Good evening to all the university administrators, professors and instructors, personnel, students, and fellow alumni receiving their awards today.

Coming back here invokes so much nostalgia. Morayta looked so different. Though it was already crowded back then, the Far Eastern University was always beautiful in its own way. And though the beauty it possesses now—with this auditorium, upgraded facilities, and more buildings—is different, the sound of “Let’s go, Tamaraws!” still rings loudly in these halls.

Aside from the sentimentality of being here again in FEU and the familiar rush of school spirit, I honestly feel so grateful for the values that FEU has instilled in me—hard work, integrity, and most importantly, the passion to serve our people and our nation. Hindi hamak na mas bata tayo noon, pero bitbit pa rin natin ang mga alaala at aral hanggang ngayon. And decades later, we are here receiving awards—and it is my honor to accept this on behalf of all the excellent awardees for this year.

In the invitation, it is stated that we were chosen because we have brought prestige to our alma mater and have contributed to the advancement of society. As a college student, I never thought that one day, FEU would recognize me for being the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management.

Being here today, I feel I’ve come full circle because this is where I gained my foundation in economics and honed my leadership skills which has been essential in my journey as a public servant. It prepared me for my work at the Senate, at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and now, at the Budget Department.

And when I am with our country’s economic leaders, as well as investors and economic leaders from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other global institutions, I know that I carry the experiences and lessons I gained from these halls.

Now, I am standing before my mentors and all of you equally accomplished alumni, and I know that we would not be here without the values that FEU inculcated in all of us as college students—fortitude, excellence, and uprightness—which I’m sure you’ve all taken to heart and carried with you in your respective fields, as I have and do now as a public servant.

Now, with the great honor that this award brings, I want to encourage my fellow awardees to contemplate: What more can we do? What is our telos or purpose for doing what we do? In pondering upon questions such as these, I hope we become more fueled to excel in our callings.

At this juncture, on behalf of my fellow awardees, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Far Eastern University for this recognition. Thank you to all our professors and mentors who taught us that we must let go of comfort and convenience in order to grow and serve others. Thank you to the maintenance and security personnel, and other staff who made sure that we studied in classrooms that are conducive to learning, and ensured our safety inside and outside the university. Bahagi po kayong lahat ng aming narating at maaaring marating pa. The institution and the students would never be here without every individual who gave their time, skill, and strength, and contributed in their own way for our betterment.

To my fellow awardees, may we continue living up to the honor that the Green and Gold Awards bestowed upon us: let us instill hope and be the gold standard of service to the people and our nation. Let us work together to inspire the next generation to be brave and future-ready like a true FEU Tamaraw.

And to the students today of FEU, the hope of tomorrow and our future leaders, may you grow in the FEU Tamaraw spirit of bravery, courage, intelligence, and strength as we alumni have, and serve our nation in a way that will make both our mentors— those who forged the path before us—and the future generations proud.

Thank you to everyone who made and makes our beloved alma mater the exemplary higher institution that it is today. We will always be grateful for the tutelage, wisdom, and experiences that we still, and will always, carry with us.

To my fellow alumni, more power. Onward FEU, onward Philippines!

Mabuhay po kayo. Assalamu alaikum.