MANILA, Philippines - Businessman and sports patron Manny V. Pangilinan urged graduates to seek to have both money and meaning in life.

In his commencement speech at the Ateneo de Manila School of Humanities and Social Sciences delivered March 26 and 27 to two sets of graduating students, Pangilinan said that while money is an important measure of success, people should also lead meaningful lives.

"Let me define what success is. Let me tell you, money‘s pretty cool. I‘m not going to stand here and tell you that‘s it‘s not about money, because money is sweet. I like money. It‘s good for buying companies and things – and for putting up a few buildings here and there for Ateneo. But having a lot of money does not totally make you a successful person. What you want is both money and meaning. You want your life and your career to be meaningful. Because meaning is what brings real richness to your life, to be surrounded by people you can truly work with – because you trust and treasure them, and they cherish you in return. That‘s when you‘re really rich, that‘s when you really succeed," he said.

Among the over 2,000 graduates of Ateneo's 150th year include ABS-CBN News reporter Maricar Bautista, and Iris Cecilia Gonzales, reporter of Philippine Star, who both completed Master of Arts, major in journalism.

Pangilinan, who has funded several school buildings in the Katipunan campus, was given an honoris causa, Doctor of Humanities, by the Ateneo de Manila University, his alma mater, for his "inspirational leadership, his enlightened philanthropy, and his generous giving of self to others."

The chairman of telecommunications giant, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), Smart Communications, and several other big companies, also told graduates to learn from their failures as these impart valuable lessons for success.

"Nobody‘s life is seamless or smooth. We all stumble. We all have setbacks. If things go wrong, you hit a dead end – as you will, many times in your life – it‘s just life‘s way of saying – time to change course," he said.

"Failure taught me lessons about myself that I could have learned no other way....The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you can be secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity," he added. "So graduates, always remember this – success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts."

Graduation advice

Pangilinan gave the graduates "some old-fashioned, feel-good graduation" advice:

"First, hug and kiss those who helped get you to this day – parents, grandparents, friends, teachers. If you’re too shy or uptight to do that, please do the old fashioned handshake thing. But I recommend a hug and a kiss. Don’t let the sun go down today without saying thank you to someone.

"Second, don’t forget that you have a body under your toga. Take good care of it. Engage in sports. It‘s fun, and it is a laboratory for victory and adversity. How an athlete celebrates his triumphs, or overcomes defeat or injury, how he deals with a hostile crowd or a critical media, reflects what life is all about. Indeed, sports offers a richness all its own – it is a metaphor for life.

"Third, remember you have brains under that mortarboard. You‘ve been running it like crazy for four years, whining about all the books you’ve had to read, the papers you’ve had to write, the tests you’ve had to take. Yet thanks to that versatile, gigabyte hard-drive of yours, and a million Starbucks cups, you made it today.

"Fourth, give one peso for every ten you earn. I saw my mother pass away 8 years ago, and she left this world without anything. Which means you’re not the owner of what you think you own – you’re only a steward, because everything‘s on loan. So pass some of it on. If you don’t, government will just take it anyway."

SJ chief: Help end poverty

In his homily for the graduates during the Baccalaureate mass held March 26, Fr. Jose Magadia, provincial superior of Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, called on graduates to "learn to love the world" and serve those in need.

He told the sesquicentennial graduates not to "turn away from its human suffering" and "block out the cries of the poor, with our i-pods..."

"We cannot lock ourselves up in the world of computer games or blogspots or Facebook. We cannot not engage. Rather, we must face the music, and immerse ourselves in the demands of the day," Magadia said.

"In the Philippines of the early 21st century, at the very least, this means finding ways to be helpful and productive. It means caring for those who are poor, and helping to end the poverty and inequality. It means being proactive in protecting the environment and the earth which is our home. It means providing skills for our people to become entrepreneurs and stakeholders in their own future. It means being committed citizens, with an eye for the common good, and not just the good of my family alone. It means challenging corruption, even to the highest levels of the government," he said.

He also called on the graduates to "vote responsibly" in the May 10 polls.