I thought it was honorable for Manny V. Pangilinan to offer resignation from the Board of Ateneo when his speeches in this year's commencement exercises in Ateneo were discovered to have been plagiarized. But according to Katrina Stuart Santiago, the plagiarism can be traced as far back as 2007. Did he have the same speech writer?
His speech in Xavier University where he was conferred with honorary degree in April 2007.
MVP said:
"As for myself, I have always believed in the strenuous life, in the life of labor and effort. The highest form of success comes not to the man who desires easy peace or inherits instant wealth, but to the man who does not shrink from risks, from hardship, or from bitter toil."This portion was copied from the speech STRENOUS LIFE delivered by THEODORE ROOSEVELT ( US president) on April 10, 1899 in Hamilton College.
He wrote:
I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.
"I just want you to do me a favor. Just one favor. Exercise your right to dream. Sure, you must face reality — that which is. But dream of a reality that ought to be — that must be. I want you to be what John F. Kennedy wanted himself to be — ‘an idealist without any illusions.’ You may or may not get there, but know that you must try. And you hold on, and hold out. Our country will be better for it. Insist on heroes. Become one."-Martin Luther King
This is an article published in Newsflash.
"PLDT CEO: MANNY PANGILINAN'S PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS
MANILA, APRIL 14, 2007 (STAR) By Sharon L. Flores - In the course of his legendary 30-year career, he has borne many titles: managing director, president, CEO and chairman of the board. He is even dubbed the "most valuable player" in the telecommunications industry. Now, he can add "doctor" to his illustrious credentials.
Last March 23, PLDT and Smart chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan was conferred a doctorate in the humanities, honoris causa, by Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan for his achievements in business and management, exemplary leadership, unflinching commitment to country and integrity. The honorary doctorate degree was presented by university president Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin SJ during the institution’s 68th commencement exercise.
More than 1,500 graduates had a rare audience with Pangilinan, whose leadership steered PLDT to become the dominant telecommunications company in the Philippines while serving as CEO and managing director of international holdings behemoth First Pacific Company Limited and chairman of Metro Pacific Corporation.
During the academic convocation, he exhibited candor and humility in receiving the honor. His speech was peppered with insights as he talked about the simple yet important life lessons he gleaned through years of work, travel and life experiences.
Unknown to his young audience, Pangilinan has been to Cagayan de Oro previously. It was in his early days as a sales trainee when he used to crisscross Mindanao, from Davao to Zamboanga, all the way to Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu. Like some of them, he was a student who came from humble beginnings and got by on meager means. Before he graduated from Ateneo de Manila, he expressed his desire to take up his MBA abroad but his family couldn’t afford it. He had to join a nationwide competition to see his dream through. He won the coveted scholarship to Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, one of the world’s top business schools.
The graduates were also surprised to know that Pangilinan is among the millions of Filipinos who have braved foreign shores for better and more lucrative opportunities.
"For those of you thinking of working abroad, I can indeed relate to your dream, because I was an OCW myself," he revealed. "I left the country for a number of reasons. I regarded my career here to lie at a dead end, with prospects for the company I worked for as being limited and confining. I wanted a fresh and exciting career. There was, of course, the attraction of a better pay offshore. And while our extended family system gave me a lot of comfort and warmth, I wanted to be accountable to myself, to stand on my own, and be independent."
He detailed how, as an OFW in Hong Kong in 1981, he was tasked to grow an investment firm starting with only six people, 50 square meters of office space and meager capital. That company was First Pacific, currently employing around 80,000 people across Southeast Asia, with a robust portfolio that includes Indofoods, the largest noodle maker in the world and the largest food company in Indonesia; and, of course, PLDT, the No. 1 telco in the Philippines.
As for the secrets of success, the graduates were all ears to Pangilinan’s revelations.
"When it comes to success, there are no secrets, no magic, no mystery. Success springs from old-fashioned values — values as basic as being honest and truthful, especially with yourself. Values as essential as working hard, playing fair, and seeking no harm on others.
"Yet, if I were to identify which qualities in a person best substantiate success, I would say that it is the spirit of enterprise and the passionate determination to succeed. Regrettably, the problem we as a people face today is precisely the converse of enterprise and passion — and these are apathy and (the desire for) the ‘sure thing’ — segurista at bahala na.
"As for myself, I have always believed in the strenuous life, in the life of labor and effort. The highest form of success comes not to the man who desires easy peace or inherits instant wealth, but to the man who does not shrink from risks, from hardship, or from bitter toil."
By this part of the speech, the crowd is hanging on to his every word, laughing at every joke, nodding at every turn, absorbing whatever they can.
It was during this time that he unveiled his life lessons, culled from years of trial and error on the path to right living. He broke it down to five simple steps, all grounded on truth and plain common sense, that he urged his listeners to practice and take to heart.
"First, hug and kiss whoever helped get you — financially, emotionally, intellectually, morally — to this day. Don’t let the sun go down today without saying thank you to someone, and without admitting to yourself that absolutely no one gets this far, alone.
"Second, don’t forget that you have a body under your toga. Take good care of it.
"Third, don’t forget that you have brains at your disposal. If I show up at your house 10 years from now and find nothing in your living room but Readers’ Digest, nothing on your bedroom night table but pirated DVDs, and nothing in your bathroom but tabloids, I’ll be mightily disappointed. That would be a waste of your education here at Xavier. Try to remember that there’s more to life than Pinoy Big Brother or American Idol, more than Boom Tarat-Tarat or Itaktak Mo!
"Fourth, give away one peso for every P10 you make. Why? I saw my mother pass away five years ago, and she left this world without anything. Which means you’re not the owner of what you think you own. You’re only a steward because everything’s on loan. So pass some of it on.
"Fifth, stay in the Philippines. I was born here and I will die here. It’s true that I spent some years of my life abroad, but I have returned to give a part of my life back to this country, and the place to start giving back is the place where you are right now — Cagayan de Oro. But if you do decide to depart our sunny shores for greener pastures abroad, may there always be a part of you that will remain enduringly Filipino. And may you perennially possess that durable sense of longing to come home one day — just as I did."
Instead of the traditional closing, where one can be easily caught making sweeping statements, Pangilinan opted for down-to-earth brevity. To his eager audience, he chimed in one last request.
"I just want you to do me a favor. Just one favor. Exercise your right to dream. Sure, you must face reality — that which is. But dream of a reality that ought to be — that must be. I want you to be what John F. Kennedy wanted himself to be — ‘an idealist without any illusions.’ You may or may not get there, but know that you must try. And you hold on, and hold out. Our country will be better for it. Insist on heroes. Become one."
Currently, Pangilinan serves as chairman of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), an institution dedicated to uplifting Filipinos through micro-financed entrepreneurship, scholarships and outreach. He has taken the Makati Medical Center under his wing as chairman. He is also busy bringing Internet access to schools by donating Smart Labs under the Smart Schools Program. The initiative implemented through the PBSP, with the support of the Department of Education and Microsoft’s Partners in Learning Program, donates computer stations equipped with DSL or WiFi broadband plus teacher training to public schools and chosen educational institutions. During his trip to Cagayan, he donated two Smart Bro Labs, one at Xavier University and the other at the Misamis Oriental Comprehensive High School.
As an avid sportsman, Pangilinan is committed to bringing sports to the youth. He is one of the vanguards of badminton in the country. The annual MVP Cup Intercontinental Badminton Championship allows Filipinos to witness world-class play from the finest players in Asia against the best in Europe. He is also the president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas. In his brief visit to Xavier University, he made a personal donation to upgrade their sports facilities.
In 2005, he was recognized as Management Man of the Year by the Management Association of the Philippines and Man of the Year by BizNews Asia. He was also bestowed the Distinguished World Class Businessman Award by the Association of Makati Industries in the same year. In 2006, Pangilinan was honored the Order of Lakandula, rank of Komandante by the Office of the President of the Philippines. Most recently, he received the CEO (Communication Excellence in Organizations) EXCEL Award from the International Association of Business Communicators.
PINAYSAAMERIKA
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