From Mountain to Magna: Hinigaran’s Jose Monterola defies odds, calls for future leaders to serve with humanity
A young man from the small town of Hinigaran in Negros Occcidental, Jose Marie Monterola Jr, graduated as Summa Cum Laude of the University of the Philippines Diliman Bachelor School of Economics, Batch 2025.
His inspiring achievement was celebrated amidst the sudden downpour during the 114th General Commencement Exercises at the University Amphitheater on July 6, where a roughly 4,000 graduates of UP Diliman (UPD) attended the ceremonies.
In his valedictory address, Monterola who took Bachelor of Science in Economics, Minor in Mathematical Foundations and Methods, described his path to UP Diliman as far from conventional.
He narrated that his first application to UP was met with a “thank you” and an invitation to appeal, leading him to initially enroll at UP Visayas. Undeterred, he set his sights on the prestigious School of Economics, only to face another disappointment when his transfer application was rejected, he added.
He recounted that it wasn’t only until his junior year that he finally gained admission, a delay that forced him to compress a four-year curriculum into a demanding three-year sprint, with only three subjects credited from his previous campus.
In his speech he candidly shared: “I didn’t just fail once, I failed twice.”
He went on narrating his childhood in Hinigaran, a stark contrast to the bustling city life of Metro Manila. Growing up, he said he had to woke at dawn to help his mother sell food at the market and assisted her in preparing meals for students, which he said helped him hone his mental skills in mathematics by calculating change for small transactions – a skill he humorously noted came in handy for linear algebra.
The town of Hinigaran is roughly an hour drive to the province’s capital, Bacolod City. Monterola said going to the city was more of a privilege rather than a norm. He shared, “I only visited it very occasionally.”
Hence, he said that the transition to UP Diliman was a “literal culture shock.” He added that he had to grapple with language barriers and a pervasive feeling of being out of place. This was on top of what he silently carried—the burden of financial pressure, seeing himself as “the poorest kid in the school.”
However, through the years, he said that he discovered shared struggles among his peers, recognizing that many also fought silent battles, and even worked part-time jobs.
Recalling their journey, he said: “We are here not because the journey was perfect, but because we kept on going,” highlighting the collective perseverance of his batch.
He also passionately spoke of those who, despite their brilliance and aspirations, were not afforded the same opportunities – a stark reminder that success is often a confluence of talent, grit, and the privilege… to breathe, to focus, and to try again.
In closing Monterola challenged his fellow economics graduates to embrace their roles as future leaders with both intellect and humanity. “Economics is a cruel mistress,” he stressed, acknowledging its inherent biases towards the privileged.
He underscored: “We know very well that economics is a cruel mistress, but it also plays favorites, especially to those who are born closer to the curve, and even more to those who are born wealthier than that. And I want us all to realize that there are many others like me.”
He urged them to remember those who have the talent, but not the resources to pull themselves out of the poverty trap.
He added: “In this four corners of the auditorium, I don’t see students. I see the future leaders of the country.”
He culminated his address in three powerful promises he implored his batchmates to uphold: a promise to serve, a promise to never forget where they came from, and a promise to return when they are needed the most.
He added that the most important thing a UP graduate carry is not just their intelligence, but their humanity.
“We are not just the future of the nation. We are also the cure that the present urgently needs,” Monterola said, echoing the UP spirit: “If not now, then when? And if not us, then who?”
