Trisha Kristel D. Wee

VALEDICTORY ADDRESS
Ateneo de Davao University Commencement Exercises March 21, 2009

Trisha Kristel D. Wee
BS Nursing, cum laude
Class Valedictorian
Division Awardee

Rev. Fr. Antonio S. Samson of the Society of Jesus, President of the Ateneo de Davao University; the Honorable Antonio Carpio, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; Rev. Fr. Robert C. Hogan of the Society of Jesus, recipient of the Clovis Thibault Award; the Philippine Catholic Lay Mission, recipient of the Drs. Jess and Trining dela Paz Award; Mr. Paul Dominguez, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; members of the Jesuit community in Davao City, honored guests, administrators, beloved mentors, our dear parents, my fellow graduates, friends, good morning!

Critical events in the mid-80s remain a watershed in Philippine history for they present a sobering example of how people in nations outside of the Anglo-American axis translate the concepts of democracy and liberty into one powerful action. We, Filipinos, took our parliament to the streets of EDSA and there we raised our collective voices, and fought for ethical governance. The yoke of imperialism, and the stink of corruption, have become all too familiar to us, Filipinos, and we took action for it. We knew what was at stake and paid a price – a higher price.

And yet, two decades after our People Power Revolution and a decade after the Asian financial crisis, our country today finds itself at a juncture so difficult, it affects the bulk of our laboring masses. The capitalist system embraced by most democratic societies has proven to be vulnerable to global economic meltdown, unable to deliver life’s basic necessities for millions: jobs and a living wage, affordable quality health care and education, and food security. The unmitigating global financial crisis has slammed the country with the force of a typhoon, which began as a ripple in a far-away land but was at the height of its force when it hit Philippine shores. With the global financial downturn wrecking havoc on our local employment, addressing basic labor issues such as providing decent work has become more and more difficult to achieve – potentially undermining the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating poverty and hunger. Naturally, a sluggish global growth will restrain overseas deployments and lessen remittances which constitute our traditional buffer against financial calamities. The global financial crunch could also result in further cuts in the salary and benefits of Overseas Filipino Workers as employers cave in to the crisis. Filipinos-in-diaspora, particularly those providing manpower for international economies, remain vulnerable to job cuts. Further, this global crisis has manifested an environmental face: that of climate change and global warming, cosmic phenomena which the world has slowly come to grips with in the wake of so many environmental disasters costing lives and property.

Yet, this pressing reality resulting from the collapse of economies of industrial nations is not displayed as a direct demonstration of imperialism and corruption as it was in precedent times, and yet it undeniably threatens our collective striving for democracy, liberty, equality, and more significantly, basic and undeniable human rights, to which we, as Filipinos, are undoubtedly deserving of. Thus, it demands societal interventions directed to alleviate the present circumstances, just as our people marched along EDSA and voiced out the need for change. This leads us to a comparative reflection, given our rich history on revolts and reforms as bases, and we ask ourselves: Do we, with thoughtful consideration and analyses, and reflective exercise of judgment, understand what is at stake? Have we located where we stand in the midst of this global reality as it affects all of us? Are we prepared to take on the tall order of transforming society not for the sake of itself, but for ourselves as bearers of the hopes, the dreams and the aspirations of our generation? Eventually, have we discerned where the spirit of God is leading us to, in these most trying of times? These thoughts posed as questions, as I express them here, are my honest estimation of seeking, or better still, of understanding a worldview to which an Ateneo graduate confronts in sincere attempt to live out the core values learned from this institution.

Peter-Hans Kolvenbach of the Society of Jesus, in reinforcing other documents on Jesuit educational agenda, has so often emphasized the thrust of Jesuit education which is to form leaders-in-service, men and women of competence, conscience and compassionate commitment (1989). From the time they launched their first school in Italy in 1548, more than four centuries ago, the Jesuits stuck to their premise that high quality education is the best path towards achieving a meaningful life through responsible leadership and committed service. They have continued to embrace liberal arts, the natural and social sciences, and the performing arts, in concert with all the other branches of knowledge, as powerful means to developing leaders with the potential for influencing and transforming society. In other words, their hope is to unlock our human potential in the exercise of responsible choice for service to humanity.

Likewise, St. Ignatius de Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, has left a spiritual legacy which resonates hope and idealism, ultimately giving us an understanding of the world that we inhabit today: that it is a badly broken and a distorted world, and yet it can be restored and be made better and more humane than it is now. In principle, this theme is reiterated by William Byron of the Society of Jesus at Georgetown University, which I find appropriate in relating to our country’s woes: and these are empowerment and responsibility. In his Keynote Address to the World Congress of Jesuit Alumni/ae, Byron mentioned and I quote, “Those who have a place to stand know where they begin and where they leave off… (they) have a responsibility to help society by doing what they can to halt the drift, to offer direction and guidance through the participation of their committed selves in the flow of history.” We relate this theme in the context of today’s global recession and we say that as future nurses, medical doctors, teachers, social scientists, public servants, NGOs, peace advocates, accountants, entrepreneurs, computer programmers, engineers, architects, and media practitioners – whether here or abroad – we are called to act upon our analysis of the present global order. For indeed, analysis cannot be substituted for blame; but our analysis turns into paralysis unless our sense of responsibility “translates itself into the effective action of responsiveness” (Byron 1997).

As graduates, we are not merely educated to understand. More than sheer understanding, we are educated to commit ourselves to a cause greater than our individual interests. Our search for truth is informed by our sense of responsibility for the life of society. And so, it is with deep appreciation of the ultimate aim of our Ateneo education that we have finally reached this kairos moment today – this passage of time we call college graduation. We are here today because we take the values imbued by our Jesuit education seriously. We are here today because we understand and commit that our educational formation transcends the goals of money, fame and success. Today, we articulate ever more strongly that the purpose of higher education is not for self-development but the development of leaders in all spheres of public life who are committed to the ideals and values to the extent that these usher in critical change in society.

Indeed, our Alma Mater has imbued in us the needed idealism to address present and future socio-political and economic ills which, as we learned so humbly in these past few months, have global consequences. The greater challenge now lies in how we are better able to translate these non-negotiables – the core values that we live by, the values of God – into concrete life actions for the greater good, particularly to those among us who are condemned to live at the margins of society. We commence from within ourselves, integrating human dignity, solidarity, integrity and absolute honesty without fail, as these then reverberate outwards towards our own family, our community, our city, our country, and our world. When is the best time to begin? My fellow graduates, there’s no better moment with greater sense of urgency than now. Today, we commence our mission: not on job interviews, not next month, not even tomorrow. We begin today.

May God abide by us to strive for that which is good and just! Thank you and a pleasant morning to all.