𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 | 𝗔 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿, 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝘆. 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗴-𝗗𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗷𝗮 𝗝. 𝗕𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮-𝗗𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗦𝗨-𝗧𝗖𝗧𝗢 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀.

Atty. Dayang-Dayang Khadija J. Baguinda-Dambong is the Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Tawi-Tawi and a former Commissioner of the Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission. She holds a Bachelor of Political Science degree from the University and completed her law degree at the MSU Marawi campus.

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Bismillahi Rahmanir Rahim. Assalamu'alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Taala Wa Barakatuhu.

My heartfelt congratulations to the graduating class of 2024 on your remarkable achievement! You have excelled brilliantly. It is with profound honor that I not only witness this significant accomplishment but also share a few words with you.

My deepest gratitude to my alma mater, under the distinguished leadership of Chancellor Mary Joyce Guinto-Sali, for the humble honor and acknowledgment in extending an invitation to me to be your guest and speaker today. I seize this moment to express my sincere appreciation to my mentors, instructors, and the dedicated administrative staff and officials of this esteemed institution.

Graduates, while we revel in your achievements, let us not forget those who have been your steadfast supporters throughout this journey.

I wish to also thank the beloved parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and all those who supported the graduates in achieving this day. Your support, unwavering love, and encouragement have been the bedrock upon which these graduates have built their success.

Today, you rightfully claim pride in your collective achievement. This is the sweet victory resulting from your years of sacrifice. Every effort you made to overcome obstacles and fulfill your parental duties has led to this moment. You can now proudly bring home and display their diplomas. This triumph is as much yours as it is the graduates'.

Today might be my delayed karma from 14 years ago. Truth be told, when I was sitting amongst the graduates, appearing to listen to the speakers, I could not recall a single word. Hence, I expect nothing more today.

Nonetheless, I will share some stories of my life ikanga "nung panahon namin" kwento. It's no big deal, just a tale of my journey that brought me to where l am now.

We begin with the story of braving the unknown.

For those who know my family, and for those who don't, we are a family of ten, with only one parent working, earning 16,000 pesos monthly.

In high school, I realized my monthly stipend-the school allowance from Science High-could help with our meals at home, so I handed it to my mother every month. My father's modest salary could barely send us to college. This hardship taught me to be independent and resourceful.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a monthly stipend from

MSU-TCTO, starting at 750 pesos in my first two years and increasing to 1500 pesos in my final two years.

Opo, isa po akong produkto ng scholar ng bayan. Like you, I learned to budget my allowance, ensuring lodging payments first and using the rest for meals and other school essentials. I don't know kung sa generation ninyo ngayon eh kilalala ninyo si "listing." Noong panahon naming, si listing po ay pautang ng karinderia, more like eat now, pay later. But despite the financial challenges, I knew I wanted to further my studies and pursue law after my baccalaureate degree.

And to pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer at an affordable rate, I took the challenge to continue my study at MSU-Main in Marawi City.

My father, however, did not consent to me going to Marawi to pursue my law degree. As a father, he worried about the financial uncertainties, and we knew no one in Marawi, no relatives nor friends.

I had only been there once, during one of the graduations. Despite it being an unknown place to me, I assured my parents I would be fine with the grace of Allah. I left home without asking for a single peso from my parents, determined to pursue my goal.

I enrolled in law school in the second semester of 2010. Soon after, I secured a contractual job at MSU Marawi with a salary of 9,939 pesos at the Division of Student Affairs, thanks to the help of our former Dean of the College of Law, Atty. Macacua Moslem, and former MSU System President, President Macapado Muslim. President Mac advised me to drop my law enrollment to give myself ample time to adjust to my new environment. I understood the concern and agreed, needing to settle in and prepare myself for the greater pursuit ahead

In 2011, I re-enrolled in law school, sustaining my education and myself on the little salary I had while also sending a portion home, as life here in Tawi-Tawi remained difficult. Law school is hard; there is no lie to that; therefore, I had learned how to juggle work with my studies, as I was not handed a platter of privileges to choose one over the other. I knew I had to support myself.

Living alone and studying in an unfamiliar place wasn't easy. Coupled with loneliness, longingness, and sickness—to the point I was hospitalized-and with countless challenges, I endured because I knew what I wanted to be.

My success is not given; it is earned!

You earn it by pursuing it with courage, even if it means facing the unknown.

Braving the unknown doesn't mean you lack fear. Fear is your constant companion, but faith must be stronger! It is tawakkul-trust in the Above that will ease your way. When you know your desire, pursue it. Endure the long and tiring process. Endure every weakness, pain, self-doubt, and temptation to give up. Endure the penniless days. Work hard, for Allah's grace is with you. Allah sees your late-night cries, your hungry days, your persistence, and your determination. He will send blessings in many forms, including good and beautiful people who will play a crucial role in your survival and success.

For Allah said, "And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever places his trust in Allah, sufficient is He for him, for Allah will surely accomplish His purpose; for verily, Allah has appointed for all things in due proportion."

My story of braving the unknown is a domestic one. Our very own mother dolphin, Chancellor Mary Joyce Guinto-Sali, who survived in a foreign land and returned with degrees from Germany and New York, shares a similar struggle.

Director Kartini Tahir-Amilhasan, who completed her master's at the University of Canberra in Australia, also shares a similar story.

Though our narratives differ, we are daughters who pursued our desires with serious labor, ventured into the unknown, and stand before you today, having succeeded.

This story is also not new to some of you who came from the island municipalities of Tawi-Tawi and other neighboring provinces, dreaming of and pursuing a college degree as scholars. You are already a kind of your own for braving the unknown.

The next story is about failure and its impact.

People often say that my life seemed easy and that success lined up effortlessly for me. But I assure you, it was not.

There is nothing certain in life; if it doesn't challenge you, it does not change you. "Failure is success in progress," as quoted by the ever-famous physicist Albert Einstein.

I passed the bar exam on my second attempt.

My first try was back in 2015, and I knew I wouldn't make it. As Jose Riodil D. Montebon said, "The law is a jealous mistress and requires a long and constant courtship," demanding all your focus and time. But I was distracted, with weeks passing without any readings. Once distracted, regaining focus is incredibly hard. The money I spent on my review yielded no fruit. The crucial six months of preparation were not fully utilized. Still, I took the bar.

After each Sunday exam, I call my mother, crying and apologizing, convinced I will fail. Her calm voice and reassuring words, "Okay da dayang," cut through my guilt. I prayed to Allah to help me accept my defeat and for my parents, siblings, and loved ones to do the same.

I continued praying until the results came out. Before the public release, my uncle, who works in the Supreme Court, informed me that I did not pass.

Surprisingly, I felt no tears or pain, only acceptance. I immediately told my parents, and their single response was, "Alhamdulillah."

Their response struck my guilt again. I knew my parents and entire family were rooting for me, but there was no judgment or criticism. They continued to encourage me to pursue my dream. The desire to uplift my family's condition and to honor my parents with my title had to wait.

In 2017, while working as a Private Secretary in the Office of the Governor of Tawi-Tawi, I filed for my second bar exam. From the beginning of the review period, I cried in sujood, pleading to Allah to help me pass.

This time, I took it seriously. My mindset was to end this chapter, and move on to a new journey. I did not want to repeat the cycle of six months of isolation, four months of waiting, and a whole year of disappointment. I had a family to support.

Achieving this goal was the key to unlocking more opportunities and greater heights for me. So, I battled against myself. On the last Sunday of exams, I burst into tears. My review buddy and best friend, Atty. Grace asked why, and I sobbed, "Pagod na ako; Ayaw ko na ulitin to. Wala na akong pera pangtustos sa sarili ko."

During the waiting period, my prayer to Allah was to grant me the bar title and fulfill me and my parents' dreams. I also asked Him to keep me grounded and bless me with good character if I passed. Otherwise, I do not want it.

When the results came out, Alhamdulillah, my name was on the list.

The result was more satisfying and meaningful, not just for myself but for my family, especially my appah and inah.

Some failures are of our own making, and we are partially accountable. But for others, they are the result of investing everything they have and can.

Regardless of the cause of your failure, you must persist.

There is no clear path to success. Failure is certain to befall you. If you never fail, maybe because you did not try at all; it is a common plot in every success story. Only then does your story of success become more alive.

Every time you stumble, rise up! Do not settle until you have found your way.

Re-start if you must.

Re-route if need be.

Embrace the setbacks, the repeated failures, or the rejection with sabr and a firm belief in God, Allah The Almighty.

To families and support systems, be there as their driving force to rise from rock bottom. It is during times like this that they need your unconditional support, trust, and full acceptance.

Graduates, it is also during these times that you discover potentiak strengths, and characters you never knew you had. Remember that every delay or failure has a ripple effect on your family, community, and nation. As long as life offers you time to amend and rectify, do it. Often, the path meant for us lies in different undertakings, not in what we had prepared for or wanted.

You might be a licensed teacher, a law graduate, or a professional engineer, but you find passion in live selling, vlogging, being a virtual assistant, or being a tiktokerist. So be it. As Steve Jobs said, "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do."

You might earn more than those in government services, be able to sustain your family, and do what you love. Some will judge you for your career choice, yeah. But do not let the opinions of others shatter your inner calling and heart's desire. Help us erase the dogma of living up to others' expectations. If you are happily doing what you love, growing as a person, earning decently, contributing to the economy, and raising your family without harming others, that would suffice.

Dear graduates, it is only natural that the new generation will replace the older ones. Your generation will be the province's or nation's next key players. As your generation changes the course of history, I hope you do it with more human approach where you revive empathy, compassion, justice, and a sense of oneness.

The titles, positions and earnings are by products of your hard work. Do not focus solely on them. Create a meaningful impact on the lives of others, our community, and our nation.

I'm closing this with President Barack Obama's line, "No matter how much you've done or how successful you've been, there is always more to do, always more to learn, and always more to achieve.' Graduate of 2024, today is just the beginning of another journey! May Allah's guidance, blessings, and protection be with you!

Again, congratulations!