ROXAS VISITS AKLAN FOR GRADUATION CEREMONIES

Senator Mar Roxas will be in Aklan tomorrow to speak to students during the graduation ceremonies of two notable universities in the province, to share with them his life lessons.

"As much as college education has equipped our graduates with the skills for their respective fields, I believe the most important skills will come about in the real world, such as the ability to think on your feet, or diskarte," he said, in urging the graduates to continue be open to learning new things.

"We have to cast off the attitude that the only things we have to learn are the ones we think we'd need. But life constantly offers new challenges for us, constantly surprises us with things that we haven't yet learned how to deal with. Without the ability to learn how to learn - kung walang diskarte - we'd easily be left behind," he added.

Roxas will be arriving in Kalibo Airport tomorrow morning, where he will directly proceed to the Northwestern Visayan Colleges in Kalibo, Aklan for the graduation of about 100 students.

Also attending the graduation ceremonies are about 1,000 friends and relatives of the graduates, and other guests such as Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez, Aklan Rep. Florencio Miraflores and Kalibo Mayor Raymar Rebaldo.

In the afternoon, he will be going to Banga, Aklan for the Aklan State University Commencement Exercises for Post-Graduate, Graduate and Baccalaureate Programs. About 300 graduates will be present, along with around 1,500 guests.

Roxas noted how in the present education system, only one of five elementary students are able to graduate from college, which he said makes the graduation of the NVC students a greater accomplishment.

He stressed it was important for graduates "to do what you love," saying "the good jobs are those that require imagination, and most of all, passion. These are the jobs that can be done only by people who love what they do."

In order to know what to do, he said, it was important for the graduates to be true to themselves. "Sabi nu'ng commercial: Magpakatotoo ka. Know your capabilities, and do everything you can to succeed according to those capabilities."

"If one's assumptions are not grounded in reality, then that journey can go off in all sorts of directions. Hindi mo maloloko ang sarili mo. You can't lie to yourself," he said.