12/6/09
GRAD SPEECH NA ASTEEEG
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Saludo ako sa gumawa ng grad speech na to. Sana kilala kita.
"Ngayong araw na ito, sa ating pagtatapos, mayroon akong dalang Transcript of Record. Ang estudyanteng may-ari ng transcript na ito ay nag-aral sa De La Salle University. 
Sa unibersidad na ito,kapag ikaw ay isang undergraduate, may ID number na nagsisimula sa "94" at pataas, kung lumipas ang isang buong schoolyear at umabot Ka sa 15 units na bagsak, masisipa ka sa paaralan.
Ang transcript na hawak ko ay mayroong 27 units ng bagsak. 12 sa mga ito ay tinamo ng estudyante sa iisang schoolyear lang. Ang isang subject ay kadalasang may bigat na 3 units. Kung iisiping mabuti, isang subject na bagsak na lang ay pwede na masipa ang estudyanteng may-ari ng transcript na ito.
Ang speech na ito ay hindi ko ginawa para i-acknowledge ang paghihirap ng ating magulang sa pagpapaaral satin. Hindi ko din ito ginawa para maghayag ng political statement, o kumbinsihin kayo na huwag umalis sa bansa at tulungan itong maka-ahon. Ang speech na ito ay para sa mga normal na estudyante na kagaya ng may may-ari ng transcript na hawak ko, dahil madalas, wala talagang paki-alam ang unibersidad sa mga achievements nila. May mga awards na gaya ng "Summa Cum Laude", "Best Thesis Award" at "Leadership Award." Pero ni minsan, hindi pa ako nakakakita ng unibersidad na nagbigay ng "Hung on and managed to graduate despite nearly getting kicked-out during his academic stay" award.
Maaaring isang malaking kagaguhan ang konseptong ito para sa karamihan. Bakit mo pararangalan ang isang estudyanteng bulakbol, bobo, tamad o iresponsable? Hindi ba dapat isuka ito ng unibersidad? Ito yung mga tipo ng estudyanteng walang ia-asenso sa buhay, hindi ba? Ayun. Natumbok niyo.Iyun na nga ang dahilan.
Madalas, pag ang isang estudyante ay may pangit na marka sa paaralan, lalong-lalo na sa kolehiyo, nakakapanghina ito ng loob. Nandiyan yung tatamarin ka mag-aral, nandyan yung iisipin mo "Ano pa kayang trabaho ang makukuha ko? Call center na naman o clerical? Ba’t kasi ang bobo ko. Kung matalino lang ako, sana, sa Proctor and Gamble ako, o kung saang sikat na kumpanya."
Mas mahirap ang dinadaanan ng mga estudyanteng bumabagsak. Kahit na sabihin mong kasalanan nilang bumabagsak sila, hindi ninyo alam kung ano ang pakiramdam ng ganun. Madaling sabihin na "Kaya mo yan, mag-aral ka lang…" pero alam ba natin talaga ang sinasabi natin? Kapag ang isang estudyante ay bumabagsak sa unibersidad, nandiyan yung tatawanan niya lang yan. O di kaya naman, ipagmamalaki niya pang "TAKE 5 NA KO!!!" o "Pare, magpi-PhD na ako sa Anmath3/Calculus/etc." Pero hindi alam ng mga isang Summa Cum Laude kung ano ang nasa isip ng isang normal na estudyante sa tuwing matutulog ito at alam niyang pag-gising niya, kailangan niya na naming ulitin ang isang subject na nakuha niya na sa susunod na term. Kahit kalian, hindi naging problema sa "Star Student" na sabihing "Nay, bagsak ako." at hindi kailanman sumagi sa isip nila na "Paano kaya kung sa walang-pangalang kumpanya lang ako makapagtrabaho?" Dahil sigurado sila sa kinabukasan nila. Huwag na tayong maglokohan. Grades are everything. Kahit bali-baligtarin mo iyan, hindi magiging patas ang mga kumpanyang kumukuha ng fresh graduates para magtrabaho sa kanila. Minsan din naman, nadadaan sa palakasan, pero ganun pa din. Kung hindi ka academically good, wala kang patutunguhan. Kung hindi man yun, mas mahirap yung dadaanan mo para lang makaa-abot sa prestihiyosong posisyon.Kaya ngayong graduation, ang speech na ito ay inaaalay ko para sa mga estudyanteng lumpagpak, muntik-muntikanan nang masipa o yung lahat ng paraang pwede, ginawa na para lang makatapos. Gagawin kong patas ang mundo para sa inyo kahit isang araw lang.Kahit ano pa ang sabihin ng ibang tao, kesyo kasalanan mo man na pangit ang marka mo o muntik ka nang makick-out, saludo ako sa hindi mo pagtigil sa pag-aaral. Saludo ako na may lakas ka ng loob na harapin pa rin ang mundo kahit pangit ang transcript mo, taas-noo ka pa rin ngayong graduation at proud na proud sa sarili mo.
Ano ngayon ang mangyayari sa mga graduates pagkatapos nitong graduation? Ayoko nang puntahan yung pwedeng mangyayari sa mga Cum Laude. Baduy. Alam mo naming me patutunguhan ang buhay nila e. Pero dun sa mga lumagpak, ano ang meron? Maaaring makakuha kayo ng mediocre na trabaho lang. Pwede ka rin swertehin, baka makapagtrabaho ka sa magandang kumpanya. Madami pang pwedeng mangyari. Huwag kayong mawalan ng pag-asa. Kung nung college, nagtiyaga kayo e…ba’t titigilan niyo yung pagti- tiyaga ngayon? Pwede ring ganito: Mag-aral ka ulit. Ipakita mo sa kanila na kung sipagin ka lang, malayo ang mararating mo. Subukan mong patunayan sa kanila na kapag pinilit mo, kaya mo ring abutin yung naabot nila. Na hindi ka bobo, kundi tinamad ka lang! Baka sabihin ninyo, drowing lang ako. I’ve been on both sides. Naranasan ko na ring lumagpak, at muntikan na din akong masipa. Naranasan ko na na umulit ng 4 na beses sa iisang subject. Naranasan ko na masumbatan ng magulang, kapatid at kung sino-sino pang propesor na walang pakialam sa pakiramdam ng estuyante. Naranasan ko nang hindi makatulog ng maraming gabi sa pagiisip kung paano ko na naman sasabihin sa magulang ko na may bagsak na naman ako. Kaya alam ko ang pakiramdam ninyo. Akin ang transcript na ito. Pagkagraduate ko ng college, ano ang ginawa ko? Eto. Nagtrabaho muna ng konti, tapos aral ulit. Kuha ng Masteral sa kurso ko. Hindi para sa trabaho o kung ano man. Kundi para patunayan sa sarili ko na noong mga panahong bumabagsak ako, tinatamad lang ako. This is a rebellion. I raise my middle finger to every professor, over-achiever, naysayer and detractor that told me that I can’t make it. I raise my middle finger to every valedictory or graduation speech that only gratifies the university, those who were achievers in school or those who gratify the country when it’s supposed to be the graduate’s moment of glory. You are supposed to acknowledge EVERYONE. Even those who failed many times. Kaya sa inyong mga graduates na medyo hindi maganda ang marka, para sa inyo ito. Kung kinaya ko ito, kaya niyo rin to. Imposibleng hindi.
Previous Comments
i think bob ong made this, i’m not sure though..but i would have loved to hear this spoken on my graduation day…
Posted by TBB at September 18, 2007, 8:42 amcool… nakarelate ako sobra… i love the “I raise my middle finger” thing… ilang beses kong nirereplay sa utak ko yun while doin it in front of my fucking college prof… damn!!!
Posted by Femme_666 at October 26, 2007, 11:33 amyour college prof f*cks? what’s her number? hahahaha
yea in fact si jessica zafra nga nilagay nya yung mga ganyang klasng prof (those who said that we can’t do it) sa 500 people that you will meet in hell. tara let’s all raise our middle fingers together!!
apir!
Posted by TBB at October 29, 2007, 1:19 ami raise my middle finger to every prof…
i like that part. sana sa graduation namin my mgbigay ng gnyang speech…looooove it!!!!
yeah i particularly liked that one. pero coming from someone who already marched…what i like most is the line “gagawin kong patas ang mundo para sa inyo kahit isang araw lang…”
Posted by TBB at January 5, 2008, 11:50 pmmahusay na gawa boss =]
Posted by diyeyms at April 22, 2008, 11:15 amdon’t you just love the author?
Posted by bitterbastard at April 22, 2008, 4:00 pmcongratz and thank u din. kng nabasa ko lng 2ng blog n2 2 yrs ago, mas feel na feel ko ang speech n2 ;p
Posted by fc at July 5, 2008, 1:12 pmhahaha galing ni bob ong!
Posted by TBB at July 5, 2008, 10:32 pmi love it.. sana ganito marinig ko sa graduation ko.. hehehehe…ganda.. simple..realistic and fuck up the best graduation speech ever… good luck sa masteral mo..grabeh and gandah//
Posted by Paul at July 24, 2008, 7:07 amif ever i was given a chance to speak in front this coming march next year,(and if ever i’ll graduate…though no doubt about 
)
since i am graduating…i want to say this to everybody in our class and the people in there. i’ve been to both sides, i experienced getting flunked on my class and it’s a real blow on me. either way, i am now repeating one of my subject and is acing that subject proving my prof that “tinamad” lang ako last semester. hahaha.
one of the greatest grad speech…woo!!
question to mr.bitterbastard:
is bob ong the one who wrote this?
@smoreskisspanda:
i was told that this was by bob ong, though i have yet to confirm that. but still, i don’t think i can write something as brilliant as this in the near future. so whoever wrote this, i’m sure it wasn’t me haha
Posted by TBB at July 25, 2008, 9:40 amokay, thank you mr.bitterbastard.
though you say that you can’t write something as brilliant as this maybe when the emotions are right or whatever things that can inspire you, you might make something like this. though not necessarily like this. haha. woo!
Posted by smoreskisspanda at July 25, 2008, 9:26 pmyea, more or less, though not necessarily like this. thanks. you’re not a bad writer, yourself. 
and you can call me TBB.
Posted by TBB at July 26, 2008, 1:59 pmi took a subject twice (Statics of Rigid Bodies–ES11), and after surviving that i wondered what can possibly bring me down
tada, ES12!!! (Dynamics of Rigid Bodies)
Posted by TBB at July 26, 2008, 2:04 pmokay, from now on i’ll call you TBB.
Dynamic of Rigid Bodies? isn’t that math and physics combined? geez i’ll get bloody flowing through my ears, but i am taking computer engineering so math and math and more math and physics at the side with more math and programs. you never forget the programs, hence computer science.
keep on writing TBB
smoreskisspanda…i forgot the “s”
silly me.
nah, not really. well, there’s elementary algebra, trigonometry, and that’s about it.
well, there’s a little bit of differential and integral calculus (plus linear integrations, fourier transforms, taylor and maclaurin series expansions), linear algebra (n-dimensional matrix, eigenvectors) and some electron physics.. oh i think you have general and special theories of relativity as well but you know..piece ‘o’ cake.
and the department that taught the ES series (ES stands for engg sciences) was already abolished so i am sure that all engg undergrads of my school will not be subjected to the same hell that i had, so it can’t be that bad.
goodluck.
Posted by TBB at July 27, 2008, 11:38 amHaha… there’s still hope for me. i got 3 failure due to absences marks from one subject and that is “english 34″, 2 AF’s from math 2, 1 from english41, tapos AF dn from my philo, polsci and chem. Sa next semester magbabago na ako, di na pede tong ginagawa ko. Ano na lang makukuha kong trabaho, ang pangit na ng transcript ko. Go comsci students !
Posted by Glen at September 18, 2008, 9:54 ammag artista ka na lang kase!!!
Posted by TBB at September 18, 2008, 11:08 amahaha. i also posted this article in my blog last april yata. yung summa cum laude ng batch namin nahiya sa speech niya, sana ganito na lang din daw. winner talaga to! But i think everything is a matter of control and choice. like yung ibang tumatagal sa college, nagpapatagal silang gumradweyt simply because gusto lang nila.
Posted by joma at September 22, 2008, 10:30 amyea i heard some who had those reasons, though i don’t buy it because if they really want to stay in school, then instead of delaying, they could have taken up masterals instead, but i’m cool with that.
i pray for the day that a valedictorian will honor the graduates as highly as bob ong did, for appreciating the sacrifice made just to get to wear the toga…
Posted by bitterbastard at September 23, 2008, 9:13 pmastiiiig
i raise my middle finger sa lahat ng nagbagsak skn nung college
and hands down sa mga tga edit ng grade sa RECTO
Posted by zerelie at October 8, 2008, 1:17 pmthis is supposed to honor those who would rather fail than resort to lowly cheating just to make it to the finish line.
i have no respect for cheaters or their conspirators who’d go for the easy way out and defeat the purpose of what they were in school for.
Posted by TBB at October 9, 2008, 6:45 amtrue! hindi lang sa grade nasusukat ang lahat. sometimes, swertihan lang din na makauno ka esp. pag mabait ang prof. hehe. so wag mandaya, hindi masusukat ang learning dun.
the real purpose of schooling is to be educated and be aware of the true happenings. sometimes pa nga, lessons in school are limited kaya dapat sumasali sa mga non-academic activities. they should not limit their knowledge in the four corners of the classroom. i believe that a student is excellent if s/he has a clear understanding of what kind of society s/he is trying to build. napaka linear life lang din ng mag-aral tapos gagraduate at magtatrabaho. kailangan after school we’ll know and assert our position and role in the society.
haha. sorry for this outburst!
mga naka relate bobo. hahaha.
You are supposed to acknowledge EVERYONE. - why? ngak, simpleng bobo acknowledge mo. congrats call center tumpak mo!
Kung kinaya ko ito, kaya niyo rin to. Imposibleng hindi. -this is not logical. and besides, ikaw na ba pinakabobong tao para kayanin ng ibang bobo?
Posted by rapi at March 5, 2009, 1:42 amCongratulations Rapi you shall be carved into the annals of history and forever be remembered as the smart guy who wasn't able to relate to this blog hail rapi hail hail
Posted by TBB at March 5, 2009, 8:48 amNice. I am a student from DLSU. Although I haven’t gotten that much failed units, I’ve still failed three subjects already in 2 years, so I can somehow relate. Nakakainis nga madalas dahil pati sariling magulang, proud sa anak ng iba! Porket may award sa graduation, o kaya’y Cum Laude. What a way to encourage your child to excel. Pssh haha. Anyway, I just came across your blog account today, and I really like your writing style. I’m a frustrated writer kasi, kaya natutuwa ako sa mga katulad mo, magaling mag sulat. 
More power to you! Btw, May I link this blog entry?
hehehe..tagal ko na toh nabasa,natuwa ako dito..nakarelate(kasi may bagsak din)…pero mas matawa ako sa reply ni rapi..hahaha…and nice one tbb…the ANNALS of HISTORY talaga… to remind you lang rapi…not all who fail in school are really dumb or stipid or intellectually incapable to comprehend their subject..tulad ng sabi sa post..TINAMAD nga lang eh…marami ako kilalang matalingong tamad..at yung mga de-titulong,average ang intellect pero masipag…yun lang..hehehe.
Posted by paul_devil at April 4, 2009, 3:29 pm@divine:
Nakakainis nga madalas dahil pati sariling magulang, proud sa anak ng iba! –> true say! some encouragement huh
Thank you, that is much appreciated, master. feel free to link this but i believe please make sure that the real author (bob ong) is given the credit. Thanks!
@paul_devil:
it’s ok, master. it is always the secure who are humble. i always believed those who never felt the pain of falling down are the same people who weren’t able to climb high enough to begin with. he’s not worth explaining things to.
hi. love this speech. i first read it a few years back (around 2005), and now my friend is composing his valedictory speech. mejo same sila ng topic so i thought he ought to read it.
i’m pretty sure bob ong didnt write this. a guy from dlsu did, ece major ata and he delivered this speech. i forgot his name though. it was written on the copy i first read.
Posted by wee at April 15, 2009, 5:55 pmah oh yea? i was told that bob ong wrote this. well, whoever wrote this, i sure do wanna shake his hand. if he can carry on like this for the next couple o’ years, he would want to publish a book.
oh my gee!
super nkakarelate ako dito, katamaran ko kasi tlga.
nkakainsipre.
thank you thank you for posting such an article.
i posted a link of your blog on FB, i hope you don’t mind. just wanna share this sensible and life changing (haha!) speech.
i like this!….
Posted by bart at September 18, 2007, 5:58 am