Debunking the Mottos
Graduation message for IKA Batch 2012 Graduates
Printed with permission from Commencement speaker Rey Anthony H. Chiu
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Academic Supervisor Winefreda Flores, Rev. Fr. Linuel Canizares, Graduates, Parents and Friends, what a great privilege for me to share your joy today.

Owing to the joyous air of happiness and celebration that hangs low in this amphitheater today, I would bet, after this message, not even half of the graduates can remember what I said.

Interestingly, the mind works by association.

And since today happens to be one of your greatest days, your mind would rather lock on to things you would rather want to hear, not on things you are supposed to listen to.

I can perfectly understand that.

I graduated, along with 92 others in one section in the late 80’s. (Those among you who are quick with numbers, figuring my age would be piece of cake.)

The graduation rite was inside the church then. That is all I can tell you.

If you will ask me what our commencement speaker said then, honestly, I could say, I could not recall. I could not even remember who was our graduation speaker.

This means that I would not blame you if, five minutes after my talk, the whole thing I shared suddenly gets pouring through the other ear.

But, even then, here I am, standing before you, trying to be smart, finally because I was more of stupid than sane in my younger years.

But, stupid as I was, I managed to slip through high school and college.

How did I do that? Let me tell you this.