Delivered before graduating students of the University of the
Philippines College of Arts and Letters, 21 April 2007, at the UP
Hardin ng mga Diwata, Diliman, Quezon City
Kapuwa kong Pambansang Alagad ng Sining at Dekano Virgilio Almario,
Kawaksing Dekano Marilyn Canta, Kawaksing Dekano Jose Wendell Capili,
Kawaksing Dekano Regina Gochuico, Kalihim ng Kolehiyo Dr. Teodoro
Maranan, kaguruan ng kolehiyo, mga magulang, mga panauhin, at mga
magsisipagtapos, magandang hapon sa inyong lahat.
To my fellow artists (?!), dean virgilio almario, assistant dean jose wendell capili, assistant dean regina gochico, college secretary teodoro maraman, faculty, parents, guests and graduating students, good afternoon.
Anong ginagawa ng estudyante sa eskwelahan? Pupunta ng klase. Tapos?
Pupunta sa susunod na klase. Tapos? Magtatanghalian. Tapos? Pupunta
ulit sa isa pang klase. Tapos? Pupunta sa huling klase. Tapos? Tapos,
araw ng pagtatapos.
what does a student do in school? go to class. then? go to the next class. then? lunch. then? head to yet another class. Then? go to the last class. then? its done. graduation day.
Graduation. Araw ng pagtatapos. Sino ba ang nagtatapos? Kayo. Ano ba
ang natatapos? Kayo rin. Tapos ang maliligayang araw n’yo. Dapat araw
ng pagsasaya ang araw na ito, at sigurado akong kahit anong mangyari,
kahit ano pa ang sabihin ko ngayon, walang magpapalungkot sa inyo. Kaya
naman naghanda ako ng listahan: ang sampung dahilan kung bakit bad trip
magtapos. Pagkatapos kong magsalita, tingnan lang natin kung di kayo
mag-unahang mag-enrol ulit.
Graduation. Graduation day. who graduates? you. what gets finished? you, also. your days of being carefree and happy go lucky are now gone. this day should be a party, and whatever happens, whatever i say, nothing will make you feel otherwise. so i prepared a list - ten reasons why it is a pain in the ass to graduate. after my speech, let’s see if you wont scramble to go back to school again.
Unang dahilan, pag tapos ka na, wala nang baon. Pakapalan na ng mukha
kung manghihingi ka pa ng pera sa mga magulang mo. Dati-rati,
nakakakupit ka pa, ’yung sobra sa hiningi mong tuition fee, halimbawa.
Pag tapos ka na, ikaw na ang magbabayad para sa koryente, sa tubig, sa
renta. Kung may mas bata kang kapatid, ikaw naman ang magbabayad ng
tuition fee n’ya. Pag nagkataon, ikaw na ang hihingan ng baon ngayon.
first reason, when you graduate, your allowance is cut off. such nerve it is of you to ask money from your parents. back then, you could pocket some of the extra money from the bloated tuition fee that you asked for, for example. when you graduate, you pay for the electric bill, the water bill, the rent. if you have a younger sibling, it will now be your turn to pay for his matriculation. chances are, they will be asking an allowance from you.
Ikalawang dahilan, pag tapos ka na, wala nang kaibigan. O, sobra naman
yata ’yon. Pero aminin na natin, kokonti ang panahong makakapagsama
kayo ng barkada mo. Alangan namang sa iisang kompanya kayo lahat
pumasok? Liliit na rin ang oportunidad na makakilala ka ng bagong
kaibigan. Sa kolehiyo, bawat sem may bago kang nakikilala kasi may bago
kang kaklase. Mas mabagal ang prosesong ito sa permanenteng trabaho.
Isipin n’yo na lang, pag estudyante pinakanakakaasar ‘yung walang
kuwentang group mate. Ang trabaho, para s’yang isang napakahabang group
work.
second reason, when you graduate, your friends will be
gone. Oh, maybe that’s too much. But let us admit it, the chances of you
getting together with your friends will become less. It’s practically weird
that all of you will join the same company.
Ikalawang dahilan, pag
tapos ka na, wala nang kaibigan. O, sobra naman yata ’yon. Pero aminin na
natin, kokonti ang panahong makakapagsama kayo ng barkada mo. Alangan namang sa
iisang kompanya kayo lahat pumasok? Liliit na rin ang oportunidad na makakilala
ka ng bagong kaibigan. Sa kolehiyo, bawat sem may bago kang nakikilala kasi may
bago kang kaklase. Mas mabagal ang prosesong ito sa permanenteng trabaho.
Isipin n’yo na lang, pag estudyante pinakanakakaasar ‘yung walang kuwentang
group mate. Ang trabaho, para s’yang isang napakahabang group work.
The opportunity of meeting new
friends will also get smaller. In college, you meet new people every semester
because you have new classmates. This process becomes slower in a permanent
job. Think of it this way, back then the most annoying thing is to have a
good-for-nothing groupmate. Working is just like a very long (and tedious)
group work.
Ikatlong dahilan kung bakit
bad trip magtapos, wala nang panahong magbasa. Kayong mga taga-College of Arts
and Letters, may bentahe kayo. Masarap mag-aral ng arte at letra. Isipin n’yo
na lang ‘yung mga taga-Eng’g, sa tingin n’yo ba nag-eenjoy sila sa pag-aaral?
May kakaibang sarap sa pagbasa ng tula , sa panunuri ng mga larawan, sa
pagkatuto ng kung ano ang “Good Morning” sa Aleman, sa pagtatanghal sa teatro,
sa pagtatalumpati. Pag tapos ka na, pag nagtatrabaho ka na, pagod na lagi ang
utak mo sa pag-uwi. Telebisyon na lang ang pahinga.
The third reason why its
annoying to graduate, you have no time to read for leisure. All of you from the college of
arts and letters, you have an advantage. It is fun to study arts and letters.
Think about the people from the college of engineering, do you think they enjoy
studyuing? There is pleasure in reading poems, analyzing pictures/paintings,
learning how to say “good morning” in german, performing in theater and
delivering speeches. When you graduate and start working, your brain will
always be tired when you get home. Watching television is the only (brain?)
rest you will get.
Ikaapat na dahilan, wala nang bakasyon pag
tag-init. At mas maikling bakasyon sa Pasko. Kawawa naman kayo.
The fourth reason is, no more summer
vacations. And shorter christmas breaks. Poor you.
Ikalimang dahilan, wala nang libreng gimik.
Dito sa UP, maglakad-lakad ka lang may makikita ka nang kasiyahan. Pag fair,
halimbawa, p’wede kang umupo lang sa benches ng Sunken Garden. Rinig mo na ang
musika. E pag tapos ka na, saan ka pupunta? Alangan namang mag-camp out ka sa
labas ng Araneta Center?
Fifth reason – no more free events. If you
just walk around the campus, you will find free events. For example, the up
fair; you can just sit on the benches at sunken garden and you would hear the
bands play. But when you graduate, where will you go? Are you gonna camp
outside the araneta center? (araneta center is a huge concert venue, just like
madison square garden)
Ikaanim na dahilan, hindi na p’wedeng
umabsent ng anim na beses. Wala nang academic freedom kasi wala ka na sa
akademya. Pag tapos ka na, pag nagtatrabaho ka na, umabsent ka ng higit sa
tatlong beses, tingnan lang natin kung saan ka pupulutin.
Sixth reason – you can no longer be absent
six times (per semester). You will no longer have academic freedom because you
are not in school anymore. When you graduate and start working and don’t go to
work more than three times, let’s just see where you will end up.
Konektado ito sa ikapitong dahilan, pag
tapos ka na, hindi ka na p’wedeng mag-drop. Pag mag-aaral ka pa, at
power-tripper ‘yung guro, p’wede kang mag-drop at tapos ang problema. Pag
masyadong mabigat ang academic load, p’wede kang mag-drop. Kunin mo na lang sa
susunod na semestre ‘yung sabjek. Hindi ‘yan p’wede sa tunay na mundo. Hindi ka
p’wedeng mag-drop ng trabaho. Pagkatapos, aaplayan mo na lang paglipas ng ilang
buwan.
In conncetion to the sixth reason, when you
graduate, you can no longer drop (classes). When you are a student and you got
a power-tripping professor, you can drop the class and the problem is solved.
If the academic load is too much for you to handle, you can drop. Just take the
same subject next semester. You cant do that in the real world. You cant drop
your job and apply for it a few months later.
Ikawalong dahilan kung bakit bad trip
magtapos. Pag tapos ka na, hindi ka na p’wedeng magtext sa klase. Pag nababato
ka sa trabaho, walang ibang p’wedeng gawin kundi tumuloy sa pagkabato, sa
pagtatrabaho. Sa klase magtetext ka para magset ng oras kung kailan kayo
magkikita ng mga kaibigan mo. E pag tapos ka na, di ba nga wala nang kaibigan.
The eighth reason why it’s a pain in the
ass to graduate is that you can no loger send text messages in class. When you
are bored at work, you cant do anything else but be bored working. In class,
you send text messages so you can meet up with your friends after. Didn’t I say
that after you graduate, your friends will be gone?
Ikasiyam na dahilan, hindi na p’wedeng
mangopya. Hindi na p’wedeng ipaxerox ang notebook ng katabi mo. Hindi na
p’wedeng sumulyap-sulyap sa papel ng kaibigan mo pag exam. Kasi, wala nang
exam. O, araw-araw exam.
The ninth reason is, you cant copy anymore.
You cant make photocopies of your classmate’s notebook. You cant peek at your
friend’s answers during exams. Because, there are no more exams. Or, everyday
is an exam.
Pag tapos ka na, tapos ka na. Ito ang
ikasampung dahilan kung bakit bad trip magtapos: hindi na p’wedeng bumalik.
Hindi ka na p’wedeng bumalik. Tapos na ang mga araw ng baon, kaibigan,
pagbabasa, bakasyon, libreng gimik, pag-aabsent, pagda-drop, pagtetext,
pangongopya. Tapos ka na e. Tapos na. Oras na para magsimula.
When you graduate, you are also done. This
is the tenth reason why its is annoying to graduate: you cant go back. You
cannot go back. Gone are the days of an allowance, hanging out with
your friends, reading to your heart’s content, extended vacations, free events, slacking off, dropping, texting and copying. Because you are finished. Your happy days are done and
over with. It is now time to start anew.
i hope i have not lost anything in translation.
