Getting Older

A distraught senior citizen
phoned her doctor's office.
"Is it true," she wanted to know,
"that the medication
you prescribed has to be taken
for the rest of my life?"
"'Yes, I'm afraid so,"' the doctor told her.
There was a moment of silence
before the senior lady replied,
"I'm wondering, then,
just how serious is my condition
because this prescription is marked
'NO REFILLS'."

***********************
An older gentleman was
on the operating table
awaiting surgery
and he insisted that his son,
a renowned surgeon,
perform the operation.
As he was about to get the anesthesia,
he asked to speak to his son.
"Yes, Dad, what is it?"
"Don't be nervous, son;
do your best,
and just remember,
if it doesn't go well,
if something happens to me,
your mother
is going to come and
live with you and your wife...."
*(I LOVE IT!)*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aging:
Eventually you will reach a point
when you stop lying about your age
and start bragging about it. This is so true. I love
to hear them say "you don't look that old."

---------------------------------
*The older we get,
the fewer things
seem worth waiting in line for.*

---------------------------------
Some people
try to turn back their odometers.
Not me!
I want people to know *why
*I look this way.
I've traveled a long way
and some of the roads weren't paved.

********************
When you are dissatisfied
and would like to go back to youth,
think of Algebra.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You know you are getting old when
everything either dries up or leaks.

-------------------------------
One of the many things
no one tells you about aging
is that it is such a nice change
from being young.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Ah, being young is beautiful,
but being old is comfortable.
*********
First you forget names,
then you forget faces.
Then you forget to pull up your zipper...
it's worse when
you forget to pull it down.
````````````````
*Two guys, one old, one young,
are pushing their carts around Wal-Mart**
when they collide.**
The old guy says to the young guy,
"Sorry about that. I'm looking for my wife,
and I guess I wasn't paying attention
to where I was going."*
*The young guy says, "That's OK, it's a coincidence.
I'm looking for my wife, too...
I can't find her and I'm getting a little desperate."
The old guy says, "Well,
maybe I can help you find her...
what does she look like?"
The young guy says,
"Well, she is 27 yrs. old, tall,
with red hair,
blue eyes, is buxom...wearing no bra,
long legs,
and is wearing short shorts.
What does your wife look like?'
To which the old guy says, "Doesn't matter,
--- let's look for yours."*
*(ADORABLE)*
*
**********************
*(And this final one especially for me,)
"Lord,
keep Your arm around my shoulder
and Your hand over my mouth!"*

An Immigration Story

A beautiful fairy appeared one day to a destitute Mexican refugee outside an Arizona immigration
office.

"Good man," the fairy said, "I've been sent here by President Obama and told to grant you three wishes, since you just arrived in the United States with your wife and eight children."

The man told the fairy, "Well, where I come from we don't have good teeth, so I want new teeth,
maybe a lot of gold in them."

The fairy looked at the man's almost toothless grin and -- PING !-- he had a brand new shining
set of gold teeth in his mouth!

"What else?" asked the fairy, "Two more to go."

The refugee clai mant now got bolder. "I need a big house with three-car garage in Annapolis on
the water with eight bedrooms for my family and the rest of my relatives who still live in my
country.. I want to bring them all over here" --- and -- PING !--in the distance there could be
seen a beautiful mansion with a three-car garage, a long driveway, and a walkout patio with a BBQ in an upscale neighborhood overlooking the bay.

"One more wish," said the fairy, waving her wand.

"Yes, one more wish. I want to be like an American with American clothes instead of these torn
clothes, and a baseball cap instead of this sombrero. And I want to have white skin like
Americans" ---and --- PING ! -- The man was transformed - wearing worn-out jeans, a Baltimore
Orioles T-shirt, and a baseball cap. He had his bad teeth back and the mansion had disappeared
from the horizon.

"What happened to my new teeth?" he wailed. "Where is my new house?"

THIS IS GOOD . . . . . . . .

NO, ACTUALLY THIS IS VERY GOOD
. . . . . .

The fairy said: "Tough shit, Amigo, now that you are a white American, you have to fend for yourself."

Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child - Vice President Jejomar C. Binay

Posted: Tuesday, June 21, 2011

By RACHEL C. BARAWID, ANGELO G. GARCIA, RONALD S. LIM, JASER A. MARASIGAN and IVY LISA F. MENDOZA
June 19, 2011, 8:00am

"I work together with the team. I respect the President." — Vice President Jejomar Binay (Photo by ANDREW PAMORADA)
"I work together with the team. I respect the President." — Vice President Jejomar Binay (Photo by ANDREW PAMORADA)

MANILA, Philippines — He was faithful to his ambition and kept his eye keenly on the ball. Armed with excellent education, with lots of luck on his side, Jejomar C. Binay is now joyfully fulfilling what he believes is his destiny.

‘’I leave things to destiny. Kung hindi pa destiny itong vice presidency ko, pati nga pamilya ko hindi naniniwala na mananalo ako,’’ says Binay, who was in a jolly mood when we interviewed him for 60 Minutes.

From childhood to where he is now, Binay has always followed a plan that he vigilantly mapped out for himself. Admittedly, he has always been motivated by the ambition to succeed.

‘’Minsan maigi ‘yung mayabang eh, ‘yung yabang ng ambisyon. Kapag ako’y nagwawalis, siyempre mga kabarkada mo naiinggit ka. Magaganda mga baro ‘nun. Tapos namamalengke ako, alas singko pa lang ng umaga. Sabi ko, di bale, temporary lang naman ‘to, sisikat din ako. Sabi ko,
kukuha ako ng law. Sabi marami nang abogado, sabi ko hindi, depende‘yun sa klase ng abogado. There’s always a way to the top. Basta naniniwala ako na sisikat ako,’’ recalls the Vice President.

Indeed, this fervent drive has brought Binay all the way to the top – passing through a colorful and interesting route that included being an orphan who was raised by his uncle; a student activist and officer of the student council at the University of the Philippines; a lawyer
who gave free legal assistance to the poor and victims of human rights abuses as member of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG); a founding member of the Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism, Inc. (MABINI), a group of progressive lawyers that
included Senators Lorenzo Tañada, Rene Saguisag and JokeR Arroyo; a mayor of the city of Makati from 1986 to 2010 (save for three years from 1998 to 2001); and at present, the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Passing on the mayoralty torch to his son Junjun has been easy, Binay says, because he knows the younger Binay also has the heart for public service. He has taught his son well by example, he adds. ‘’He makes all of the decisions now. And from what I hear and what I see, eh tama
ang sinasabi ko – that he’s better than the father,’’ Binay quips. Binay’s closeness to his five children made him vow never to make them go through the`hardships that he`went through as a child. ‘’Basta yung mga malungkot kong pinagdaanan eh hindi naranasan ng mga anak ko.
Abogado na ako nang nakatapak ako sa Makati Supermart at nakabili ako ng auto.Yun ang suwerte niyong mga bata, hindi pinararanas sa inyo ang hirap ng mga magulang.’’

At present, Binay has his hands full not only with vice presidential duties but also with his responsibilities as the chairman of various agencies such as the Housing Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC ), Pag-Ibig, National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation,
Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), and the National Housing Authority (NHA). He is also the presidential adviser on OFWs.

Almost a year after his unexpected victory at the national polls, Vice President Binay looks back at the reasons why he won: the automation, the effective relationships he has established between Makati and thousands of other sister cities; his affiliation with the Alpha Phi Omega, his closeness to the masa.

But most of all, he summarizes everything in one word -- destiny. And to destiny, he again entrusts everything, including his political fate from 2016 and beyond. (Ivy Lisa F. Mendoza)

Assorted Jokes

OLD-AGE SEX

After his physical examination, the doctor asked the elderly man: "You appear to be in good health. Do you have any medical concerns you would like to ask me?"

"In fact, I do," said the old man. "After my wife and I have sex I am usually cold and chilly, and then, after we have sex the second time, I am usually hot and sweaty."

Later, after examining the elderly gentleman's wife, the doctor said: "Everything appears to be fine. Do you have any medical concerns you would like to discuss with me?" She replied she had no questions or concerns.

The doctor then told her: "Your husband has an unusual concern. He claims he is usually cold and chilly after having sex with you the first time, and then hot and sweaty after the second time. Do you know why?"

"Oh that crazy old man," she replied. "That's because the first time is usually in January and the second time is in August ."

===========================================================================


Religious Funnies


A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!"

His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means?
The son replied, "I do know!"
"Okay," said his father. "What does the Bible mean?"
"That's easy, Daddy..." the young boy replied excitedly," It stands for 'Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.' (This one is my favorite)
=======

There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country.
"Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk.
"Only the Ten Commandments." answered the lady.

========

"Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning."
========

A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter.

Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses."

When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation."
========

There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets."
========

While driving in Pennsylvania , a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign... "Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust."

========

A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?"
A hand shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy.
"Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked.
"You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... "

========
A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.

"Reverend," said the young man, "I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip."

The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business."

========
People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the center of attention.

========
Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about.

The daughter answered, "Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt."

Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about.

He said "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming."
========

The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute.
The substitute wanted to know what to play.

"Here's a copy of the service," he said impatiently. "But, you'll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances."

During the service, the minister paused and said, "Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up."

At that moment, the substitute organist played "The Star Spangled Banner."

And that is how the substitute became the regular organist!
___________________________________

When you carry the Bible, Satan gets a headache.
When you open it, he collapses.
When he sees you reading it, he faints.
When he sees that you are living what you read, he flees.
And when you are about to forward this message.... He will try and discourage you.

I just defeated him! Any other takers?

==============================================================================

JEWISH POKER CLUB

Six retired Jewish Floridian fellows are playing poker in their condo clubhouse when Meyer loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest, and drops dead at the table.

Showing respect for their fallen comrade, the other five continue playing, but standing up. At the end of the game, Finkelstein looks around and asks, "So? Who's gonna tell his wife?"

They cut the cards. Goldberg picks the low card. It's up to him to bring her the news. They tell him, be discreet, be gentle, don't make a bad situation worse.

"Discreet? I'm the most discreet person I know. Why, discretion is my middle name. Leave it to me."*

Goldberg goes over to Meyer's condo and knocks on the door. The wife answers through the door and asks what he wants. Goldberg declares: "Your husband just lost $500 in a poker game and is afraid to come home."

"Tell him to drop dead!" yells the wife.

"I'll go tell him." says Goldberg.

The Arab Dog vs. the Israeli Dog

The Israelis and Arabs realized that, if they continued fighting, they would someday end up destroying the whole world. So, they decided to settle their dispute with an ancient practice: A duel of two, like David and Goliath. This duel would be a dog fight.

The negotiators agreed each side would take 5 years to develop the best fighting dog they could. The dog that won the fight would earn its people the right to rule the disputed areas. The losing side would have to lay down its arms for good.

The Arabs found the biggest, meanest Doberman's and Rottweiler's in the world. They bred them together and then crossed their offspring with the meanest Siberian wolves.

They selected only the biggest, strongest puppy of each litter, fed it the best food and killed all the other puppies. They used steroids and trainers in their quest for the perfect killing machine. And after the 5 years were up, they had a dog that needed steel prison bars on its cage. Only expert trainers could handle this incredibly nasty and ferocious beast.

When the day of the big dog-fight finally arrived, the Israelis showed up with a very strange-looking animal, a Dachshund that was 10 feet long!

Everyone at the dogfight arena felt sorry for the Israelis. No one there seriously thought this weird, odd-looking animal stood any chance against the growling beast over in the Arab camp. All the bookies took a look and predicted that the Arab dog would win in less than a minute.

As the cages were opened, the Dachshund very slowly waddled towards the center of the ring. The Arab dog leaped from its cage and charged the giant ''wiener-dog''. As he got to within an inch of the Israeli dog, the Dachshund opened its jaws and
swallowed the Arab beast whole in one bite. There was nothing left but a small puff of fur from the Arab killer dog's tail floating to the ground.

The stunned crowd of international observers, bookies and media personnel let out a collective gasp of disbelief and surprise.

The Arabs approached the Israelis, muttering and shaking their heads in disbelief. "We do not understand," said their leader, "Our top scientists and breeders worked for 5 long years with the meanest, biggest Doberman's, Rottweiler's and Siberian wolves, and they developed an incredible killing machine of a dog!"

The Israelis replied. "Well, for 5 years, we have had a team of Filipino plastic surgeons from Vicky Bello working to make an alligator look like a Dachshund."

VPJejomar C. Binay Speech in Alumnus Award

Speech of Vice President Jejomar C. Binay when he received the 2011 UPAA Most Distinguished Alumnus Award during the UP General Alumni-Faculty Homecoming & Reunion, Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman, Quezon City, 25 June 2011, 5 p.m.

Posted: Saturday, June 25, 2011

(Acknowledgments)

Coming to U.P. At this time is not just a visit. It is a homecoming.

Matapos ang maraming taon, bumabalik po ako sa U.P. na puno ng galak, at konting kaba sa dibdib.

Nagagalak ako dahil sa inyong paghirang sa akin bilang Most Distinguished Alumnus. At kinakabahan dahil baka nagkamali kayo sa pagpili, at bukas makalawa ay bawiin ninyo ang award na ito. (Iisipin ko pa kung isosoli ko sa inyo)

Sa totoo po lamang, noong ako ay nag-aaral pa dito sa u.p., ni minsan ay hindi ko inisip na darating ang panahon na makakamtan ko ang pagturing ng ating mahal na alma mater bilang Most Distinguished Alumnus. At alam ko na marami rin sa aking mga kaibigan, kaiskwela at ka-brod sa fraternity ang ni minsan ay hindi inisip na si Jojo Binay ay pararangalan bilang Most Distinguished Alumnus. Kung sa bagay, marami rin po ang nagulat nang ako’y manalo bilang Pangalawang Pangulo noong nakaraang halalan. Dahil sa aking pagiging Pangalawang Pangulo, ang inyong lingkod, sa ngayon, ang pinakamataas na nahalal sa mga nangagsipagtapos sa ating pamantasan.

My friends, given my humble academic performance in the University, this award fills me with awe and wonder and disbelief.

Despite doing well in grade school and graduating from that laboratory school known as the U.P. Preparatory High School, my early years as a political science major in U.P. were academically lackluster, improving a bit as I went through the College of Law as a working student. Although I must emphasize that my grades improved when I enrolled in post-graduate courses.

It was not easy. But what sustained and propelled me to complete my education was my determination to raise myself from my squalid surroundings. What sustained and nourished me through my years of undergraduate studies was the generosity of my uncles, my friends and fraternity brothers. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who generously shared with me not only their time, friendship and brotherhood, but also their “baon.” Noon po kasi, pumapasok ako sa U.P. na piso lang ang baon ko. Ang pamasahe ay sitenta sentimos. Ang kanin at ulam, kuwarenta sentimos. Ang kulang na diyes sentimos ay pinupunuan na lamang ng aking mga kasama. Kaya sa lahat ng mga nagpuno sa kulang kong baon, maraming salamat sa inyo.

Masasabi ko po na hindi lamang edukasyon ang ibinigay sa akin ng U.P. Binigyan niya ako ng pagkakataon na maiahon ang aking sarili mula sa hirap. Binigyan niya ako ng lakas ng loob at tiwala sa sarili. At ibinahagi sa akin ng U.P. Ang prinsipyong hanggang ngayon ay nakaukit sa aking puso – pagmamahal at paglilingkod sa bayan kong sinilangan.

My years at U.P. taught me to fight for what is right and for the values and principles that I live for, despite the trials and troubles that are inevitable, without regard for the cost or consequence.

Here I learned that in a country where the overwhelming majority are poor, our first and last duty is always to the poor, especially if we ourselves are poor or were once poor.

Here I learned that the poor must be empowered, but real empowerment begins only when they begin to participate fully in the exercise of political power.

But the greatest gift of my U.P. education is the unquenchable thirst to learn; the humility to embrace the notion that one never learns enough; the passion to ask questions and to seek the answers in the hallowed halls of the academe and test the validity of these answers in the trenches of the real world.

Indeed, even as I left the University and became a lawyer, street parliamentarian, local official and now the second highest leader of the land, learning has been my guide. I have been able to seamlessly weave on-the-job learning experiences with periods of formal learning. I have been fortunate to attend post-graduate courses here and abroad. There is no doubt in my mind that the learnings from these episodes have brought me to where I am today. Indeed the saying that education is the greatest social equalizer is so true.

This is the same gift that I have tried to share in my years as the mayor of Makati. As my education not only opened up opportunities for me but also equipped me with the tools to face the challenges in my life, I have made it my mission to ensure that those whom I am able to touch as a public servant are given the same privilege. The well-known, comprehensive public education system in Makati is a testament to that commitment.
All this I owe the University of the Philippines, and more.

The University made it possible for me to swim in campus politics as my “second amniotic fluid,” to borrow the language of the Latin American intellectual Carlos Fuentes. It allowed me to put to the test certain theories in grassroots politics which would serve me in good stead when I campaigned for mayor of Makati and ran decades later for Vice President.

In my successful bid as a university councilor in the U.P. Student Council, I had to contend with a very strong opposition, who had everything I did not have---the money, the reputation and apparently the good looks. I was indisputably the dark horse. (Literally and figuratively)

Ngunit ako ay nagpursigi, at puspusang nangampanya hanggang sa U.P. Los Baños, na hindi binigyang halaga ng aking mga katunggali dahil nangampanya lamang sila sa Maynila at sa Diliman. Dahil ako lamang ang nangampanya sa Los Baños, nag-landslide ako doon sa Forestry at Agriculture. At the end of the day, Los Baños cast the deciding vote.

That was a perfect forerunner of what happened in the 2010 Vice-Presidential race. I concentrated my work on the ground, mobilizing every connection I had with every conceivable group. And the rest is history. This was one time when the University provided not only the theory but also the praxis.

Without that, I don’t believe I would be standing here today as your Vice President. U.P. proved to be the great leveller for the poor boy from Makati.

I am sure there are others who share my kind of story. But I probably had to negotiate the farthest distance, having come from the bottom of the ladder to where I am today.

You will therefore forgive me if I am unable to suppress all tint of emotion from my story.

Yet, in a sense, what I owe U.P. May be but a small part of what the whole country owes U.P.

In the darker days of our recent history, when common courage and patriotism seemed to fail, and many institutions seemed to sit in the shadows, it was U.P. whose nationalist fervor sent its students to the streets and the barricades to defend our precious rights and liberties.

They raised their fists and cried “Hey, Hey, LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?” and much later, “Makibaka! Huwag matakot!”

In Churchill’s words, we gave the lion’s roar and showed the lion’s heart, while many looked the other way to avoid the gaze of raw power stamping its boot upon their precious liberties.

The outside world watched breathless as we, young patriots at that time, defied truncheons, water cannons and tear gas in the streets. On those days of disquiet ang nights of rage, we all did our heroes proud.

Those events marked the U.P. student at his and her best. It became so easy for outsiders to stereotype us as activists and nothing else. But we were definitely more than that.

U.P. alumni have shown competent and critical leadership wherever the challenge or opportunity presented itself. Whether it be business, education, arts, sciences, public service or media, you will find a U.P. graduate manning the front, trying to get things done. You will also find us working at the back, crafting policies. This, too, is part of U.P.’s continuing service to the republic.

It is no exaggeration to say that if things run at all, it is partly because some U.P. alumni are there. Unfortunately, it is also true that if some nasty problem refuses to go away, it is partly because---or in spite of the fact that---some U.P. alumni are there.

My friends,

As we enter yet another milestone in our university’s and our country’s history, we must now see to it that at the end of the day, we would have made a bigger contribution to the things that make life better for all, than to the things that make like difficult.

In a real sense, the size and make up of the U.P. student constitute a microcosm of Philippine society. That is why when we challenge our U.P. alumni, as we do tonight, “Harapin ang bagong hamon,” are we not, in fact, speaking to the entire Filipino nation? Are we not, in fact, telling everybody, “Gawin ang tama, paglingkuran ang bayan?”

In all this, the University must remain our guide--- our north star. We must live by the principles and standards we have imbibed within its walls, and prove ourselves worthy of the pride with which it has sent us outside those walls.

The Oblation stands to remind us of our calling. In that image of a man standing in all his naked majesty in front of the academic building, we see what a U.P. education means. It tells us that before your U.P. education covers you with honors and distinctions, it first uncovers for you the truth about man, so that you will first know who and what you are, as Socrates taught, before you learn about other things.

With outstretched arms, the Oblation stands there, where it has always stood for more than seventy years, calling on all fighting maroons to offer their lives in the service of country, and purchase a brighter future for the nation, using everything they have learned from their alma mater. (Or at least win one game in the UAAP)

Each wave of graduates brings to the outside world not just a gift of knowledge from the university. More than that, they carry with them a living part of the University itself.

This does not diminish the quality or quantity of the material at the source. Rather, it multiplies a hundred fold what is given away.

Thus, the University has produced and continues to produce the finest professors, scholars, financial managers, agronomists, agriculturists, and other professionals for the country.

Whatever contrary wind, therefore, may blow outside the campus, U.P. must remain what it was always meant to be. It must stand firm and unshakeable as a rock, as a sovereign republic of truth and reason, where free intellectual inquiry and scientific investigation must flourish without any interference from any external and extraneous source.

It must remain a lifeline not only to our own cultural heritage, but above all to the accumulated wisdom of the ages. It must remain the seedbed of truth and virtue, and the pursuit of excellence in all things.

U.P. reflects the broad cross-section of the entire country. Everything that happens to our body politic should be sufficiently passed upon within its walls, and everything that seizes the imagination of its population should likewise be grasped by the five senses of the country. The best ideas for governing the nation, and for putting the entire country to work should not go unexamined nor undistilled within the university.

What is demanded today as U.P. alumni is a response to the conflict between good and evil. Not only in government but in every sector of our social life.

It is an invitation to all of us to love morally upright and truly meaningful lives. We have no right to reject it. Not the alumni of the University of the Philippines.

But we must pursue it with creativity, vigor and resolve, and use it to lead, if we can ---or at the very least, to be an active part of---the universal search for peace, freedom and morality.

My friends,

It has often been said that there is no direct correlation between success in school and success in life, and I am willing to concede that there is some truth to that, particularly if one means financial success in one's career after school.

But I cannot concede that one's schooling has no effect at all on one's life in the outside world. For it is in our early years -- while we are in school -- that our values, our beliefs, and yes, our character are formed and developed. And for this, we ought to be thankful to our alma mater, the University of the Philippines, where brotherhood, equality regardless of economic or social status, and the need to defend our freedoms, have been inculcated in our heads and in our hearts.

That is the U.P. legacy. That is the legacy we should leave our society and the generations to come.

Our national hero, Jose Rizal, envisions a nation united, where “The good and welfare of our country is our motive. Let us prove to the whole world that when a Filipino wills something he can always do it."

To my fellow awardees, U.P. alumni, and beloved countrymen, we have much to do. And allow me to pose the questions that were asked of every U.P. student, during one of the most trying times in our history:

Kung hindi ako kikilos, sino ang kikilos?
Kung hindi ako kikibo, sino ang kikibo?
Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa?

Led by men and women who look beyond the present and themselves, we Filipinos could try and answer those questions, and become what Blessed John Paul II has called, “the light of Asia and the world.”

Mabuhay ang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas.

Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan.

Maraming salamat po at magandang gabi sa inyong lahat.

Simple Rules

Three Simple Rules to live by:

1. If you do not GO after what you want, you'll never have it
2. If you do not ASK, the answer will always be a "NO"
3.If you do not STEP FORWARD, you'll always be in the same place

Learn to take risks and see where your brave heart can take you.