Resiliency and Vigor in the name of Peace and Progress - A Declamation Piece

Photo Credit: https://erikbrewer.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/jehovah-shalom-the-lord-is-our-peace/

“Papa!!! Help!!! Please help us!!! My body aches!!! I can hardly move.” I fell badly from the motorcycle we were riding in. “Papa!!!” I screamed out loud but I could not hear any reply except for the deafening silence of the night. Then, strange sounds from the jungle made me scared. Huhuhuhu. I slowly opened my eyes and with all my might, I looked for my father and a couple of meters away I saw him breathing in and breathing out uneasily. “Father, please hold on! Help, we need help! My father is dying! Oh my God!!! My father was shot dead by a gunman riding in tandem on board a motorcycle.” He tried to survive but the criminals shoot him again. Then, before my father’s one last breath, he uttered, “Mary Jane, pursue your dreams and never give up. God will be with you.”  “Yes Papa,” was all I could say. Huhuhuhu… “Oh God, please help me deal with this problem. I don’t think if I could ever survive. Huhuhuhu.”

Then, someone said, “Mary Jane, Mary Jane, Mary Jane, wake up!!! It’s already 8:00 o’clock in the morning. Hurry, today is our rehearsals for graduation at the Dimaporo Gymnasium. Get yourself fixed and we’ll catch up! Or else we will be required to have an extended CIVAC and we will not be allowed to join the commencement exercises!!!” I paused for a moment and reminisce the days when my father was still alive and everyone in the family shared happiness. “Mary Jane, there you go again,” my roommate interrupted. “Your graduation will be your ultimate gift to your father and your family. Remember that they strived so hard to help you reach this far. And yes, an MSUan will always be a survivor!!! You can do it!”

Like a thousand hopefuls, I dream to graduate in a prestigious university and my achievement will be dedicated to my father and my family.

Then comes the 50^th Commencement Exercises, “Mary Jane Panto, Bachelor of Science in Peace Education, Magna Cum Laude.” I can hear the resounding applause of the crowd and looking at my mother and siblings, I can see the joy in their faces. “How I wish my father is still with us, so I could make him proud too. But I know, he’s also happy with this humble achievement.”

“Good morning class. Today is Monday, August 1, 2016. I am Mary Jane Panto and I gladly welcome you all to Peace Education. I believe that Peace and Progress are inseparable for humanity to thrive. This is one of our ideals and may we all be guided in our dealings with our fellow human beings.”

I have loved teaching peace education that it makes me excited and passionate to teach my students the essence of peace building towards progress until one gloomy afternoon, when all my students have gone home before 5:30PM, a tall, dark and hmmm ‘nevermind’ guy entered the room. He stared at me and I began to quiver. Nevertheless, I managed to ask him, “Yes, how may I help you?” He took a glance at the window, as if to check that no one is around the building. Then, he immediately grabbed my hand, pulled me towards his body and maliciously touched the whole of me. I forcefully pushed him but he was strong enough to resist my opposition. I screamed out loud, “Help!!! Help!!!” But the rains have started to pour down heavily with a roaring thunderstorm and a frightening lightning. I begged him, “Please, don’t do it,” but he was too forceful. I tried to kick him and escaped a bit but he chased me with a wild grin on his face. “Nooooo!!!” I exerted everything I could but he got what he wanted. “Oh my God, what in a world is this? I could no longer bear this suffering!” Huhuhuhu.

Days passed and I convinced myself. “If I will remain mum and weak, the criminals will continually abuse other ladies like me. I need to fight for my right and with what happened to my father who was killed without any reason.” “Mr. President and to this most august body, these problems have become a norm in the university and elsewhere. Every now and then, a guy killed, a girl raped, a student wounded and a lot more. Will we let these life threatening occurrences to continue without doing anything? I am a rape victim and I will do my best to help Mindanao State University a better place to live in. We need to implore all the faculty, staff, students and residents to be vigilant and let us work hand in hand to attain lasting peace.”

Months passed and positive change has come in MSU. No more killings, no more rape incidents, no more snatching and everything is in order. Peace and Progress have become prevalent that academic excellence, social responsibility, cultural sensitivity and professionalism serve as the new culture. “Thank you God.” MSU now has all the updated state of the art academic facilities and every MSUan is enjoying it.

I am Mary Jane Panto, the newly appointed Vice President for Peace Administration J To God be all the glory J

Speech: Digital Marketing Skills Training Opening Remarks

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

My greetings to our distinguished and esteemed Resource Speakers: the ever vivacious 
Mr. Jhonny Paul Lagura, Founder and CEO of RISPhillipines. To the ever dazzling Mr.Ronald Ramboanga, Founder and CEO of Knights of Online Marketers. To the debonair Mr. Junriel Bonachita, Co-Founder and CTO of RISPhilippines. Mrs. Xerxes Queen Apostol Libre, Proprietor of Dexter Printhouse. Mr. Francis Steve Martinez, Enterprise owner of Tibo Martinez Videography.  To the ever hardworking event organizers, energetic students, ladies and gentlemen good morning and welcome to the 1^st Digital Marketing Skills Training in Mindanao State University, Marawi City.

The advent of the digital age has made the world of business more exciting, interesting and vibrant. It has paved the way for boundless opportunities from searching keywords to uploading contents online, from the traditional office jobs to virtual assistance programs and from brick and mortar store to electronic storefronts.

Today, I am enthused and overjoyed with the first big step we are traversing: that is, to explore digital opportunities and I thank the good Lord for the guidance, provision and for the availability of our Resource Speakers for this significant event.

The idea of conducting Digital Marketing Skills Training sprouted out of the need to elaborate and support the theories tackled in Mktg 111 which is all about E-Commerce and Internet Marketing. I firmly believe in the essence of putting into application the theories for it to become more useful not just to the learners but also to the beneficiaries such as the customers and the country at large. We also would like to capacitate the students with Digital Marketing skills and have it as one of their competencies in earning extra income while studying through online job opportunities and selling products through the e-commerce sites.

At this point in time, I would like our Resource Speakers to know that I am truly grateful for their lives. Thank God for allowing me to meet Sir Pau at the British Council’s Leaders for Social Impact Workshop, who at the time became part of my decision to finally appear at the venue because despite his busy schedules, he made it through the workshop (in stalker mode ako that time) :D To Miss Piper, reigning Miss Earth who really looks like a lady, thank you for our first meeting during the Rural Impact Sourcing Forum together with Mr. Junriel Bonachita who also readily said yes to my invitation for this Digital Marketing Skills Training. To Ms. Queen, my former marketing officer when I was the Marketing consultant at Tita Fannies Liempo and Chicken Haus and now our graphics designer in Deliciosa Ice Cream Center, thank you for the great works you have done. Thank you also to Sir Tibo for the quick positive reply to my invitation through facebook :) Even invitations have gone digital :) Thanks to the internet technology.

To my students, take this as a great avenue for learning and application. You have so much potentials to succeed in this field.

I’d like to end this talk with a quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe which goes “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”

Once again, welcome to the Digital marketing skills training and may God bless us all. 

Prof. Richard S. Celeste, MBM, REB

Mktg 111 Adviser