Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.

It is always a pleasure to speak to a graduating class. As I am looking at the future of our country: one that is full of hope, ambition, and promise.

And make no mistake. You are that future. Kayo ang magdadala sa pangalan ng Batangas at ng buong bansa sa mas mataas na antas.

So congratulations, whether you finished magna cum laude, or magna-nine-years na scholar.

What matters is that you’re here, diploma in hand, ready to take your place in the world.

Because let’s face it, getting here was not easy. Of your 100 batchmates in Grade One, only 10 of you will finish college. You have just finished an intellectual marathon with a 90 percent casualty rate.

But you would not have done it alone. You stand on the shoulders of others.

From your parents who made sure that you don’t go to school with empty stomachs, to teachers who made sure that you don’t go home with empty heads.

Some of those who formed part of this complex web of support groups may not even have merited your attention.

Let us therefore also pay tribute to all those who had collaborated in your success, from our jeepney drivers, janitors, to our manangs in the canteen, at lalo na ang inyong mga magulang.

In a sense, they, too, are graduating today. For you, that diploma is proof of college attendance. Pero para sa kanila, ang diploma na ‘yan ay resibo ng dugo, pawis, at pagmamahal.

And now, it’s time to pay it forward by being the kind of citizens this country needs.

Ang edukasyong inyong natanggap mula sa pamantasan na ito ay gamitin ninyo upang umunlad ang buhay at gumanda ang kinabukasan ng mga taong naghihirap din para makamit ninyo ang inyong tagumpay: ang magsasaka, mga manggagawa, mga trabahante sa serbisyo.

Make your parents proud, but also make your people proud.

If you’re looking for a post-graduation motto to guide and inspire, you only need these three powerful words to be your moral compass: Serve the people.

But let me also tell you, as someone who has been in the government for more than half of his life: service is not enough. You also have to deliver. It’s not enough to mean well; you must also do well.

And that’s what we in government are doing. No government is perfect. But we are working hard every day to make our country better, fairer, and more prosperous.

We are fixing what needs to be fixed. Building what needs to be built. Reforming what needs to be reformed.

And we need you to join us in this effort. Because nation-building is not just the duty of the government, you all have a role in it.

Kaya nga po commencement kasi hindi ito katapusan. Ito ang simula.

Ito ang simula ng pagsukli sa lahat ng hirap at sakripisyong tiniis ng inyong mga magulang, ng mga guro, at ng lahat ng taong tumulong para marating ninyo ito.

And most of all, it is time to give back to the country that formed and raised you.

You’re stepping into a bigger classroom now: the real world. And here, the lessons are harder, but the rewards are greater.

And take pride in where you come from.

You are part of what I call the OMG generation or the “On My Gadget” generation. Parati kayong nasa cell phone.

You grew up on a steady diet of TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and now even ChatGPT.

You are connected, creative, and quick. And you have access to more knowledge in your pocket than entire libraries had when I was your age.

But please allow this millennial-looking boomer to interject some lessons against this backdrop of rapid technological boom.

Not everything on TikTok is true, so understand first before you share. Nako, sa Department of Finance, marami kaming nakitang mga overnight Tiktok fiscal experts na mas nagmamagaling pa kesa sa mga ekonomista.

ChatGPT can help draft your ideas — but it cannot think for you. That’s still your job. Hindi rin ito masasagot ni ChatGPT kung mahal ka ba niya o hindi na.

Instagram can keep you updated with your friends’ lives, but not everyone in your close friends list are your real friends.

For keeping real ones takes time and trust. It is sharing experiences, dreams, secrets, fears, and aspirations.

Tingnan ninyo nga mga kaklase ninyo ngayon. Maniwala kayo sa akin, sila ang tunay na mga kaibigan ninyo habangbuhay.

Sila din ang uutangan nyo ng loob, load at pera.

Ang Google ay hindi bolang kristal. Hindi nito masasagot kung magtatagumpay ka sa buhay. O kung sino ang inyong mapapangasawa.

Sabihin na lang natin, I bet Google would not have even predicted I’d meet my wife, the Star for all Seasons, on a dance floor some three decades ago.

Not everything you see on Facebook is true. Mabilis mag viral ang fake news kaysa sa boring na katotohanan.

Pero sana kayo, hindi lang basta mag-share, kundi maghanap, magtanong, at magsuri. Kasi ang taong tunay na matalino, yung tunay na may ambisyon para sa bayan, may lalim dapat ang pag-iisip at may pananabik ding makaintindi.

In short, don’t let technology replace your own judgment, your own effort, your own heart.

Because no app, no AI, no algorithm can replace grit, kindness, and wisdom.

So yes, use these tools to help you learn, to help you create, to help you speak out.

But never forget: the most powerful tools you’ll ever use are still the one between your ears and the one that beats in your chest.

Sabi nga natin, talino at puso.

Having said the above, this is my parting shot: whatever you do, put your level best into it.

Better be a good farmer than a lousy politician.

Better be a dedicated doctor in the barrio than a cowardly general.

Better be a bold, principled worker in the field than a silent bureaucrat.

And better to be not liked for making the right, though unpopular decisions, than to be applauded for doing nothing at all.

Titles are not important. Performance is. Because true success is not measured by titles nor the number of likes, but by impact.

And at the end of the day, when the job is done and the uniforms are folded, what truly matters are not the awards you collect or the letters after your name— but the lives you’ve touched and the love you’ve given.

That you were a good child. A loving spouse. A loyal friend. A kind neighbor.

Sabi nga ng Beatles: And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

So, Batangas State University Class of 2025, go out into the world and be that person. Be the kind of Filipino who makes your parents proud, your people hopeful, and your country better.

Once again, congratulations to each and every one of you. Mabuhay kayong lahat. Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas.