Pagtatapos at Pagsisimula: Kara David Ushers Graduates to a Hopeful Beginning at MSU-IIT's 55th Commencement Exercises

Written by Kyle Pontillo

Ibabahagi ko sa inyo ang life lessons. Life lessons na natutunan ko sa aking pakikisalamuha sa ibang tao.

Met with resounding cheers, renowned Filipino journalist, television host, professor, and educational administrator Kara Patria David-Cancio steps onto the illustrious stage of MSU-IIT's gymnasium to give the Commencement Address at MSU-IIT's 55th Commencement Exercises for the Second Semester of Academic Year 2024-2025, today, June 27.

Introduced and addressed by Chancellor Alizedney Ditucalan as "someone we know, and love," Kara David steps up to the podium to impart a few words, jokingly starting with "Avisala," a greeting from the language of Encantadia, harking back to the chancellor's humorous claim of watching the GMA Network's show.

Kara David strides in simple delivery, youthful and energetic humour. "I am 51 years old, but I still feel like a child," she says.

She christens her speech with an assured stream of expressions that reveal her genuine regard for herself as a mere learner of life at large. With all eyes and ears on her, she explains how graduation speeches are the most difficult to make, before introducing her own: Pagtatapos at Pagsisimula.

"Kung nais mong humaba ang iyong buhay, matuto kang magbigay." Kara introduces her first life lesson to share with the graduating class, with an anecdote from one of her documentaries where the late Mike Enriquez emerged as a symbol of generosity through his help for Pamilya Liwanag, citing how your physical embodiment may pass, but your life lives on in the generosity you leave behind.

"Never give up on your dreams... Makapangyarihan po ang ating mga pangarap. May kapangyarihan po itong makapagpabago ng kamalayan o ng mindset. Makapangyarihan po ang ating mga pangarap, kaya nitong makapagpabago ng buhay at pag-iisip at kaya nitong baguhin ang komunidad — so do not ever give up on your dream."

David extends her speech with a second life lesson on never giving up on your dreams. Kara has been a vessel in sustaining young Filipino dreams to fruition, inspiring many through her stories of triumph from the people she met in her journalistic pursuit.

"Never give up on people... Gaano man tayo kahirap sa salapi, mayaman tayo sa malasakit... Ang mabigat ay gumagaan kapag marami ang pumapasan... Never underestimate the power of compassion."

David imparts her last life lesson, explaining how it takes a village; life is a community, and how it does not take much to extend your hand to those in need.

"Hindi mo kailangan maging milyonaryo para makatulong sa kapwa mo... Hindi mo kailangan maging pulitiko para makapaghatid ng pagbabago."

Ending her speech, Kara ponders why we call graduations a conclusion—"pagtatapos," when it simply margins a fraction of a life yet to be fulfilled. In willful glee, she ends her time on the microphone by reminding the class of her life lessons, joyfully prefacing a hopeful beginning, and screaming:

"𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙜𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙖 𝙨𝙖 𝙞𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙩!"