Fellow graduates, families, teachers, administration, faculty and guests, welcome to our

virtual graduation for San Luis Elementary School, San Luis District, School Year 2020-2021
Commencement Exercise.
Before I begin, I would like to thank and recognize all the parents, all the families, the
teachers, the administration, and other faculty members and staff for your hard work in helping
us get to this point.
This may not be what us, graduates, were looking forward to, we have waited for this for
six years, but it is still graduation nonetheless.
A year ago, most of us wouldn’t have understood phrases like social distancing and
flatten the curve, and the idea of wearing face masks and face shields in public or not being able
to even go out in public would have seemed silly. Flash forward to early 2020, and poof—
everything changed.
Because of this pandemic, we’re like a forest. When a forest burns down, it grows back
stronger, alive and astir with life. Each of us are our own unique tree in that forest. I would like
to think of myself as a Molave tree. This tree is known for its strong, tough and durable wood.
Molave is a premium timber species that dominates the limestone forests in the Philippines.
Molave wood is very hard and serves as precious wood in making high-end furniture. Molave is
also used as herbal plant for its healing benefits. But once a forest fire hits any kind of wood or
tree, nothing is tough, nothing is durable, all that forest fires catch will be burnt. But it doesn’t
mean that life ends there. My point here is, we all had something taken away from us, these are,
our time, our freedom, our lives. We all need our own amounts of time to heal and grow, and
regrow. That way we can be a forest again. And I believe, that once this pandemic is done with
its wrath like any forest fire that tames in time. I will be a stronger, a taller, a tougher, and a
reborn Molave tree in that forest I thought of myself as. The best version of myself, a new
Stephanie B. Tubig, Version 2.0 ready to face the new chapter of my life after this global
pandemic, stronger, taller, tougher and reborn. How about the others? What kind of tree would
you like to think of yourself as, in that forest?
Graduation is supposed to be a time of happiness. It is too bad that this pandemic has
forced us into a lot quarantines, GCQ, ECQ, MGCQ, MECQ, and lastly BBQ or Barbecue.
Kidding aside, it has helped us all grow in ways we could never have imagined. We have learned
how valuable our friends and our families are, and most of all, how important teachers are. Sabi
nga ng mga Nanay, Tatay o guardians natin, “kaya nga ba hindi ako nagteacher…” So let me
take this opportunity to express our warmest and deepest recognition to our beloved teachers for
their dedication to their profession. They give us, the learners, PURPOSE, set us up for success
as citizens of our world, and inspire in us a drive to do well and succeed in life. Like this quote I
found in an article, “The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow, and teachers are that
critical point that makes a child ready for their future”. To the world, you may be just a teacher,
but to your students, you are a hero. So to all the teachers of San Luis Elementary School and all
the teachers in the world. Thank You for helping us create our future. Let us give them a virtual
loudest round of applause. (Wait for the applause to last)
 I will surely miss San Luis Elementary School. I will always miss the classes, the stress
of examination weeks, the laughers and company of my classmates and friends.
Elementary school days may be over, but our lives are just beginning. We are all going to
do great things! I know that is very cliché, but hey, it is true. We have all grown up into amazing
people. And I know we can be the class to help the world be a better place. Show everyone love,
respect, and kindness no matter what our differences are.
Nobody knows what the ultimate outcome of the COVID-19 crisis will be, but one thing
is certain—we are stronger when we act together. The lessons we absorb and the energy we put
into making positive choices today will make a meaningful difference tomorrow.
In the beginning I thanked families and teachers, but now I want to thank my peers, the
class of 2021. You made me who I am today, and I can’t thank you enough for that. I hope the
best for each and every one of you. Now may the wind be at your back and go do great things. I
am Stephanie B. Tubig, representing Grade 6 Earth, Class of 2021.
Thank you very much and God bless us all.