ENDEAVOR
Our Sunday Bulletin Business section last Jan. 12 included two highly informative feature stories. The first, headlined “Filipino workers demand more than just a job,” and the second on “How students are turning creativity into careers” signaled to me that, indeed, as Bob Dylan sang in his vintage hit tune, “the times they are a-changing.”
A box astride the banner story listed the top 10 fastest growing skills by 2030, according to the Future of Jobs Report 2025, namely: “1) AI and big data; 2) Networks and cyber-security; 3) Technological literacy; 4) Creative thinking; 5) Resilience, flexibility and agility; 6) Curiosity and lifelong learning; 7) Leadership and social influence; 8) Talent management; 9) Analytical thinking; and 10) Environmental stewardship.”
The other story on “How students are turning creativity into careers” featured Asia Pacific College’s programs. APC was established jointly in 1991 by SM Foundation and IBM Philippines, with special focus on a multimedia arts program that offers immersion in “cutting edge digital tools for 2D and 3D animation, digital sculpting and multimedia publishing, sound design, video production and photography.”
After browsing through the rest of our Sunday Bulletin, I had the opportunity to view a graduation speech accessible via YouTube which provides perspective to the robust outlook projected by the two feature stories.
Val Anghelito Llamelo, summa cum laude in BS Public Administration, delivered the valedictory speech in the UP Diliman graduation in April 2023. What made his speech uniquely memorable is that he deviated from the inspirational and motivational types of valedictory addresses, as he spoke candidly about the travails of a working student — or, in today’s lingo, a family breadwinner.
As a college freshman at age 17, he worked as a call center agent at a business process outsourcing (BPO) company. Then he juggled two jobs as a marketing assistant and a tutor. The Covid-19 pandemic sidelined his father (an OFW) and elder brother from work. At age 22, he became the first UP graduate from his family, earning the highest distinction.
He observed social media trends favoring children of tricycle drivers and working-class parents who made good in the university. Unlike them, here he was, coming from the ranks of poor and marginalized students who pulled himself up by his own bootstraps. He recalled that many were unable to keep up with the demands of online learning as they did not have internet access from their quarantined homes. Fortunately, he was able to obtain his own digital device.
He noted that “access to quality education remains a privilege,” adding that this realization prodded him to strive harder and demonstrate that perseverance and dedication are keys to hurdling barriers. This, he said, was at variance with the graduation ceremony theme: “Matatag at maaasahang serbisyo publiko sa gitna ng pagbabago at kawalang katiyakan (Stable and reliable public service amid change and uncertainty).” He raised a challenge: “For whom do we dedicate this service?”
Then he proceeded to depict the facets of inequality in education, health, science and technology, and disaster resilience. He pitched upgraded salaries for health workers, a crying need that surfaced at the height of the pandemic. Higher minimum wages are needed, too, he declared; this would eventually preclude having more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have to endure separation from kith and kin in search of greener pastures. He said scientists and inventors need more incentives.
“Huwag sanang tularan ang mga politikong pinanday ng UP na inuuna ang sarili (Let’s not emulate UP-bred politicians who put self above service),” — a line that drew a hearty applause.
Val Llamelo said he preferred to view the present state of Philippine society as being a “half-empty glass” on account of huge systemic deficiencies; challenging the status quo could hasten the onset of reform and change. He concluded his inspired message with a call to action: “Iskolar ng bayan, tuloy ang ating laban!”
Listening to him prodded me to reminisce how, in the aftermath of the declaration of martial law, I endeavored to make sense of who I was and what I would like to be, after graduating from UP in October 1973. I was delayed by a semester as I needed to complete my Military Science (MS 22) course; back then, all male college students were required to take the Reserved Officers Training Course (ROTC) for four semesters. Unlike Val, I did not have to work while in college. I was fully supported by my parents, who were both government employees.
Yet, his message resonates clearly with me. I was a First Quarter Storm activist who joined demonstrations and urged my fellow students to join mass actions to protest three root evils in Philippine society: imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism.
In contrast, Val needed to deal with and tackle a personal challenge. He worked so he could earn a college degree that would tide him and his family over and enable them to live more comfortably. Even as he succeeded, he does not rest easy. In fact, he sees even more clearly the need for other UP graduates to demonstrate in deeds the qualities of being “iskolar ng bayan.”
I came across a social media post on Val’s guesting at a noontime show in which he said he might just opt to “join showbiz” as a pathway to politics and public service. My unsolicited advice: Follow your heart. “Believe in what you do; do what you believe in.” I offer the same advice to Val’s fellow youth who are tech-oriented. Somehow, their forward pathways will converge. Building a better nation and society requires the combined efforts of many dreamers.
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