#VSUGrad2025 | Commencement Address of Prof. Adrian H. Sablan for Cluster 2

President Prose Ivy Yepes, esteemed university officials, prized faculty, proud parents, dear graduates: 

Today you celebrate a high-point—your graduation, which also affords you a richly deserved respite, even  if brief, from your years of learning, sacrifice and forbearance. You stand before a future rich not only with  possibilities but also with uncertainties. As you leap forward, you pause to reflect on the world you will  walk into—a world quickly evolving marked with stupefying developments in artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, and the exigencies of Society 5.0. 

Opportunities and Jobs in 2030 and Beyond 

As you carry on ahead, the transformation you will be witnessing will be unprecedented in scope,  magnitude, and impact. Society 5.0, envisioned as a human-centered society integrating cyberspace and  physical space, is now a reality. In a new society characterized largely by human-machine convergence,  you will witness new industries evolve; traditional jobs morph; and entirely new professions emerge.  

Against this backdrop, will the prospects for your future be bright—or bleak? By year 2030 according to  the World Economic Forum, the division of labor between humans and machines may cause  displacement of jobs by about 85 million. Yet, potential displacement may be tempered by 97 million new  roles seen to emerge—roles that are expected to calibrate the interactions between humans, machines,  and algorithms. 

What does this mean for you, our graduates? The future awaiting you could prove to be vibrant and  teeming with opportunities if you are prepared to take on them. Jobs in data science, artificial intelligence,  robotics engineering, agricultural systems, cyber security, augmented and virtual reality, biotechnology,  and sustainable energy are expanding rapidly.  

Apart from these technical fields, creative industries are also expanding massively. You will be needed to  take on roles requiring human-centered interventions and strategic management which are critical aspects for industrial companies in humanizing technology and ensuring the ethical application of artificial  intelligence tools. 

Skills Companies Look For 

Way into 2030, companies will be seeking a fusion of technical proficiency and human skills. Employers  will increasingly prize certain competencies which they expect graduates to possess, such as: 1) Digital Literacy and Technological Fluency; 2) Complex Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking; 3) Creativity and Innovation;  4) Emotional Intelligence and Cross-Cultural Competency; 5) Adaptability and Lifelong Learning; and 6) Ethical  Judgment and Integrity.

You see, this hodgepodge of competencies is a combination of hard skills and soft skills. This means that  while your high technical competency quotient is commendable, your ability to interact with people and  forge a network of relationships is as much important. Your personal values—which constitute your hard  core—will define not only your success rate but also your longevity coefficient.  

Timeless Values in an Evolving Ecosystem 

While the future needs for new skillsets, some timeless values remain non-negotiable. I refer to your  sense of grit, integrity, humility, and kindness. 

Angela Lee Duckworth, the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor of Psychology at the University of  Pennsylvania, who did a wealth of studies on grit and self-control, defines grit as the combination of passion  and perseverance for long-term goals. Duckworth's research suggests that while talent and intelligence  are valuable, grit is a more significant predictor of success, particularly in challenging situations. She  emphasizes that grit is not just about working hard, but also about maintaining a deep-seated passion and  perseverance for one's goals even against spirit-breaking difficulties and setbacks. Grit is “resilience in  motion”.  

Consider the story of Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba. Rejected from jobs repeatedly—including from  KFC—and denied admission to Harvard University ten times, he nonetheless pressed on, learning from  failures and pushing forward until Alibaba grew into a global giant, making Jack Ma a 26.8-billion US dollars  business mogul today. 

Closer to home, take the story of Dado Banatao, a Filipino engineer and entrepreneur. Growing up in  a small barrio in Cagayan Valley without electricity, he walked several kilometers to attend school. But his  persistence led him to invent the first single-chip graphical user interface accelerator, revolutionizing the  semiconductor industry. Dado, whom I had the privilege of meeting in person, is now a giant guy at Silicon  Valley in California and rose to become a 700-million US dollars tycoon. His story underscores that no  background is too humble for greatness if one possesses grit, integrity, and the courage to dream. 

Maria Ressa of Rappler, the Philippines’ very first Nobel Peace Prize laureate is another fitting  example. Amidst threats and adversities that she faced in a previous dispensation, she stood bravely for  press freedom and truth, embodying integrity and the power of standing by one’s principles. She proved  to be a woman of steely character and tough resolve even under death-courting circumstances. 

Consider Ethan Hernandez, too, one of the more familiar content creators, whose story was published  in the Life Section of the Philippine Star last 17 July 2025. Born to an impoverished farming household, he  took on odd jobs. As a young boy, he worked as a janitor, dishwasher, and toilet cleaner to send himself  to school. Because he could not afford lodging fees, he had slept at train stations which proved decrepit  and slimy, only to be even more inconvenienced by biting insects and buzzing mosquitoes singing him  lullabies. Worse, once the Police caught him and had him sleep in jail after having been forced to steal  food to stuff up his aching stomach. The obnoxious, pungent and miry smell of his cell was his only enduring  companion for his overnight ordeal.

Yet he soldiered on tenaciously. His spirits refused to be broken. His sorry plight only made him even  more determined, brazen yet patient. Until providence turned around. Now Ethan is a licensed forester,  earned a master’s degree in South Korea on a scholarship, teaches at the University of the Philippines Los  Banos where he has since been promoted to professorship, and cherishes his own house and lot—plus  his sleek sporty car. 

These individuals teach us that success is not unilinear. It is a canvass of failures, perseverance, meaningful  relationships—and the stubbornness of one’s spirit. 

Graduates, as you sail off into the deep seas, you will need to build your TRUST BRAND by wrapping  yourselves around the mantle of integrity and a commendable sense of excellence.  

Beyond fortifying your core competencies, the world of the 5th Industrial Revolution will put a high  premium on a person’s trust brand. A brand is a mark which makes a person—just like a product— immediately recognizable from the rest. Billionaire Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, says that your brand  is what people say about you when you are not in the room.  

How do you build your trust brand? We can learn from the credentials of Joseph, shown in the Bible as  a trusted brand from Chapter 41 of the Book of Genesis. Betrayed and sold by his own brothers, Joseph  was imprisoned after having been falsely accused of sexually assaulting Potiphar’s wife who had lustful  intentions for him.  

But his unyielding sense of fortitude and moral purity kept him, until he got to work for Pharoah, the king  of Egypt after interpreting the latter’s dream that Egypt would enjoy seven years of plenty followed by  sorrow under seven years of famine. Appointed as administrator by Pharoah, Joseph demonstrated sharp  competence and resounding success in the management of the food crisis even at a time when Egypt was  bereft of currency and livestock. He consistently proved across seasons that he was a skillful manager who  could deliver with sincerity and kindness by framing a coherent agricultural policy and building a massive  agricultural infrastructure for Egypt. This earned him the trust not only of the people but also of Pharoah  himself who characterized Joseph as discerning and wise.  

In honor of the trust currency that Joseph conscientiously earned over time, Pharoah appointed Joseph— a former slave and prisoner—to be the second-in-command over all of Egypt, which included overseeing  Pharoah’s vast estate and the entire land. 

You see, a person’s trust value builds up his integrity storehouse. Integrity is your compass that guides  your actions when no one is watching you. Think of Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. Known not just  for driving innovation but for leading with empathy and principled leadership, Nadella turned Microsoft  into one of the most valuable companies globally, not just through technology, but through a culture  rooted in trust and ethical values. 

Remember: While love is given freely, trust is earned.

Meanwhile, studies show a high 0.7 correlation coefficient between character (measured in terms of  integrity, humility, and trustworthiness) and competence (measured in terms of skill, productivity, and  leadership ability). A 2023 study by Zheng, Wang, and Pinto examined character variable as a moderator  in trust brand development and how character and competence influence trust value in a workplace  setting. Involving 793 participants, the study found that character and competence significantly affected  trust currency, yielding an eta-squared value (a measure of effect size in statistics) of 0.202 for character,  0.14 for competence, and 0.036 for interaction of the two variables.  

Remember: Your skills can fly you to high altitudes; but your character—savored with a significant  amount of grit—will determine if you will keep it to such heights.  

The Currency of Relationships: Your Network is Your Net Worth 

Graduates, as you hustle your way through in the real world of industry and profession, remember also  to invest in your relationship capital.  

We take the example of Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix. While his vision and adaptability were  crucial, his ability to form meaningful partnerships, listen to mentors, and collaborate across industries  propelled Netflix from a DVD rental service to a streaming giant and now a content production  powerhouse. 

Similarly, Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta, attributes much of her success to the mentors and  networks she cultivated, emphasizing that “leaning in sometimes means leaning on others”. 

Remember: The largeness of your net worth will be determined by the bigness of the network  infrastructure you nurture. Cultivate relationships with authenticity, gratitude, and reciprocity. 

Building Around Values and People 

So, what gives? As you move beyond these halls of your exalted university, I encourage you to: 1) Commit  to lifelong learning. Enlarge your knowledge and skills bank by learning new unfamiliar things and exploring  unchartered terrains. 2) Lead with integrity. Do not settle for transactional convenience. 3) Build a  network of relationships. Invest in people and love on them. 4) Embrace failures. Learn from them. 5) Be  creative and innovative. Build solutions that uplift and empower people in the community and around you. 

Embracing the Future 

As you toss your caps today, may you carry forward not just the knowledge imparted within these grounds  but the values that define authentic prosperity: grit to pursue your dreams relentlessly; integrity to stand  by your principles unwaveringly; the warmth to forge relationships that enrich your life and that of others;  gratitude to stay your course; and humility to guard your prosperity. Do not erect walls or form silos.  Instead, build networks—bridges that reach and connect people. 

And when you are up there already—clothed in authority, privilege, and resources—honor God with  your prestige and possessions. Remember to be humble, generous and kind. Guard yourself against the urge of self-entitlement. Reach out for those with little voice in your communities, those who are deprived of privilege. Be a channel for their upliftment. Challenge the status quo whenever warranted. Be an agent  of transformational innovation. But keep your anchor—and always look back to your true north. It will  keep you grounded. 

And, when tossed between being right and being kind, please—choose to be kind. As I close, let me send you off with these words of affection from the Book of Numbers 6:24-26:  

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; The  Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” SHALOM—nothing missing; nothing broken. 

Congratulations, Class of 2025. The world looks to you. Keep your fire burning. Daghang salamat  kaninyong tanan! 

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