04/07/2026
❤️❤️
During the 17th Graduation and Completion Exercises of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) Butuan City Division, held on June 30, 2026 at Robinson’s Place Butuan, keynote speaker Mr. Teodoro Castro Abrea Jr. delivered a message that moved hearts and ignited hope.
He declared with conviction:
“ALS is not a school for failures. ALS is a place where lives are restored, broken dreams are rebuilt, and hope begins again.”
From being an ALS graduate himself to becoming an Environmental Scientist and researcher, Mr. Abrea’s journey is living proof that second chances can transform destinies. His words reminded every graduate that their diploma is more than paper; it is courage, perseverance, and God’s faithfulness.
Congratulations, ALS Graduates, Class of 2026!
Take a look at Mr. Abrea's inspiring message:
Maayad nga hapon kaninyong tanan!
To our distinguished guests, officials from the Department of Education and the Bureau of Alternative Education, our dedicated ALS teachers and facilitators, our honored guests, proud parents, guardians, families, friends, ladies and gentlemen, and most especially to the graduates of the Alternative Learning System, a pleasant afternoon to all of you.
To be honest, I really didn't know where to begin this speech.
I asked myself many times, "Where do I start?"
Should I begin with my achievements?
Should I talk about my work?
Should I mention the awards, the leadership positions, or the title I hold today?
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that none of those are the reason why I am standing here today.
I am standing here because God has a story to tell.
A story of a broken young man whom God restored.
A story that proves that no dream is too small, no life is too broken, and no person is ever beyond hope.
So today, I will not speak to you as an Environmental Scientist.
I will not speak to you as a Technical Personnel of Caraga State University.
I will not speak to you as someone who has received awards or held leadership positions.
Today, I want to speak to you as one of you.
A proud ALS graduate.
My journey was never easy.
I came from a broken family.
Among twelve siblings, I became the only one who finished college.
Growing up, there were many moments when I questioned my worth.
There were nights when I cried silently because I didn't know if life would ever get better.
There were moments when I almost gave up because I thought my dreams had already ended.
Then God gave me another chance.
That second chance was called the Alternative Learning System.
But sadly, not everyone understood what ALS truly meant.
I still remember the discrimination.
I still remember the painful words.
People laughed at us.
People judged us.
Some would even say,
"ALS? Alsa-alsa ug kahoy."
"ALS? Para ra na sa mga kahig ulo."
"ALS? Para ra na sa mga badlongon."
Every time I heard those words...
They hurt.
Not because they insulted me.
But because they made us feel like we were less than everyone else.
Like we were not intelligent enough.
Like we didn't deserve another opportunity.
Like our future had already been decided by our past.
But today...
I stand before you to answer every person who ever looked down on an ALS learner.
No.
ALS is not a school for failures.
ALS is not a school for people without dreams.
ALS is not a place for people who have no future.
ALS is a place where lives are restored.
ALS is a place where broken dreams are rebuilt.
ALS is a place where hope begins again.
And today...
I stand before you as living proof that "Sa ALS, may pag-asa at may kinabukasan."
If there is one group of people I want to honor today...
It is our ALS teachers and facilitators.
Many people think your job is simply to teach lessons.
But to us...
You are much more than teachers.
You are hope builders.
You are dream builders.
You are life changers.
You may not realize it, but every time you encouraged us...
Every time you smiled at us...
Every time you said, "Kaya mo 'yan."
You were changing someone's life.
You were restoring someone's confidence.
You were rebuilding someone's future.
You may be teachers by profession...
But to us...
You are a source of inspiration.
Your words matter.
Your kindness matters.
Your patience matters.
Your belief in us matters.
Because sometimes...
When we no longer believed in ourselves...
You believed in us.
When others saw our failures...
You saw our potential.
When others judged us because of our past...
You chose to believe in our future.
And for that...
We will forever be grateful.
Today, I want to personally thank the people whom God used to change my life.
Sir Cocoy Aguilar...
Ma'am Matel Plaza...
Ma'am Michelle Ladisma...
Ma'am Leslie...
Ma'am Nikka...
Thank you.
Thank you for believing in me when I no longer believed in myself.
Thank you for reminding me that my life still had purpose.
Because of your encouragement...
I found the courage to dream again.
Because of you...
I decided to enroll at Caraga State University even before the results of my A&E Test were released.
I simply prayed every day that God would allow me to pass both the A&E Test and the CSU Entrance Examination.
Then one day...
The results came.
I passed the A&E Test.
I passed the CSU Entrance Examination.
And I cried.
Not because I became successful overnight...
But because I realized...
God never forgot me.
To be honest...
I never imagined that one day I would finish my bachelor's degree.
I never imagined that I would graduate with honors.
I never imagined that the young man who was once laughed at because he came from ALS would one day become an Environmental Scientist.
I never imagined that I would become a researcher.
I never imagined that I would stand before you today as your guest speaker.
Only God could write a story like that.
Today, I also want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Department of Education and the Bureau of Alternative Education.
Thank you for creating the Alternative Learning System.
Thank you for believing that every Filipino deserves a second chance.
Thank you for giving people like me a platform to restore our lives, rebuild our confidence, and rediscover our dreams.
ALS is more than an educational program.
ALS is a place where hope is restored.
ALS is a place where broken lives are rebuilt.
And because of ALS...
Thousands of lives—including mine—have been changed forever.
Today, I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the Local Government Unit of Butuan City for its unwavering support and commitment to empowering the youth through education. I am especially thankful to Atty. Glen Carampatana for recognizing our hard work and perseverance by honoring student achievers with awards, medals, and cash incentives. Those recognitions were more than just rewards—they became a reminder that our efforts were seen, valued, and appreciated.
To the Local Government of Butuan City, thank you for believing that every student's dream deserves to be celebrated. Your encouragement inspired me to strive for excellence, persevere through every challenge, and continue becoming a better version of myself. Your support became one of the many reasons I never stopped believing that with determination, faith, and the help of people who genuinely care, dreams really do come true.
Today, I am blessed to serve Caraga State University as a Technical Personnel and Portfolio Manager under the Navigatù Technology Business Incubator of the Office of the Vice President for Research, Development, Innovation, and Extension.
Aside from my profession, I also continue serving the Lord as the Public Relations Officer of Butuan Central Baptist Missionary Church, where I have the privilege of serving and mentoring my fellow young people.
Every opportunity reminds me that God never blesses us just for ourselves.
He blesses us so that we can become a blessing to others.
Graduates...
This afternoon...
I want you to look at me.
Not because I am special.
But because I was once sitting exactly where you are today.
I was once wearing a graduation toga just like you.
Listening to a guest speaker.
Wondering if my dreams would ever come true.
Who would have thought...
That the ALS graduate of 2018...
Would return years later...
Not as a student...
But as your guest speaker.
Who would have thought...
That a simple boy whose dream was only to visit downtown and eat at Jollibee...
Would one day finish college...
Become an Environmental Scientist...
Become a researcher...
Serve the university...
Serve the church...
And continue inspiring other young people.
If God did it for me...
He can certainly do it for you too.
Graduates...
Never allow your current situation to decide your future.
Never allow your family background to define your destiny.
Never allow people's opinions to become your limitations.
Because your future is not determined by where you came from.
It is determined by your determination...
Your perseverance...
Your faith...
And God's purpose for your life.
The Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Today...
You may only see your present.
But God already sees your future.
One day...
One of you will become a teacher.
A police officer.
A nurse.
A lawyer.
An engineer.
An entrepreneur.
A scientist.
A public servant.
Or perhaps...
The next guest speaker standing on this very stage, sharing your own testimony to the next generation of ALS graduates.
To our dear parents, guardians, families, and loved ones...
This graduation is not only a celebration of your children's success.
It is also a celebration of your sacrifices.
Thank you for choosing to stay when life became difficult.
Thank you for not abandoning them when they stumbled.
Thank you for believing in them during the moments when they doubted themselves.
Thank you for every sacrifice...
Every prayer...
Every sleepless night...
Every word of encouragement...
Every meal you skipped...
Every tear you silently cried...
And every opportunity you gave them to continue their education.
This diploma does not belong to the graduates alone.
It belongs to every parent who sacrificed.
To every guardian who never gave up.
To every family member who stood beside them through every challenge.
Today, this success is your victory too.
To our ALS teachers and facilitators...
Thank you once again.
You did not simply teach lessons.
You changed lives.
You restored hope.
You became instruments of God in giving students like us another chance.
Never underestimate the power of your words.
One encouragement from you can save a dream.
One conversation can restore a broken heart.
One opportunity can change an entire future.
Thank you for seeing our potential when others only saw our failures.
May God continue to bless each one of you as you continue transforming lives through education.
And to my dear graduates...
Walk across this stage with confidence.
Hold your diploma with pride.
Not because it is simply a piece of paper...
But because it represents your courage.
It represents your perseverance.
It represents every obstacle you refused to surrender to.
Most of all...
It represents God's faithfulness throughout your journey.
Before I end, allow me to leave you with one final message.
People may remember where you came from.
But God is more concerned about where He is taking you.
Your past is not your identity.
Your struggles are not your destination.
Your failures are not your ending.
They are simply the chapters God used to prepare you for a greater purpose.
Whenever life becomes difficult...
Remember this graduation.
Remember your journey.
Remember your teachers who believed in you.
Remember your family who stood beside you.
Remember every sacrifice that brought you to this moment.
And above all...
Remember the God who never left you.
As it is written in Philippians 4:13,
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
And always remember the promise found in Jeremiah 29:11:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Never be ashamed to say,
"I am an ALS graduate."
Because ALS did not become your limitation.
ALS became your foundation.
ALS became your second chance.
ALS became the beginning of a greater story that God is still writing.
Allow me to leave you with the message that has guided my life and that I hope you will carry for the rest of your lives:
"Never let your past write your future. Let God write your story. When God is the Author of your life, every setback becomes a setup, every scar becomes a testimony, and every impossible dream becomes a living reality. Your beginning does not determine your ending. Your second chance today can become someone else's inspiration tomorrow."
Class of 2026, always remember this:
Your greatest achievement today is not receiving your diploma. Your greatest achievement is that you never gave up.
Continue dreaming.
Continue believing.
Continue working hard.
Continue trusting God.
Continue making your parents proud.
Continue honoring your teachers.
And never stop becoming an inspiration to others.
One day, someone will listen to your story just as you listened to mine today.
And when that day comes, tell them that your journey started in the Alternative Learning System, where God gave you a second chance and where you chose to believe that your future was greater than your past.
Congratulations, ALS Graduates, Class of 2026!
May the Lord bless each one of you, guide every step you take, and grant the desires of your hearts according to His perfect will.
Madayaw nga hapon kaninyong tanan! Daghang salamat, ug ang Diyos magpanalangin kanatong tanan!
