Think about it
“Ideas are bullet-proof” – Joan de Venecia
By Jun Velasco
AT her first speaking engagement after hurdling the bar, superlady (she is only 25) bar topnotcher Joan Alvares de Venecia, sister of Councilor Alex and daughter of former Councilor Tony who is sometimes dubbed as Speaker JDV’s political mentor during their boyhood, told a group of lawyers, Rotarians, Knights of Rizal, businessmen and professionals, and especially the youth in Quezon City Wednesday to “never settle for less than the very best you can do.”
A picture of success at its “shiningest”— Behn Hortaleza’s favorite word (Joan graduated cum laude and class valedictorian at the College of Law, UP Diliman) our new lawyer gave another timeless advice, “never take shortcuts in life.”
In the audience were brother Alex who came all the way from Dagupan (what a doting brother!), former Pangasinan Governor Vic Millora, also a bar topnotcher (No. 4), General Pol Bataoil, former Congressman Dante Liban, Manila prosecutor Caridad Junio (now a byword in women lawyers circle worldwide), lawyer Jack Castañeda from Speaker Joe de V’s legal staff, super Rizalist-lawyer Roger Quiambao, Quezon City’s most colorful former Councilor Jorge Banal, Famas president Art Padua, youth leader Cocoy Hombrebueno, Rotary Club of Metro Cubao president Romy Cacas and immediate predecessor Bobby Lopez (handsome hubby of Dagupeña Debbie de Guzman and several others.
Joan easily towered as the most applauded speaker of the RMC over a stellar list: Toting Bunye, Oscar Orbos, Al Fernandez, Art Lomibao, Alex Arevalo, Tita Datu-Puangco, Vic Millora, Ellen Miranda and Pol Bataoil, because of her casual, brilliant and straight-from-the-heart speech.
In our intro, the audience was impressed by her credentials as a prize-winning and champion world debater who trounced forensic experts in France, Japan, Malaysia, Africa and in the Philippines, where she tangled with the best of Ateneo and her Diliman home ground.
Joan’s mother, the former Norma Alvares of Bicolandia, told us her other daughter Toni Anne, finished BS Bio at the Ateneo U cum laude.
No doubt, its Kuya Tony’s and Ate Norma’s – and for that matter, the de Venecias’ – bountiful harvest this year.
What does Joan think of the charter change debates? When that was asked the newsmen present including Teddy Molina of Philippine Star and Buddy Dawal of Tanod quickly put out their pens. Joan matter-of-factly said, “I favor it.”
In his turn to speak, Kuya Alex (yes, Mayor Benjie Lim is not the first to use the labels “Big Borther” and kuya) was a picture of a proud, big brother and proceeded to drumbeat for the Dagupan Bangus Festival which will be held this month.
Joan’s night turned out to be lawyers’ and Rizal Knights’ night because she stood out as our National Hero Jose Rizal’s hope (the young) for the country.
Joan confessed of a weakness in math in school but hastened, “my hopes and dreams in becoming a lawyer, to my eternal happiness, do not involve a lot of Math.”
To those who love to make shortcuts to succeed, Joan further gave this advice, “Walk the painful mile if needed. Work hard to attain your goals. Do not cut corners just to jockey for a better lot in life. I have always believed that success will surely come to the deserving, all in God’s good time.”
She added, there is no point in bribing people just to get to the top. Not only will you be ceaselessly unhappy, but you will undoubtedly lose the respect of the people you love.
“I have always harbored an intense dislike for people who butter up their professors, their superiors or bosses, either to get a higher grade or to get promoted easily. The joy that you will feel is much sweeter, and infinitely more meaningful if the success that you achieve is the direct result of honest-to- goodness hard work.”
“To the parents present today, I only have one simple request. Please respect your child’s independence and individuality and trust in his capacity to discern which path is best for him.”
“To the youth, you have what it takes to revive our ailing country. I can only hope when you are called to take your part in nation-building, in whatever way, you will not find the task too daunting and shirk your responsibility to the nation.”
Well said, and mabuhay!
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NOTES; We felicitate two new lawyers, who are sons of our friends Commissioner Al Fernandez and fraternity brother Bert Nanquil, namely Atty. Alfie Fernandez and Clarence Nanquil, who were recent bar passers.
When we were still childless, Cathy was fond of Alfie and Alvin, now vice mayor, when they were in their nursery years, and we would “kidnap” them from their residence at the Tanopo compound to the chagrin of cumadre Mina, who would smile when the identities of the kidnappers were known.
New lawyer Clarence, former San Beda Law College editor, has the makings of our fraternity brod Bert’s being a stickler for logic and cold facts.
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