Thank you Jun, for that very long introduction. Mas mahaba pa yata sa speech ko ‘yun, and let me assure you, I think he prepared it while he and I were having shots of single malt whisky. But, thank you to our most popular and efficient administrator, Jun Cadugo for that very kind introduction to our distinguished Father President, Fr. Gerardo Maria De Villa, OSB, my very good friend, idol, king of the faculty room, round table, and the best in the dean for life of the happiest law school Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III, Vice Dean Carlo Busmente, Student Prefect Eliza Yamamoto-Santos, other distinguished school officials my esteemed and beloved co-faculty members, twenty of whom were my classmates in the master of laws program my beautiful former girlfriend Mades, proud and happy parents and families of the graduates today and most especially of course the incredible, the Oragon also, graduating class 2024, a very good afternoon to all of you.
When Dean Ulan sent me a viber message asking me whether I would be in town on June 23rd, I said, “I would be” and then I asked him, “Why and what’s up?” and then he replied: “Ha ha ha ikaw ang graduation speaker ng Class ‘24.” Okay, so my immediate reply was: “Ngek! Haha.” And in my mind I thought: “Your honor hindi ko po alam maging Commencement Speaker, lumaki po ako sa farm eh, your honor.” And then, in my mind, I also thought, baka naman pwedeng “ceasefire” na lang Dean and then he turned serious in our banter and in the Bicol dialect. He basically said, “It is good that you know the graduating students and many of them have you as their idol.” “Naks naman!” Sabi ko, thus I answered I humbly and anxiously accept and, thank[ed] you.
Then came the official letter of the 2024 Graduation Commission through Chairperson Aily Mabanglo which really meant that it really wasn’t a joke between Dean Ulan and myself hence I officially accepted and I consider it a great and distinct privilege and honor and pleasure to be with you today.
Moreover my acceptance of this honor has a strong emotional effect on me as my recently deceased older brother the late Fr. Roderick Jr., SVD, former president of the University of San Carlos, was also a commencement speaker for another graduating class of this law school of class 2014, exactly ten years ago so I gladly accepted, so today as your chosen speaker, may I congratulate you on this momentous occasion. This is probably your greatest achievement so far because this is a significant completion of four or for some longer years of hard work and rigorous studies on your part to pursue your law degree. I know when most of you started in law school just at the start of the pandemic, you probably had the impression that you would still be covered by the usual norms of studying law such as in-person classes, nerve-wracking graded recitations to train you to think on your feet which you will need in the law career, repetitive memory work of codal provisions, long and voluminous cases to read and digest to prepare, challenging quizzes and exams, and exciting extracurricular activities. My dear graduates, in my case at least, that was my student experience at the time when you weren’t even figments of your parents’ imaginations.
When I entered the UP college of Law some 41 years ago, UP Law is a law school whose mantra is that: The business of a law school is not sufficiently described when you merely say that is to teach law or to make lawyers. It is to teach law in the grand manner and to make great lawyers. It is an iconic quotation from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. By these, Justice Holmes meant that law students were made to be inquisitive and to look for the reasons behind the law and jurisprudence so that their knowledge of the law did not become wrote and scripted, but one with solid foundation, creativity, and direction. Students were thought to love and appreciate the value of codal provisions and the jurisprudence explaining and applying the law. I was taught the law using the Socratic method of teaching that comes from the Greek philosopher Socrates that was first used as a teaching technique at the Harvard Law School in 1870. This method which comes with the idea of Socrates to teach his students by asking question after question to help them think critically about their ideas and refine their beliefs. Thus the questions from our professors then came from a wide range of sources from the law, jurisprudence, case law analysis, current events, history, science, the arts, economics, political controversies, chismis, music, movies, you name it. It was a whole range from the sublime to the ridiculous. Hence, since 2001, when I started teaching law, and until today, over 23 years after, I also tried my best to teach law to you in the grand manner and I’ve had over 2000 law students, over 95% of them are perhaps, now lawyers. I am certain that my esteemed and well-respected colleagues and our faculty mostly trained and educated in the Bedan way, also experienced and valued the essential benefits and merits of the Socratic method in a similar grand fashion but with an added component and advantage of the Benedictine values of Ora et Labora and the edge of learning the law in a Catholic school with the essences of ten core values: love, prayer, stability, conversatio, obedience, discipline, humility, stewardship, hospitality, and community. Thus it has been a very pleasant experience for me teaching in the happiest law school since 2013, along, again, with our distinguished faculty, all experts and specialists in their chosen subjects, my peers with the same desire to teach and make great Bedan lawyers out of the many students who have come to our benevolent institution. Thus, at this point, may I ask the students and the parents and family to please applaud the distinguished faculty of the happiest law school.
In your case dear graduates, I would assume that what I earlier mentioned as the usual way of learning and studying law had changed from a pedantic application of the Socratic method to a less strict one. You were instead trained under what we call the new norm: with long and arduous hours of synchronous and asynchronous classes, recitation of law and cases with eyes closed in front of a computer monitor, with your family members wondering what was happening to you as you were struggling to mouth legal provisions and cases, inspirational or sometimes boring, sleep-inducing lectures and classes that zoned you out. Yes, I remember fondly one of my students even unknowingly typed in the Zoom chat when I was lecturing, na “antok na antok na daw siya”. That led me to suspend the class. And also, these classes made you ask questions or ask your professors for a “ceasefire” and I thought that term “ceasefire” only meant no recitation and that I would lecture and not that the entire class would be absent. When I arrived in the classroom, to my concern, I came to a vacant classroom. Somehow, the Socratic method may have been lessened in its application to you but it does not make you inferior than other law students who came before you and who will come after you.
I know that it was not an easy journey or a ride in the park for all of you, as you were all extremely challenged in many aspects, all trying to cope with the travails of the pandemic and the new norm. You had more distractions of social media exposure, TikTok reels, cyberbullying, gaslighting, emotional and mental issues; all valid concerns in today’s world. To you, YOLO became a mantra. You TNTL; try not to laugh in the face of serious recits. Shooked, when you were shocked or surprised with unannounced assignments. TLDR; too long didn’t read your lessons. IYKYK; if you know you know the answers because you really studied or these were sent by classmates through texts or chat groups, yet, I know you did not slacken or slow down in your pursuit of knowledge and you strove and yearned to go beyond mediocrity as shown by your presence here today with your completion of your law studies. Thus, you should take comfort in the fact that you studied at the best law school in Muntinlupa and were taught by excellent professors again in the Benedictine fashion led by an outstanding dean of course. You have soldiered on, and have successfully hurdled the outstanding Catholic education that this law school provides, so here you are, officially or soon to be officially certified by the school of law as deserving Juris doctors worthy and ready to face the bar and bench this year or in the very near future. You should therefore and ask everyone here to give yourselves a round of applause. But then again, your graduation today is just the beginning of another crucial phase of your quest for a career in law to earn the title of being an Attorney-at-law and a member of the Philippine bar. On this note, I am reminded of Dean Ulan’s advice to all of us when we act as law students and as lawyers, that we should adhere to the ancient African word “Ubuntu” meaning humanity to others, which seeks to remind us that “I am what I am because of who we all are”. Indeed, Dean Ulan’s call for us to observe Ubuntu is both timely and fitting when our world has so much indifference and disregard for the rights and plight of others, our fellow human beings, and more importantly of the less fortunate in this society.
In your continuing journey as you take the bar in September and when you become full-fledged lawyers, let me add, and I would like to add to Dean Ulan’s Ubuntu and introduce you to and urge you to consider adhering to this beautiful and inspiring Japanese word: “Ganbatte” which is the Japanese art of always moving forward. In his enriching book with this Japanese term as the title, the author, Albert Liebermann, promotes this Japanese philosophy of tenacity and resilience; the art of overcoming adversity. “Ganbarou” is a Japanese verb conjugated in the second form, “Ganbatte”, that we could translate as: “do your best, don’t give up, stand firm, work at something or persevere”. Ganbatte shows us how to overcome life’s obstacles and to carry on with our dreams and goals with energy and motivation. Liebermann maintains that if you apply the tenacity and resilience of the Japanese to your everyday life difficult things become easy and the impossible becomes possible. In a philosophical sense, Ganbatte is about the best we can with what we have and what we know, finding ways of taking on the difficulties that confront us and gaining strength from the fact that while we don’t always manage to succeed, we know we have done the best we can, ready to move forward. For the Japanese, when they greet people who are to take exams, they do not say “good luck” in Japanese because it appears that the result is at the hands of fate and outside one’s control. Instead, they say Ganbatte, conveying the message that a great deal of what the other person was going through, what they have to face depends on them, thus for the Japanese, effort is more important than luck. So, I say these to you: Ganbatte when you study for and take the bar. Consider these tips that I thought about; be confident, this law school prepared you well; you have been taught excellently, again, by the happiest and most competent faculty who observed Ganbatte in teaching and remember I was one of your professors. Stay positive, bawal ang nega tapos na ang pandemic. So, as the Earth, Wind and Fire, the group that I hope you know would probably sing: “Remember the month of September.” when you take the bar. Okay, kumanta na ako.
Look at that month as your purpose and meaning. Ganbatte encourages the pursuit of goals with passion and dedication. Evaluate and assess your level of preparedness. Systematize your review schedule. Reviewing for the bar requires the concept of “Kaizen”, another Japanese word for “continuous improvement of making small incremental changes to improve efficiency and effectiveness” in all areas of life from work to personal habits including study habits. Rest when you need to, but not too often. Ganbatte recognizes the value of balancing work and rest to ensure long-term sustainability and to prevent burnout. SSS; study, study, and study. Ganbatte stresses on mindfulness or being fully present in the moment and focuse on the task at hand and giving it your full attention to achieve better results and reduce stress. Pray regularly; remember: Ora et Labora and St. Benedicts: Ut In Omnibus Glorificateur Deus, That in all things, God may be Glorified. Remember today’s gospel, when Jesus Christ tells us not to fear but to have faith. For our dear parents and families of our graduates, the bar mentors, and the student members of the CBO here today, please also remember that Ganbatte requires community and support. In Japan, the spirit of Ganbatte is often fostered within a community; people encourage, motivate, and support each other to persevere, succeed and stay committed to their goals. Thus, from today, until the month of September, and even until the time that the bar results are announced, please encourage love and support your son or daughter or mentee, in order for them to do their best and hurdle the bar. So please, do your best. Don’t give up on them. Ganbatte parents and families. My message of Ganbatte is however, not only for purposes of the bar dear graduates, but is also equally important when, and remember I say when and not if, you become members of the Philippine Bar. When you take that solemn oath now newly enshrined in the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, the CPRA, remember that as an officer of the court, you should observe and adhere to the canons, and work towards promoting the rule of law and regime of truth, justice, freedom, love even, equality, and peace. Render legal aid to the underprivileged and the oppressed now with the Rene Saguisag Legal Aid Center as you safeguard the rights and meaningful freedoms of all persons, identities, and communities. As Dean Ulan said: Ubuntu.
Ganbatte as a lawyer means that you should make the best effort you can and give the best of yourself at each and every moment to the best of your ability. To achieve this, choosing the field of law you would wish to practice in and excel in and do Ganbatte is quite important. Some lawyers usually have what I think is a misimpression that being in litigation practice is the be-all and end-all of lawyering. Young lawyers should not forget the instructive case of Aguirre vs Raña, B.M. No. 1036, June 10, 2003, where the court, through Justice Carpio basically told us that we cannot have a traditional view of lawyering. Instead, that case refers us to earlier cases which held that the practice of law is not limited to the conduct of cases or litigation in court. In Cayetano v. Monsod, the court held that the practice of law means any activity in or out of court which requires the application of law, legal procedure, knowledge, training, and experience; to engage in the practice of law is to perform acts which are usually performed by the members of the legal profession. Generally, the practice of law is to render any kind of service which requires the use of legal knowledge or skill. In my humble view, when you become lawyers you should instead take and be open to every opportunity to try as many fields of law as you can in order to get the flavor of each area of specialization; know your capabilities, interests, passions, limitations, dreams, and gain experience and give yourselves, say, five years before you finally concentrate on the field that you think is ideal for you and when you do decide, do your best; Ganbatte.
It is only after some years in the practice when a lawyer can find comfort in an area to focus on, but you as young lawyers-to-be should nonetheless be ready to shift gears should the opportunities arise for a change in one’s career. The digital age has come, heightened by the unfortunate pandemic, and this has brought about various niche areas and options for the future lawyers to dabble in. Some of these are Environmental law, Public Interest law, Fintech law, Data Privacy, Digital payments, Cyber Crime Prevention, Anti-money Laundering Law, Sports Law even, and Competition Law: all of which would prove interesting to try and specialize in; find a niche practice as I did as I specialized in mining law over 25 years ago and renewable energy very recently in our firm Fortun Narvasa and Salazar, FNS, we do Ganbatte in our practice of law and we do it with legal finesse; FNS. You should expect that the law practice is quite demanding in terms of time, toughness, and talent. As the saying goes: “Ang batas ay isang selosang jowa”; “the law is a jealous mistress”, hindi naman mistress, girlfriend pala.
It will not be an easy journey. There will be a need for you to Ganbatte as you certainly face the following: long hours at work, difficult questions of law and complicated contracts, tough and demanding bosses, supervisors, and clients, and opposing counsels, temptations of graft and corruption, numerous frustrations, and a future in the practice that is dictated to a considerable degree by the amount of focused work and motivated diligence that you will put in; The extent of your Ganbatte, but if you do your best and Ganbatte, then there will likewise be countless and numerous wins and victories, successful deals and transactions, important opportunities, employment and work, accolades, awards, praises and tributes, of course, life and work balance. And when you do earn those victories, cherish moments when you can enjoy the interplay of good coffee, or the sweet savory and spicy elements and taste of single malt scotch whisky, do it at the faculty room owned by a number of your faculty members in Muntinlupa, Alabang. I leave you with this final message by adopting the principles and philosophies of Ora et Labora, Ubuntu, and now equally important, my message of Ganbatte, a Bedan lawyer can develop a more resilient mindset, achieve continuous improvement, and navigate and forge on life’s challenges, and move forward in your legal career with greater determination in order to achieve gratifying and rewarding successes. Again, huge congratulations to the Graduating class of 2024.
Thank you, and Ganbatte!
Transcribed by Jullian Valdez | THE RED CHRONICLES