Monday, September 22, 2008

My Speech During the Recognition Program of Dagohoy High School

The following is the speech that I prepared and presented as a guest speaker during the Recognition Program of Dagohoy High School last April 1, 2008 at Dagohoy Cultural Center, Dagohoy, Bohol.
To the OIC-School Principal− Mrs. Virginia R. Macul, guidance counselor-designate− Mrs. Teodora D. Salces, to the Federated Parents, Teachers and Community Association (FPTCA) President− Engr. Ranulfo Sepe, to the teachers and non-teaching staff of Dagohoy High School, parents, students, visitors and guests… my warmest greetings to all! Maajong buntag kanatong tanan! First of all, I won’t miss this moment to express my heartfelt thanks to my Alma Mater− Dagohoy High School for giving me this opportunity. As an alumnus of this institution who is now a fledgling member of the family of educators, I found this chance as an honor and privilege. It is my honor to be back to my Alma Mater to inspire our dear parents and students who will soon bring pride and glory to Dagohoy High. My dear parents and students let me share to you this short and simple story which has been my source of inspiration and guidance for years now. While maintaining the simplicity of the story, let me use our very own dialect as I relate it to you. (This story was spoken using the Cebuano dialect. Cebuano is one of the dialects in the Philippines spoken by the most number of Filipinos in different parts of the country. The language is more prevalent in the central region.) There was once a fisherman fishing with his grandson on a very fine day. There was a high possibility of catching good fish that day because the weather was so pleasant. Without any thought, the fisherman immediately threw the hook unto the water and after a few minutes, he got a big fish of good quality. But the fisherman removed it from the hook and threw the fish back into the water. His grandson just looked at him with bewilderment. And then, the fisherman threw the hook again unto the water and the same thing happened− he got a big fish of good quality. He did the same thing again and again and finally, he got a small fish which he kept in his boat. His grandson was not able to stand what was happening anymore. Puzzled, he asked his grandfather, “Lolo, I really don’t understand what’s happening! We’ve got big fish earlier but you threw all of them back to the sea. Now that we have a small one, you would like to keep it.” And then the fisherman answered back his confused grandson, “Don’t you know? Our pan is so small. How can we cook those big fish?” My friends, that story might sound very funny but it tells us very important lessons in life. How many times have we thrown our big fish away? How many times have we neglected the blessings which life has offered us because we have been so unthankful and preferred to focus on our resentments? We might have or have not noticed them; we wake up each day with abundant blessings in life. The fact that we have another day to keep our life going and to keep building on our dreams is more than enough reason to be thankful. Rejoice! Celebrate every little achievement that you have in life even if those achievements are not worth a celebration for other people. Maintain a thankful heart. That way, we are maintaining a healthy image of a healthy person ready to face all the challenges in life. There are so much more reasons to smile than to frown and smiling is much easier than frowning. We won’t be happy if we always feel sorry for ourselves for not being to do something we have expected. Life is life and what is past is past. No matter what, life goes on. Another inspiration that we could get from the story is the inspiration to dream. Our power to dream is limitless, thus, we should enlarge our vision. Let’s not be limited by the size of our pan. Whether our pan is small or big, we can cut the fish into small pieces. It’s the same thing in life. Let’s not let our meager resources be a hindrance to dreaming big things. We can attain those dreams little by little until our pan would feel sorry for us. Anyway, we can buy a bigger pan afterward. I believe it is in this principle that my parents stand through in raising their five children. I am very proud to say that I have been raised by two people whose income is so fickle to support the education of their five children. My father is a farmer and my mother is a plain housewife. But even though, they did not mind their meager resources in pursuing their dream to send their five children to college. And true enough, they were able to produce five professionals out of their very little income. HOW? I think they dreamt of it. Students, there are so many ways, if we only explore, in order to attain our ambitions in life. All we have to do is to believe that we will be able to do it and one day we will be standing triumphantly. Parents, I am very sure that these students here have their own aspirations in life. You don’t really need all those money to send them to college and realize their dreams. All that you have to do is to guide them, support them and inspire them to achieve what they are able to achieve. After all, each one of us is capable of achieving something. Presently, I am teaching in Thailand and I am sharing my expertise as a foreign teacher abroad not because of an accident. I have dreamt of it and my parents gave their all-out support ever since I conceived that dream in me. What I have and what I am right now might not be an achievement worthy of a celebration for other people but for me, it is something that I could dream somebody at my age can achieve. Thank you very much…

55 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Hello. And Bye.

Anonymous said...
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Rodriguez said...

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Anonymous said...

Hi, your speech was awesome! can i have your permission so i can share the story and some of your lines in my speech too... i was also invited as a guest speaker and we're kind of the same especially the parent part...Thank you in advance

Anonymous said...

nice speech... allow me to borrow some of the parts of it... i just wanted to inspire some group of people...ty

Anonymous said...

nice speech ...pls pls allow me to borrow some parts of your speech so that i can share it to my students...i am a teacher to...pls say yes...thank you

Unknown said...

HELLO! PLS ALLOW ME TO USE SOME PART OF YOUR SPEECH.. THANK YOU.

Anonymous said...

your awesome...Congratulations! same with me. I am dreaming also and finished some chapter of my dreams in life. Tomorrow I have my speech for recognition please allow me to borrow some part of your speech.
Thank you!

Unknown said...

very awesome and life changing speech. please allow me to share the story. thnk you in advance.

FRANCOIS said...

It was great!!!! Can i have your permission to copy a bit part of your speech?

FRANCOIS said...

tHANK YOU AND gOD BLESS!!!

Unknown said...

hi! nice speech. Can i borrow a big part of your speech? Thank You GOd bless!

Anonymous said...

hi! you have a very nice speech. Please allow me to use some of your speech.. I really love it.. Thank you. God bless.

Unknown said...

Hi! Good day..awesome Very nice speech,can i use some of your speech? Thank you

Unknown said...

Hi! Good day..awesome Very nice speech,can i use some of your speech? Thank you

Anonymous said...

hi being invited as a guest speaker, may i ask permission to use some parts of your speech?thank you

Jopaw said...

Hi, I was also invited as a speaker like you. May i use the story in your speech in mine too? Thanks!

Unknown said...

Nice speech may I use a little part of it? Thanks

Unknown said...

Nice speech may I use a little part of it? Thanks

Josephil said...

Thank you everyone for your very kind comments. I am glad that you found the speech inspiring. Yes, you may use the speech for the greater purpose of inspiring forward. Please let me know how was it after. :)

Unknown said...

You have a very inspiring and meaningful speech, can I have permission to use the story of a fisherman to share it with the students too. Thank you so much. God bless

MightyPrincess1127-Cathy said...

Wonderful. I was invited as guest speaker in my alma mater too, and its my first time. I'm searching for some ideas thats why I'm here. I like the story of the fisherman, can I borrow that too? 😊

MightyPrincess1127-Cathy said...

Wonderful. I was invited as guest speaker in my alma mater too, and its my first time. I'm searching for some ideas thats why I'm here. I like the story of the fisherman, can I borrow that too? 😊

Unknown said...

I am so impressed with your speech. I can't make one as beautiful as this. That is why i'm asking permission if i can use it, not just few lines but more, for me to deliver such impressive speech as yours. Can i borrow the story of a fisherman? Very humorous story... Tnx

Unknown said...

I was also invited to give an inspirational message in my Alma Mater at Allen National High School in Allen, Northern Samar on April 5, 2017 for their Recognition Day. I am pleased to inform you Ma'am that i am very thankful i found your most inspiring message. I can share a lot from this. God Speed!

Unknown said...

Hi what an inspiring story can I qoute some of your message and can I borrow your story..thank you..

Anonymous said...

i love your speech and also the story of the fisherman reminds me of what kind of person i am during my younger years... can i use your story about the fisherman in my speech? i want to share it to other students to push them to dream big and realize it. thank you and more power to you..

Anonymous said...

i really really love your speech....it is very inspiring ...please let me share the story of the fisherman to other students...thank you very much

Anonymous said...

this is too inspirational and worth to be shared to thers, I'll be the guest speaker as well in my alma mater. I love story, I hope u can give me the permission to use it next week. Godbless! and THank u !

Anonymous said...

I was invited to be a speaker too, may i ask permission to use some parts of your speech?thank you...






Anonymous said...

and even the story as well?

Anonymous said...

nice speech,,may i use the short story and other parts of the speech,,,thanks in advance.

Anonymous said...

i find your speech so amazing, can i use some of your lines and the story for my up coming speaking engagement. thank you so much, God bless

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the wonderful speech! I will be seeking for your permission to use some of the lines. Hoping for your favorable response regarding this matter.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the wonderful speech! May I use some of your lines in m,y upcoming speech. Hoping for your kind consideration in my request. Thank you and Godbless :)

Anonymous said...

Hello. Your speech is very heartfelt. Can I use the story of the fisherman for my speech as well? Thank you.

Anna Lee said...

Hello. Nice and inspiring story. may i ask your permission to use the story to the speech i am making? Thank you very much!

Anonymous said...

please allow me to use the story in your speech,,,tnx

ramil said...

please allow me to use the story in your speech,,,tnx

Unknown said...

Your speech is so inspirational. Can I borrow few lines here? Especially the story about the fishermen. I’ve been invited as a guests speaker and I’m searching for a good inspirational story. That story is awesome. Thanks ahead

Unknown said...

please allow me to borrow few lines of your speech thank you.. this is very inspirational

Unknown said...

So inspirational ..please allow me to copy a bit of your speech ..thankyou in advance..

Anonymous said...

nice speech... please allow me to use some of the few lines in your speech... as well as the story...

thank you in advance...

Unknown said...

Nice speech.pls allow me to usesome lines and the story on my speech

aila rae nicmic said...

Nice speech!allow me to use some of the story

aila rae nicmic said...

Nice speech!allow me to use some of the story

Anonymous said...

nice speech, pls allow me to use some lines of the message. tnx

Unknown said...

very nice speech , can I borrow some lines of your speech , thank you and God bLess

Unknown said...

Nice speech, can I borrow the story and some lines of your speech? Thank you. Godbless

Unknown said...

Hi. Nice speech. Pls allow me to use some of your lines and the story about the fisherman. Thank you so much.

Anonymous said...

very nice and inspiring speech as well as the story, please allow me to use some lines of your message? Thank you so much

Unknown said...

Hi, you gave a very nice speech.
It's inspirational!!!
Thanks

Unknown said...


Nice.pls allow me to ue some of your lines.tnx

Anonymous said...

Good day! I found it very inspiring and still relatable at this time, please bestow me your permission to use some of the lines and the story from your message? Your favorable response is much appreciated. Thank you and God Bless!