Honor and excellence

“Honor and Excellence’’ was the heart of Prof. Winnie Monsod’s last lecture for the recently-concluded semester at the University of the Philippines-Diliman School of Economics. For her students, her words and fervent advices always bring a good note to end the term.

Now, thanks to her student who uploaded it on YouTube, “Honor and Excellence’’ is spreading on social networking sites as people keep on reposting it, appreciating its very message. With almost 400,000 views on YouTube, Monsod’s inspiring words have now been permanently embedded both in the web and in the minds of young Filipinos. Students and Campuses Bulletin painstakingly transcribes Honor and Excellence for its readers.

MANILA, Philippines — Did anybody notice? I’m wearing high heels and it’s killing me! But I thought this is the last day. And so I had to pay for my vanity by sitting down.

Alright, here’s the deal class. Whether you know it or not, or whether you realize it or not, you are leaders. I mean not just future leaders, you are leaders now. Why do I say that?

First, because you are the intellectual elite. You are crème de la crème. You are admitted into the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Right? Which takes a lot of doing and the University of the Philippines-Diliman is the university that is the top university in the Philippines, bar none.

So, just you saying: I come from UP Diliman or I graduated from UP Diliman gives you already stature which you do not realize you have. But people will look up to you not only because one, you come from the university, but two, because you come from the university you have to have something up here. It cannot be that you don’t. If you failed in this class, it’s not really our fault. It’s your fault. Because you have what it takes to pass and nobody’s trying to make you fail, right?

But excellence is not the only important thing that matters. Do you know what the university motto is? Who knows?

Honor and excellence. Honor first before excellence. It’s not excellence and honor, it’s honor and excellence. And what is the fruit of honor and excellence? Is it not competence and integrity?

In other words, if you have lived up to your promise and your potential as a university student, you are in a position to be part of the solution of this country’s problems, not part of the problem.

Yes? Alright.

And what does that mean? If you are a leader now, can you assure me that as a leader you are going to act with honor and integrity? Because I’m going to tell you class, you think cheating is something that is very unusual? It’s very usual in the university and this is what bothers me so much. Because you do not have to cheat. And cheating in the small things is going to lead to cheating in the large things. And all these people that you have contempt for, because they are corrupt, because they are cheating, are people who may have in fact, been part of the university.

As a matter of fact, if you think about it, I keep on telling this because we are always so proud, UP tayo! Ha! Okay. I think six of the Presidents of the Philippines come from UP. The majority of the Supreme Court Chief Justices come from UP. The majority of the Speakers of the House come from UP. The majority of the Senate Presidents are UP. Eh saan tayo ngayon? If they were so good, why are we where we are now?

And so you have to ask yourselves that. And part of the reason is that we have always looked at excellence, and not at honor and integrity.

And so I want you to pledge to me that up to this, up to now, while you are in UP, please, do not cheat. Because once you cheat, you are now no longer part of the solution anymore, you are going to be very much a part of the problem.
Right class?

So now, we’ve established that you are leaders. We’ve established that you have excellence, and that you are by God going to help the people, you are going to have honor. So what is the next step?

I am only one
The next step is, of course, seeing to it that what you can do, you are going to do. I don’t know how many of you know this, you know this?

I am only one…who knows that? I am only one but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do. And with the grace of God, I will do it.

And if all of us ascribed to that mantra, then indeed this country is going to take its place sooner, rather than later, among the tigers and the developed countries of the world.

But it will depend on you.

And that means, therefore, that if you are going to help this country, you’ve got to be in the country. And if any of you have little ambitions of going abroad so that you can earn more, please disabuse yourself because by doing that you are essentially betraying the people in the Philippines who trusted you and who invested their money in you. Because your tuition no matter how much you pay in UP, is still not enough to underwrite the costs of educating you from UP. All you have to do is look at the contract, the numbers. So all of you have full cost, anong full cost? Just compare what you would have paid in Ateneo or La Salle. That’s full cost! You pay here, what? One-half of what La Salle or Ateneo? But you don’t. Alright.

And then of course there are the scholars, the ones who have the brains but unfortunately come from families whose incomes do not allow the university. Make sure that there is going to be opportunities for those too.

So if you turn your back on the country, if you turn your back on the Filipino people, what you are doing, essentially, is you are exacerbating the problem rather than helping in the solution. So if you insist on going abroad, at the very least, will you pay back the entire cost of your education in UP, plus interest.

(Audience laughs)

I mean it. You’d be surprised that all the members of the College of Medicine, practically the entire class goes abroad.

And nobody pays back! And then they give mga donation, donation, a thousand dollars dito, two thousand dollars doon.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Do you know how much it cost to educate you? To make you a doctor? And they will give one thousand dollars tapos may utang na loob pa ang university. Gago ba kayo?

(Laughter)

I said that in the UP College of Medicine. What’s the matter with you? What you need is to give a million dollars each.
Boy, everybody said, why, this woman is crazy.

(Laughter)

I mean, you know, think of it. Your debt is thirty years ago, all that interest piling up, compounding on each other.

So here’s the deal. You’re going to be as good and as honorable as you should be. You are going to stay in the Philippines. And if you leave the Philippines, you are at least going to try to pay back. And if you don’t do any of the above, this is my last threat to you. This is a threat that I will carry out. Do not think that I am kidding. What is my last threat?

If you do your own way, and add to the problems of the Philippines, Mrs. Monsod is going to haunt you!

(Laughter)

From the grave! I intend to go up there and from up there I’m going to look down on you, and I am going to confront you at the worst possible moments in your life.

(Laughter)

Threat. Threat. You’re on your honeymoon.

(Laughter)

Monsod is coming. You feel something cold and clammy holding your toes? (smiles) That is Mrs. Monsod telling you that you had let the Philippines down and you had let her down. And I’m going to tell you something else, once that happens, you are going to lose all your sexual urges.

(Laughter and applause)

Class, is it a deal? The Philippines needs you more than you could ever think. And if it is not you, who else will do it? Okay? Deal? And threat. A carrot and a stick, and I am going to wield that stick.

I’m 70 years old now. Maybe I can last another 10 years. I hope. But by that time, you would have made your career choices. By that time I am fresh out of this world waiting to get back at you.

Are we clear class?

God bless you and God bless the Philippines. –Manila Bulletin