I Am the Youth of Today

To our distinguished members of the board of judges, to my fellow contenders, friends, visitors,
ladies and gentlemen, good day.

I stand before you to speak for democracy, that our heroes died for, the unfortunate and unjust
strived for, and the present and even the future generation’s endeavour. Honor and dignity flow
in my blood and my heart beats for freedom.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Filipino heroism is our legacy. It is found in the determination that
made it possible for our Boholano brothers to fight for freedom. It is in the courage that sustained
them to seek justice for the brutal Banga massacre many years ago. Let the blood of the
courageous Katipuneros run through the veins of our children. Let their cries be echoed to our
youth. Let us revel in the victory and peace that our forefathers gave their life for.

I am the youth of today, I am free to do what I want without prejudice. I am free to say what I
want without fear of incrimination. I have grown fond of TV shows, love teams and teleserye,
and fight over them in social media.  If only my fellow youths can defend our land from
domestic terrorist groups, like how we defend AlDub or Pastillas girl. If only we can protect our
West Philippine Sea from foreign invaders like how we protect our love teams from rumors.
Then I can say that our forefathers’ heroism is not in vain.

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Oratorical Piece

I will Persist Until I Succeed

I was not delivered unto this World in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I will hear notthose
who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. The slaughterhouse of failure isnot my
destiny.The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to
meto know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter atthe
thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know howclose it lies
unless I turn the corner.I will be likened to the rain drop which washes away the mountain, the ant that
devours a tiger,the star which brightens the earth, and the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my
castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking. I will
persist until I succeed.I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and
phrases asquit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable,
hopeless,and retreat. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work
on in despair. I will toil and I will endure.I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to
my good. Each frown I meetonly prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter I will
carry in it the seed of

tomorrow’s good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail
often to succeed only once. I will persist until I succeed.

Never will I allow any day to end with a failure. Thus I will plant the seed of tomorrow’s

success and gain an insurmountable advance over those who cease their labor at a prescribedtime.
When others cease their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.

Nor will I allow yesterday’s success to lull me into today’s complacency, for this is the greatest

foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they weregood or
bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life.So long as there is
breath in me, that long will I persist? For I know one of the greatest principles of success

if I persist long enough, I will win.I will persist! I will win!

Oratorical Piece : Because Of What We Are, Of What WeBelieve

Ladies and gentlemen, good day.

For every generation, there is a destiny. For some, historydecides. For this generation, the choice must
be our own.Our destiny in the midst of change will rest on the changedcharacter of our people and on
their faith.n a land of great wealth, families must not live in hopeless poverty.n a land rich in harvest,
children must not be hungry.n a land of healing miracles, neighbors must not suffer anddie
untended.n a great land of learning and scholars, young people must betaught to read and write.!ow
incredible it is that in this fragile e"istence, we shouldhate and destroy one another. #here are
possibilities enoughfor all who will abandon mastery$ others to pursue masteryover nature. #here is
world enough for all to see% theirhappiness in their own way.We have discovered that every child who
learns, and everyman who finds wor%, and every sic% body that is made whole & li%e a candle added to
an altar & brightens the hope of all thefaithful.'o let us re(ect any among us, who see% to reopen old
wounds,and re%indle old hatreds. #hey stand in the way of a see%ingnation.)et us (oin reason to faith
and action to e"perience, totransform our unity of interest into a unity of purpose. #oachieve change
without hatred$ not without difference ofopinion but without the deep and abiding divisions which
scarthe union for generations.*nder the covenant of (ustice, liberty and union, we have become a
nation. And we have %ept our freedom.t is the e"citement of becoming & always becoming, trying,
probing, resting, and trying again but always gaining.f we fail now, then we will have forgotten in
abundance whatwe learned in hardship$ that democracy rests on faith, thatfreedom as%s more that it
gives.f we succeeded, it will not be because of what we have, but itwill be because of what we are$ not
because of what we own, but rather because of what we believe.For we are a nation of believers.
*nderneath the clamor of buildings and the rush of our day+s pursuits, we are the believers in (ustice
and liberty and union. And in our ownunion we believe that every man must some day be free. Andwe
believe in ourselves.For this is what our country is all about. t is the uncrosseddesert and the
unclimbed bridge. t is the star that is notreached and the harvest that is sleeping in the
unplowedground.s our world gone We say farewell, is a new world comingWe welcome it & and we
will bend it to the hopes of man.But you must loo% within your own hearts to the old promisesand to
the old dreams. #hey will lead you the best of all