Acknowledgement Speech

PGI President

A pleasant afternoon Batch Aninipot and to the rest of the people watching from
behind their screens.

I would like to extend my congratulations to all the 31 completing postgraduate

interns. And to the awardees, congratulations!

I am sure that everyone has imagined what this day would be like. A day when we
once again officially close another chapter and welcome a rather original
unpredictable, life-transforming road; and it is also this time that we celebrate a feat.

I remember a handful have approached or talked to me about how they would want
this day to be. Sure, I liked them and supported them as I wanted this to be as unique
as the batch’s name. To mention some, such as How we could have a group photo,
what concepts could we have for our batch graduation, or even how to make this
momentous day stand out from the rest.

Add to the list, are our planned excursions either with friends or groupmates to
places either local or international. I for one planned to go on camping at some peaks
in my hometown of Lila.

And then came this pandemic…slowly taking us to another world, challenging us

socially, physically, and mentally and ultimately transforming our lives as social
animals. Thus, dubbed as the new normal. Our new normal.

But as time passes, it is evident that the majority of us Filipinos with our staunch
character of resilience it isn’t that hard to adapt to this change. We for a brief period
feared that this internship would have to be postponed and extended but it didn’t. It
just had to adapt and transform to one that is online. More so with this graduation. A
ceremony sans sitting side-by-side in the halls of a convention center.

Unbeknownst to many, our batch had already been challenged countless of times.
This batch has been trained in one of the darkest times in the history of the modern
world. This training is arguably a very challenging way of becoming a physician.
Working as a 'frontliner' in these unfortunate times exponentiates the worth of our
already noble profession. We have been thrown rocks at, to say the least, and we
endured it. We are taking the race in life and we have and will champion it. We should
already have been proud of ourselves. If you feel otherwise, then you are hard to
please and you are hard on yourself. I have much respect for each one of us. We
earned it.

The pandemic has also brought the worst in many people especially from the
government -- national down to local, there pose threats to the profession. Much has
been thrown at us... Countless of times, our efforts are slowly trampled down by
those who fail to understand and those who refuse to do so. We are regarded with
much disrespect. Physicians and frontliners are questioned rather than gratified. It is
as if our profession begs validation. I would need to remind everyone that we should
not let this be a time of neglect. We also shouldn't be tolerant particularly in these
trying times and when what is also at stake are the lives of many.
We are not only frontliners against the Coronavirus but also the very forerunners of
this noble profession. Let us be the epithelium that protects our very core. Lean on
the side of what is right and be the leaders not only to yourself but of many,
particularly those patients whom we swore to help.

Do not forget the foundations of medicine. Walk in the path of greatness guided by
the wisdom and principles of these foundations, and be the innate immune system
against those who can harm us.

It was my pleasure to serve each one of you. It was an opportunity to grow as a

leader and as a person. On we go to our next short-term goal, passing the Philippine
Licensure examination. Good luck and more power to us! Let us make it 100%!

To the Professional Education and Training Office headed by Dr. Luciano Sarabosing
Jr. and to the rest of the GCGMH community headed by the Medical center chief --
Dr. Mutya Kismet Macuno, thank you so much!

Indeed, many will walk big in their respective lives for they stood on the shoulders of
giants. Nurturing and guiding young professionals and soon-to-be leaders in their
profession is not an easy task and can be randomly performed by anyone.

A great set of people makes a great community and that community has fortunately
molded us -- Batch Aninipot. The level of leniency that was extended to us for all the
shortcomings and several unfortunate events in each of our own lives have been
immensely astounding. We, the PGIs, did not feel as if we were the sheep that a
shepherd has to tend but rather friends and family. We can always be the best
versions of ourselves.

This is hence true to the line 'So Gallares, So kind'. A line that reverberated to many
areas around the Philippines. I then reminisce why I chose to be a PGI in the
institution, it is because of the community that welcomes anyone. A community that
values each member. A healthy place to co-exist, learn, and be trained.

Maam, sir, Doctors... Thank you once again! We shall pay this forward to next-
generation future leaders of this nation or if not, the world.

Thank you once again and have a pleasant day!