa mga tagaroon kung nakita nila ang matanda ngunit walang nakakikilala sa ibinigay nilang paglalarawan sa matanda. Wala daw silang alam na ganuong matanda na tagaroon sa kanilang isla.

Takang-taka ang mag-asawa. Sino kaya yung matandang yaon na kumausap sa kanila? Natapos ang kanilang bakasyon na hindi nila ulit nakita ang matanda at hindi nalaman kung sino ang matanda. Bumalik sila sa kanilang trabaho ngunit nanatili sa kanilang isipan ang kanilang desisyon.

The time came when a former professor of the man when he studied in the US wrote him that there was an opening in their university and that if he applied he would give him a very good recommendation. In addition, once they would got there, he is confident that the wife would also be able to get a job. The couple thought about the offer and they remembered the old man and the decision they were never able to tell him. And he wrote back to his former professor and thanked him but told him they would really rather work in the Philippines.

In the meantime, the wife, an expert in food processing, was able to get a consultancy from a big food manufacturing company. She was told to falsify a report for an application for approval by the Food and Drug Authority of one line of products. The president of the company told her she would get five million pesos for making such a report. The wife discussed this with her husband and they knew that the five million would allow them to build the house they have been dreaming of and would also cover the down payment for a car. But once more they remembered the old man in the island and the decision they made. The next day she wrote the president of the company resigning from her consultancy.

The couple continued in their respective jobs, giving of their best to any task they were given and the woman, reminding both of them of what the graduation speaker at the UPOU when she graduated said to never stop learning. The man became known in his field; his work was so important to his field that they paid him to talk about his work in conferences and meetings in the Philippines and in other countries. He became known as an expert in his field so he was able to work out several projects which earned him a little extra money. He was asked to take under his mentorship some faculty members in universities so that they would learn from him. The woman, on the other hand, was tapped by the government to teach women in rural areas various food processing techniques so that they would have ways of earning money. She was very good at what she did and she helped many families earn a decent living. She received some amount of money for each training she did. She was also sent by the government abroad to undertake training herself.

The couple had two children. They put them to decent schools. They were able to build a small home. There was never a time that they did not have a loan from the GSIS; they used the loaned money to buy some needed appliances and to further improve on their house. They got lucky once and won the top prize in a raffle conducted by the professional organization they were members of; the prize was a Toyota sedan.

On their 30th anniversary they decided to return to the island where they had their second honeymoon. They remembered the old man but knew he must have passed away already if he was real, at all. But to their amazement the old man was there waiting for them at the place where they used to meet him. Kinumusta sila ng matanda. Sabi nung babae, “Sabi po ninyo mamili kami sa tatlo pero nakuha po namin halos lahat ng sabi ninyo ay pagpipiliian lamang. Hindi kami nangibang bansa para kumita roon pero nagkaroon kami ng maraming pagkakataon na makarating sa ibang bansa. Naisama na rin naming ang aming mga anak sa ilang pagkakataon. Nakapagpatayo na rin kami ng aming sariling bahay at sinuwerte kaming manalo ng kotse sa raffle. Pero ang lalong nakapagpaligaya sa amin ay ang maraming taong natulungan naming maghanapbuhay at maging magagaling na guro.”

Tatango-tango ang matanda. Tanong niya sa magasawa, “Sa palagay kaya ninyo ay nakuha ninyo lahat ng dapat ay pagpilian lamang ninyo kung tinangap mo ang alok na magturo sa Amerika o kaya kung tinanggap mo ang limang milyon na suhol?”

Sa mga magsisipagtapos, ano sa palagay ninyo?

Now you might call my story kuwentong kutsero or a modern fairy tale but I can tell you that I know of many couples who made the same choice as the couple in the story and who now enjoy all the benefits of, not one, but of all of the three choices the old man offered.

What is interesting among these people who choose to make it their purpose in life to serve others is that they turn out to be happy and fulfilled individuals. They are rich in more ways than just having lots of money. Their stories support the results of studies about what it is that makes people happy. Research on this subject have shown that the single most important element that makes people happy is to be engaged in ways that would use one’s personal strengths to serve some larger end.

I would also like to share with you what advice these researchers have about what we should do to have a happy, fulfilled and satisfying life. Professor of psychology, Sonya Lyubomirsky of the University of California suggests eight measures.

First: Count your blessings. Gabi-gabi bago tayo matulog isa isahin nating alalahanin ang biyayang natanggap natin sa araw na iyon. Nabigyan mo ng solusyon ang isang problema sa opisina. May nakilala kang bagong kaibigan. Hindi ka nakapagdala ng payong pero hindi naman umulan. Mga simpleng biyaya na kaya minsan ay hindi natin kinikilalang biyaya.

Second: Practice acts of kindness. Ipagluto ng pagkain ang kapitbahay na maysakit. Pagbigyang mauna sa pila sa grocery and isang maybahay na may dalang anak na nagaalburoto na. Padalhan ng text ang isang kamaganak na kailan lang ay namatayan.

Third: Savor life’s joys. Eto yung, lumabas ka isang gabi na maaliwalas ang langit, tumingala ka at pagmasdan ang buwan at mga bituin. Namnamin mo ang masarap na luto ng iyong Nanay. Magbihis ka ng maganda. Sumunod ka sa uso kung bagay sa iyo.

Fourth: Develop ways to cope with stress and hardships. Huwag mong bayaang hilahin ka pababa ng kahirapan ng buhay. Humanap ka ng paraan para makaya mong harapin ang kahirapan na tiyak namang mararanasan ng bawat isa sa atin. May iba nag-yoyoga. May kaibigan ako nag-bebely dancing. Ang iba may kaibigan na marunong makinig sa problema ng iba. Marami sa atin ang dumudulog sa Diyos sa pamamagitan ng panalangin.

Panglima: Alagaan mo ang kalusugan ng iyong katawan. Get a regular medical check up. Eat healthy. Do not abuse your body by subjecting it to too much alcohol.

Sixth: Matutong magpatawad. Huwag magtanim ng galit. Pampabigat ito ng kalooban. Nakakagaan ng dibdib ang magpatawad, di ba?

Seventh: Thank a mentor. A mentor is not necessarily a teacher. A mentor may be an aunt, a grandparent, a neighbor. Show them and tell them that you appreciate them.

Eighth: Invest time in friends and family. Strong personal relationships is very important in giving us satisfaction and happiness. They are more important than where you live, whether you own a car or not, your job title and so on.

One thing that amazed me about this list is that to be successful and wealthy are not included in the list. How liberating to know that we do not have to be successful or wealthy to have a satisfying, happy and fulfilled life. And how satisfying to know that a happy and fulfilled life breeds a successful or wealthy one.

What I am saying is that it is important early in your careers or professional lives that you think beyond the fulfillment of ambitions and consider using your talents and your blessings to work for the common good, in particular the common good of our country folk. I firmly believe that if we keep in mind each other’s welfare as we go through our lives, then all our efforts will come together, reinforce each other and result in the good of the greater number among us. Lahat tayo uunlad at hindi ang iilan lamang na siyang nangyayari ngayon.

The quote from Dean Leon Ma. Guerrero at the back of your graduation program, spoken also at a graduation exercise more than a century ago, speaks of the same message. He said, “Kayong mga magsisipagtapos, huwag kayong magbibingihan sa panawagan ng bayan; maghanga’y tumulong kayo sa paglikha ng isang bayang malaya, na siyang adhikaing kinasasangkutan ng lahat ng inyong mga kapatid at kababayan.”

To put everything I have said in a nutshell so that hopefully you will remember: Be a touching Untouchable –one whose age is counted by the lives you touch but who remains incapable of being declared antiquated professionally by being an Untouchable.

Once more, CONGRATULATIONS and good wishes!