Thanks be to God!!! “Thanks be to God” is, for me, the most appropriate greeting for this significant occasion. Because this is not just another significant milestone in your journey in life, particularly educational life, but it is a “blessing” that not all are privileged to enjoy. We bring back the glory and honor to God first, for this blessing.

Thanks be to God! Likewise, for the tireless efforts, patience, and dedication of your teachers, ably led by the school administration and staff, that ensured the enabling and supportive environment for effective learning to happen, thus, bringing you all here today.

Thanks be to God! More importantly, to your loving and caring parents, guardians and relatives, community officials and other stakeholders. For their active engagement and shared responsibility for developing you, dear graduates, as lifelong learners.

This year’s rites theme; “Sulong EduKalidad: Championing the Nation’s Future” (Sulong EduKalidad: Pagtataguyod sa Kinabukasan ng Bayan), highlights the essential role of quality education in helping Filipino learners (you dear graduates) achieve their (your) full potential in order to fulfill their (your) dreams and contribute meaningfully to nation-building.

It is my fervent prayer, that with the necessary foundations for learning that the Department of Education provided you, thru the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum, you are now all equipped, “with the values and competencies,” to pursue your dreams: be it in 1) Education, Higher Education or further Technical Skills Development courses; be it in 2) Employment or the “world of work” for those who finished TVL courses and/or those who have acquired National Certifications (NCs) from TESDA; or be it in 3) Entrepreneurship or the field of business. These three (3)-pronged exits from the Basic Education will be your options to “enable you to realize your full potential and contribute meaningfully to building the nation in the future. With God, everything is possible.

God bless us all!

(SGD.) DR. PEDRO MELCHOR M. NATIVIDAD, Ph.D., CSEE
Schools Division Superintendent
OIC, Assistant Regional Director