When Life Said No: Second Chapters Are Also New Beginnings for Erlyn May Castillon Gener
June 23, 2026
More than two decades after earning his degree from the University of Southern Mindanao (USM), Hon. Emmanuel M. Abonado, the Municipal Mayor of M’lang, Cotabato, returned to the university’s stage as a commencement speaker sharing lessons drawn from his own life and career.
Speaking before the members of the Class of 2026 Cluster 1 during USM’s 80th Commencement Exercises, Abonado reflected on the twists and turns that shaped his journey from a veterinary medicine student to a veterinarian, entrepreneur, public servant, and eventually a distinguished leader of the Municipality of M’lang.
Throughout his address, the USM alumnus encouraged graduates to keep moving forward despite setbacks and uncertainties, highlighting that mistakes and failures do not determine a person’s future.
“Your past doesn’t define your future,” the mayor remarked.
Abonado recalled enrolling in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in 1991 and took him nine years to complete a program designed for six years. He admitted that there were times when he lost focus and even stepped away from school, spending a year working in his family’s grocery store before deciding to return and finish his studies.
According to him, that decision changed the course of his life. He eventually graduated in 2000 and later passed the Veterinary Licensure Examination on his first attempt.
The USM Alumnus also spoke about the value of the relationships formed during college, saying that education extends beyond earning a degree. He credited his parents, teachers, friends, and wife for helping him through different stages of his life.
“Success may come and go, but the people who stayed with you through life’s hardest chapters are among the greatest gifts you will ever receive,” he underscored.
Abonado likewise reminded graduates that life after college often unfolds differently from what people expect.
According to him, unlike in school, there is no course outline for what comes next.
“Life doesn’t come with a manual and after today, you will discover that there is no course outline for what comes next. You simply take it one step at a time,” Mayor Abonado emphasized.
He then recounted how life led him through different careers and challenges after graduation. He worked as a veterinarian, pursued opportunities in the private sector, established an agrivet supply business, and later entered public service as Municipal Administrator of M’lang, a position he held for nine years.
Abonado shared that he was already preparing to move to Australia to join his wife and daughter when residents encouraged him to run for mayor. What he initially saw as a different chapter in life eventually became an opportunity to serve his hometown.
Today, he serves as the Municipal Mayor of M’lang.
“Success gave me confidence, but failure gave me character. Success taught me how to celebrate, while failure taught me how to persevere,” he said.
As he concluded his address, Mayor Abonado reminded graduates that success does not follow a single timeline and that delays should not be viewed as defeat.
“Life is not a race against your peers. A delay is not a defeat. Your timeline is your timeline,” he said.
Pointing to his own experience, Mayor Abonado left the graduates with a final message of hope.
“If a student who took nine years to finish a six-year [progam] can one day become the mayor of M’lang, then imagine what is possible for each of you,” the mayor spoke.
