By Benjamin Cuaresma
BOCAUE, Bulacan — Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier challenged New Era University graduates to measure success not by professional titles, wealth or achievements, but by the good they do for others and the values they carry into the world.
Speaking at NEU’s 51st Commencement Exercises for Tertiary and Graduate Education at the Philippine Arena on June 19, Lazaro-Javier urged the graduates to remain grounded, compassionate and willing to stand for what is right even when doing so is unpopular.
“Whatever path you pursue, strive above all to be good persons. For what the world needs the most are good people,” she said.
“We need people who will stand up for what is right, even when it is unpopular. We need people who will extend a hand, not because it is required, but because it is right. We need people who understand that greatness is not being above others, but about lifting others up.”
Lazaro-Javier compared education to traveling along train tracks, where each stage from grade school to college follows a predictable route. But on graduation day, she said, the tracks end and graduates must chart their own paths.
With uncertainty awaiting them beyond the university, she urged the graduates to continue learning, improving and striving for excellence.
“This is the greatest service you can give yourself. For you owe it to yourself to keep growing; to keep improving; to keep being better,” she said.
The justice also reminded the graduates that mistakes and failures are inevitable but should never become the measure of their worth.
“What defines you is how you respond to your mistake. Own up to it. Learn from it. And then, do better. That’s okay. Dust it off. Move on,” she said.
She likewise urged them not to lose sight of the people who helped them reach graduation, particularly their families, friends and loved ones.
“Choose every day to show them how much you love them and how much you appreciate their presence in your lives,” Lazaro-Javier said.
She acknowledged that professional responsibilities could consume their time as they enter adulthood but stressed that work should not come at the expense of meaningful relationships.
“Work is just work. Learn to put it on the backseat to make space for the important people in your lives,” she said, encouraging the graduates to regularly call their loved ones and make them a priority.
Lazaro-Javier also warned the graduates about the pressures and responsibilities that come with adulthood, urging them to protect their well-being amid the demands of work and daily life.
“It is easy to lose yourself when you are trying to stay afloat,” she said.
She encouraged them to take breaks and make time for activities that bring them happiness, whether exercising, enjoying coffee or milk tea, traveling or watching their favorite shows.
“Amidst the chaos, sadness, or anxiety, hang tight,” she said.
Carry NEU Values Forward
Lazaro-Javier also highlighted NEU’s cooperation with the Supreme Court, recalling the university’s role as a local testing center during the 2025 Bar Examinations and its designation as the National Headquarters for the 2026 Shari’ah Special Bar Examinations.
She also cited the recently concluded 2025 Bar Examinations, which she chaired, and the historic Oath-Taking and Roll-Signing Ceremonies held at the Philippine Arena.
She said the graduates now inherit NEU’s legacy and its values of faith, love and hope.
For Lazaro-Javier, faith means holding on to what is right even when doing so is difficult and trusting that sincere and honest work has purpose even when results are slow to come.
Love, she said, means more than emotion. It means serving, listening, uplifting others and choosing kindness even toward those who have been unkind.
Hope, meanwhile, is the courage to move forward despite uncertainty and the belief that tomorrow can be better.
She urged the graduates to bring those values into their workplaces, communities and homes.
“Remember that the true measure of success is not how much you know or how much you earn or how much you have achieved, but in the impact you leave in the lives of others,” Lazaro-Javier said.
Also present at the commencement exercises was SC Clerk of Court En Banc Atty. Marife M. Lomibao-Cuevas.
After her address, Lazaro-Javier received a plaque of appreciation from NEU officials and faculty members.
ia/xf
