(A
speech delivered to Xavier University High School during the XUHS Magis Awards
last March 2014. Magis is the latin word for "more". Magis Awards was
an event where students who exemplify Magis in their fields were awarded.)
HIGHSCHOOL
On this momentous day, I am surrounded by this school’s greatest
young leaders – leaders of clubs, leaders of the church, leaders of different
batches, leaders of promising advocacies, all from different walks of life. You
are all leaders with unique stories, and have, in many ways, created a
significant impact in your school and the society at large. Through your
hardwork and battles you triumphed, you finally came to this point when the
fruits of your labor will be acknowledged with certificates and medals. Then,
many of your classmates and families will applaud you for your achievement. I
am sure of that because I was once like you, seated on a not so different chair
like yours, eager to hear my name to be called, and stand out in the big crowd.
I graduated high school with flying colors, as the Batch
Salutatorian who received 11 medals. In my Senior year, I was President of a
regional organization of science clubs, and at the same time the Editor in
Chief of our school publication, and Vice president of the student government,
not mentioning the number of times I headed class activities and group projects
in between. I was proud and arrogant. Being in the spotlight at all times made
me feel so high of myself, that all I ever thought of was how I could improve
myself to earn more trophies, medals, and certificates which will put an edge
on me over others. This was my motivation in serving others. This was how I
understood success, prestige, and human dignity.
Then December 16, 2011 came. In an instant, Sendong washed away
everything that I worked hard for, the name that I strived to build. Just as
St. Ignatius‘ life was greatly shaped by the cannon ball experience, Sendong
was my cannon ball experience. It’s my defining moment. And my life has never
been the same again.
COLLEGE
My track in college was mostly devoted in the student government
and my community engagements. Since I was a Freshman, I have been a member of
the student council, organizing projects right there and then, and even playing
multiple roles simultaneously. My involvements along with my academic
responsibilities kept me busy 24/7. It was exhausting at so many points, and
sometimes I found myself in tears due to exhaustion or even confusion. My
leadership experiences had ups and downs, joy and pain, triumphs and defeats,
but all of them are revelations about myself, my view of others and the world.
Leadership challenged me to empower the youth through the leadership formation
programs that I founded with some friends, and transcend business from a merely
profit-making industry to a venue for community development through the
establishment of a social enterprise that gives livelihood assistance to the
marginalized in Barangay Puerto. It is only in these moments when I became
truly happy with what I’ve been doing – a kind of happiness that I never
experienced in any of my involvements before, a priceless feeling that none of
my numerous awards made me feel.
These efforts are successes that don’t require medals and awards
to feel their value. The fulfillment within is the most important award,
something that does not wither, something that won’t be gone even with another
Sendong to come. Nothing is ever more rewarding than having the opportunity to
enrich the lives of Filipinos, and receive nothing but mere contentment and
peace.
Friends, awards make us feel good, but they are not the
destination. An award is never the end line in our journey in leadership,
it only challenges us to desire being more and doing more. Because after all,
the spotlight is not on us in leadership. It is always on them – the poor,
weak, oppressed, and marginalized.
I believe that this Magis Awards Ceremony is not a celebration
of medals, but rather, a celebration of our commitment to make a difference in
the lives of these people. As you go home and bring your medals with you, ask
yourselves, how do these sum up to the greater scheme of things?
SERVICE IS THE MISSION TO LOVE
We earn medals and awards, get elected to high posts, and get
key responsibilities in our organizations not because of ourselves.
Rather, we fulfill roles and titles because there is a bigger cause that we’re
ought to accomplish. There is a mission in leadership that is bigger than
our lives.
In my experiences, I realized what leadership truly is, far more
than the clichés of service, skill, and sacrifice. In my journey of
understanding what leadership is through the complexity of its ups and downs, I
came to realize what leadership is in its simplest context. Leadership, for me,
is an invitation to love unconditionally. Leadership is about giving ourselves
to someone or something greater than ourselves - to look beyond the activities
that need to be accomplished, papers that need to be signed, or deadlines that
we should beat. Leadership transcends the everyday tasks of a student
leader like me - to go beyond the task in itself or the responsibility that is
associated with my position, but just love, and love with all my heart, may it
be even in the most difficult endeavor or the most basic responsibility. Beyond
everything else, a leader’s mission is to love.
This is a humbling realization for me which took me years to
grasp, but this is only because my life is a story of how much I experienced
that kind of love. One very ordinary, but moving experience for me is the way I
witnessed my parents’ love for me. Every time I look into the years that
passed, it is when I get to appreciate how much they sacrificed for me and my
siblings just so we can live better lives.
There came a point when my mom lost her job because of political
conflicts in the place where she worked at, and ended up taking every possible
job she could have as a sideline. My mom is good at baking, so she used that
opportunity to earn money. I remember her usually sleeping beyond 12 midnight
just to finish the pile of orders she needed to fulfill for the next day. She
often got sick, and her hands would sometimes tremble because of fatigue. But
despite of that, my mom would always wake up every single day to prepare
breakfast for us. As I grew older with so many responsibilities at hand,
there were times when I had to leave or house at 4:00 AM or 5:00 AM but during
these mornings, my mom would wake up before me, ensuring that I’d have
breakfast before I leave. It is in these simple but heartening routines that I
came to understand the capacity of a person to love others more than
themselves, moments when I get to feel the depth of someone’s heart to love.
The mission to love is to carefully see beyond these
extraordinary experiences – from simple life events to crucial, grandeur, and
glorious moments. In moments like these, we begin to understand what
unconditional love is. And because I feel so loved, I had something in me which
is beyond what words can explain – something that challenged me to put this
love into something else, to share this love with people in society who need my
compassion most, and that is how my real leadership journey started. I serve,
because I want to love back. Service is my response to the love that I’ve felt
coming in my life. And just like any form of love, this love would sometimes
hurt, but this is the kind of love that never tires my heart amidst hardships,
criticisms, and defeats.
MAGIS IS ABOUT LOVING THE MOST
We are all young with so much idealism within us. In moments of
uncertainty, I will leave you with 3 questions to ponder:
- What
is it that I should love?
- What
is it that I should love more?
- What
is it that I should love most?
That, I believe, is what Magis is all about. We will never truly
understand Magis without answering the call to love, or responding to what we
are ought to love the most. In a developing country like ours, a lot of our
brothers and sisters need the most of our love. Streetchlildren who made
Divisoria as their home need this love. The indigenous people in the mountains
who are deprived of proper healthcare and quality education need this love.
Unborn babies who are deprived of life due to unplanned conception need this
love. Women in offices who are discriminated simply because of their
gender need this love. Many Juans in jail who got imprisoned for a crime that
they did not commit need this love. Every Filipino who cries for equality,
justice, and peace need this love.
These realities only point out to one truth: That indeed, this
world needs love. This world needs leaders, not with intellect, skills, and
talents, but leaders who can simply love. As student leaders, our mission is to
fill this world with love.
My dear friends, you may forget everything that I told you this
morning, but I want you to remember only 1 thing, just 3 words: That wherever
you may go, and whatever plans you wish to pursue, I hope these 3 words will
guide you. Fall in love. Fall in love truly and deeply. Fall in love with all
your heart. Just fall in love, and see where that love will take you.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!
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| The XUHS Community during the Magis Awards |
