Graduating. It's More Fun in the Philippines!

While looking at the graduating students and their parents from my office, I got an instant flash back of my college education. To some it may come as a surprise but to the few who knows me, - it is the truth. Truth is, I don’t have an excellent credential in graduating in College. It took me 5 years sto finish a 4 year program. I entered college in 1993 and I graduated in 1998. Last semester prior to graduation, my mother gave me money for my enrollment but I did not enroll. I have other plans, I’m going to Manila. Back then, to me Manila was a place overflowing with milk and honey. While working as a metal fabricator specialist, (steel man) my parents back in Bicol were expecting me to graduate March of 1997. They did not know that their only begotten son did not enroll and has gone missing. In Manila, I was faced with a problem on how to tell them there will be no graduation in March. To add to the burden, I heard that my mother was asking around on what to wear during graduation day! Eventually my uncle broke the news. He told my parents there will be no graduation in March and it has been rescheduled on a later date – year. Manila is not the promise land. So before the start of the second semester, I went home and told my parents I’m going back to school. And in all fairness to them, I did not hear a single word condemning me of what I did, instead, they me money (again) for my enrollment. This time I am more persistent, having all the reasons I need to finish college. For several years I was asking myself why did I chose Manila over graduation and I never was satisfied with the answers I got from myself – until this afternoon! It came to me just now, that the reason I went to Manila is because “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”! Since the last part of January this year when the department of Tourism launched “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” aimed to attract more tourist to visit the country, the campaign has gone a long way – by long way I mean both the “success” and the “distance” covered by the campaign. THE SUCCESS In 2011, the total number of Tourist Arrivals in the Philippines was recorded at a total of 3.9 Million. The first quarter of this year (January-March) Tourist Arrivals in the Philippines was recorded at 1.1 Million, and if the trend continuous, Secretary Ramon Jimenez predicted that it could exceed the 4.6 Million targets for this year. Today, the Annual Board of Governors Meeting of the Asia Development Bank will be concluded. Among the agenda of the 4-day meeting are the priority investments for the Philippines where Information Technology Industry, Electronics, Hospitality and Tourism Industry are among the major industries on top of the list. THE DISTANCE Just last week, CNN and other major foreign media companies can’t help but notice the massive exposure of the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign in the international market. According to DOT, they spent P 63 Million for the International TV Ads and other exposure campaigns. It paid off in short while, on top of the visitors list are from Korea (250k), second are from USA (160k) and third are from Japan (100K). THE GOAL President P-Noy wants to breach the 10 Million Yearly Tourist Arrivals Record by 2016. That’s roughly 14.7 Billion Peso worth of money circulating the Philippines. WHY AM I SHARING THESE STATISTICS AND NUMBERS? The reason is plain and simple. After today, the 117 students will be form part of the HUMAN CAPITAL for various industries in the Philippines. In doing so, you are now faced with three (3) realities of the world, realities that you can never turn your back on, so the best way of dealing with these realities is to face it up front. 1. BE PART of it (just like the rest, you follow what the Boss says). 2. TAKE CONTROL of it (you direct the flow of the industry). 3. THERE ARE MANY CHOICES – no one is forbidding you to make several choices, all you have to do is pick. EITHER WAY, I am confident that just like the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” you will make it BIG for you are STI graduates. You have gone through massive instruction and training from our professors who are (on their own) an expert of their field. By the time you get employed or have created a company of your own, you will realize the TRUE VALUE of College Education. You have earned your respective degrees but soon you’ll realize that we did not teach you programming, commercial cooking, animation, troubleshooting or tour guiding. We taught you the ways to be CREATIVE – out there is a JUNGLE where employers sees everyone to be the same, in order to be recognized and stand above the rest, you have to employ your creative skills. (David Guerrero) DARING – to be good is not enough, there are a hundred and one ways to do ordinary things. Never be afraid to take the risk and try other ways of learning. (PKF story) On top of all these, we have taught you the VALUES of Citizen STI. Our values defines our existence, the highest paying job in the world means nothing if you don’t have your values with you. (pray everyday) LAST, we did not teach you basketball and Intramurals, Hataw Sayaw and Acquaintance or gift giving during Christmas parties, we simple showed you the ways to HAVE FUN and ENJOY college learning. This I think is the most important lesson that you should never forget.