By Trisha Marie L. Abuyan
Photo screengrab from FEU’s tribute video

“Hindi po ganun kadali ang pag-aralin tayo ng mga magulang natin (It is not easy for our parents to give us education),” Arwind Santos, Far Eastern University (FEU) alumnus and Tamaraws’ former men’s basketball champ told graduating students in his ‘#OneFEUBatch2020’ tribute speech.

During his virtual speech which was streamed on August 8, the Bachelor of Science in Education graduate looked back on his parents’ influence throughout his journey and success today.

Born into an athletic family, his father has always been supportive about his love for basketball and when his father died in 2000, it became his motivation to thrive harder for his mother and siblings.

Fulfilling his promise, Santos entered FEU in 2002 with the help of his father figure, former Pampanga Governor Delta Pineda. He shared how the University taught him to not only to be a good basketball player, but also the ‘never give up’ mantra that he used upon playing for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Everything was going well until 2016, during their match against Talk n’ Text (TNT) Katropa, his mother succumbed to lung complications which made him almost gave up playing. But Santos reminded himself that her mother would be happy if he continued playing.

“Si Mama masayang masaya siya ‘pag nakikita akong naglalaro. Isa siya sa number one fan ko talaga. Sabi nga niya sa akin, nung time nga na wala kami sa tabi mo nakakapaglaro ka diba. Kung sakali mang darating sa point na ‘yun, ‘wag kang bibitaw (My mother is very happy everytime she sees me playing. She is one of my number one fans. She said that there are times wherein they are not around and yet, I can still play. If it comes to that situation, never give up),” he shared.

Despite the hardships Arwind experienced, he did not give up and always goes back to what kept him going — his parents.

He had become successful not only in basketball but also in life because he did not just aspire to be a better player but also a better person through education.

“Ang basketball hindi panghabang buhay kaya kailangan makatapos din ako para meron akong ibang weapons, kumbaga ibang sandata if ever wala nang basketballor kailangan ko ng trabaho, maganda ang record ko (Basketball is not forever that is why I need to graduate, so I can have other weapons if ever there is no more basketball. Or if I need a job, I have a good record),” Santos said.

The PBA veteran then told the class of 2020 to never take for granted the importance of education and that their parents are the first to be happy once they earned their respective degrees.