Vice-President Leni Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES
Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo reminded the youth on Monday to value their education, make their years count and not to rush in finding “the one.”
Robredo’s speech, titled “Education: The Silver Bullet,” was read by her daughter Aika during the World Population Day event in Manila as the vice president attended her first Cabinet meeting in Malacañang as the Duterte administration’s housing czar.
In her speech, Robredo said that the youth should cherish their education so that they can contribute to harvesting the fruits of the “demographic dividend.”
The demographic dividend is described as the phenomenon where the youth become “a major social and economic force” as the number of people who are employed and earn more income overtake the number of people who are dependent on them.
The vice president said that the demographic dividend is expected to propel the country into becoming the world’s 17th biggest economy by 2050.
“Education is key. Do not underestimate the power of a good education. Going to school every day with your big books, dealing with the pressure of homework and projects, faced with the emotional ups and downs of seeing (and not seeing) your crushes, can sometimes feel like the worst years of your life.”
“But remember this, my dear young ones: these years are the best time to expand your minds and prepare you for the rest of your life.”
“Remember what our youth need to be, so that we can harvest this demographic dividend. You need to be educated well, get a good job, and marry at the right time,” Robredo’s speech read.
In between these nuggets of wisdom, Robredo also shared a few things about love, as she has married her late husband Jesse two months after she graduated from college.
“There is a time and place for romantic love. Finding your truest love is one of the most important aspects of a life well-lived. But it is important to find yourself first, before you give yourself to somebody else. And when you do, your SO (significant other) must love you enough to give you space to help you keep on redefining yourself and letting you reach your truest potential,” her speech read.
The vice president ended her speech by reiterating that nothing hinders the youth to achieve excellence in life.
“Education is the silver bullet. I repeat: make these years count. Study hard. There is no limit to excellence—not age, not gender,” Robredo said. RAM
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