WISDOM. STRENGTH. BEAUTY. These are what the PUP Pylon symbolize. And today, we embody what the PUP Pylon stands for. WISDOM. STRENGTH. BEAUTY. Tayo ang tunay na PYLON ng PUP. Tayo ang PYLON na magiging repleskyon ng karunungan, katatagan, at kalinangan ng bawat Iskolar ng bayan.
WISDOM. The first of the three pillars of this triad, has been identified to symbolize “wisdom”. PUP, for more than a hundred years have offered hollistic learning and growth to its students. A learning that is not confined in improving one’s academic factor but enables the growth in other personal aspects. Dahil sa edukasyong ito, hindi lang tayo natutong mag-isip kungdi natuto tayong umunawa, hindi lang tayo umupo sa ating mga silya kungdi tayo ay tumayo upang ipaglaban ang silya ng iba, hindi lang tayo nangrap bagkus natuto tayong harapin ang hinaharap.
Born from a poor family in the province of Pampanga, where farming is the only feasible way to finance their needs, a young child full of ambition, determination, and passion once dreamed of a life of financial stability.
“Ayokong ikulong lamang ang buong buhay ko sa loob ng 40km2 bayan na ito” These were the words I lived by during my last year in high school. Call me ambitious, but that has always been me. I’ve always wanted to explore the world beyond me. Carefree as I am, I never thought of the means of achieving those dreams, the processes I need to go through, and the paths I need to take. But the only thing I was certain back then is that I wanted to have the comfort of life I once dreamed as a child, not just for myself, but for my whole family.
And so, somehow, I found my refuge in a university, miles away from my real home- and that is PUP. Ang institusyong kumupkop sa mga katulad kong Iskolar na salat man sa kayamanan ay naguumapaw naman sa kagustuhang matuto. Ang institusiyong nagsilbing tanglaw at naging pandayan ng murang kaisipan ng mga kabataang katulad ko na nangarap at patuloy na nangangarap para magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan.
Sa ating pamamalagi sa PUP, sa bawat araw ng klase, hindi natin maikakaila na lagi tayong nag-aalala kung mayroon pa bang upuang natitira para sa atin kaya naman lagi nating sinasabi “Friend, pacheck naman kung may upuan pa.”, “Meron pa ba?”, “Pareserve naman ako!”. Ngunit ni minsan ba ay naisip natin na sa bawat silyang inupuan natin ay may isa pang nangangarap na kabataang Pilipino ang nawalan ng pribilehiyo para sa isang silya – ang silya na sumisimbilo sa karapatan para sa libreng edukasyon?
I am one of the
fortunate students who have been given the privilege of a PUP brand of
education. Fortunate enough to have sitted on the armchairs of PUP – the
armchair where other unpriveleged youths could have been given the opportunity
to sit.
And yes, we see them everyday, the unpriveleged youths like the beggars in the
streets of Teresa, the young barkers of the Patok jeepneys we ride, and the
kariton kids of the PNR station in Sta. Mesa.
Sabi nga sa Imno ng PUP, “Gagamitin ang karunungan mula sa iyo, para sa bayan”, such privilege is coupled with a moral obligation, an obligation to continue the century-old fight of the Iskolars ng Bayan for free education. The free education that will help build our entire nation.
My young and self-centered dreams and visions were challenged by my life experiences as a PUPian. It has extended to the hopes that the future professionals of this country, will help in the acceleration of nation building thru the promise of hollistic growth of PUP education.
BEAUTY, The second
pillar of Pylon. There is beauty in every PUPian story.
Ang kagandahang alam natin ay ang kagandahan sa tagumpay subalit sa likod ng
bawat medalya, parangal, at pagpupunyagi ay may natatagong istorya ng kabiguan,
paghihirap, at pagkakalugmok.
Sa apat o limang taon natin sa PUP, minsang pinadama nito sa atin na hindi tayo magaling, hindi pa tayo sapat, at hindi tayo laging panalo. Hindi ko kayang bilangin at alalahanin ang lahat ng pagsubok na muntikang magpatigil sa akin sa labang ito, kung ilang beses akong nadapa, umiyak, at nawalan ng pag-asa.
People will only see the beauty in winnings, but not the beauty behind resiliency. As one of the spearheads in the academic pool of quizzers of PUP JPIA Manila, I have taken pride in ensuring the representation of PUP Manila in every external academic event. My first quiz bee, the NAQDOWN, was a complete disaster. My professors, colleagues, former quizzers, have been so confident that I could secure a spot for PUP in the National round. But I didnt. I failed. But that same quizzer went on to receive multiple recognitions and awards. THAT failure turned THAT quizzer to be an Accounting quiz bee champion, the quizzer and champion that I he is today. And that quizzer is me.
In this journey, though some may describe it as full of triumphs, it was not exclusive of its own failures and losses. We also had our share of failed departmental examinations, unbalanced trial balances, unanswered recitations in law, rejected thesis proposals, and incorrect balances in Auditing. However, we tend to judge a story based on how it ends, but we do not appreciate how the resiliency of a person can turn curved stories into sharp ended ones. How someone’s former unbalanced trial balances, were improved and shaped, to be today’s financial statements of different companies.
How all those unanswered recitations in law became someone’s motivating factor to be the version of the lawyer he is today. How someone’s incorrect balances in Auditing were furnished and made the most skeptic and perfectionist auditor that he is today. I will not say that failure should be your building block, but rather, use those failures to find the correct blocks that will fit your story best.
As they say, “The ones who endure the fire shall come out as pure gold.” We, graduates, are the golds forged from the very fires of our sintang paaralan. And for that, my dear graduates, allow me to say, congratulations. Let us all give ourselves a warm round of applause.
STRENGTH, the reflection of the third pillar of Pylon.
Ilang bagyo, lindol, at baha na ang minsang sumubok sa tatag at lakas ng Pylon ng PUP. Subalit nanatili itong nakatayo. Hindi dahil sa matatag lang ito, kundi dahil may pundasyon itong kinakapitan. Today as we mark the day of our farewell to our college journey, let us honor the people who have strengthened us and served as our foundation.
To the gift of perseverance and grit that hailed PUP as among the top choices of employers!
We were trained not just to be good at taking exams, but to excel beyond expectations. To the people who have dedicated the whole of their selves to serve us, our professors, specifically CAF and CPSPA, maraming maraming salamat po.
To the gift of camaraderie, brotherhood and sisterhood that helped us achieve our best version. To the persons who have shared their skills and wisdom to uplift the hidden potential in us. Our dearest friends, thank you!
To the gift of life that abled us to live in comfort despite the barriers of poverty. Our parents that have given the greatest sacrifice for us to live in this moment. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much! Ma, Tang, Ateng, Koyang, ing sablang bage na leko yu kekayu, at kaku yu naman binye para mu makayari ku. Ala ku ngeni keni nune ing pauli yu, dakal a dakal a salamat. Para ya kekayu ini.
To the Almighty one, the source of everything known and unknown in this world. For he made these all possible and feasible through unending and unbounded love, panginoon maraming salamat po.
PUP, lagi mong
sinasambit na ikaw ay pinagpala. Subalit, ikaw nga ba ay maituturing na tunay
na pinagpala? O kaming mga Iskolar mo ang tunay na pinagpala?
Sa araw na ito, hindi ikaw ang pinagpala, kami, kaming iyong mga Iskolar ang
tunay na pinagpala sapagkat binigyan mo ng pagkakataon na mabigyan ng kulay ang
kupas at mapanglaw na pahina ng aming buhay. Mapalad kami sapagkat pinawi mo
ang aming uhaw sa mapagpalaya at libreng edukasyon. For that, we are forever
grateful. Maraming salamat, PUP!
WISDOM.BEAUTY.STRENGTH.
Kapwa ko magsisipagtapos, tayo ang tunay na PYLON ng PUP. Sa ating paglisan at pagtahak sa bagong landas, tayo ang magiging sagisag ng PUP kahit saang dako man tayo maparoon. Tayo ang PYLON na magiging repleskyon ng karunungan, katatagan, at kalinangan ng bawat Iskolar ng bayan. Tayo ang Pylon, ang sagisag ng tagumpay ng bawat isa. I am Eugene Simbillo Manaban, the Valedictorian of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Batch 2019, from the Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, College of Accountancy and Finance, and a proud product of the Filipino taxpayers. Mabuhay tayong lahat!
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About the Author
- Eugene is the Class Valedictorian of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Batch 2019. He took up BS Accountancy and chaired FINESTS during the academic year 2018-2019.
