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another classic. nice speech. excellent speech writer.
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From: Ted M. Tolentino [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2004 1:55 PM To: "Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@inmx.tri-isys.com Subject: Commencement Address Commencement Address Ateneo de Manila University John L. Gokongwei, Jr. I wish I were one of you today, instead of a 77-year-old man, giving a speech you will probably forget when you wake up from your hangover tomorrow. You may be surprised I feel this way. Many of you are feeling fearful and apprehensive about your future. You are thinking that, perhaps, your Ateneo diploma will not mean a whole lot in the future in a country with too many problems. And you are probably right. You are thinking that our country is slipping, no - sliding. Again, you may be right. Twenty years ago, we were at par with countries like
With globalization coming, you know it is even more
urgent to wake up. Trade barriers
are falling, which means we will have to compete harder. In the new world, entrepreneurs will be
forced to invest their money where it is most efficient. And that is not necessarily in the
For example, a Filipino brand like Maxx candy can be
manufactured in
You have been taught at the Ateneo to be "a person for others." Of course, that is noble: To serve your countrymen. Question is: How? And my answer is: Be an entrepreneur! You may think I am just a foolish man talking mundane stuff when the question before him is almost philosophical. But I am being very thoughtful here, and if I may presume this about myself, being patriotic as well. Entrepreneurship is the answer. We need young people who will find the
idea, grab the opportunity, take risk, and set aside comfort to set up
businesses that will provide jobs.
But why? What are jobs? Jobs
are what allow people to feel useful and build their self-esteem. Jobs make people productive members of
the community. Jobs make people
feel they are worthy citizens. And
jobs make a country worthy players in the world market. In that order of things, it is the
entrepreneurs who have the power to harness the creativity and talents of others
to achieve a common good. This
should leave the world a better place than it was. Let me make it clear: Job creation is a
priority for any nation to move forward.
For example, it is the young entrepreneurs of
Meanwhile, in the
When I speak of the hardship ahead, I do not mean to be
skeptical but realistic. Even you
Ateneans, who are famous for your eloquence, you cannot talk your way out of
this one. There is nothing to do
but to deal with it. I learned this
lesson when, as a 13-year-old, I lost my dad. Before that, I was like many of you: a
privileged kid. I went to
Looking back, this time was one of the best times of my life. We lost everything, true, but so did everybody! War was the great equalizer. In that setting, anyone who was willing to size up the situation, use his wits, and work hard, could make it! It was every man for himself, and I had to find a way to support myself and my family. I decided to be a market vendor. Why? Because it was something that I, a 15-year old boy in short pants, could do. I started by selling simple products in the palengke half an hour by bike from the city. I had a bicycle. I would wake up at five in the morning, load thread, soap and candles into my bike, and rush to the palengke. I would rent a stall for one peso a day, lay out my goods on a table as big as this podium, and begin selling. I did that the whole day. I sold about twenty pesos of goods every day. Today, twenty pesos will only allow you to send twenty text messages to your crush, but 63 years ago, it was enough to support my family. And it left me enough to plow back into my small, but growing, business. I was the youngest vendor in the palengke, but that
didn't faze me. In fact, I rather
saw it as an opportunity. Remember,
that was 63 years and 100 pounds ago, so I could move faster, stay under the sun
more, and keep selling longer than everyone else. Then, when I had enough money and more
confidence, I decided to travel to
During one trip, our batel sank! We would have all perished in the sea were it not for my inventory of tires. The viajeros were happy because my tires saved their lives, and I was happy because the viajeros, by hanging on to them, saved my tires. On these long and lonely trips I had to entertain myself with books, like Gone With The Wind. After the war, I had saved up 50,000 pesos. That was when you could buy a chicken
for 20 centavos and a car for 2,000 pesos.
I was 19 years old. Now I
had enough money to bring my family home from
Then, when I had gained more experience and built my reputation, I borrowed money from the bank and got into manufacturing. I saw that coffee was abundant, and Nescafe of Nestle was too expensive for a country still rebuilding from the war, so my company created Blend 45. That was our first branded hit. And from there, we had enough profits to launch Jack and Jill. From one market stall, we are now in nine core businesses - including retail, real estate, publishing, petrochemicals, textiles, banking, food manufacturing, Cebu Pacific Air and Sun Cellular. When we had shown success in the smaller businesses, we were able to raise money in the capital markets-through IPOs and bond offerings -- and then get into more complex, capital- intensive enterprises. We did it slow, but sure. Success doesn't happen overnight. It's the small successes achieved day by
day that build a company. So, don't
be impatient or focused on immediate financial rewards. I only started flying business class
when I got too fat to fit in the economy seats. And I even wore a used overcoat while
courting my wife - it came from my ukay-ukay business. Thank God
Save what you earn and plow it back. And never forget your families! Your parents denied themselves many things to send you here. They could have traveled around the world a couple of times with the money they set aside for your education, and your social life, and your comforts. Remember them - and thank them. When you have families of your own, you must be home with them for at least one meal everyday. I did that while I was building my company. Now, with all my six children married, I ask that we spend every Sunday lunch together, when everything under the sun is discussed. As it is with business, so it is with family. There are no short cuts for building either one. Remember, no short cuts. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, your patron saint, and founder of this 450-year old organization I admire, described an ideal Jesuit as one who "lives with one foot raised." I believe that means someone who is always ready to respond to opportunities. Saint Ignatius knew that, to build a successful organization, he needed to recruit and educate men who were not afraid of change but were in fact excited by it. In fact, the Jesuits were one of the earliest practitioners of globalization. As early as the 16th century, upon reaching a foreign country, they compiled dictionaries in local languages like Tamil and Vietnamese so that they could spread their message in the local language. In a few centuries, they have been able to spread their mission in many countries through education. The Jesuits have another quote. "Make the whole world your house," which means that the ideal Jesuit must be at home everywhere. By adapting to change, but at the same time staying true to their beliefs, the Society of Jesus has become the long-lasting and successful organization it is today and has made the world their house. So, let live with one foot raised in facing the next big opportunity: globalization. Globalization can be your greatest enemy. It will be your downfall if you are too afraid and too weak to fight it out. But it can also be your biggest ally. With the Asian Free Trade agreement and tariffs near zero, your market has grown from 80 million Filipinos to half a billion Southeast Asians. Imagine what that means to you as an entrepreneur if you are able to find a need and fill it. And imagine, too, what that will do for the economy of our country! Yes, our government may not be perfect, and our economic environment not ideal, but true entrepreneurs will find opportunities anywhere. Look at the young Filipino entrepreneurs who made
it. When I say young - and I'm 77,
remember - I am talking about those in their 50s and below. Tony Tan of Jollibee, Ben Chan of Bench,
Rolando Hortaleza of Splash, and Wilson Lim of Abensons. They're the guys who weren't content
with the 9-to-5 job, who were willing to delay their gratification and comfort,
and who created something new, something fresh. Something Filipinos are now very proud
of. They all started small but now
sell their hamburgers, T-shirts and cosmetics in
Globalization is an opportunity of a lifetime - for you. And that is why I want to be out there with you instead of here behind this podium - perhaps too old and too slow to seize the opportunities you can. Let me leave you with one last thought. Trade barriers have fallen. The only barriers left are the barriers you have in your mind. So, Ateneans, Class of 2004, heed the call of entrepreneurship. With a little bit of will and a little bit of imagination, you can turn this crisis into your patriotic moment - and truly become a person for others. "Live with one foot raised and make the world your house." To this great University, my sincerest thanks for this singular honor conferred on me today. To the graduates, congratulations and Godspeed. "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam". Thank you. "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it." Matthew 11:12 Do you want to be a World Changer? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/worldchangers2010/ Yahoo! Groups Links
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Title: Commencement Address
