FULLY HUMAN…FULLY ALIVE…TRULY FOR JESUS

By: BERNARD ANTHONY M. RAMIREZ

OUR HONORABLE BOARD OF JUDGES, REVEREND FATHERS,

BELOVED MENTORS, FELLOW BEDANS!

FOR CENTURIES, BEDANS HAVE BROUGHT LAURELS AND

HONOR TO THEIR ALMA MATER ENGRAVING IN THE ANNALS OF THE

HISTORY OF OUR NATIVE LAND THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE SONS

AND DAUGHTERS OF SAN BEDA COLLEGE. AS A TESTIMONY THAT

BEDANS ARE FULLY HUMAN..FULLY ALIVE..AND TRULY FOR JESUS…

A NUMBER OF BEDANS HAVE DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN THE

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT LIKE FORMER SECRETARY OF NATIONAL

DEFENSE AVELINO CRUZ WHO WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO CRAFTED

THE HISTORIC REVOLUTIONARY CONSTITUTION DURING THE

INCUMBENCY OF PRESIDENT CORAZON AQUINO.

BEDANS ALSO ENGRAVED THEIR NAMES IN THE HALLS OF

CONGRESS LIKE THE LATE HOUSE SPEAKER RAMON MITRA AND

SENATORS RENE SAGUISAG AND RALPH RECTO. RECENTLY A NEW

BEDAN WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED TO A HIGH POST AS COMELEC

CHAIRMAN IN THE PERSON OF BEDAN ATTY. SIXTO BRILLANTES.

OTHER BEDANS SOON FOUND THEIR NICHE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD.

WHO WOULD NOT KNOW BEDAN MANNY PANGILINAN OF PLDT AND

KAPITAN GENY LOPEZ OF ABS-CBN. TWO BEDANS WERE ALSO

NAMED AS NATIONAL ARTISTS: FEDERICO ALCUAZ AND ARTURO

LUZ IN THE FIELDS OF VISUAL ARTS, RESPECTIVELY.

THE EPITOME, HOWEVER, OF A FULLY HUMAN…TRULY

BEDAN…TRULY ALIVE FOR JESUS IS THE MOST DISTINGUISHED

BEDAN ALUMNUS EVER…THE LATE SENATOR BENIGNO “NINOY”

AQUINO WHO SUFFERED AND DIED FOR THE SAKE OF DEMOCRACY.

LIKE JESUS CHRIST WHO BECAME HUMAN…IN FACT TRULY

HUMAN…A TRUE BEDAN AND FULLY ALIVE FOR JESUS NINOY

ENKINDLED IN THE HEARTS OF EVERY FILIPINO HIS SUFFERINGS FOR

DEMOCRACY – NINOY HAD TO SUFFER AND DIE LIKE JESUS SO THAT

FILIPINOS MAY BE LIBERATED FROM THE BONDAGE OF

AUTHORITARIANISM AND BE AFFORDED THE BENEFITS OF A

DEMOCRATIC NATION AND A FREE SOCIETY.

TODAY, SAN BEDA COLLEGE, OUR BELOVED INSTITUTION,

CONTINUE TO MOLD RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS TO BE FULLY HUMAN…

TRULY BEDAN AND ALIVE FOR CHRIST AS ENSHRINED IN ITS

INSTITUTIONAL OBJECTIVE OF PROVIDING A CHRIST-CENTERED

EDUCATIONAL FORMATION WHERE FAITH IS INTEGRALLY LINKED

TO LIFE.

WE, THE NEW BEDAN GENERATION, ARE INDEED FORTUNATE

TO BE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO BE MOLDED UNDER A BENEDICTINE

INSTITUTION WHICH CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAL FORMATION IS NOT

AFFORDED TO ALL WHO ENTER FORMAL EDUCATION EITHER IN THE

BASIC, SECONDARY, OR COLLEGIATE LEVEL.

GREAT BEDANS HAVE MANIFESTED THEIR STRONG OSB

FOUNDATION COUPLED BY A STRONG CHRISTIAN CHARACTER

WORTHY OF EMULATION BY US, THE YOUNG BEDANS, TO BECOME

FULLY HUMAN..TRULY BEDAN…AND ALIVE FOR JESUS. ORA ET

LABORA INDEED.

THANK YOU AND A PLEASANT DAY TO ALL OF US…THE NEW

GENERATION OF BEDANS!