Makibahagi, magpakatao (SHS HumSS Strand commencement 2022 speech)

This was the speech delivered by business executive Jose Antonio "John" Alonte Jr (GS '77, HS '81, BS ME '85) during the commencement exercises for the Senior High School class of 2022, HumSS Strand, last 4 June 2022.

Thank you for this rare privilege to speak before such a distinguished group, from the institution where I had spent most of my formative years and which I feel has been instrumental in molding me into who I am, and what I have become.

To the graduating class of Ateneo de Manila Senior High School 2022, my sincerest congratulations!

As Principal Mr. Noel Miranda said in his introduction, I was also once , like you, a graduate of the Ateneo High School, 41 years ago to be exact – pero hindi naman halata di ba?

Kidding aside, coming back to my alma mater always gives me a sense of nostalgia – the happy times and familiar places, the lifetime friendships, academics, sports, etc. But understandably, I am from a very different period and generation. The circumstances you have been through, to reach where you are now are very different and are more complex.

Let me start with the most obvious -- may mga babae na ngayon sa senior high.... napaka-swerte niyong lahat kasi unlike during my time, you’re able to have classmates of the opposite gender, and learn from one another your differing perspectives at this young of an age.

But seriously, and as your Ateneo de Manila University President Fr. Bobby Yap aptly put it during your Baccalaureate mass last Thursday – your batch is truly a Class Act.

Your batch practically went through the entire two years of senior high online! In all those two years, you did not even get a chance to see how the Ateneo Senior High building looked like until the last few months of the school year. And how many times did any of you even get a chance to experience face to face sessions? Two? Three? That’s probably the same number of days I was absent from class during my entire senior year. Just imagine that!

And yet, here we are today celebrating your graduation from Ateneo Senior High. Who would have thought that this was even possible two years ago?

For this we are grateful to the Ateneo for making this happen – specifically to all the people who comprise it, from the University officials down to the teachers. Thank you.

May I then invite you graduates to please give these school officials and teachers a resounding round of applause for this amazing feat.

I would also like to congratulate all the special awardees this morning. I noticed that the strand excellence awards were all named in honor of four Jesuits, who at some point in my high school life, became my teachers, role models and mentors and who have formed lasting impressions that have influenced me to become the person that I am now. I will always be grateful to these four Jesuits.

So please allow me to express this gratefulness through a quote from poet Maya Angelou, “I've probably forgotten almost all that they’ve said, almost all that they’ve done, but I will never forget how they’ve made me feel in those years they were there with me.”

And since most of you probably do not know who these Jesuits are, allow me please to say a few words about them.

First is Fr Jose A Cruz, the Ateneo de Manila University President during my time – my milestone Jesuit. He was always there for all my academic, extra-curricular and athletic recognitions. He was  the forever present school official who handed me my academic awards and diplomas in all my graduating years from Grade School '77, High School '81, and in College BS Management Engineering '85. He was also the person whom we presented our trophies and medals to, whenever my Football and Volleyball teams would win championships; and whom we would honor during parade in reviews when I was the Ateneo CAT Corp Commander.

Then Bro James Dunne, my Jesuit guidance counselor for 3 years, who was there for me, particularly during my Junior and Senior years. He said he was a trained nurse practitoner and that I should call him nurse counselor. He initially struck me as a very serious person, who turned out to be a seriously funny person, who made my high school life seriously fun....

Next is Fr James O'Brien; my fourth year class moderator and Tulong Dunong teacher; an American who was more Filipino than most Filipinos I knew. Amidst Martial Law, he taught and inculcated in us, his students, the concept of Theology of Liberation, and how transformational education was the great equalizer out of poverty.

And from Fr OB, two teachings and words stood out and resonated: Makibahagi and Magpakatao.

Makibahagi meant getting out of your sheltered existence to do good for the people in need. This is where your advocacies come into place. There is no advocacy that is not big enough if it ends up helping someone. The fact that you are here today means you are blessed. Try to now pay it forward in your own little way. You’d be surprised at how far you can go by just putting effort into something. In my case, I am particularly proud of my advocacy for disabled athletes through the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) and Philippine Sports Assciation for the Differently Abled (Philspada) of which I am a Member of the Board and its Treasurer. But while we feel we’ve done much in terms of transformational and life changing activities for the marginalized and disabled Filipino athletes, it is never enough and much is yet to be done.

Magpakatao. Contextually refers to our duty to live up to St. Ignatius’ ideals. “Pag-sa-sa-buhay” as Fr OB would say it.. but what does it really mean? May popular na katagang “Madali maging tao, mahirap magpakatao”. Easy to be human, Hard to be Humane... It is easy to be ordinary but difficult to be extraordinary due to one's principles.

But you graduates are different. You have been blessed with an Ateneo education. The specific circumstances that have brought you to this point of fulfillment may have been different, but the values that you have all gained are central and the same. So allow me please to change this into the context that you graduates are in - Madali sa inyo Magpakatao kasi nakapag-aral kayo sa Ateneo.

Your Ateneo education, even at this early stage of your life changes everything. You may not realize it now, but a large part of who you are, had in a way already been defined and ingrained in you by the Ateneo. And hopefully you can keep these in you, for life.

And lastly, Fr Prudencio Macayan, my first year Algebra teacher who unfortunately was more known as that priest who would talk to the plants and trees and tell them: ”You dumbbell. Why are you not growing as fast as you should?”; rather than the great teacher that he was; who taught me to love Algebra; instilled the value of hard work and discipline; and in his usual booming voice yell in the words that he alone understood – “you need more "stick-to-it-iveness" Alonte”, which I still do not understand until today.

And then there was this “Mr. Alonte – do you know Lugaw Man? Do you know why he was lugaw? Because he never took the leap!”

I know tomorrow is Pentecost Sunday, when the apostles spoke in tongues... but from my Algebra teacher?

But you know what? I took his statement to heart. I interpreted it as his way of telling me to not be afraid to jump at opportunities – and to this day, that has been the story of my life.

So dear graduates, do not be afraid to make well thought out bold leaps. Start as early as you can. You will inevitably at some point experience failure but that’s okay. You will learn to get up on your feet and this will ultimately help you develop resilience. The key is never to lose hope.

I have one last thing I want to say. Last but not the least is my core value of KINDNESS. Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. It is a quality that I have always strive to exhibit.

I am reminded of a piece of advice given to a student who was on his way to start his studies in a top American university. He was told “You are going to a place where everyone is smart. You can stand out by being kind.” Your kindness shall be your greatest differentiator which you can show in a lot of ways.

As mentioned earlier, you are blessed and more fortunate than probably 99% of Filipinos your age. The challenge is to use what you have learned both in and outside of the classroom, whether online or physical, to positively impact those around you. There are many who are selfish and inconsiderate of their fellow Filipinos. Let your kindness differentiate you. Be kind, be generous, and be considerate as you live your life outside of these halls. I am certain that through kindness, you can make a difference.

My sincerest congratulations again my dear Ateneo Senior High HUMMS graduates. I wish you all the success, not only for yourselves and your families, but even for the small steps that you will do for others.

At the end of the day, even if there are haters or trolls that question kailangan pa bang picturan ang graduation. The answer is always a resounding yes!

This is a monumental achievement that you and your families should be very proud of.

Congratulations again on your graduation!

Fly High. For the Greater Glory of God.

Again, thank you and good morning.