Esteemed President/Colleague/Friend, Dr. Rosalina O. Fuentes, Honored Guests and Family members of the Graduates, Faculty Members, Ladies and Gentlemen. Good Morning.

This venue is Historic as its name speaks... Centennial Hall! This has great significance for me to be asked as your Guest Speaker at this time in this place where the location is proximate to the historic walls of Intramuros. This is where some three decades of so, ago; SAIDI has its beginnings on corner Archobispo and Real Streets right across San Agustin Church. I recall how cozy, challenging and fun it was at SAIDI as an enclave for learning differently in a non-formal/informal yet formal  way of learning for all of us Faculty, Staff and Students of SAIDI.

Allow me to take a flashback of my experience in the life of SAIDI and what it was like to learn with the late President/Founder, Dr. Jacqueline E. Blondin. It was like LEARNING BY DESIGN, meaning on purpose, in the broadest sense of a lifelong learning process. It was LEARNING BY HEURISTICS/DISCOVERY in the most practical and meaningful way as adult learners would prefer to do while at the same time we were conscious of the "walls" in real and virtual sense... where we were within the historic walls of Intramuros and within SAIDI itself - we were also enclosed within its own walls but were there on purpose to make breakthroughs in our lives and living systems... the vision of SAIDI, being "the leaders or change persons to lead and shape the future of our worlds". - Intramuros as the epitome of metaphor of what it is like in learn, change, grow and develop in any organization today.

 By the way, Sr. Jackie, she did not want me to call her Sr. That was the first order of the day when i came in to report to her in the office. When she said... "just simply call me Jackie". That was an example of her deviation from the norm. I value the gesture so that i could level with her as peer in learning. Her choice of me to join the Staff of SAIDI in 1978 when she sent a telegram - RCPI then, to call her by telephone call, September 11, 1978 - only to tell me that I were to see her when i get to come Manila... was another of those examples... a deviation from the norm... one who comes out of a different educational institution - when she announced to all and sundry (six months before) that one by my name was to join SAIDI months before I even knew that was I leaving the institution where I was at that time.

Learning/working with Jackie was one of a kind... (agony, ecstasy and everything in between all wrap in a challenging package) - she walked with you and talked with you as it were like in a coaching relationship - that was invigorating. However, she would throw you out into the swimming pool to face the challenge and test your limits, as it were, and would tell you "You can manage that as best as you can" and "Tell me what it felt like and how did you do to get afloat and succeed."

The sheer clarity of vision and strong sense of direction were visibly contagious with Jackie coupled with her keen sensitivity to human dynamics and daunting courage and persistence to dare, take risks, even against all odd and sheer will to make a difference - These were marks of the fifth level of leadership (Collin's Good to Great)... transformative, transcending, visionary, executive leader! It was such a rare privileged for me to be "up, close and personal" with such tenacity, resolve to get on with purpose, the pioneering, visionary founder of the OD in the country.

What does a SAIDI EDUCATION/DEGREE mean to me and to all of you graduates of SAIDI? For me... SAIDI EDUCATION/DEGREE is for "ADULTS ONLY" (Rated XXX) - I seriously mean it as such. (It is not meant for children - adults who think/behave like children - waiting and wanting to be told what to do/how to do) It is meant not just for adult learners. It is for SPECIAL ADULT LEARNERS WHO ARE/WHO WANT INTEGRAL in their functioning as - LEADERS-EXECUTIVES-MANAGERS-SUPERVISORS (LEMS) IN THEIR OWN RIGHT AND FOR THEIR OWN REASONS... TO BE AND BECOME. Nothing less than that. Let me elaborate my views and beliefs here.

 First of all, we must recognize and acknowledge that SAIDI... is one of a kind, in this country and perhaps in the world - that all tertiary level (as far as I know), there is no other like it!... an institution at the tertiary level that does not have any first and second levels of education as one would find in most if not all tertiary educational institutions (colleges/universities). It was granted its status for what it intends to be and do by then Secretary of Education, Dr. Albaracin... who also has the right foresight - sensing and seeing the value of the Vision of Dr. Jacqueline Blondin - what it meant then and more importantly now for leaders/adult learners would need to have access to in that when she proposed it - she was granted the permit to operate as such in 1975. After that privilege, special recognition and permit... the Department of Education did not any more grant any other request for one like it.

Secondly, Organization Development as a career/discipline is a second or third career (it is my third level career). Most if not all of those who took this route of practice and learning in OD early on and still today - started out in their own respective chosen profession - psychology, sociology, education, engineering, nursing, management and many other fields which one would take at the undergraduate education. Thus Jackie saw this scenario and called the institute - Interdisciplinary Development - because the focus and locus of study is not on any of these specialized fields or discipline but on "organizations" as learning/LIVING systems and on "development" as learning/living processes which would consider any other discipline only as springboard and interfaces but not as prerequisites. The locus of the practice is nothing on the traditional specialized content/body of knowledge but on "people in organizations as learning systems". This is a major shift fromcontent/subject matter learning to process learning (process as content of learning) of human social systems at work in organizations. Thus, anyone who would come into the program of SAIDI must be and should have the experience of being in POSITIONS of "authority, responsibility, influence" in the organization - and one who is READY and WILLING to take responsibility for his/her own learning... to identify, define, plan, initiate, lead, manage and do all that s/he wants to learn as LEMS. Thus, we have students who come almost every walk of life... nurses, doctors, lawyers, public servants, engineers, teachers, accountants, finance, and many others - who already are in their positions of confidence and competence. Furthermore what I learned from Jackie is to learn through LEARNING BY DESIGN/ON PURPOSE (i.e. learning to visualize, conceptualize and develop models or maps of learning activities in/with learning systems - mental mapping, conceptual frameworks, model building, etc) and LEARNING BY HEURISTICS/DISCOVERY... (i.e. the ability to play around with ideas, try them out, organize and orchestrate an action learning/action research modalities in the work place) and discover what works and what does not work (through scientific inquiry, now more appreciative inquiry) in the organization system... was the way to LEARN OD in PRACTICE. Of course, there are those principles and processes in management, operation, organization design, education, learning and other aspects of/in organization to deal with or learn about... but nothing is far more meaningful, challenging, practical and effective than learning these OD processes (OD interventions, if you will) in the organization... Engaging people in organizations to TIT FOR TAT... think-iterate-together and think-act-together. This is the key... nothing is more effective than tapping into WHAT I CALL - the C.I.A./K.G.B. of the Organization - the collective intelligence asset of the people in the organization (translated in our native language... K.G.B. - Katalinohang Gintong Bayanihan).(I crafted this pun and process - an adaptation/innovation after learning from Peter Senge's Team in Systems Thinking in Action in San Francisco, in early nineties (FASTBREAK) - facilitating systems thinking in action breakthrough - was the session I participated in) I have done these processes C.I.A./K.G.B. for almost two decades, now... it amazes be to discover and get affirmation every time (no miss yet) that every group and every organization when you do tap into the "C.I.A./K.G.B." of the group... Is whole, complete, and cohesive IN THOUGHT AND SPIRIT and all you need to do as OD Practitioner is to lead and manage the change initiative in the doing or implementation of intentions, conceptualized as whole systems. Thus I believe, this SAIDI degree/education is for particular persons only or if I may dare say... special people only... special by choice for those who opt for making a difference in the lives of people in organizations in another way and who would start the process within themselves before they would enable and empower others to do the same. Our process expertise is coming from within (or one who has lived it in his/her own journey) and walk with others to do the same.

 This is a major shift from the so-called FIXED MINDSET to the GROWTH MINDSET (Carol Dweck, 2006). Our OD Expertise is in enabling, encouraging, enhancing, empowering, educating learners to learn from within themselves, with others and with the world... as LEARNERS more than as experts. We, OD Professionals/OD Practitioners as PROCESS FACILITATORS/LEARNERS shifting and shaping the world differently using the "growth mindset" rather than the molding the world from a fixed mindset. Remember, our LEARNERSwhether then, now and in the future are WHOLE LEARNERS and A WHOLE LOT OF POTENTIALS... more than we could ever imagine in our lifetime. THE HUMAN POTENTIAL IS A GALAXY OF WEALTH TO MINE. No one person can mine it alone. Thus, our role is TO UNLEASH and EQUIPour Learners with STUFF that is BUILT TO LAST (Porras) /BUILT TO CHANGE/Grow (Lawler). This is a paradoxical challenge and it is as the complexity of our reality in the world today is beyond quantitative measure.

Thirdly, our SAIDI EDUCATION/DEGREE has a mission impossible made possible by five power bases/sources namely: 

•  the power of purpose - raison d'tre or reasons for being/doing. We must touch base, affirm and pursue/live by our life purpose. This is the rootedness of our being/doing. It is not enough to VISION, it is just and even more important to identify and be clear about our purpose and then our vision. With purpose, visioning comes easy... it is natural and logical consequence for one to take a vision to fulfill one's life purpose. If you are not clear yet or have not grasp your life purpose now dear graduates... you are in for your first trauma of meaning. Face your tiger and get down touching base with your life purpose. It is there for the unfolding and discovery.
• the power of perspectives - the growth mindset what unfolds, opens the becoming of one's being to infinite possibilities, Our perspectives must not be limited by past/previous learning, beliefs, standards nor your present preoccupation or distraction. Your perspectives become your power source when it opens your windows to the beyond... that far reaching horizon and even in outer space such that you can have an open field of vision and action to explore. 
• the power of process - the discovery of learning to learn to learn based on the reality of...  ,I mentioned earlier about "C.I.A./K.G.B."... this infinite resource... evolves and unfolds before you with the power of process to stir it to motion. One can only discover the beauty and bounty of ideas of the people in the group when given the opportunity to engage in the PROCESS from within themselves... out comes the "whole is greater than the sum of it's parts."
•  the power or presence - the full awareness of the power of the now (Eckart Tolle's book on this topic) the NOW is  a power source that speaks in still small voice so loudly only that one can hear it as it seeks to listen to it with intent and focus, Action on intuition and sensing the pulse of the moment is part of this power of presence.
• the power of people/human potentials "think of how the pinoys invented the phenomenon 'people power'" - the infinite gift of potentials - the gift of thought or thinking (whole brain functioning), the gift of spirit or life force emerging out of the depths of one's being, the gift of life in all its expressions... unimaginable but probable in the making - when you connect to this power of human potentials... you make the "butterfly effect" to work.

Once you are in touch with your finger tips on these five power sources/bases, your OD world is in your hand (five fingers)... you can doubly make a difference indeed when you clasp your hands together and be single minded or focused that begins with a prayer - The Lord's Prayer if you will.!Let me close by sharing what I have learned and commit to memory from my father when he would remind my brothers and me to live our lives in favor with God and Man. The last line is my addition after learning and doing OD: 

 Four/Five things a person must learn to do if s/he must make her/his records true:

1. TO THINK WITHOUT CONFUSION CLEARLY (I THINK OF MY WHOLE BRAIN LITERACY TECHNOLOGY/ADVOCACY)
2. TO ACT FROM HONEST MOTIVES PURELY (I THINK OF OUR CODE OF ETHICS IN OUR PROFESSION)
3. TO LOVE YOUR FELLOWMEN SINCERELY (I THINK OF THE BIBLICAL TEXT ON "LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF" AND IPR SKILLS IN OUR OD PRACTICE)
4. TO TRUST IN GOS AND HEAVEN SECURELY (I THINK OF OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH IN GOD, JESUS CHRIST AND HOLY SPIRIT)(I THINK NOW OF THE TREND ON SPIRITUALITY AS THREE OF THE SEVEN MEGATRENDS IN 2010... RESEARCH DONE BY PATRICIA ABURDENE) 
5. And my last line... TO LIVE A LIFE ON PURPOSE (I THINK OF PATH PRIMER THAT DRAWS ONE'S LIFE PURPOSE AS THE MEASURE OF A MEANINGFUL AND SUCCESSFUL LIFE) 

To all GRADUATES... CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR GRADUATION.

REMEMBER YOUR SAIDI EDUCATION/DEGREE IS ONE OF A KIND/YOU ARE IN FOR MISSION IMPOSSIBLE MADE POSSIBLE BY OD/SAIDI EDUCATION (i.e. 5 the POWER SOURCES) and LASTLY, WELCOME TO THE CLUB OF ROME (ANTIPOLO)... THE LEVER THAT CAN MOVE THE WORLD. GOD BLESS AND GOD SPEED.