"Regardless of where your journey will take you, please always choose to be kind." (AGS Class of 2025 Commencement Speech)

This was the speech delivered by Philip Francisco U Dy (GS ’98, HS ’02, AB Dev’t Studies ’06), Executive Vice President of Metrobank Foundation Inc, during the commencement exercises for the Grade School Class of 2025 on 23 May 2025. 

Good morning to all of you. 

To prepare for this speech, I did two things. First, I tried to remember who our guest speaker was when I graduated from here in 1998. After scratching my head many times and even asking some of my batchmates, I’m afraid I cannot remember. Perhaps we didn’t even have one? While that exercise relieves some of the pressure from this morning, I still hope that you’ll pick something up that is worth remembering.

Second, I consulted ChatGPT for ideas on what to focus on for my speech. “That’s a great opportunity,” ChatGPT responded. Then it gave advice about “balancing inspiration, relatability, and Ignatian values,” before giving topic suggestions like "Magis," "Being Men for Others," and even "Embracing Change and Challenges." It truly felt like I was talking to an Atenean! It ended, however, with a great question: “What do you have in mind?”

That got me thinking. And the thinking led me to conclude that because I’m in no position to understand how it is to be in your shoes as Atenean grade schoolers these days, then I’m also in no position to give you advice. All that I can offer is to talk about what has been valuable in my experience, in the hope that you can find value in it too.

So let us start at the beginning: prep to grade 3, to be exact. During my early years here, I was a regular student and even struggled with subjects like Reading and Language. I literally have submissions to my grade school teachers where I would spell "the same” as D-E-S-A-M-E, because for some reason, I thought it was just one word instead of a phrase!

Then something happened in grade 3 – my father unexpectedly passed away. That became a turning point and one of my earliest lessons. When you face a difficulty, you only have two options: do you give up? Or do you level up? It’s like our experience when playing video games: if you are not strong enough to slay the boss yet and end up being defeated, do you let it be game over or do you practice, get better gear, and level up?

Honestly, I was not deliberate about it during that time, but my father’s unexpected passing pushed me toward the direction of leveling up. By grade 4, I started getting really good grades. By grade 5, I was class president of 5-Kawit. All because I mustered the courage, with the help of a supportive community around me, to level up instead of declaring game over. And then it was one level up after another: AGSCOM officer and student speaker in grade school, Evelio Javier Awardee and class salutatorian in high school, and student council president and class valedictorian in college. While I am lucky to have gotten these recognitions, I can honestly say that what I consider as the true reward was the chance to keep on improving myself because I leveled up, every time I faced a challenge.

My first experience of being a president was also something I will never forget. I had a classmate who had an eye condition, which necessitated wearing a fake or prosthetic eye. Because of that, he was teased almost daily. As class president, I felt like I had to do something. And one lunch break, I finally said: “This has to stop. We can behave better.” That experience solidified for me how I view leadership up to this day: Leadership is equal parts using power to help and using power to bring out the best – and not the worst – out of people. 

In 2016, I got the opportunity of a lifetime to serve as chief of staff to former Vice President Leni Robredo. Believe it or not, the leadership principle that I learned when I was in grade 5 was one of my guides while working for the second highest office in the land! For me, everything that we did at the OVP then was all about helping and giving a chance for people to contribute their best – whether it was launching the free teleconsultation service at the deadliest height of the pandemic through the help of volunteer doctors, or working with partners who were willing to ride a motorcycle for two hours, up the mountains, to build classrooms.

In recounting these moments now, it may sound like everything just fell into place. But don’t get me wrong: there was always struggle underneath it all. In fact, there is always struggle underneath it all. I think a unique part of my struggle then was having to balance asserting myself and at the same time being insecure about what my classmates think of me. If you notice from my story, I didn’t say something that first lunch break when I observed that my grade 5 classmate was being teased. It took many lunch breaks before I finally decided to assert myself and do something about it.

The bad news is that researchers are saying that it is getting harder and harder for young people now to assert their true selves. A big reason is social media. When I was in grade school, there was no Facebook, there was no TikTok, and not even apps like Discord. I cannot imagine being in grade school and having social media in the same way that you most probably cannot imagine being in grade school and not having social media. And social media has unfortunately magnified our tendency to see ourselves based primarily on how others see us.

I read about an article on a 13-year-old girl celebrating her birthday. She was asked what would make her most happy during her special day. You know what her answer was? If her friends will post about her birthday in their pages, complete with pictures of them together. She stayed glued to her phone during her whole birthday, waiting for the posts then the likes and comments to come. This example I think raises a serious question: If our social media habits are increasingly tying our sense of happiness and meaning to what others think of us, then what space is left for us to find who we truly want to be, regardless of outside voices?

I know this is a lot to think about. Even for an adult like me, it is a constant struggle. It’s such a full circle moment for me, actually, to be talking about establishing your identity because I have another distinct grade school memory in this very gym where we are holding your graduation. We had our baccalaureate mass here and after the mass, our entire batch performed a song together, with matching actions and gestures. The song was “Corner of the Sky” from the musical Pippin, where part of the lyrics go:

Eagles belong where they can fly
I’ve got to be where my spirit can run free
Gotta find my corner, of the sky

So that is my graduation wish for all of you: that you will be able to find your corner of the sky. To establish what you stand for. To assert who you truly want to be. Your sense of self is the only sure thing that you can bring with you throughout this entire journey.

This journey of self-discovery will lead each of you to very different paths. But there is a common thread that I hope will tie all of us together. Regardless of where your journey will take you, please always choose to be kind. We need more kindness in this world. Kindness is such an underrated power for three important reasons from my perspective.

First, as artificial intelligence and technology continue to grow at a rapid pace, what can set you apart is your capacity to be kind: the ability to look others in the eye, understand where they are coming from, and connect in a sincere way. Part of my job now being an executive is to interview applicants and ultimately decide who will get the job. Skills are of course important. But between a skilled person or a kind person, 100% of the time I will choose the kind person – even if they are not as skilled as the other candidate. Paraphrasing what Dumbledore said to Harry Potter in the Chamber of Secrets: It is our kindness that will set us apart, far more than our abilities.

Second, kindness opens doors and builds bridges. It makes good relationships possible. When I look back at the opportunities that came my way since finishing school, I can trace it back to somebody I know opening a door for me – by introducing me to somebody or telling me about an exciting work opportunity. I heard this in a podcast once: “Luck comes in the form of people opening doors for you.” I doubt it very much if people will open doors for the unkind. Fortune favors the kind because their kindness creates their own luck.

Finally, part of what we all have to learn is to be kind to ourselves. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemy. How we talk to ourselves can be hurtful and mean. If we can learn to be kinder to ourselves, struggles become more manageable because we don’t have to look outside or elsewhere to hear that we can do it; we can tell ourselves that and be the one to pick ourselves up.

Your headmaster, Mr Robles, wisely shared with me: “In the AGS, we make room for everyone.” How truly fitting. Kindness, ultimately, is about making room – for others, yes; but I hope you will also never forget to make room for yourself.  

Congratulations for this Big W, Ateneo Grade School Class of 2025! 

Keep on leveling up. 

Ad majorem Dei gloriam!