Inspirational Message Ala Pulitiko

I, ExConvict, was invited to come and witness a commencement exercise just a few blocks from our residence. It was my cousin's recognition day and he will be receiving 7 awards. As I was reading the program, I was in awe when almost all the invited speakers were government officials. I thought to myself, "This event sure is something."

The program started 30 minutes passed the hour of one in the afternoon, it was smoking hot and the area was filled with proud parents and graduates I should say. Like all the other commencement exercises, it started with an invocation and of course, the singing of the national anthem.

Here comes the inspirational messages to be given by different guest speakers. I was expecting of something like, "Dear graduates, dear parents, this is just the beginning of another chapter in your lives, blah blah blah." But, my ears rang when I heard the speaker say, "Nakita man ninyo kung unsa ang gikabag-ohan sa atong dakbayan sukad naglingkod kami ug ang mayor. Dili na nako isa-isahon kay nakita man ninyo ang gikausaban. (You have seen the many changes and improvements of our town since we and the mayor were placed in position. I do not have to say them to you individually because the changes are obvious.)"

I was like, what? And I started looking around, observing people's reactions. Many just smiled and shook their heads as if this is to be expected when a government official is to be invited to speak in front of prospected voters, knowing the fact that just a year from now, it would be election season again. Surely, they would need to be in a lot of voter's minds as early as now.

I was ready to let the incident pass me for I know that I could not do anything, but there's more. The government official added something like this, "12 years na ko naa sa pwesto ug padayon ko ug kami na nagacoordinate para sa mga programa. Hinaot unta na padayon pud inyong suporta ug pagtabang. (I've been in place for 12 years and I, together with the others, have been coordinating for projects and programs. We are hoping for your continued support and help.)" What the hell is this event? A recognition or a meeting de avance?

Before the speakers, I was excited to see my cousin come up the stage, and receive his awards and recognitions, now, I was even more excited for I do not want to hear any more crap from this sick individual.

Moments later, I had a great smile when someone from the outside shouted, "Pulitiko! (Politics!)" And he was right, it was all about politics. It was never about this commencement, it was never about the graduates, more-so, it was never about the parents, it was about politics.

Finally, his supposed to be "inspirational message" was over, and it was time to give the much awaited awards and recognitions. Then suddenly, I was starting to think that this really isn't a commencement. This is a political freak show. How many individuals would be needed to assist in giving the awards? I saw the teacher in-charge at the stage, and she would be number 1. Next in line from her at the stage, facing the audience, are 2, 3, 4, 5, I think, and hear this, all government officials. Is this really happening?

Does this really have to happen? What politicians would do just to leave marks to individuals and voters. That is a sad fact. They would even put there faces anywhere, in the posts, in boards of the basketball ring, comfort rooms, paper fans, calendars, tarpaulins, almost basically anywhere! I have nothing against politics, I am against the way politics is played. I am against the manner these individuals earn votes. Again, I have nothing against politics. I understand that you really want to earn votes, but do it in the right time and in the right place with the right people.

Well, that was the commencement exercise of my cousin, or I should say, a political exercise.

By the way, did I mention that my cousin is just FOUR YEARS OLD? Yes, the commencement exercise was for DAYCARE STUDENTS. Could you imagine that "inspirational speech" being delivered in front of these toddlers? And, the political exercise lasted for 3 long hours, imagine how long and tiring that is for these toddlers. They have disrespected these toddlers, they have disrespected who they call the hope of our country, they have disrespected their very own selves. (Election is certainly just around the corner, choose your candidate wisely people! =D)

This Made the Boys Cry, Unexpectedly

Batch mates and fellow graduates, I’d like to tell you my own perspective regarding this so-called graduation day. I believe that this isn’t our day to be called, this isn’t our time to be praised, and this isn’t our time to be congratulated. Yes, we underwent sacrifices, sufferings, and trials along our 4-year journey (Some are even more dedicated and decided to extend until the 7^th or 8^th year.) But kidding aside, I want all of you to realize that there are those who underwent sacrifices a hundred times that of ours, our parents.

This is a great time, if not, a perfect time for us to extend our gratitude and express our love and care to our parents. Let’s face it, how many times have we said to our parents that we love them? How many times have we asked for forgiveness and said our gratitude to our parents? I know for a fact that we aren’t hypocrites and I know that you know why we should ask for their forgiveness and give thanks. If not, I’ll give you three of the reasons why.

Every time we woke up late, we hurriedly got off the bed but realized that our clothes weren’t pressed yet, breakfast isn’t served yet. We got mad to our parents, even raised our voices at them, ask for our allowance, and took off without even saying goodbye. (Take note, we still have the guts to ask for our allowance.) What did our parents do? Understood us, act as if nothing happened, or worse, ask for forgiveness from us.

Every time we have night outs or parties, what do we do? We tell our parents that we have projects, case presentations, and the like as an excuse for us to go home late at night or the following day. What do our parents do? They’d blame our clinical instructors and teachers for giving us such activities but in the end give us extra money to spend for the night. They get worried for us, but where are we? We are at some bar having fun and spending all our parents’ money to waste.

Every time the statement of accounts would be released, what do we do? We ask for our classmates’ expertise in making changes with it, making a 1,000-peso expense into 3,000 or more. We even make an expense of our own. We do these for our own personal gain, to have fun most especially. What do our parents do? Work twice or thrice as hard in order to produce such amounts, thicken their faces twice or thrice just to borrow to someone, lessen their rest periods twice or thrice in order for them to do job overtimes.

Those are only three of the many reasons why we should pay tribute to our parents. And those reasons are facts, those reasons are the truth. Believe it or not, no matter how we hide these facts and truths, our parents already know. They already knew on the day you commit these mistakes yet they just let things be. Remember, they were students before also, they know what students do, they know what we really do because they did it also. They were typical students before who turned out to be the best parents for us, right?

I believe I have already made my point with just those three reasons. However grave our acts are, how often we disrespect them, how often we lied and cheated them, how often we stole from them, I’d ask one question: Where are they now? Yes, they are still here celebrating this very moment with us. They are here supporting us all the way. They are here, never getting tired of being our parents. They are here.

I’ve been longing to see a graduation ceremony with us sitting at the bleachers and with our parents sitting at the center, wearing these togas. This is their day, these diplomas are theirs, these awards and recognitions are theirs, these are the fruits of their hard work, and they deserve to be acknowledged.

From this moment on, let us start being there sons and daughters like them who never ceased being our parents, in good times and in bad. So in behalf of the graduating batch, Mamang, Papang, Nanay, Tatay, Mama, Papa, Mommy, Daddy and whatever we call our parents, “Thank you. We are sorry. We Love You.”