𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐆 𝐍𝐀 𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐘𝐎𝐍: 𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒, 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄

𝐵𝑦 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎 𝐼𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝐶. 𝐴𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝐶𝐸𝑆𝑂 𝐼𝑉

𝑅𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐷𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟

𝐷𝑒𝑝𝐸𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑎

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐬,

𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝, 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐡, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞; 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞; 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠.

But in all these, I want you to remember that something more than yourselves is happening here and now. Your award is not merely a plaque or material compensation for your work. The Bulawanong Sulo Award is not just something that you receive. Yes, it is given to you because you deserve it. But more than that, the efforts and even the sacrifices that are required from you, you did it well.

In a sense, the Bulawanong Sulo is not what you got, but it is who you are. You are the golden treasures of the Department, the Bulawanong Sulo of DepEd Caraga. I would like to thank each one for bearing the torch of DepEd Caraga region.

For this, I would like to invite each one and give yourselves a resounding applause.

In this event, we adopted the theme, “Matatag na Edukasyon: Igniting Dreams, Inspiring Change.” May we request all the awardees to stand up. I know how you feel, you don’t know your place yet, but as I said earlier, to be nominated is already something. You are all winners.

It means you are entrusted with a profound responsibility because you have within yourselves the power to influence others to excel as much as you do. Maybe you are not yet conscious of your capacity to impact the lives of others. But let me assure you, you are now treading on a path that calls you to make a difference in the lives of the people around you, including us who are present here, and most specifically, our learners.

Therefore, with this recognition comes the change and the transformation of our Caraga region. It is also a challenge. It is a challenge not merely to rest on your laurels but to push beyond boundaries, to dare the limits of what you perceive as possible. You have to tap the vast potential of your learners, your teachers, and all the educators and stakeholders. It is a challenge to leverage this recognition as a catalyst for broader change, to uplift communities, and to empower every learner around you.

The theme echoes a call to fortify education, not just for yourselves but for the next generations. It beckons you to be agents of change. As Mahatma Gandhi says, “Be the change you want to lead,” to ignite the flames of curiosity and knowledge in every corner where ignorance persists, and to be the catalysts that spark dreams in the hearts of those who may have lost hope.

Let this day be a starting point—a platform from which you launch yourselves towards even loftier aspirations. Dare to innovate and carve pathways where none existed before. As my friend Fr. Benigno Beltran, SVD, said, “Where there are no roads, create your own path.”

Indeed, the true mark of true leaders goes beyond their personal achievements - because their ultimate goal is to inspire and uplift others. So, as you bask in the glory of your success, remember that real victory lies not in the trophy you hold but in the lives you touch, the minds you mold, and the transformation you effect. Such is the responsibility that accompanies success— to be the driving force behind transformative change.

Embrace this challenge with courage, passion, and an unwavering commitment to igniting dreams and inspiring change. The world eagerly awaits the impact you will create and the legacy you will leave behind. May your continuing journey be filled with even more achievements and profound contributions to the Department of Education.

Para sa Matatag na Edukasyon, para sa bansang makabata, batang makabansa.

Mabuhay ang Caraga region.

END