Valedictory Address

Ronalyn Villaruel Pastrana

Class 2014-2015

Our beloved guests, to our Division Schools Superintendent through her

representative, to our District Supervisor, to our Cluster Chairman Mrs. Necitas
Regio, Barangay and PTA officials, school heads from the different schools in
Sta. Cruz North Cluster to the Dolores National High School teaching force
spearheaded by our principal Mrs. Aida J. Villaruel, dear parents, fellow
graduates and friends, a pleasant morning to all of you.
This is our moment. This is our show. This is our time. This is the life we
chose and the choice we made. This is the teleserye we wrote and directed. But
unlike those we watch at the television, ito ang kuwento ng totoong buhay. Ito
ang kuwento na laging rated G or general patronage, pwede sa lahat ng
manonood. Ito ang palabas na hindi hango sa imahinasyon ng tao kundi mula sa
personal na karanasan. Ito ang kuwento na hindi pinagbibidahan ng mga kilalang
personalidad sa industriya ng showbiz kundi ng mga taong tunay na naglalahad
ng kuwento, mga taong tunay na nakapaloob sa kuwento. Ito ang palabas na
hindi nilagyan ng visual effects o inedit dahil ang palabas na ito ay live,
kasalukuyang nagaganap. Ito ang kuwento natin.
Ngayong umaga, gumising ako sa tamang oras gaya ng dati, naligo,
nagbihis, kumain, at nagsipilyo. I looked at the mirror to see myself. I critically
examined myself and there was one thing I realized: Ang tao tulad ng panahon ay
nagbabago. Look at us now. How time flies so fast that I have never realized, we
are now to leave the portals of our Alma Matter. Through the trials that we have
passed, problems that we have solved, questions that we have answered,
challenges that we have faced, dreams that we have made true and crosses that
we have carried, weve finally made it!
Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala sa mga nangyayari. Tila ang pagtatapos na
ito ay isa lamang panaginip, na sa ganda nito, ay ayoko nang magising. But
everything I see and everything I feel is true even the flash of lights, the sound of
music, the cheers of the people, the clap of their hands and the warm air
whipping past my face. This is what I dreamt four years ago. I was just then very
eager to finish my studies. I wished that one day when I wake up, I am holding my
diploma. And the ones I wished before, came true. This is it!
It may be overwhelming to graduate from secondary education but we cant
take away the fact that after this, a new set of challenges will come our way. We
will walk through another staircase the ones designed for a bigger and bolder
world that lies between what we have been and what we will be and that is
college. After spending four years in dealing with pens, papers and books, we will
do the same thing again but surely with the different people in a different
environment.
Sometimes, I ask myself why do I need to go to school? To learn? To gain
friends? To have baon? To be accepted by the society? Or just to obey my
parents? While browsing the net this statement caught my attention. Education
for Filipinos is generally believed to be positively associated with the grade level
reached in school, for instance, the higher the person goes up the formal
educational ladder, the more education he is believed to possess and an
individual who has a college diploma is expected to be assured of social and
economic advancement. Yes, its true to all of us. Our parents eagerly send us to
school because they believe that education is the key to success.
Learning. The main reason why we go to school is to learn, to acquire new
information, to gain knowledge, to hone our abilities and to develop our
personalities and attitudes. Everything we do is for the sake of learning. And
because learning is a lifelong process, we do not stop from doing it. You always
hear the clich that the home is our first school. It is at home where we first learn
everything. Sa bahay natin unang natutunan na kakainin tayo ng mumo o
huhulihin tayo ng pulis kapag ginawa natin ang isang maling bagay, na ang
itatawag natin sa ating magulang ay mama at papa o di kaya naman ay nanay at
tatay, na ang pagkain kapag nahulog na ay bawal nang simutin dahil may germs,
na gamitin ang po at opo kapag nakakatanda ang kausap, na kumain ng gulay
para lumusog, na kapag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng tinapay, wag lang
nakasilid sa grapon.
On the other hand, the knowledge available at home is not enough to be
able to meet the demand of the world. Education is the road to it. It is the ones
built by the society to help us live with how the world wants us to live. The
schools are the providers of education. This is where we learn after doing so at
home. Thus, if the school is the second provider of learning, it means that the
school is our second home and the teachers are our second parents.
Marahil sasabihin ninyo na ang may mga nagkamit na karangalan lang ang
may maraming natutunan sa paaralang ito ngunit nagkakamali kayo. Ang
pagkatuto ay hindi lamang nasusukat sa marka sa mga asignatura, kundi maging
sa pang-araw-araw na karanasan sa buhay, tayo ay natututo. Kaya nga aking
nasabi kanina na hindi sapat ang kaalamang nasa loob ng tahanan. Kailangan
nating lumabas sa apat na sulok ng bahay upang makita ang mas malawak na
mundo. Kahit minsan, ay nagiging isang hamon sa atin ang pagpasok sa paaralan
dahil sa ibat ibang rason kagaya na ng problemang pinansiyal.
Kung anuman ang narating ko sa kasalukuyan ay walang pinagkaiba sa
narating ng iba. Pare-pareho ang ating karanasan bilang mga mag-aaral. Hindi
porket valedictorian ako ay mas mataas ang kinatatayuan ko kaysa sa inyo. Kung
ano ang kinakain ng aking mga kaeskwela ay kinakain ko rin. Kung ano ang
ginagawa nila ay ginagawa ko rin. Kung ano ang laman ng kanilang bag ay
ganoon din ang sa akin. Alam ko kung paanong pumasok sa paaralan na dala-
dala sa isipan na mahirap ang buhay. Ang bawat salapi ay hindi lamang pinupulot
sa daan kundi pinaghihirapan. Kagaya ninyo ay produkto rin ako ng paghihirap
ng aking mga magulang. Maaaring ang naging pagkakaiba lamang natin ay
naglagay ako ng higit na pagsisikap dala ng motibasyon kong makatulong sa
aking pamilya sa hinaharap.
Ang aking mga magulang ay hindi ganoon kataas ang naabot na antas ng
edukasyon, subalit, masasabi kong maayos ang aming pamumuhay. Kumakain
kami ng tatlong beses sa isang araw, nakakabili ng maayos na kasuotan at may
maayos na tahanan. Masasabi kong sakto ang aming pamumuhay. Kaya nga
pinag-aaral kami ng aming magulang ay nais nilang mas mapaganda pa ang
aming buhay. Hindi nila ipinagdidiinan sa amin na kailangang yumaman kami.
Sapat lang ay ayos na basta namumuhay nang marangal at nakakatulong sa
kapwa at sa lipunan.
Ganyan pinahahalagahan ang edukasyon sa ating bansa. Ngayong
ipinatupad na ang K to 12 ay inaasahan ng marami ang mas magandang sistema
ng edukasyon. Ang bawat Pilipino ay umaasa lamang sa edukasyon na
pinaniniwalaan nilang magiging solusyon sa kahirapan na itinuturing na
nangungunang problema ng ating bansa. Ngunit para sa akin ay hindi ito ang
pangunahing problema. Hindi kahirapan ang tunay na suliranin ng lipunan kung
hindi ang sistemang umiiral sa pamahalaan at maging sa lipunang ating
ginagalawan.
May natatandaan ba kayong administrasyon na kahit kailan ay hindi
binatikos o walang nagprotesta? Hindi ba at sa bawat termino ng mga pinuno ng
ating bansa ay laging may pambabatikos at laging may protesta?
Nangangahulugan lamang ito na hindi nararamdaman ng masang Pilipino ang
maayos na pamumuhay na dapat ay ibinibigay sa kanila. Nandiyan ang
pangungurakot, mga krimen, mga kanser ng lipunan na tunay na pagpapahirap sa
mga Pilipino. At ano ang solusyon dito? Edukasyon. Sa patuloy na pagbibigay ng
DepEd ng de-kalidad na edukasyon, malulunasan ang mga anay na sumisira sa
ating lipunan. Sabi nga ni Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago Stupid is forever. Sabi
ko naman, walang forever. Stupid can be cured by quality education.
With all the problems we hear over the radio, see at the television and read
in the newspaper, may we all be motivated to study as hard as we can to
contribute for the betterment of our country. Let us continue to make the right
choice for our lives. Let make the story of our lives worthy to be shared in the big
screen of the world. Even though we are hindered by poverty, we just need hard
work and perseverance to reach the finish line. After all, it takes just four more
years to have our college diploma.
Let me take this opportunity to thank all the people behind our success. To
our teachers who have never been giving up in nurturing us and who have always
been making their time available for us, to our families who continue to support
us in every step we take, and most importantly to our Almighty God who
ceaselessly bless us with wisdom, strength and guidance. We owe them all of
what we have just received and what we will be receiving today. Continuous
industry and hard work are what all it takes to repay them.
As we bid adieu to our dear Alma Matter, let us not forget all the things she
taught to us and all the goals she set for us in the future. May we continue to
make our Alma Matter proud of us by being the best citizen we can be.
The story of our lives now lies in our hands. It depends on us how are we
going to continue the teleserye that we made in this institution. Like those we
watch at the television, sana happy lang, walang ending.
Once again, good morning and May God bless us all!