CDS turns Four ( a poem)

As we turn four

We are challenged to do more

There are times when our hearts become sore

But the spirit does not weaken in its very core

We won some, we lost some

Either way, we fought

For each year, the mighty spear is here

It shall never disappear

Our history has a past, a present and a future

Somewhere in between every Sebastinian we hope to mature

Never grow tired of living, loving and learning

Each of your life is an awesome story in the making

Meaningful things await no doubt about it

With courage and faith you will indubitably make it

Never be frightened of crying 

You will see clearly after each wiping

Not one less in journeying forward

Neither Baste nor Besta shall remain coward

We hope to all get there together

Because our love and care shall be forever.

Colegio De Sebastian Pamp. Inc., turns 4.

Hello everyone! It's amazing how time flies so quickly. This year we are making history. Aside from the expansion we are doing right across the street of our main site, this coming April, we are going to hold our first ever Commencement Exercises. Our pioneer batch will play a pivotal role to our existence as an academic institution. They are the first-borns of CDS, in a manner of speaking. I have faith in them as they continue their journey to becoming lifelong learners and catalysts for change.

As we turn 4, many thanks ought to be expressed. From the bottom of my heart, I am genuinely thankful to the members of CDS administration, esteemed faculty members, non-teaching personnel, all the beautiful women and men of Colegio De Sebastian who have been working efficiently and creatively. Words are inadequate to give my thanks to you. And of course, to all the Sebastinians, the Baste and Bestas, the lifeblood of CDS. Thank you for making CDS your second home. And to all of you, friends and family of our students, I also thank you for your unwavering support and inspiration.

To the all the candidates of Baste & Besta 2015, although it's quite a pressure I know, enjoy the experience and I hope you become a better Sebastinian and a better person through it.

Not one less in journeying 4ward, is our theme this 4th founding anniversary. Indeed, we are all in this together. And we will all get there together. Again, thank you for celebrating with us and may God bless you more than you'll ever know.

Fortitudo et Fides.

always choose love.

some people have mood swings. at times they are approachable but other times they can be cranky. if they are inclined to be the latter, we let them. we cut them some slack. they might be experiencing some tensions at that very moment. remember, as the other person, you always have a choice. always choose love.

Acquaintance Party

We just had our "Acquaintance Party". Most of you, if not all, did come, dressed the part, and grooved the night away. It was one school affair where you've come of age: personalities revealed, talents showcased and leadership emerged. Epic it was, lest we forget the reason why we held it: to laugh, enjoy and bond as one family in a single soiree. In good faith, when we break the monotony, we become a better community. Random things can create beauty and meaning.

First Commencement Exercises of Colegio De Sebastian Pampanga, Inc. April 08, 2015

After years of unrelenting courage and faith, we have come to this day where all our reasonable expectations and hopes come to their fruition. Today we are making history. Our very first commencement exercises, with modesty aside, explicitly prove that we must have done something really good. In 2011, a fine, loving and altruistic couple envisioned a higher academic institution to the young people of Pampanga, a school focused on service and not profit. Engr. Sebastian Pagcu with wife Engr. Carina Pagcu, who is also the current president of Colegio De Sebastian profoundly believe that benefits and opportunities should be extended to everyone. Special attention, in fact, must be made available for the disenfranchised, the disadvantaged and the people who are least seen, heard and touched. Inspiring and motivating, their goal is to raise courageous and faithful men and women who shall become lifelong learners and catalysts for change.

"CDS is indeed fortitudinous and it has exhibited genuine courage, if only for starting a new institution in the midst of the challenges and vicissitudes that one meets within an economy beset by all familiar social ills- corruption and the general lack of enthusiasm towards selfless social service."

"Despite the paralysis of will apparent in the government, among other sectors , CDS keeps its fides- its faith in the indomitable spirit of the Filipino. It is a faith in the ability of the Filipino not only to survive in the face of impossible hurdles, it is also a faith in the divine gift of the Filipino persona to draw beauty from the quagmire or natural calamities. It is a faith in the Filipino soul’s keeness about the good, even when he himself has been a helpless victim on evil for centuries. It is finally, a faith in the Filipino’s discernment of truth despite the pervading collision course of the human spirit against the disruptions to the spirits brought on by the godlessness of some heralds of modernity."

These same Courage and Faith have been inculcated to our 58 graduating students in our midst today, the FIRSTBORNS of Colegio De Sebastian. The members of the CDS Family whose hearts are filled with joy and excitement welcome all of you today, parents, friends, guests and everyone here who are one with us on this BIG DAY.

happy graduation to one and all!

happy graduation to one and all! i greet everyone with no exemption since i profoundly believe that graduations are a result of collaboration and teamwork. these momentous events are not produced by a single act or individual enterprise. they are genuinely a collective effort. to be more personal, it is you dear graduates, each of you who make them happen. you are the main characters of the story, in a manner of speaking. that is why this early, i (not that i matter to you)  would like to immensely thank all of you for unselfishly doing your part to make all commencement exercises here and there plausible and meaningful. of course, significant others outside of yourselves equally make for the existence of a great team. parents, guardians, teachers, friends, ladies and gentlemen, happy graduation to you too!

i do hope you get inspired as i quote secretary bro.armin luistro fsc, "this year' s graduation theme "saktong buhay: sa dekalidad na edukasyon pinanday" calls to mind the importance of education as we build the foundations of our dreams. let this be a reminder of the stories of our fallen and living heroes, soldiers, and teachers alike, who persevered in their education to secure a decent life for their families. it impresses upon us the power of education in unlocking doors of opportunities and in enabling us to pave the path to a dignified and productive life, a life that is lived not only for ourselves but also for others."

such message succinctly captures why we need to value education towards nation building. without doubt, there are stories behind all successes and achievements. when the stories are happy and exciting, we never tire speaking about them. stories that celebrate triumphs and feats. truth be told, sometimes stories are sad and tragic. these are times that try men's souls. stories that make us weep and cry. i know, each of you has a personal story to tell. i believe it's the most important story because it is your own story. as one nation, we also have a collective story we all share. the beauty of education is it can inspire us not to settle with the stories that dampen our spirit but can change the narratives so in the end a happy ending can ensure.

dear parents and guardians, thank you for inculcating among your beautiful children a hopeful story where they can realize their dreams hook, line and sinker.

dear teachers, you have been truly encouraging for all these years doing your very best to bring out in our graduates the conviction that each of them is the main character of the story, a character full of possibilities and potentials. some misguided teachers beguile themselves into thinking, they are the stars.

and to you dear graduates, you made us all proud. remember that the story is not yet finished. in fact, it has just begun for all of you. you have a say in it. you have a take in it. change the plot if you must. and after sometime, if you can find the time to pay your erstwhile schools a visit and tell the great women and men there the story yourselves. without doubt, they shall hear you out gladly. if it is not too much to ask, we wish to hear stories where you live well, laugh often and love much both personally and in the community you belong. try your very best to positively contribute to the story of our country, a country that needs you. you have always been our hope for a happy ending. the making of that story begins now. all of us aside from you are now going to walk to the periphery so you, our dear graduates can be at the very heart of the story. don't be in hurry okay. take your sweetest time. but when the moment is there, seize it. make your story the greatest story ever told. good luck and let the making of stories begin. do well. do us proud.

again happy graduation to one and all!

tears are gifts.

tears are gifts. in fact, being in tears is one of the most real moments in life as well as when they are joyfully dried up. the whole picture is the joie de vivre (joy of living). a very notable figure of our postmodern times even encouraged us all to learn to weep. after all, do we not see things more clearly after each crying? our natural human propensity and capacity to cry can teach us wonders beyond grasp and imagination. crying is an event. and we are always wiser after the event.