WELCOME ADDRESS SPEECH 2021 (Magna Cum Laude)

Our beloved school President, Rev. Father Rico P. Sayson JCL, Vice President for
Academic Affairs, Dr. Susan M. Ramirez, Vice President for Spirituality and Formation, Sr.
Ammie R. Adoremos CB, Vice President for Finance, Mrs. Virginia A. Ruben, CPA, MBA, Deans
from all the departments, distinguished graduates both from the graduate and undergraduate
school, to all Saint Columban teachers, faculty and staff, and even to our families and friends
who could not be with us today because of the pandemic, online viewers of our livestreaming,
panagdait and a pleasant morning to everyone. Thank you po sa privilege na magwelcome
address today.
A young boy came across a butterfly cocoon and brought it into his house. He watched,
over the course of hours, as the butterfly struggled to break free from its cocoon. It managed to
create a small hole in the cocoon, but its body was too large to emerge. It became tired and
still.
Wanting to help the butterfly, the boy snipped a slit in the cocoon with a pair of scissors.
The butterfly was now finally free from its cocoon, but the butterfly was small, weak, and its
wings crumpled. The boy expected the insect to take fly, but instead it could only drag its
undeveloped body along the ground. It was incapable of flying.
The boy did not know that the butterfly needed to go through the process of struggling
against the cocoon to gain strength and fill its wings with blood. It was the struggle that made it
stronger.
Today, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank the Lord, for all the teachers, faculty,
and staff who labored to work day and night, so that you and I can be here today (Let the crowd
give an applause). We thank the Lord for the people of this institution who touched our lives
and taught us what we need for tomorrow. Thank you for all the sacrifices, the investment of
time and effort, thank you for the love and care, and thank you for all the corrections, the
trainings, the good values, the quizzes, the assignments, the examinations, and all the hardships
of the training that we experience in the midst of this pandemic and the adjustment of new
normal education – because we all know that there is no rainbow without a rain, there is no
gain without pain, there is no success without sacrifice, and there is no blessing without a
burden, because we all know that it is the struggle that will make us stronger.
Today, we shall be witnessing with ourselves, how God successfully brought us and
enabled us to make it this far, to finish what we have started several years ago. But in all these
successes and achievements, let us never forget who we were and where we’ve been.
Remember, it’s not about us, it’s not about how skillful or intelligent we are, but it’s all about
God who gave us and allowed us to obtain success, to gain wealth and material things in this
life because we are all nothing before God. You may work hard, but if there is no God, all is
vain. Sabi po ng Bible, in Psalm 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain
that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. We may work
harder and harder but without the Lord wala pong totoong success sa buhay natin. I stand
before you today, but I am not better than you. Everything is by the grace and mercy of the
Lord Jesus Christ. As I give this welcome address, wag po nating kalimutan na ibigay sa
Panginoon ang lahat ng pagpupuri and kaluwalhatian.
 Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, it is my very great pleasure to welcome you
all to this commencement exercise. Panagdait sa tanan and congratulations. To God be the
glory.