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The majestic Malabsay Falls in Mount Isarog, Camarines Sur, in the Bicol Region. (Photo courtesy of Naga City website).gif){kind=spacer}
I am Rolan Jon Go Bulao, the eldest of the four children of Rolando B. Bulao and Elvira Go-Bulao. I was born on 9 April 1984 in Naga City. Living with me in San Antonio, Milaor, Camarines Sur, are my parents, my two brothers, Rolan Roel and Rolan Rex, and my only sister, Laira Vie.
My formal education started in 1990 at Saint Joseph School, Naga City. However, in 1993, I transferred to Naga Central School 1 and finished my elementary education there on 2 April 1997, with flying colors. It was on 22 March 1997 when I first joined a national competition-the 17th National Super Quiz Bee (Philippine History and Culture). At same year, it was indeed an achievement for me when I passed the two qualifying exams (one exam was given by the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute) for the Engineering and Science Education Project (ESEP) class, popularly known as the "science-oriented class", in Camarines Sur National High School. During this stage, I was exposed to various competitions such as essay writing, slogan making, poster making, extemporaneous speaking, story writing, spelling, Philippine Math Olympiad, Intel Science Fair, military parade, and conferences such as the Regional Secondary Schools Press Conference, the National Schools Press Conference. But high school was more than just an epoch of academic and extra-curricular achievements for me, it was the greatest period in my life so far. I have gained true friends and had undergone a lot of obstacles, which in turn were all overcome. I had also the opportunity and pleasure to serve my fellow students by leading one of our school clubs, the UNESCO. In 30 March 2001, I am one of the 1,271 graduates of our school.
The toughest exam I had ever taken in the year 2000 is the University of the Philippines College Admissions Test (UPCAT). But that was rewarded in February 2001 when I was informed by my cousin that I passed the UPCAT with student number 2001-60224. In March 2001 I sent my reply letter to the registrar's office expressing my willingness to enroll. On 9 May of the same year, I enrolled in UP under the course BS Psychology. On 11 June, I checked in at the Kalayaan Residence Hall, the all-freshmen dormitory in the University. On 14 June, all freshmen were welcomed by the UP administration and some students by having a convocation at the University Theater. During the first semester, I was able to cope up with the environment. And after my first two semesters in UP, I luckily gained friends from the three major island groups of our country. Now, I'm a sophomore student taking up BS Business Economics.
Give me courage to do what is hard; courage to say no to sin; courage to hold off the quitter in me.
Give me a clean mind and clean speech; clean eyes and clean hands. Let me cherish cleanness and recognize that it brings happiness. Let me appreciate that in purity all good things grow.
Give me a gift for kindness, so I may never hurt another youth. Teach me to control my temper and my tongue, so they do not become the instruments of cruelty. I know my own importance, Lord; but let me never fail to see that others have importance, too.
Give me strength of spirit to defeat self-pity. If I am lonesome, lead me to the knowledge that to be loved I must be lovable; that I will have no real friends until I earn them.
Give me that bigness I will need to be cheerfully obedient. Remove from my personality a sullen spirit. Teach me to take orders, so that some day I will know how to give them reasonably.
Give me zest and drive to conquer laziness. Never let me feel that I can be served without serving, or get without giving. Instruct my heart in the love of work, so I may know the joy of rest.
Give me that peace of mind which comes from knowing that I will never lead another to sin. By Your grace, may no one be cheapened because he kept my company. Let all who love me learn to love You more.
Give me, finally, such brightness, laughter, and grace, that You will find in me a temple which will please You as the saints and prophets pleased You. Amen.
1. Speak to people. There is nothing a nice as a cheerful word of greeting.
2. Smile at people. It takes 65 muscles to frown; only 15 to smile.
3. Call people by name. The sweetest music to anyone's ears is the sound of his own name.
4. Be friendly and helpful. If you would have friends, be friendly.
5. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do were a genuine pleasure.
6. Be genuinely interested in people. You can like everybody if you try.
7. Be generous with praise-cautious with criticism.
8. Be considerate with the feelings of others. It will be appreciated.
9. Be thoughtful of the opinion of others. There are three sides to a controversy-yours, the other fellow's, and the right one.
10. Be alert to give service. What counts most in life is what we do for others.
Magayagayang aldaw po saindo gabos!
Ab uno disce omnes-"from one learn to know all." That's what we have been.
This is a wonderful moment for all of us. At last we have climbed another ladder towards our success. To parents, it's the second most joyful event after their child's birth. To teachers, it's a time to be free, at last, from migraine and high blood pressure brought about by their students. To students, of course, it's a time for joy and sadness. Joy, for they will be finishing their secondary education. Sadness, because they will be leaving their friends and beloved teachers.
In this regard, we have a lot to be grateful for. Let us glorify the Lord for granting us the privilege to be here. Most of all, let us thank our parents and family for their financial, emotional, moral support, and for staying with us up to the wee hours of the night while we were preparing for our lessons and activities. Indeed, they have been our citadels.
It is imperative to mention the noble contribution of our mentors who have patiently tolerated our restlessness and transgressions. They have prepared us for life in the real world.
How about our classmates and friends? We have spent four years with them-exchanging pleasantries and sharing secrets about our crushes. How we enjoyed our adolescence!
Our high school life was full of adventures and surprises. How exciting it was to go on field trips, educational tours, to see different places and get additional information about the beauty of our nation! Of course, there were times when we had to overcome our anxiety when joining school, division, regional, and national competitions. For sure, we will never forget the enriching experiences and our jubilation when we brought home the bacon.
What I just mentioned are memories to cherish forever. We are high school graduates now; but are we through with our expedition? Of course, not. Our journey has just begun. The long winding road to success awaits us. Nobody knows if we will have a leisurely travel or if we will have a hazardous trip. The way to success is not a race for fortune but a marathon of hard work and perseverance.
My dear co-graduates, we should consider our intellectually taxing yet enlightening and satisfying experiences as parts of our transition to a broader, problem-strewn arena called life. This must have been the reason why our forebears called this ritual of graduation, our "commencement exercises."
As we move on to another chapter of our life, we ought to accept that we are no longer kids. We're entering the realm of maturity. One small leak would sink the entire ship. How can we achieve our ultimate goals in life? The basics are simple. Just avoid fraternities, drugs, undesirable peers and vices.
We cannot serve two masters at the same time. Prioritize your studies. Dump the temptations.
I'm not telling you not to enjoy life; rather I am only urging you to observe tact and discretion. There is always the right time for the right thing.
Whatever we do and wherever we will be, let us always remember the reason for our success-Divine Providence. God is always there for us. Although we encounter several problems and conflicts, He has not forsaken us. Remember the song "Footprints in the Sand?"
No one has traveled the highway of success without ever crossing the streets of failures. Although God never promised us an easy life, He did assure us a safe arrival. The true spirit of love of God is love of neighbor. Service for our neighbors is the essence of veridical faith in God. Living in a selfish mode just degrades us in the eyes of both the Lord and men. Our own iniquities could even impair us. Just take this parable.
"A man dressed in black toga and carrying a book was walking on a dirt road when he saw a protruding stone. He just looked at it and continued walking as if he just saw a fallen leaf. After a few minutes, another man in a business suit passed through it and did the same thing-just looked at the stone and continued his travel. A third man, wearing eyeglasses and carrying a bundle of books, using the same road, also saw the stone. He likewise didn't bother to do something about the stone. All of them thought, "This stone can't do harm to me for I saw it and I don't care if others will be harmed."
Later, on their way to the town, they met wild cattle moving towards their direction. So, they turned their backs and began running as fast as they could. When they reached the area where the protruding stone lay, each one of them stumbled badly that they could not stand. Just then, the herd of cattle ran over them taking their lives away."
Such a tragic incident could also happen to anyone among us who will live a life only for his own sake.
My co-graduates, let us bear in mind the chemistry of upright living-a feat of gratitude for all the persons to whom we owed our success, an exercise of industry and perseverance, a dose of daily prayers, an act of charity, and dedication of our lives in the service of our fellowmen for the glory of God.
To make our nation move, we must also move. As a Latin proverb goes, Ex nihilo nihil fit-from nothing, nothing is produced. So, let us be productive citizens and be the builders of our country's edifice of progress.
Marhay na hapon asin Dios Mabalos po!
Friends Forever! If you are a Camarines Sur National High School alumnus Batch 2001 and a former student of Miss Salve Ces and Mrs. Remedios Bermudo, then you are a Jupillanese! Lalo na kun nagin kang III-Saturn under Mrs. Sonia Bautista. Locate your former classmates here.
Hey Hayskulano of Batch 2001! Do you still remember the Seniors Night? One of the highlights there was the delivery of our class prophecy.Nalingawan mo na? Tibaad ilalaag man idto sa satong yearbook. Well, if you already forgot what the great seer had seen on your future, check this out!
The colossal Basilica Minore of the Patroness of Bicol, Our Lady of Penafranica, located at Balatas Road, City of Naga. (Photo courtesy of Naga City website)When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit--
Rest if you must, but don't you quit;
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,--,
It's when things seem worst that you musn't quit.
Let's oft'ner talk of noble deeds,
And rarer of the bad ones,
And sing about our happy days,
And none about the sad ones.
We were not made to fret and sigh,
And when grief sleeps, to wake it;
Bright happiness is standing by--
This life is what we make it.
Let's find the sunny side of men,
Or be believers in it;
A light there is in every soul
That takes the pains to win it.
Oh! There's a slumbering good to all,
And we perchance may wake it;
Our hands contains the magic wand--
This life is what we make it.
Then here's to those whose loving hearts
Shed light and joy about them!
Thanks be to them for countless gems
We ne'er had known without them.
Oh! This should be a happy world
To all who may partake it!
The fault's our own if it is not--
This life is what we make it.
For comments, suggestions, and stories, please e-mail [email protected].If a picture paints a thousand words
Then why can't I paint you
The words will never show
The you I've come to know
If a face could launch a thousand ships
Then where am I to go?
There's no one home but you
You're all that's left me to
Refrain
And when my love
For life is running dry
You'll come and pour yourself on me
If a man could be two places
At one time I'd be with you
Tomorrow and today
Beside you all the way
If the world should stop revolving
Spinning slowly down to die
I'd spend the end with you
And when the world was through
Refrain
Then one by one
The stars would all go out
Then you and I
Would simply fly away
