Valedictory Speech of Cristyl Mae B. Senajon (ADDU Class 2008 Valedictorian)

VALEDICTORY SPEECH
Ateneo de Davao University Commencement Exercise 2008
March 15, 2008

Cristyl Mae B. Senajon, AB Mass Communication, magna cum laude
Class 2008 Valedictorian

“Although we are obliged to avoid all that is evil, still we must be especially on guard against that which our nature is most inclined, for it is precisely from that source that our ruin will come if we do not exercise vigilant care over ourselves” (St. Ignatius Loyola).

History tells us about the multifarious times upon when this native island we now proudly call the Republic of the Philippines has been subjected to ostensibly unceasing political, social, and economic arrests. It is as if though we cannot go beyond the tales of our past, yet another time in our nation’s flow of history, we have come to subsistence at this juncture in a period of tumultuous trade where an existing gap between the haves and the have-nots is growing with much disparity, where the value of integrity is almost becoming likely an intolerable norm in a political sense, and where our people are seemingly becoming socially dislocated. In the past few months, we have been hearing and watching reports of indicated substantial corruption in the government implicating some of our high-ranking bureaucrats including even in those web of issues the alleged participation of the chief executive herself. Whether or not true, based upon testimonies of certain bold men who have chosen to walk from their shadows, we have been taken aghast by the pressing reality of corruption lurking behind the boulders of our system. As in the case of the much talked-about NBN-ZTE mess, it has become for instance a public knowledge that 20 percent overprice for a government contract would qualify as acceptable or moderate greed. Hence, to put this in another terms, kickbacks of 20 percent were the “norm” in government transactions. This is a case of dysfunctional procurement system. As in the words of Senate’s star witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. in its inquiry into the controversial NBN-ZTE deal, government’s procurement system does not work because institutionally the process is supply-driven rather than need-driven. This means projects go to suppliers who are close to the powerful.” Unquote. This is what is meant exactly by St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus when he said that we be on constant guard against that which our nature is most inclined. We can be at any rate be inclined to do what is evil only if we allow it to be. It is safe to assume almost certainly that what some officials in our government dub as “moderate greed” which is greed nonetheless is an absolute repercussion of letting one’s human nature be inclined against what is truly good.

Moreover beside this, the current national political crisis only compounds certain things that have already been enshrouding the country’s stale political system. But now, we might wonder and ask, in the midst of recurring political crisis, where do we try to locate ourselves even more as graduating students in terms of values and principles that within four or five years of study in the Ateneo have been formed according to Ignatian spirituality and leadership?

The Jesuit mission in education is that which that proclaims the service of faith through the promotion of justice. It is faith that does justice, so as to say.

Encapsulating the center-fold ideas of this phrase Father Pedro Arrupe, SJ once said, and I quote, “Our experience has shown us that our promotion of justice both flows from faith and brings us back to an even deeper faith. For the vision of justice which guides us is intimately linked with our faith. It is deeply rooted in the Scriptures, tradition and our Ignatian heritage. It transcends notions of justice derived from ideology, philosophy, or particular political movements, which can never be an adequate expression of justice of the Kingdom for which we are called to struggle at the side of our Companion and King.”

In the times when thinking about the welfare of the others seems to be the least of things most of us would opt to do because we busy ourselves with our own immediate and constant needs, there are a few individuals who have their lives selflessly dedicated to the upliftment and empowerment of those that our society cast to be downtroddens. We hope to share with them the same vision of a more just and more humane society for all the livings. Our Jesuit education has for us, the graduates an equal calling. We are called to be leaders concerned about the society and the world, we are called to join the ranks of those who desire to eliminate hunger and conflict in the world, to be more sensitive to the need for more equitable distribution of the world’s goods; no less are we called as graduates of this institution to seek to end sexual and social discrimination and finally but equally important, to share our faith with others. In short, we are called to live upon the goal of Jesuit education to form students who will become leaders-in-service.

In truth, we have every opportunity to render response to the call of our times based on the principle of the service of faith and the promotion of justice. The current national political crisis is in and of itself a challenge to every member of the community to actively participate in the search for the whole truth. While our country might not yet be ripe for another Edsa-type peaceful revolution as the economy is holding up unlike in 1986 and 2001 when the peso was sinking, prices escalating, business deteriorating and investments migrating (Artemio V. Panganiban, PDI March 2008), members of the academe as we are there is much that we can do in helping to address not only this recent political problem but also as well as to any foreboding threat to our national welfare. Because all that we are confronted with during this time is substantially a question of morality more than a question of politics accordingly, from our level we can act like true leaders-in-service.

In no time, we the graduates will be flooding the spigots of both the local and national workforce. Some of us here might be working as accountants, others businessmen, computer programmers, engineers, architects while others still will be joining the lines of some of our best media practitioners, medical doctors, nurses and teachers. Whatever field of specialization we shall have chosen for ourselves as we start out a new career in the future never hesitate but always act like true leaders-in-service. We can always begin from ourselves by way of living a life that earnestly promotes honesty and integrity in our intents and actions. We can become agents of transformation when others see by our example that we try to our very best to be honest and fair in terms of our dealings with others.

“The Ignatian ideals of magis, cura personalis, and contemplation-in-action fit very well with this vision of leadership and spirituality. On one hand, Magis helps transform our minds to look at the world as filled with hope and possibility for doing great things for God. (Karel San Juan, SJ). While we have been formed into becoming effective future leaders of our society the purpose of the development of our whole person, head and heart, intellect and feelings is however not centered on the development of the self alone. Rather, the purpose is to develop leaders who are committed to ideals and values to such an extent that they will work to change the society (Themes of Jesuit Higher Education). Concretely put, we aim at constantly improving ourselves, intellectually and affectively, going beyond the borders of limited horizons so in return, we come to serve others best. This is the essence of doing more. On the other, cura personalis helps renew our hearts to relate with others with deep personal care and attention. The spirit of the contemplative-in-action is the spirit of a sensitive soul discerning and finding God in all things. (Karel San Juan, SJ). Through our education, we have come to be molded into becoming men and women who are both aware and at the same time sensitive to the needs of the society upon which we inhabit. As we end our tenureship in college, may we carry along with us the mission of the society to promote justice in our society. May this ideal be always concretely operative in our lives.

Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J. tells us insights of Ignatian transformation: to know as God knows, to choose as God chooses, and to love as God loves. This transformed knowing, choosing, and loving are the hallmarks of the person who has learned Ignatian discernment, who engages the call to justice in all dimensions, refusing to cave in to the limitations of ideology even as he or she cooperates fully with others of good will.

To my fellow graduates, I pose before us the challenge of our times: let us heed the call for participation in the transformation of our society as it fully appears to us. Let us do our share in promoting the basic Ignatian purpose and thrust to our respective communities. Let us model the process of transformation by ensuring that we observe and live upon the ideals of truth, justice, and equity. And to our parents, teachers, colleagues and friends, continue to be our beacons of hope as we embark on yet another point in our lives where we face a new set of challenges we all wait to triumph over.

Thank you very much.

(Source: www.addu.edu.ph) - Thanks to Cristyl for sharing a copy of her speech.