Leaving and Meaning

This is the speech that our Auntie Angeles made. I just want to share it with all of you because it is so inspiring. We are so proud of her.

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A commencement speech delivered by Dr. Angeles A. Kho before the administration,
faculty members, non-teaching personnel, retirees,
awardees, friends and guests at Siena College of Taytay on June 05, 2010.
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Until you reach this age / you would not have any idea / how it feels like / to graduate from something you are passionate about // If you are thinking of retiring any time soon / please do not rush / because / now / I do not really feel like leaving /
Look at me // Do I look like ready to leave and take a long vacation? // You see / I am still young— / very / very young / (Hmmm…Walang kokontra)/
But I would like to thank you / for asking me to give this graduation speech // Oh yes // You heard it right // Personally / I do not believe in retirement speeches // So my speech would be called / a commencement speech /
It is good to get a feeling / of being the best / in this graduating class // This is the closest I can be / in delivering a valedictory speech /
Are you excited to hear what I am going to say? // Because I am excited to hear / what I am going to say / too /
Sis. Inocencia Saavedra, O.P. / Mo. Aurora Villaverde, O.P. / Mo. Teresa Examen, O.P. / Sis. Mesalina Cloma, O.P. / Sis. Tarcila Rodis, O.P. / Sis. Benardita Dela Cruz, O.P. / Sis. Susana Bravante, O. P. / Sis. Lourdes Molina, O.P. / Sis. Agnes Cardeño, O.P. / my co – retirees / awardees tonight / lay administrators / faculty members / non-teaching personnel / guests / ladies and gentlemen / good evening /
Even though I can still stand here / for the next two hours / I decided to make this speech a very short one— / short means / five minutes… / and one hour /
Seriously / I just have three points to highlight— / just three / and I will go back to my seat /
Looking back to where I started here at Siena College Taytay / which is obviously a long time ago / 35 years to be precise /  it was not like this— / I can assure / you it was’nt /
It was a humble beginning / like many of us have— / a plain teacher / with a plain understanding of what this profession means // Teaching meant writing lesson plans / and depending heavily on books // Everything that was not in the book / appeared to be wrong // Everything was plain / and simple / and the motivation was never as deep / as it should have been /

When I became the Asst. Principal for Academics of the High School level / it was a higher post / that called / for a higher understanding / of what it feels like to be part / of a larger community / or should I say / family / I realized that I could not be the same plain teacher / in a more challenging post / I had to shape up / and be a better person /
Then / in 1999 / I became the First Lay Principal of the Basic Education Department /
It required me / to be a much better person / and I had to go to the gym / of personal development— / doing the things that I was not accustomed to / learning the curves of leadership / figuring out the puzzle of management and administration /
Those of you who dream of being a principal someday / should not only dream about it // When it comes your way / and you are not ready for it / I would bet my entire retirement package / (ay di ko pa pala alam kung magkano / di sinabi ni Sr. Vicky) / you are not going to make it /
You see / it takes one skill to dream / and another skill to make it happen / and another skill to survive / and another skill to succeed /
I would like to believe that I / together with my fellow retirees / just succeeded at that / without having to look at our service records /
So the first piece of wisdom is:  / If you want to get something / you must be a qualified person /
No one makes it alone / Or / should you persist on doing it by yourself / expect to fail any time soon /
Though my life is simply a product / of my decisions and indecisions / I think it is but necessary to admit / that it was a team effort— / from my family at home / to my community in school.
I must admit / that without this wonderful institution / wonderful people / and equally wonderful fellow workers / I would not make it to this day /
There are many things in life / that are meant to help us / become a grown up person // Sometimes / it is tempting to just stay / in our most comfortable zone / ignore the challenge / and go on with our lives surviving / rather than succeeding /
I chose to succeed / and given another lifetime, I will still choose to succeed /
But in the process of making the best / out of this life / and making this place a better place for every one / I must confess / that I have unintentionally hurt some feelings / and perhaps / offended some people I have worked with // I hope I can please everybody / and I hope it is possible to do just that /
But no / I think my apologies would not be enough / but I hope one day / you would understand // And if you are one of those people / my intention has more to do / with what we can leave behind / as a team /

I would like to take this opportunity / to thank my mentors/ and some people / who were instruments to what I have achieved today
A kind and trusted friend / the late Mrs. Beatriz Macabasag Doroja / for recommending me  to work as a high school Math teacher in 1971 / at Holy Trinity College, Palawan / now Holy Trinity University/
A loving friend for all seasons / my dear Sister Editha Abad, O.P. / for taking me on board the OP Siena Schools System / and / taking the risk to hire me as one of her teachers / without any teaching experience // How to discipline with a heart / I learned it from Sister Editha // She’s not only a mentor / but a dear friend / whose kindness and love she extended to my family /
The administrator who was full of wisdom / the late Mother Loreto Santiago, O.P. / for always believing in me /
The simple but with strong character / Mother Aurora Villaverde, O.P. / for showing a concrete example / of how to remain composed under stress / especially during a labor dispute /
The innovative and intelligent President of Siena College Taytay for 11 years / the late Sis. Estrella Tangan, O.P. / for pushing me hard / to believe in myself / and get out of my comfort zone / learn to accept risks as part of the success equation // Also / for making me as one of her partners / in bringing Siena College High School level / to it’s 1st level PAASCU accreditation / and / for making the grade school and high school levels / operate as one department / now known / as the Basic Education Department /
The very generous Sis. Lourdes Molina, O.P. / our first Basic Education Department Principal / who / unselfishly shared the opportunity / to further widen my cultural development / by paving the way for me / to travel / for the first time / to the different states of America / and / attending the convention of  the National Catholic Educational Association of the United States / in New Orleans /
The icon of simplicity, kindness and fairness / the ever supportive Mother Teresa Examen, O.P. / for the trust, confidence, friendship and opportunity / to become the 1st Lay Principal of Siena College Taytay / Basic Education Department / and / for empowering the BED team / to manage the different challenges /
The energetic Sis. Aurelia Navarro, O.P. / for supporting us / financially and spiritually / in our quest for professional development / and for being BED’s number one fan /
The Sister who is passionate for what is beautiful and clean / Sis. Mesalina Cloma, O.P. / for pushing the High School level / to answer the invitation of the PAASCU / to go into the process of level 3 accreditation / We made it / through your initiated actions / assertiveness / and decisiveness /

I would like to acknowledge / too / our very reliable / hardworking / risk takers / and truth seekers Basic Education Department team / composed of the Administrative staff /  the Faculty members / the Grade and / Year Level Leaders / Subject Area Team Leaders / Coordinators / and Assistant Principal for Student Affairs /
Indeed / I am blessed / to have a very supportive / dedicated / and committed team / because without you / there can never be a successful Basic Education Department /
Also / my dear family / for their unending support / care / and / unconditional love /
And to my ultimate mentor / our Almighty GOD / for giving me the gifts of wisdom / knowledge/ inner strength / and outpouring love // Without all these blessings / I know / I cannot achieve this success / especially / to be able to / effectively and efficiently manage / the challenging tasks of being the Principal of Siena College Taytay / Basic Education Department // To HIM / I give all the praises / honor / and glory /
So the second item is this: / No one / no one makes it alone /
Finally / I believe that we are left / with only two choices in this life // One / to live a life that serves as an example for others to follow /or / two / to live a life that serves as a warning for others to avoid /
Prior to standing here in front of you / I was trying to recall / some examples / and warnings / that my life can teach you /
I know it is a combination of pluses / and minuses // So / I would like you to judge whether what I have identified is a plus / or a minus.
What about my humble contribution / for making this school the first in Rizal / to be granted with PAASCU accreditation / and one of the 1st few schools in the Philippines / to attain the Level 3 accreditation status / of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU)? /
Is it a plus or a minus?
What about my humble contribution / in making Siena—Taytay BED / recognized / as provider of quality of instruction / and very competitive faculty? /
Is it a plus or a minus?
What about Siena College Taytay being called by Sis. Aurelia Navarro, O. P. / as the “Flagship of OP Siena Schools? /
Is it a plus or a minus?
How about missing only one annual retreat from 1975 to 2010? /
Mr. Jojo Zapanta / is it a plus or a minus? /
How about my evading tactics / when asked to deliver a welcome / opening / or closing remarks? /
Mr. Carlo Arciwals and Ms. Concepcion Cruz / is it a plus or a minus?
What about playing hide and seek to avoid parents / or guardians who were galit na galit at makukulit? /
Mrs. Nancy Cabrera and Ms. Gilda Mengote / is it a plus or a minus?
What about having a workaholic Principal? /
BED Educational Council / is it a plus or a minus? / (Magsabi na kayo ng totoo / wala na akong say sa performance ratings ninyo) /
What about having known / as Principal for all Seasons? / (Mrs. Milette Santos, a Noranian / huwag ng kokontra)  / I may not be the elected governor of Rizal / (but I am contemplating to run next election) /  but look at Batangas / Vilma Santos got elected again /
There were hard choices and decisions that I made / and I am sure / we are all making every minute of our life // And I thank God for those difficult times / and confusing choices // They made me a person of worth / a person of strength / a person of dignity /
The thing is / I have dedicated myself to this profession // I would  like to believe / that I stayed here / so that  many others / would have a better life // Some people  call it sacrifice / I call it / love /
This profession is neither about my accomplishments / or my take home pay // If that is all about it / I could have spent this lifetime somewhere else // However / this profession / is about helping people / find their own meaning / through education /
If there is one thing that I am really proud of / it is the idea that I spent my lifetime / so that others may benefit from it— / no regret / only joy /
I found my meaning in what I did // So much so / that I found joy in this team // Now / I would like to challenge you to find yours /
It is not easy to find it / I am sure / especially in these trying times // But I would like to suggest / that you keep looking for meaning /
Will you fail? // Likely // Should you get up and find it again? // Absolutely /
That is the only best choice / we all have to take // Anything less than that / is a waste of God-given life / in almost all of its forms /
Life has a meaning // Look for it /
Before I finish this graduation speech / I am still asking myself / if this is it /
Is this the end? // What is still in there?  // Who else are in there? // What else can I do? // Do I start again? /
Honestly / I still don’t have an answer // But I do believe / that it will be yet / another wonderful journey for me /
Will I enjoy it? // Oh yes / as much as I did / while working here with you // Will I treasure it? / Oh yes / as much as I treasure / every memory I had here with you /
Will I keep it? // Oh yes / as long as I will keep you in my heart / in my mind / in my prayers /
I love you / And I will surely miss all of you /
Thank you so much / for the friendship/ and may GOD bless us  always /