The speech that follows was delivered by Jonn Terence Dy during the High School Graduation Ceremonies last March 24, 2007 at Fr. Rafael Cortina S.J. Sports Center.

      Fr. Johnny Go of the Society of Jesus, our School Director, Fr. Ismael Zuluoaga of the Society of Jesus, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Wellington Tong, our guest speaker, Mrs. Jane Cacacho, High School Principal, Jesuit priests, dear teachers and staff, our proud and loving parents, fellow Graduates, a very good evening to you all.

       时光过    得很快，转眼 别离就 在 眼 前。  回想起在光启学校里生活的点点滴滴是多彩多姿的。这中、英、 菲多元文化融合    交流着的，独一    无二的学习环境，使每个光启学    生以后无论到世 界上哪一个角落，都能发光发亮。 好比一颗星星，本 身看    起来很微小，单    独的光很微弱。 但如果能把每颗    星星的光    亮集合起来，就    能像一座钻石矿 藏般，照亮四周。

      Naalala niyo ba noong bata pa tayo, kahit pa sandakot na bituin ang nasa langit tuwing gabi, kailangang nakabukas pa rin ang ilaw kapag natutulog tayo?

      Hindi tayo makampante sa dilim noon. Kapag walang ilaw, namamaluktot tayo sa kama at nagtatalukbong ng kumot sapagkat takot na takot tayo sa ano mang hindi maabot ng ating paningin. Noon, gusto nating laging may ilaw kasi ang alam natin, nakikita lamang natin ang mga bagay kapag may liwanag.

      All of us bask in the radiance of our graduation, but more importantly, under its soft glow, we are now seeing what used to be common and everyday in a different light. We used to drag ourselves just to get through the daily classroom grind. We would frequently gripe about the seemingly endless lectures and would, at the back of our heads, fervently pray that classes would get suspended. Yet today, we have to admit that we miss all the stress and the fun. Now that our time in the classroom is over, we realize that those seemingly normal school days opened our eyes to realities we never thought existed, to potential we never thought we had.

      Even something as trivial as our lunch breaks mean more for us now. We can still vividly picture our barkada sitting around the same round table while passing the time away cramming for a quiz or just hanging out. Until now, we never really recognized that what we thought was just time to fool around was one more precious hour to spend with friends, one more hour to get to know the people who know us best. In those brief but constant tambay moments, we found friendships that will last a lifetime.

      Mahirap mang paniwalaan, hindi sa lahat ng pagkakataon ay mas nakakakita tayo ng maayos kapag may ilaw. Nasanay lang ang ating mga mata sa ganoong kalagayan, pero kung tutuusin, mas hindi tayo nakakakita sa ilalim ng sobrang tingkad na liwanag. Napapapikit tayo kahit pilitin nating dumilat, kaya hindi malinaw ang imaheng nakikita natin.

      Marahil, ganitong klaseng liwanag ang ating marangyang pamumuhay at magandang katayuan sa lipunan. Bagamat hindi natin pinili, lumaki tayo na napapalibutan ng pinakabago, pinakamahal at pinakamaganda. Komportable ang kinagisnan nating mundo kaya ang akala natin, napakadali ng buhay.

      Subalit itinama ng Xavier ang maling paniniwalang ito nang iparanas niya sa atin ang buhay ng isang SM bagger . Noong tinuturuan pa lang tayo kung paano magtali ng kahong puno ng pinamiling de lata at bote, hindi tayo makapaghintay mag- immersion kasi kapag may immersion , isang linggo tayong walang klase. Pero noong nandoon na tayo, noong naranasan na nating tumayo ng pitong oras at masigawan sa bawat pagkakamali, nabuksan ang ating mga mata sa katotohanang hindi pala lahat ay kasing-suwerte natin. Hindi natin malilimutan ang mga panahong nakasama natin ang mga taong malamang sa hindi ay magtatrabaho para sa atin balang araw. Aminin man natin o hindi, mas nagkaroon tayo ng pakialam sa lipunan dahil sa SM immersion . Naging mas totoo ang larawan natin ng mundo; naging mas totoo tayo.

      Another seemingly contradicting realization awaits us at the other end of this light spectrum. We think darkness would keep us from seeing much because we have gotten used to walking the well-lit path, to having it our way all the time. Personally, as your batch representative last year, I remember feeling frustrated when restrictions on our prom were imposed. We had imagined this grand hotel event and were already planning for it, and when we were told that the plans would not push through, I really felt that I let you guys down. I know a lot of you shared that frustration, and for a while, it did seem like all the lights went out and we could not see.

      But looking back on all of it now, we have to say that it did turn out to be one great night spent in the company of friends and special someones. We learned that we could lose the hotel venue and the coat-and-tie and still have a lot of fun. Our prom was not perfect and was very far from how we imagined it to be, but that night, our batch managed to make everything seem extraordinary. Xavier has formed us in such a way that our eyes now know how to grapple in the darkness and adjust to it. We have grown from that experience and can now manage to see that the absence of light does not have to mean the absence of sight.

      "时代考 验我们，我们创 造时代 , " 我们已经作好了准备，全力以 赴，接受任何挑 战。将以最高的 成就来 回报  母校师长们给我  们的教诲。

      As we reminisce about the four fruitful years we spent here in Xavier High School , one sad but clear truth emerges: all the bright and dark moments finally come to an end today, in this graduation ceremony. What has transpired is all that we can see right now, for life has yet to shed light on what the future holds for this Golden Jubilee Batch. Understandably, we turn into that little child once more, uncertain and scared of what he does not know. But in reality, it is not really a question of whether it will be all light or all darkness or a play of both for us; it’s how well-equipped we are to adapt. We can, rest assured that Xavier, with all the lessons and experiences it will leave with us, has prepared us for both the best and the worst. We do not really need this graduation or this speech (close clearbook) to remind us of how far we have come because Xavier has already ingrained in us all we need to see clearly.

      Isang hamon para sa ating lahat na maabot ang mga bagay na abot-tanaw, ngunit mas malaking hamon na mamataan natin, kahit sa pangarap lang, iyong mga hindi pa natin nakikita. Harapin natin ng buong tapang ang hinaharap, maging madilim o maliwanag man ito. Maraming Salamat po sa inyong lahat. Luceat Lux!

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