FULL SPEECH: Alfonso Tomas P. Araullo/Atom Araullo | UP Baguio Pagtatapos 2026 Commencement Address

Atom Araullo begins by congratulating the UP Baguio Class of 2026, acknowledging their perseverance through academic, social, and existential crises. He also expresses gratitude to parents, families, friends, and faculty for their support, noting their own form of 'graduation' in aiding the students. He jokes about his repetitive speeches but emphasizes the challenge of giving meaningful advice in graduation addresses.

Araullo discusses common graduation clichés, like 'follow your dreams' and 'failure is a part of success,' highlighting their limitations. He shares a personal anecdote from his journalism career about declining coffee from impoverished communities, illustrating that integrity isn't always about strict neutrality but knowing what ethical boundaries not to cross, especially when offered bribes.

Rejecting the idea of graduates becoming martyrs for the nation, Araullo introduces his core message: to be 'difficult.' He clarifies this means being 'difficult to fool,' 'difficult to buy,' 'difficult to discourage,' and 'difficult to turn indifferent.' He explains 'difficult to fool' by urging critical thinking to resist manipulation in an age where truth feels optional and easily distorted by social media and propaganda.

Araullo frames journalism not just as a profession but a 'public habit' of asking critical questions: 'Is it true?', 'Who benefits?', 'Who is missing from the story?', and 'What happens if we look away?' He stresses that UP graduates, as recipients of a publicly funded education, have a special responsibility to ask these questions and not be 'easy to fool.' He then transitions to 'difficult to buy,' acknowledging the desire for a good life but questioning what one is willing to sacrifice for it, particularly one’s integrity and compassion.

He advises graduates to be 'difficult to discourage,' acknowledging the immense pressure from family, peers, job markets, and social media. He warns that they will 'fail many times' but encourages learning from mistakes and being 'easy to correct.' He emphasizes respecting one's own timeline, illustrating with a personal anecdote about physical growth, and acknowledges that not everyone starts on an equal footing due to systemic inequalities.

Araullo's final point is to be 'difficult to turn indifferent,' recognizing the risk of cynicism when faced with persistent injustice. He introduces Macli-ing Dulag, an indigenous leader murdered for opposing a dam project, as a personal hero. Dulag's story serves as an example of courageous resistance, reminding graduates that while most won't face such extremes, there are moments when one must defend what and who they believe in, rather than succumb to indifference for a comfortable life.

Araullo concludes by encouraging the Class of 2026 to chase their dreams with skill and joy, build good lives, and help their families. He stresses that the country needs 'difficult' people—those who are difficult to fool, buy, discourage, and turn indifferent—rather than merely pleasant and harmless. He urges them to protect their capacity to care and to remember the courage of those who stand their ground for dignity, memory, and the future. He congratulates them, hoping they live meaningful lives and, when called upon, be 'the right kind of difficult.'