As-delivered Commencement Address of NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan at the 51st Commencement Exercises at the University of the Philippines – Los Baños

“Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed faculty, proud parents, distinguished guests, and graduating scholars of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, it is an honor to stand before you today, celebrating the culmination of years of relentless dedication and hard work.”

And that, my dear friends and graduates, is what ChatGPT, a form of generative artificial intelligence or AI, gave me as an introduction to my keynote speech! I did not even have to think except for what prompt I had to give; it took just a few moments to produce that text.

Isn’t that nice and very convenient? I will get back to this later – let me begin with my actual address.

UP President Angelo Jimenez,

Distinguished members of the Board of Regents,

UPLB Chancellor Jose Camacho Jr.,

All other esteemed officials of the University,

Members of the Faculty and Staff,

Parents, guests, and friends of our dear graduates,

And, of course, members of the UPLB Class of 2023,

Good afternoon!

First and foremost, my warmest and most heartfelt congratulations to this year’s outstanding graduates, Class of 2023! The success you feel today is a remarkable achievement, a true testament to your hard work and perseverance over the past few years. I commend each one of you for achieving this milestone and encourage you to take some time to cherish this moment: be proud of yourselves for how far you have come; be thankful for this privilege not everyone in the country enjoys, and be reminded of the reasons that set you on this journey that has only just begun.

To the undergraduates, you now have your BA or BS degree and will soon plunge into the so-called “real world.” To the MA and Ph.D. graduates, you will re-enter or continue with your respective fields, refreshed and enriched with tools and perspectives for advancing your career and missions in life.

Whenever I find myself in Los Baños, I look around at this idyllic campus. I am immediately flooded with nostalgia for the more carefree times I spent here as an eager and enthusiastic graduate student. UPLB holds a special place in my heart, as it marks a significant chapter in my professional and personal journey.

I came from humble beginnings before becoming a student here – similar to some of you. I spent my early childhood and youth in a farming village in Solsona, Ilocos Norte, near the foot of the Cordillera mountain range. Although we did not have much, I found that I was still rich in that I was fortunate to have experiences of growing and working in the farming fields with family members. I gained a wealth of knowledge about the practical realities of agriculture and rural life—an understanding that only firsthand experience can give. Early back then, I thought my professional career would revolve around agriculture since that was my undergraduate training. However, after having gone around the country working in the sector, I soon gathered many observations about the nature and issues of our agri-food systems, rural poverty, and inequities manifested in various forms. These experiences and my insatiable curiosity to understand more of the world around me led me to alter my course and explore a budding interest: economics.

I entered UPLB equipped with a deep understanding of who I was, a grounded perspective on where I had come from, and a vision of who I wanted to be. My entrance to this University was thanks to a scholarship entrusted to me by SEARCA, or the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, based here on this campus. As a brief aside, I was fortunate and privileged to have come full circle and taken on the opportunity to serve as the SEARCA Director from 2003 to 2009.

When I embarked on graduate studies in agricultural economics, I knew I was able and competent, but more importantly, I knew what I wanted out of life. I wanted to dedicate my life to public service: I had a vision to one day use my talents to help shape public policies that would affect our country and help my fellow Filipinos.

The way forward was clear to me: I would deep dive into the fields of agriculture and economic development – two areas that are so intricately linked together by this country’s political and economic history – to understand what it takes to uplift the lives of our countrymen, majority of whom have gone through similar struggles as I have—as many of you have. I longed to impact and contribute as much as possible to the country’s progression and development – so I worked hard. With an unwavering mindset, I embraced the challenge ahead of me. I successfully earned my master’s degree in agricultural economics back in 1982.

I pursued my Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Hawaii and had the opportunity to work as an economist for the World Bank in Washington, DC. I could have stayed and lived a comfortable life. Still, the vision of returning, making a difference in academia and public policy, and helping the country move forward, haunted me.

Looking back now and reflecting on my journey, I realize that I moved with determination, driven by my excitement and anticipation for what lay ahead. I was unafraid to explore new possibilities outside of my original field (agriculture), because of my thirst to learn more and because I was driven by the vision I possessed. My relentless drive sprang from my genuine love for what I was studying and doing. Venturing into different domains and interests shaped me into becoming a well-rounded scholar, which equipped me to deal with the many challenges I would face later.

Therefore, dear graduates, allow me to share my first nugget of wisdom with you: take a keen interest in the vast world around you, love what you do, and cultivate your interests with a passion that sustains you, to the extent that you are willing to dedicate hours of your life practically every day to such interests. Though at times it may be easy to settle or give up, be diligent with your craft, develop your knowledge and skillset earnestly, and find a suitable niche for yourself in this society that we live in – there is simply no substitute for hard and honest work. If you are fortunate enough, just as I have been, you may find yourself excelling and enjoying what you are doing, even after reaching 60 years and beyond. Take it from my experience: in your perseverance, you might one day find yourself in a position that had only once seemed like a distant dream.

Of course, I understand this is much easier said than done. My experiences and challenges many decades ago are unlike the ones your generation faces now. Graduates face unique challenges in this rapidly changing world, marked by increasingly extreme events such as a global pandemic, natural disasters of historic scale, and the rapid proliferation and accelerating pace of artificial intelligence. As I have demonstrated in my introduction, AI may be easy to use but presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

Following the pandemic and recent developments in science and technology, the rapid, ongoing, and large-scale shift of employment into the online world and the so-called “green economy”; the ubiquitous (and often noisy) nature of information; and the ever-looming influence of social media are all matters of contentious and urgent concern, not only to existing generations but even for those to come. Perhaps all of these factors are just too much, as the constant barrage of stimuli threatens to overwhelm you as you consider the many risks you will have to take in this post-pandemic age. Indeed, it may be challenging for this generation to develop and choose a niche and delve deeply into a particular interest. Every day, you are confronted with abundant information about the myriad of options and opportunities I could never have imagined when I was starting. The paths leading to the future are not as clear-cut or more predictable as they were for us back in the day.

These unprecedented challenges have, by definition, introduced unforeseeable and unintended consequences to the physical world and societies in general. Understandably, you may feel anxiety or dread as you make your first major decision: what jobs should I apply for? Will my profession continue to remain relevant in the next few years? What opportunities would secure me and my family a comfortable and decent life?

The rise of artificial intelligence, in particular, is causing much anxiety among serious observers of the technology. The prevalent view is that such technological advancements threaten new entrants to the labor force. Perhaps even scarier is how AI can now produce creative output previously thought to be exclusively within the realm of human creativity: products such as poems, stories, artwork, and designs can now be generated within mere seconds using a simple prompt. Professionals across all sectors and industries have been told to fear for their positions in the workplace lest they suddenly find themselves replaced.

As you consider these developments, please allow me to share my second piece of advice humbly to you, dear graduates: Keep being resilient in the face of new challenges, embrace changes as they come, and remain flexible, adaptive, and teachable in response to today’s ever-evolving environment. I implore you to see these developments not as threats or barriers to your growth and well-being but as opportunities for you to tap into.

Take stock of the lessons from economic history and find reassurance that though we have witnessed remarkable – some would say, miraculous – developments emerge during the recent past, the inherent drive to adapt and survive remains triumphant. Each time, as innovations promise efficiency, they would also trigger the fear of the unknown and unfamiliar. Consider the creation of the automobile, the advent of computers, cell phones and smartphones, and the emergence of technological platforms that have all profoundly penetrated and revolutionized our daily lives. At each juncture, there was initial apprehension that these inventions might render our services obsolete. Yet, time and again, human ingenuity has proven its resilience, adapting with boldness and determination to secure its place in the chain and cycle, consistently rising above the challenge of being replaced. At a macro scale, instead of massive job losses, these innovations have, over time, created more jobs as they open up vast economic opportunities and possibilities, especially in societies governed by the rule of law, respectful of fairness, and embracing economic freedom for their citizens.

The pandemic, for instance, presented a challenge that we met head-on by harnessing technology to our advantage. Adapting to the changing circumstances, we seamlessly integrated technology into our lives, allowing us to continue our daily activities. We saw remote work and online learning become the new norm. Virtual meetings and telemedicine bridge the communication gaps and provide access to essential services, even raising productivity and incomes in some cases as people now find more time on their hands. Keeping in touch with loved ones and friends across the country and abroad has been easy with Viber, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. Even now, as we are faced with the rise of AI, we demonstrate adaptability as we use it to aid us in our daily activities, whether asking a simple question or drafting an email. In preparing this speech, I admit I have consulted AI! In doing so, I don’t feel shame or defeat because I know I am deliberately leveraging what is already at my disposal to propel me forward.

Of course, this is not to say that these developments are frictionless, nor do they ever come peacefully. With technological change, there will be winners and losers. Some individuals, sectors, and groups can quickly seize the opportunities, while others may struggle and sink. It is for this very reason that the government, the educational system, and the private sector step in to ensure more equitable outcomes: providing upskilling and training programs; promoting access to supporting infrastructure and services, such as the internet; creating a robust and reliable social protection system; enhancing physical mobility and market linkages; and enabling inclusive economic growth.

If we embrace it, AI and new technologies can impact our lives on a massive scale. Though it may lead to the displacement of certain sectors in the short term, these novel tools conversely display the potential to fuel the growth of emerging industries, empower entrepreneurs and small businesses to utilize new processes and products, revolutionize the education and training landscape, and lead the transformation of our job market to generate more, higher-quality, and resilient jobs. In the economic history of nations, it is innovation, after all, that drives long-term productivity growth and quality of life improvements.

So, I urge you not to fear these rapid changes and technological developments as threats to your incredible potential or cherished dreams. Instead, learn to find comfort in these uncertainties, embrace these emerging technologies and trends with a discerning mind, and adapt to the challenges that inevitably arise. Embrace the change, for it is through change that we grow and evolve. Constant change challenges the human spirit of creativity, resilience, and curiosity to persevere and thrive—a challenge befitting this generation and this batch of fresh graduates—especially.

Lastly, before I close, I would like to leave you with one last point, one last piece of wisdom that I have carried with me throughout my entire life, and that is: to stay anchored to your fundamental values and principles, to remember where you came from and why you choose to keep going as you deal with various challenges, time and time again. To this young and hopeful generation, go out there and give it your all. Explore the complexity of life with the anchors given to you by this university: do everything with honor and excellence.

With youth on your side, do not hold back; do not hesitate to dive deep into your passion and burn the midnight candle. Though each learning curve may be steep, there are unimaginable awards at the end of each ascent. However, what is valid for human nature is that the vision you hold for yourself constantly evolves as you acquire more information and experience along the way. Refusing to adapt to the never-ending changes makes you inflexible. Hence, I encourage you to remain open and receptive to all the possibilities and potentials hidden behind unexplored interests, fields, and paths. Stay curious and starry-eyed about our world, as there is still so much to learn about what is out there. You never know where life might take you. Be brave and, at the very least, be open to change. Better yet, ride the waves of change and adapt to overcome.

In the spirit of Adam Smith, the 18th-century Scottish philosopher and considered the father of modern economics, I urge you to explore and pursue directions that would lead you to become better versions of yourselves, regardless of whether that is in the public sector or not (yes – even as you are graduates of the State University). If you can, stay and contribute to our nation building by being the best that you can be. You don’t have to work in government to say that you are helping our country. Similarly, if you choose to live elsewhere, do and be your best and make our country proud. Irrespective of where you find yourselves down the road, becoming the better versions of yourselves while upholding honor and excellence is the best gift you can ever give your country and the best gift you can ever bestow to your university. After all, you are our Iskos and Iskas, our iskolars ng bayan!

Had I not found myself interested in and passionate about understanding what’s holding back the country, had I not been curious and eager to know more about the nature, causes, and consequences of agricultural stagnation and rural poverty, and had I not developed a passion and willingness to learn something new and deal with situations that are fraught with uncertainty, I would most likely have not found myself honored and privileged to practice policymaking and help steer the national economy. I would not have been so honored to be addressing you here today.

Of course, I humbly acknowledge that I have had much help and luck on my side; that I have a countless number of people to thank for where I am today; and that my life might just as well have turned out very differently had I chosen to do something else with my time and skills.

Dear graduates, the world lies before you. It is now your turn to discover your place in this complex yet exciting world, adapt and demonstrate your resilience to the challenges that will inevitably come your way, and become the best version of yourselves – and become better versions of the people who came before you – while remaining true to your values and principles, to honor and excellence.

I congratulate you, your families, and your friends as you celebrate this significant milestone and cherish this feeling of accomplishment. I wish you all the very best.

Thank you, and padayon, UPLB Class of 2023!