Celso to ZCHS-West grads: help bring out the best of Zambo
Citing the youth’s role in shaping the destiny of the city, Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday urged the graduates of the Zamboanga City National High School-West to help in the effort to bring about the good, the best, the positive and the beautiful of Zamboanga.
Speaking before the 1,300 high school graduates at ceremonies held at the Garden Orchid Hotel yesterday morning, Lobregat said the city government under his administration is doing its best efforts to set the stage for the youths.
“My dear graduates take advantage of the opportunity. Have faith in God and give your education your best shot”, the mayor said in his commencement speech.
As Zamboanguenos, he said, the youth sector, plays a critical role in shaping the future of beloved Zamboanga. “Looking at each of you today, I see the future leadership of this city and even the country. You are the future teachers, engineers, nurses and information technologists. The knowledge you have acquired shall transfigure into ideas that can be used in building a greater Zamboanga. In your own capacity, as Zamboanguenos, it is your obligation and your responsibility to bring about the good, the best, the positive and the beautiful of our beloved Zamboanga City.”
The mayor in his message also shared his own experience as a young graduate who did not have an inkling of becoming a congressman and later a mayor several years after. He said while each individual has his own ambition, everything will still depend on how each individual will perform in life.
Meanwhile, Mayor Lobregat in the same speech reaffirmed his administration’s concern for the promotion and welfare of the youths which, he said, is the very reason why the city has embarked on a massive school building program and other education-related projects.
“Our support to education is ever growing and never ending that led Education Secretary Jeslie Lapus to describe our support to education in 2008 as record breaking. In 2009, Secretary Lapus said Zamboanga continues to do unprecedented things in education”, he said.
The 23rd commencement exercises of the ZCHS-West were also graced by City Schools Supt. Dolores Alcantara, representatives from the Department of Education regional office, parents and teachers and other officials.
The ZCHS-West graduation theme was “Education changing lives”.
Last week, Lobregat also keynoted the commencement exercises of the Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZSCMST), Tictapul National High School, Filipino Turkish Tolerance School, Culianan National High School and several others.
Today, the mayor is invited to keynote the graduation ceremonies of the Maria Clara Lobregat National High School and the Talon-talon National High School. (Sheila Covarrubias)