Serve the (madlang) people

At a college known for producing some of the University of the Philippines Diliman’s most audacious, outspoken and quick-witted students, It’s Showtime host and comedian Vice Ganda delivered a commencement speech that was equal parts hilarious and inspiring, urging graduates to use their voices and platforms to serve the greater good.

I didn’t hear it live, I only saw the full video and the posts, but I loved it just the same because, in an era of untruths and half-truths, misinformation and disinformation, propaganda and blatant lies, Vice’s reminder couldn’t be more urgent.

Vice Ganda or Jose Marie Borja Viceral was the commencement speaker at the UP Diliman College of Media and Communication 2026 graduation rites on July 5.

In her speech, she urged graduates to champion the truth as communicators and journalists and to reject corruption.

As I said, it’s a timely reminder that, in this dizzying age of social media – with its endless stream of disinformation and propaganda – we must keep on fighting for the truth.

And such reminders are necessary to inspire the young and prepare them for the realities of the great big world. Many young people start out on the right path but lose their way because nobody tells them when they were going astray.

I have faith that if every graduating class and every succeeding generation strives to challenge and reverse a system that tries to silence truth-tellers, we can build a better society.

Dagitab

Vice used “dagitab” or spark to drive home her point. She urged graduates to be that spark, the change the country needs, and not to be swallowed by the prevailing system that breeds greed and corruption.

“[M]uch is expected of you because you are the product of the country’s premier university. You are expected to spark change. Change, not chaos. You are expected to share your education, not disinformation.

“Hindi kayo ang magsisimula ng korupsyon. Hindi kayo ang maghahasik ng kasinungalingan. Hindi kayo ang magliligaw at magmamanipula ng opinyon ng publiko. Hindi kayo ang magpapasimuno ng impunidad. Hindi kayo ang magtatakip sa mga dapat managot sa batas…”

Growing up poor

Vice, who grew up in the gritty streets of Sta. Cruz, Manila, also spoke candidly about growing up poor in a community where simply surviving each day was a struggle because even the most basic needs were often beyond reach.

She said the hardships she experienced stirred in her the determination to escape poverty.

“Ang dagitab po ay bumukal mula sa naranasan kong kahirapan – mga pagkakataong nakakapangliit at nakakagalit.”

As a student, she recalled the shame she felt when she was told to leave the classroom because of her arrears in school fees, or not being able to join Christmas parties because she could not afford to bring a gift to exchange. She also recalled being bruised for falling off a jeep because she had no money for the full fare and was just hoping for a free ride.

All that, and being humiliated for it.

She also recalled the violent death of her father, a barangay captain in Tondo who was gunned down in front of their family on Palm Sunday in 1991.

These experiences pushed Vice to change her fate and write her own destiny.

“In my case, these experiences did not break me. They started a spark inside of me. These experiences made me realize that I do not want to be poor. So I decided I would not continue to be poor. I knew I needed to stand up. I knew I needed to step up. I knew I needed to hustle and work very, very hard.”

She said she shares her story in the hope of inspiring others.

What was striking about her journey was that it wasn’t simply about growing up poor. It was really about growing up in a society with an unjust system, one that, in many ways, keeps the poor trapped in poverty, and how she fought to rise above it.

For the poor, it’s every man for himself, she said.

“Mahirap maging mahirap.

“Dahil simula’t sapul, tayo ay pinamumunuan ng pamahalaang walang maayos na sistema upang mapadali at mapagaan ang pamumuhay ng bawat Pilipino.

“Sa bansang ito, wala kang ibang aasahan kundi ang sarili mo.”

She lamented how absurd it is that when the poor get sick, they end up in government hospitals with inadequate medical equipment, no beds and not enough doctors, while corrupt politicians can easily fly to Singapore when they need treatment.

“Kaya naman ang mga politiko, gamit ang perang mula sa kinaltas sa kapiranggot mong suweldo, sa Singapore tatakbo kapag may sakit kasi doon maganda at kumpleto ang serbisyo. Slay! Atake kung atake. Ngayon niyo sabihing may hustisya sa bansang ito.”

Thank you Vice for a message that was funny, poignant and inspiring.

It strikes deep, or as UP president Angelo Jimenez said – visceral, just as your name suggests.

In a way, Vice successfully captured the essence of UP CMC, which is to teach and nurture future journalists and communicators to use media to inform the public, elevate public discourse and contribute to national development.

But whether one is from UP CMC or not, may her words serve as a constant reminder that, in our increasingly chaotic country, we should always give voice to the voiceless, not merely as storytellers but as stewards of truth. All in the service of the madlang people.

Oh Vice that was good. Goodness gracious, indeed.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on X  @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.