Broadcast journalist Jessica Soho delivered a striking message during her speech at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman commencement exercises on Sunday, urging new graduates to shed entitlement and instead remain grounded, humble, and purpose-driven.
Recalling her early days in journalism, Soho shared an anecdote about being told to haul equipment despite her UP degree. “’So what if you’re from UP?’ asked one of my cameramen when I was still starting out as a reporter,” she said in Filipino. “Work is an equalizer.”
She passed that same challenge to the graduates. “So what if you’re from UP?” she asked, pushing them to remember that the value of their education lies not in prestige, but in how it connects them with people and communities.
“UP is not a vacuum, and more importantly, not an ivory tower,” she stressed, pointing to the small businesses and homes surrounding the campus as reminders of the real world just outside academic walls. Soho called UP education a “privilege” made possible by Filipino taxpayers, emphasizing, “Not for you to feel entitled or superior, but to be humble and thankful.”
In a wide-ranging address, Soho also spoke of the importance of relationships, referencing a long-ago tip from a soldier about the Spratlys—now one of the most contentious issues in the South China Sea—as a moment where connection led to insight.
“Reach out to more people. Get out of your own circles… You’ll be surprised at what you can find out,” she said, encouraging openness, especially in today’s social media era where voices are amplified but genuine listening is rare.
She also looked back on her award-winning exposé Kidneys for Sale, which she credited to the trust of a former acquaintance who led her to Tondo’s Baseco Compound, where poor men were selling organs to wealthy patients. “Because of our exposé, the government now regulates kidney donations,” she shared, although she noted the issue persists.
After four decades in journalism, Soho admitted many of the country’s problems continue to repeat. “The status quo is not okay. The system is broken,” she said. “We need to keep asking the hard questions… Be disruptors for good.”
Despite past experiences of being scolded, humiliated, and even bashed, Soho closed her speech with encouragement for the graduates to embrace critical thinking. “If we are free to dream, we should also be free to ask questions.”
