05/04/2026
Happy Easter SANS-Mates!!
Sharing the speech of alumna John Lapus, the keynote speaker of the SANS Moving-Up Ceremony held last March 31.
Ms. Andrea Gimenez, SANS President, the St. Anthony Nova School board, Principal Rogie Catacutan, dear SANS teaching and non-teaching personnel, fellow Alumni, SANS students and the distinguished young men and women who are about to move-up to their Senior years…Good morning.
I enrolled in this school June 1985, small and humble you may call it but filled me with memories. Almost a week before the start of that school year, I graduated my Elementary studies in the public school of the subdivision I grew up in - Lagro Elementary School. It was quite obvious for me then, that I would end up studying in Lagro Highschool after my primary education. But, my single mother did all that she can, to make sure that I would never step on the grounds of Lagro Highschool even though it is literally 25 steps from our house. Why? Because my older sister is one of Lagro Highschool’s most notorious student. Baka daw gantihan ako ng mga naging teachers ng Ate ko. Noong graduation march nga ng Ate ko, nagpalakpakan with tears ang lahat ng naging teachers niya kasi sa wakas, mawawala na siya.
My mother knew the Andres’, who were past board members of SANS. Co-teacher niya in one of her many sidelines ang mga Andres. Yes, my mother teaches Highschool from Monday to Friday and part-times as a college professor every weekend just to make ends meet. One time, pinagbihis ako ng Nanay ko. She told me that she had found for me a school for my secondary education. I was also then when she told me, na hindi ako sa Lagro Highschool mag aaral.
Sumakay kami ng jeep, bumaba sa Lagro-taas, sumakay ulit ng jeep at bumaba na sa waiting shed ng Amparo Village. As I set foot on SANS, I noticed this place is familiar. Dinadaanan namin ito, everytime naglalakad kami papuntang Grotto every Holy Week. Pero hindi ko alam na may school pala dito. As we approach SANS, sabi ko sa Nanay ko, “School ba yan? Akala ko factory yan?” Yes, all those years na naglalakad kami papuntang Grotto, akala ko factory ang St. Anthony Nova School. Dati kasi yung exhaust fan ng Boy’s comfort room ay parang exhaust fan ng factory. Wind Turbine Ventilator daw ang tawag doon sabi ni Google. Cut to - my high school life in SANS - the happiest four consecutive years of my life. It is here that I met my all girl-barkada, the JR. GEST. Pinagsama-sama ko lang ang first letters ng mga pangalan namin. Ka-cheapan pero masaya ako that I was able to find my people. Hindi lang pala ako, akala din nila factory ang SANS noon.
In March 1989, during our graduation day kahit hindi ako top 10 that year, I received the coveted Presidential award for having the highest score in the NCEE
(Nacional College Entrance Exam). Dalawa kami ng kabatch kong puro line of seven ang grade. Katabi ko kasi siya noong NCEE namin. Baka Xinerox daw ang test paper ko. Patawarin mo ako Allan Manuel. Patay na siya ngayon. Wag niya sana ako multohin.
Kidding aside, I told you about how I started here and how my journey in SANS ended, not to brag. But to establish the fact that, WE WILL NEVER KNOW THE FUTURE. To be honest, I did not imagine or predict or even think that I would be an actor working in the entertainment industry. During the late 80s, Nursing or Physical Therapy ang in-demand course. Nag try naman ako, like most of the late 80s graduate. I took the Nursing and PT Exam in the University of Santo Tomas. Hindi lang ako pumasa. Gusto ko talaga sa UST mag aral. Noong bata ako pag nagpupunta kami sa Quiapo, nada-daanan naming ang UST at mukhang ang ganda-ganda ng facilities. So sabi ko sa Nanay ko, last try sa UST sa Hotel and Restaurant Management Exam. Yun ang naging course ng Ate ko pero hindi niya natapos. Sabi ko sa Nanay ko, sayang naman ang mga libro ng Ate ko. Pumayag naman ang Nanay ko at sumang-ayon na din ang tadhana. Pumasa ako sa Pontifical University of Santo Tomas, Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management. It was there, that I joined Teatro Tomasino, the University Wide Theater Guild of UST. During my audition, I was asked, ano ang talent mo? Sagot ko, I can imitate the Principal and almost all the faculty members of St. Anthony Nova School. Pasado ako agad. All all along, SANS was my first stage and my classmates, my first audience. It was also in Teatro Tomasino that I met my older friends, who are that time already working in ABS-CBN. So, after graduating college, they recommended me to be a part of the ABS-CBN production department as a researcher for a Showbiz Oriented Talk Show. From there, I was dicovered to be an on-cam actor. Masyado daw akong maganda kaya dapat nasa harap ako ng camera. And the rest is history. Indeed, we can never predict the future. But we can certainly prepare for it.
These are the three things that I have done and are still doing to prepare for the future. It’s a struggle and very difficult but when accomplished, I assure you, it will be very effective and it’s going to be worth it.
First, BE THE BEST IN WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT. Kung magaling ka mag-drawing, mag-practice ka pa. Try using pencil, water colors, crayons, pentel pens or any tools that you can get your hands on. Draw on paper, boxes, old calendars, walls. Anywhere. Basta kailangan mong maging magaling. Baka ikaw na ang next Amorsolo, Botong or Bencab na mga National Artist. Kung mahilig kang kumanta at sumayaw, i-practice mo pa iyan. Dancing and singing are the arts that with repetition, could become perfect. Kumanta ka, kahit acapella lang. Sumayaw ka kahit walang tugtog. Wag ka mag paawat. Kailangan ma-perfect mo. Kailangan na ng kapalit ni Techear Gorcel at malay mo biglang magpa-audition ng bagong members ang BINI at SB19. If your talent is acting, mag workshop ka. Take up Theater Arts or Masscomm in college. Join a theater group. Talent ko lang ang acting noon, trabaho ko na ngayon. At matagal ko ng pangarap na may isa pang SANS Alumni ang maging artista din like me. Kung magaling ka sumulat, keep on writing. Poem muna, then short stories, tapos essay then novel and eventually a book or a screenplay for the next movie of Star Cinema. Baka iyang script mo na ang next movie ng DonBelle or ni Katryn at Alden. Kung magaling ka sa Science, Biology or mahilig ka sa hayop you have the makings to be a doctor or a scientist. Baka ikaw na ang makaka discover ng gamot sa ALS, Alzheimers or Cancer. We will never know because we can not predict the future, even our own.
Second, BE A SURVIVOR. Learn to survive. Mas tumatagal ang buhay ng mga survivors keysa mga achievers. May dalawang taong na trap sa sa isang island. Yung isa matalino at yung isa hindi masyado pero marunong magluto-manghuli ng isda- umakyat sa puno. Natural siya ang nabuhay. To be a survivor you need to take care of your PHYSICAL, MENTAL and SPIRITUAL Health. Physical, eat healthy-exercise-sleep well. O diba sabi ko sa inyo ang hirap? When I reached the age of 50, lahat ng kakainin ko today, dagdag nasa body weight ko the next day. Yung edad ko now, ganon na din kadami ang naging sakit ko. The best to start taking care of your Physical health is when you are young. So may time pa kayo. Ako, ipag-pray niyo na lang.
Mental Health. Noong panahon namin hindi uso iyan. Bihira kami malungkot or madepress. Kasi may barkada kami. May larong kalye. May outlet kami. Apparently, sa mga Gen Z tumaas ang case ng Mental Health issues because of social media pressure, global uncertainty, economic instability and pandemic-driven isolation. Children, alam nyo na ito. So, I appeal to you all. Do something about this. Prevent this. Stop this. Talk to your parents, your siblings, your friends. Life is short. Enjoy it while it last. Your gadgets are not your friends. Find a hobby. Find your barkada. Be with your people. Your youth is the very reason not to be sad or deppressed. Maraming araw at taon pa ang darating for you na dapat niyo ika-excite at ikasaya.
If you are still sad, then maybe, it is about time to focus on your Spiritual Health. Eto sure ako na effective bilang bagsak na yata ako sa Physical so dito na lang ako nag-fofocus. Pray. Kay God, kay Jesus, sa Holy spirit, kay Ala, kay Jehovah, kay Mama Mary or kay St. Anthony. Basta pray. Pray to a higher being na hindi mo nakikita pero deep inside alam mong pakikinggan ka. Ang tawag doon FAITH. Having Faith will be the start of your Spiritual Healing. Hindi natin masasabi, malay mo may sumagot. Baka ikaw na pala ang next Filipino saint. Pray that you may find your purpose. Pray that you may find your meaning. Pray that you may find your inner peace.
Third and last, and for me the most important in preparing for the future, and the most difficult. BE GOOD. To your family, your friends, your schoolmates, your teachers, to yourself or even to strangers. Be good. Maging mabait kahit kanino. Kahit sa kinaiinisan mo or kahit na sa umaway sayo or yung ginawan ka ng masama. Mas okay na yung siya ang gumawa sayo ng masama at hindi ikaw sa kanya. Totoo yung kasabihan na. “pag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng tinapay”. Yes, napaka-hirap. Yung mga nangsalbahe sakin, binabato ko naman ng tinapay kaya lang nasa loob ng garapon (laughs).
After the Pandemic, I realized how life on earth is so short. Kaya I opted to believe that there is life after death. May langit, masaya, mapayapa. Effective siya para ma-inspire kayo to be good. Hindi ko kayo tinatakot pero these might and will happen. Like now in the news, WW3 (God forbid) might happen. Ang daming bagong sakit na wala naman noong araw. Yung West Valley Fault, gagalaw na daw anytime that will cause the Big One Earthquake in Luzon. Kaya if ever talaga, I pray na mapunta ako sa langit. At pinapaghandaan ko na ngayon by being GOOD. I also believe that when we go to heaven, Hindi tatanungin ni God kung anong naging trabaho mo sa Earth or anong kasarian mo or naging matalino ka ba or naging Talented ka ba …or naging achiever ka ba. Ang tatanongin nya ay kung naging “mabait ka ba?”. So kahit mahirap, lets do our best to be GOOD.
In conclusion, tama naman pala ako. Factory nga ang St. Anthony Nova School. Factory ng mga mahuhusay na Alumni na hinahangaan sa ibang bansa in the fields of expertise that they achieved. Napaka swerte ninyo, na ang Principal nyong si Sir Roggie Catacutan from Batch 83 ay isang Book Author at Editor ng mga text books. Si Judge Marlou Campanilla, from Batch 87 is a presiding judge of the Metropolitan Trial Court branch 85. Si Omar Bocobo ng batch 88 ay nag-wo-work sa National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Kahit ano pa man ang trabaho niya doon, NASA iyon, ibang level iyon. Si Lourdes Gant from Batch 90 is also an author and a leading authority in sustainability and AI. Hindi ko alam kung anong ibig sabihin noon pero tunog pa lang achievement na. Si Charmel delos Santos is an IT Consultant in the Australian Health Ministry also from Batch 90. Lower batch ko lang si Lourdes at Charmel. Kung alam ko lang na magiging achievers sila, sana sila binarkada ko. My classmate Doctor Dante Nakpil is now a physician. Sobrang proud kami sa kanya kasi hindi namin inakala na sa mga ka-batch namin, siya pa ang magiging doctor. But for me, his much greater achievement is being a single father raising two kids with special needs. I have batchmates na nahihiyang um-attend ng reunion kasi wala daw silang na-achieve sa buhay. House wife lang daw sila. So, I tell them, being a housewife is not an easy feat. Raising a family and taking good care of their children is more than an achievement, it is a sacrifice.
Dear graduates of the Class of 2026, my challenge to you is to prepare your selves for the future. Be an achiever but more importantly, try to achieve to be good. Make your selves a proud product of this factory called St. Anthony Nova School. I am Jonathan Anthony S. Lapus from Batch 89. Ang pinaka-magandang alumnus ng St. Anthony Nova School!
