FEU College of Engineering and Computer Studies
30th Commencement Exercises
3:15pm, FEU Auditorium, 21 May 2011
By Jose Alvin G. Gendrano (Director, Microsoft Phils)

Good afternoon Distinguished Guests, Graduates, Faculty, and Family members. I have studied and succeeded in the United States Software Industry for the last 15 years and  my dream to return home to the Philippines with the family, has finally come true.  Now, on just my second month back in our country, I am very happy and honored to be with you today.
 
This day is important for our graduates as it marks an important milestone towards a new phase of adulthood and their entry into professional life.
 
Congratulations Dear Graduates! The blood, sweat, and tears you have invested in the last four years have finally paid off. Your friends' and family's fondest aspirations for your success have now been realized. You have survived college, proven your worth and displayed conviction, discipline, ingenuity, and courage beyond what you thought you were capable of. Remember this feeling, the feeling of being stretched beyond your own self imposed boundaries, as this will guide you towards stretch assignments that will lead you to further self-improvement.
 
Congratulations too, for choosing a prestigious and well respected institution in FEU EAC, and the preponderance to pursue a career in Engineering, Computer Science, and Information Technology.  By seeing your courses through to graduation, you have shown your commitment towards playing a role in shaping the future.  

It is a truly exciting time to be joining the technology industry! Not only is what you've learned globally in-demand, but it is also changing everything around us. From how we communicate, to how we learn, how we're entertained, and through the many life-changing devices that allow us to live our daily lives. For instance, everyone here has a cellphone  and more than half of you have used Facebook. In fact, I know that more than a few of you have sent messages or tweeted in the few minutes since I began speaking.
 
As is hopefully obvious to you by now, Technology - your chosen path - is key to helping alleviate the social condition. Engineering is at the forefront of making the homes  of tomorrow stronger, environmentally sound, and more affordable for even the poorest of  Filipinos. Computer Science, on the other hand, is key to allowing the hundreds of thousands of small businesses (sari-sari store owners, taxi drivers, franchisees, and many others) who form the real back-bone of the Philippine economy, access to Information Technology (IT) for enhanced productivity. You are the key for allowing store owners to manage inventory via smart phones, for allowing taxi drivers to manage routes and get  passengers, for allowing shoppers to find the cheapest prices, and for making electronic commerce a reality in our country.

Much is therefore expected of you, to realize the potential of what you've learned combined with your ingenuity to help carry the Philippines forward into the future.

Here are a few pieces of advice that I hope you'll find helpful as you embark on your journey to make a difference:
 
1. Don't be afraid to dream and to dream big, as dreams come true. Moreso, your dreams will be your true north, your shining north-star to lead the way.

Dreams are powerful as they allow you to wake up every morning with a purpose-full sense that what you are going to do that day gets you closer to achieving your aspirations. And when your dreams seem so far beyond reach, remember the words of Robert Greenleaf who said that "Behind every impossible achievement is a dreamer of impossible dreams".
 
2. Plan to Be Lucky... This makes more sense once you realize that the luckiest people are those who are the most prepared, have the best work ethic, and those who have practiced the most. No need to look further than Boxing's Manny Pacquiao, the NBA's Michael Jordan, Ray Allen, or Reggie Miller who were all legendary for their work ethic. Incidentally, the only NBA game I've seen LIVE, and in person, was when Reggie Miller achieved the impossible by scoring 8 points in a blistering 8.9 seconds to win the game at New York's Madison Square Garden. Was he just plain lucky? No, not by a long shot.

Years of preparation put him in a situation that allowed him to make his shots count when his team needed him the most.
 
3. Network... Network... Network... Look around you... The person sitting next to you may possibly be the next president of the Philippines, the next Bill Gates, or the next Manny Pangilinan. More so,  the people you will meet may someday hold the missing-link to making your ideas commercialy viable and to starting a successful business. So, keep in touch, and find reasons to keep connected.
 
4. Make your ideas count. The most valuable commodity in the world today is not gold, it is not arms, and it is not oil. It is Intellectual Property, or IP. Prove out your ideas in your day-to-day activities, ask friends and creatively apply social media. Not all of your ideas will be commercially viable but  it only takes one to put yourself and your country on the map. Take the Chikka service for instance which started in Pasig with the simple idea of allowing your PC or laptop to exchange text messages with mobile phones. The company has since been bought by Smart Communications for untold millions and holds several international technology patents putting the Philippines on the global IP stage.

In your head right now may be the seeds for the next Chikka, the next Facebook, or the next Microsoft. Don't let these ideas go, develop them, nurture them, collaborate with others, and make your ideas count.
 
And finally...

5. There is no place like home... Having been away from home for the last 15 years, I can truly say how much I've missed the Philippines and how much I've longed to make a difference locally. This longing finally convinced me to risk a successful US-Based career to return home, share what I've learned, and give my two sons a chance to grow up as Filipinos. For them to experience what it means to be Filipino and to experience the day-to-day trials that make us a flexible and resilient race of people na pwedeng isabak kahit saan man. My big hope is that someday my boys develop "malasakit" for the Philippines and for less fortunate Filipinos. Dahil lubos akong naniniwala na sa malasakit nag-mumula and kawang-gawa.
 
In closing, let me share a story... When I was graduating from college in the early 90s, my Dad told me that his mission in life was simple, and that was to provide his children more than what was given to him. You see, Isaias, my late grandfather (Dad's dad), came from a poor family in Quezon province in the small town of Gumaca. When he reached Manila, he worked his way through night school by working as a kargador at the pier during the day doing back-breaking work. From very humble beginnings, my grandfather was able to get my dad and my aunts and uncles through to college and eventually, successful careers.  
 
You, dear graduates, are likewise called, to continuously improve on the conditions provided to you by your parents and family who have labored and sacrificed much to get you here... You owe them, your country, and future generations much more than what was given to you.

You have a collective social responsibility to ensure that future generations of Filipinos, your future sons and daughters, have better lives than yourselves. In doing this, you will help guarantee a Philippines that is more competitive, and a Philippines that is more prosperous for all.
 
Thank You and God Bless.