Good morning, MC President Dr. Regina Manzano-Lizares, Board of Trustees Ms. Marilyn Orosa-Yap, Ms. Elaine Urbano, Ms. Mary Chua, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Trixie Marie Sison, School of Arts, Sciences, and Education Dean – Dr. Francis Evangelista, School of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Accountancy Dean – Dr. Ruby Alminar-Mutya, members of the President’s Council, parents, guests, and our graduating batch- SASE BATCH 2026 – Ladies and Gentlemen:
Batch 2026 this year we are celebrating not only the big milestone of your graduation but also the 100 years of Miriam, formerly Maryknoll College as a learning institution. It also happens to be my HS 66 Class’ Diamond Jubilee! What an auspicious year! It is amazing that I stand before you today, a product of the first 50 years of the school -when it was Maryknoll College- while you are products of its 2nd 50 years under Miriam College! The significance is not lost on me! What a privilege and honor it is to be able to speak with you today. And yes, I am not (yet!) tottering with age…. I first came to Maryknoll College on Pennsylvania, now Leon Guinto Street, straight from the province when I was 8 years old to be interviewed by the first American I ever met in my entire life – the beautiful and gentle Sr. James Catherine – In her squeaky white habit and long black veil. She spoke English that I never heard before and did not understand but she accepted me into grade 3 anyway – perhaps on the basis of sheer potential! As a college student here in Diliman in the 60’s, our technology exposure as students went only as far as an electric typewriter for our term papers. Communication outside school was through landlines with multiple party lines. (I was luckier than most because I was a Villan or a Dormer living at St Joseph’s Villa on campus where 19 other batchmates from different parts of the country lived so we had easy access to one another for discussions about schoolwork. Your generation came on the scene when computers were already a necessity. When you were in senior high school Covid struck. Those were the years when technology became our main connection in our forced geographical separation. It was a time of creative technology experimentation to maximize computer engagement of people hostaged and isolated at home. How serendipitous that it was my Class 70, we who did jot even know what computers were in our time, who decided that the most practical legacy gift we could give our Alma Mater for our College Golden Jubilee Golden jubilee was a Computer Library with 50 brand new HP laptops! It was the first year of the lockdown, the first year that even Homecoming was online! We figured that with classes being online some of the students may not have their own computers and the Computer Library could make them available. You Batch 2026 were in your senior high school…caught in the transition to online learning. You adapted quickly and got used to working on your own with laptops, tablets, cellphones – with technology as your constant companion- and social media as a quick means of communication. Then in a flash it was time to enter college. – still in the pandemic but with things starting to relax a bit. You started college in 2022 still in the time of the pandemic but things started to relax a bit by then and classes started to go hybrid. But you were experts by then – participating in the “Twitter Boom”, the “Cancel Culture”, “TikTok”. It was a lot more convenient to be on your computer than to travel all the time for face to face classes and meetings. You were a “woke” batch by force of circumstance – difficult to gather together physically but able to unite in purpose and wield a different kind of online power if desired. The situation did have its plus and minus. Google and social media provide students a deluge of information for the taking. But there was never enough time to sort, fact check and analyze everything. Communication with others has been easy through social media but one had to be more discerning about the value of face to face interaction versus the more convenient and laid back online way. As all this was happening an incredibly exciting phenomenon started to make its presence felt. “Artificial Intelligence” – AI! It cannot only quickly summarize meetings. It also writes letters and speeches, comes up with quick solutions to problems, performs functions that people would take so much more time to accomplish. In the US, in this season of commencement exercises in schools, speakers who drumbeat for AI are being met with ‘boos’ and ‘jeers’ from graduates… Why? Because with all the great things that AI can do there is great fear that AI will be replacing real people in jobs. In the Philippines this is not yet as strongly felt but we, too, will get there – the first jobs to go will be entry level office positions, BPO jobs, and jobs that are programmable and data-driven. This is a major technology development that needs serious multi-sectoral attention and study. Very recently Pope Leo XIV’s manifesto on AI came out- a 44,000-word encyclical titled “Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity) which was released in 8 languages. The Pope made a rare move of summarizing it in a presentation live streamed from the Vatican. He has been reportedly working with a study group on AI and consulted with scientists, technologists, theologians, moral philosophers, researchers and business executives. If you remember the Pope chose the name Leo XIV to associate himself with Leo XIII, the Pope who addressed the Industrial Revolution with the encyclical “Rerum Novarum” (“Of New Things”) which called for the protection of workers and the need for collaboration between capital and labor, becoming a catalyst for the labor movement. The current Pope has compared AI to the Industrial Revolution and has been gearing up to confront the AI industry since he became Pope. The AI Revolution is so important that the Church has to speak to the faithful and to the world about it – perhaps at. Twos time to protect “humanity”. The concern is how does human flourishing happens in a world taken over by AI? Some of the Pope’s significant recommendations in the encyclical are: ⁃ Protect truth, kids and education. Addictive content, disinformation, deepfakes. algorithm -driven outrage impact democracy and are harmful to young people’s mental health. Parents, schools, and governments must form an educational alliance, push for age limits, and hold platforms accountable. ⁃ Human dignity should be valued over efficiency. The ultimate solution should be a society built on justice, solidarity, truth, and care for the vulnerable and deepening of human relationships. ⁃ Humanity should recognize its choice. A decision must be made between building technology for profit, pride and dominance OR building together for the common good. ⁃ AI for lethal force should be outlawed. He warns against autonomous weapons and AI-driven military decisions. Life or death choices should not be handed to algorithms ⁃ AI should not concentrate power. Unlike past technologies that governments controlled now tech giants control data, algorithms and digital infrastructure in ways that can shape culture, politics and people’s understanding of truth. He calls for practical regulation, transparency, oversight and the treatment of data as a shared resource – not something owned by a few corporations. ⁃ So Batch 2026 be on the lookout. You need to have a “woke’ mindset more than ever. Artificial Intelligence can do a lot of wonderful things but must be managed with discernment and responsibility. It should be used to strengthen humanity – not to weaken it! Our God-given “HI” – Human Intelligence- housed in this intricate miracle of a 3-lb brain inside our heads must continue to be celebrated. It is what separates us from man-made machines. It gathers its own data, does its own learning, thinking critically, processing of problems methodically and customizing solutions based on nuances of the environment…..while also able to discern beauty, feel and express emotions of compassion, empathy, sincerity, joy, faith, love, etc. We should use technology to enhance life – not remove humanity, no matter how imperfect, from it.. You are now poised to fly out of the coop – so to speak- and face a harsh, far from ideal, world. While in the past the internet/ social media and your gadgets served as a shield against what is undesirable out there you may have to make some compromises this time.
Our country is still in the middle of a fuel crisis, poverty and hunger remain real for certain sectors of society, there is overwhelming systemic graft and corruption, governance is shaky and in our face are self-serving politicians who should not be emulated – in fact who deserve to be in jail! Yet thank God we also still have good leaders who think “country first” and somehow continue to give us hope. When the external environment is chaotic and life just doesn’t seem to make sense – perhaps we can go back to our roots and reflect on the good that anchors and binds us….. You are graduating at the end of a heroic century of an exceptional learning institution and are at the threshold of a new one. All this began in 1926 when a congregation of American nuns with a fearless pioneering missionary spirit came by ship to Philippine shares to accept the challenge by then Archbishop O’Doherty “to provide education to Catholic women.” Sr. Miriam Thomas Thornton, the longest serving president of Maryknoll articulated the objective of the sisters to a group of students in the early 1950’s: “Our goal is the formation of the true Christian woman, spiritually vigorous, intellectually cultured, social; minded, physically fit and vocationally prepared.”. “Because you are a woman with opportunities afforded by a Catholic college, the culture, civilization, even the salvation of this nation, rests in no small measure in your keeping.” (Note that even then a special responsibility was entrusted to us.) In 1976, after 50 years of creating a good name and reputation for Maryknoll College as a private Catholic school in the Philippines and after deep discernment the Maryknoll Sisters took a “leap of faith” and turned over the school to a foundation led by a Filipino Board of Trustees with a first Filipina as President of the school – in the person of Dr Paz Adriano. The succeeding 50 years were not easy, especially with the subsequent difficult change of name from Maryknoll to Miriam College. But looking back the lay BOT, teaching and non-teaching staff of the school proved the decision of the Maryknoll Sisters to be right. After the initial birthing pains and challenges of managing change, the school continued to grow and flourish as a learning institution run by lay Filipinos. It is currently in 3 campuses.- Diliman, Nuvali in Laguna and Alviera in Pampanga. On its 100th year Miriam College, formerly Maryknoll, appointed with great pride, a new President Dr. Regina Manzano-Lizares, a HS alumna with great academic and business credentials. There Is much to be thankful for and much to look forward to for our Alma Mater! In the book “As One Lamp Lights Another….The Story of Maryknoll-Miriam College” Sr. Miriam Thomas also spoke of something the Maryknoll Sisters brought with them to the Philippines in 1926 – she called it the “Maryknoll Spirit” – “tangible and unique, very life-giving”. It was planted by the Sisters, took root and was nurtured not only by the pioneers, but by all – students, faculty and staff – and especially the graduates who continue to live “its spirit of wholeness, humanism, nationalism, Godliness, globalism as valued professionals in many fields, as wives, mothers, church, civic, and government leaders.”
As the College approached the first century mark a new Vision-Mission Statement that has been formulated in the language of today: The VISION: A Filipino Catholic learning community that nurtures the whole person committed to lead in mission and serve for the greater good. The MISSION: To provide quality and Christ-centered education that forms lifelong learners and mindful catalysts of social transformation. With the CORE VALUES of: Truth Justice Peace Integrity of Creation. The words have evolved over the years but the essence remains the same…. Looking back the education and formation of students in Maryknoll -Miriam College in the last 100 years have been Christ-centered, mission-oriented and geared towards social transformation and the greater good – rooted always in our Filipino and Asian heritage and as a part of a global community (or what the living Maryknoll Sisters now call “one earth community”.. The legacy of Maryknoll is a pioneering spirit – a joyful boldness in blazing new trails….. a legacy to be proud of and lived. But the Sisters always challenged our reality with counterpart responsibility. BATCH 2026, you are called upon NOT to be just “bystanders and observers” or “lurkers’ in life and in your community. AS KNOLLERS, you are called upon to be the best you can be- to participate, contribute, and make a difference wherever you are. As KNOLLERS, you are called upon to look out for others, to add value to their lives in whatever way possible, in whatever community you are in, in whatever work or profession you do… AS KNOLLERS, you are called upon to stand for God and for country. And in all life situations – it will be helpful to remember to ask yourselves these questions – is it the TRUTH? Is it JUST for all concerned? Does it promote PEACE? Is it a responsible STEWARD of CREATION? BE PROUD AND GRATEFUL OF YOUR LEGACY TO KEEP THE SPIRIT OF THE BLUE AND GOLD FLYING HIGH ALWAYS! CONGRATULATONS and CLAIM YOUR FUTURE, BATCH 2026! GOD BLESS US ALL!
BIONOTE
Ma. Lourdes Ortiz-Luis has long realized that she has been blessed with a pioneering and collaborative spirit and an ability to lead projects/activities with no models to follow.
Throughout Lot’s long and active professional life, she considers two achievements as the most memorable ones.
First was setting up a marketing office for a food business in 1981 from a small office in New York. It has now existed for forty years and continues to generate export revenues for the Philippines and local employment opportunities for Filipinos.
The second professional achievement was her involvement in the rehabilitation of areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013. As a Consultant and Philippine Country Representative of the US non-profit funding organization Cross Catholic Outreach, she partnered with the Arado Foundation, Couples for Christ ANCOP, and the Archdiocese of Palo in helping farmers and fisherfolk of Leyte and Samar rebuild their homes and their lives.
She witnessed in the next three years how, with the help of caring groups, hope replaced the grief and defeat of the farmers and fisherfolk from the experience of such an unimaginable disaster. This experience paved the way for greater involvement in projects to help the poorest of the poor.
Beyond the above professional engagement, Lot’s last decade has focused on community volunteer service, primarily in education. Believing that education is the quickest way to cut the cycle of poverty, she has aligned herself with like-minded individuals and organizations like Cross Catholic Outreach, Soroptimist International of Mandaluyong, and People Power Volunteers for Reform to create scholarships with a mentoring component and has successfully graduated students in tech-voc and college since 2014 in her city.
Two years ago, she co-founded a community development group called Lingap Angat in Mandaluyong to focus on Lingap Karunungan and Lingap Kalusugan projects in the public schools. A priority was the creation of a successful school-based community learning hub to address the problem of lower-grade literacy by mobilizing volunteer tutors for one-on-one tutorials.
The group has also developed a program to address malnutrition in the lower grades by feeding malnourished children entering the school system.
Realizing the sore lack of learning facilities in public schools, such as libraries, the group has pioneered the creation of the first of a series of nouvelle public school-based “Toy Libraries” in Mandaluyong.
In collaboration with CFC ANCOP, the group is also opening scholarships for financially challenged high school students in the community for School Year 2024–2025.
