INDIA (Indie) Pantoja Beldia
is the daughter of Rolindo
Beldia III (Nubbin) our only
son and Rose Pantoja Beldia.
The couple resides in
Quezon City where Indie
pursued secondary (high
school) education at the
Philippine Science High
School – Main Campus also
in Quezon City.
Indie did bag the highest
honor award for Batch 2023
and had been a recipient
of others in the fi eld of
Culture and Arts during the
intervening years of her high
school education.
Her Lolo Junior, Judge
Rolindo Beldia, if he was alive
today, would have bragged to
the highest heavens his apo’s
talents and achievements.
I, myself, am most
elated and truly proud that
Indie excelled not only in
academics but in other facets
of the arts like in acting,
music and journalism.
Her journalism genes,
I’m fairly convinced, she did
inherit from her mom, Rose, a
writer of note herself.
Meanwhile, her two
aunts from her father side
Gayem (Dr. Gail Marie
B. Yanchunas) has, so far,
two published books to her
credit – “E-mails of Travels
and Travails (Books I and
II). Another aunt, Twink
(Maritoni B. Palacio), has
contributed signifi cant essays
in the published anthology,
“The Rosary in the Lives of
Wandering Women.”
Not meaning to brag,
I recently launched my own
book, “Share a Vision and Other
Views.”
Indie’s Valedictory is
superb replete with the idealism
of the young and their hopes for
a successful career for each of
them in the future.
Congratulations, once
again, Pisay Batch 2023!
Indie’s Valedictory Address
To Dr. Madriaga, the
Management Committee, the
teachers, the staff , and the
parents: Good morning and
thank you for joining us on this
special day. And of course, to
my batchmates as well – good
morning and congratulations
to all of us!!
Do you still remember
how you saw yourself the fi rst
time you walked into Pisay’s
hall six years ago? Well, I
think a lot of us had some
preconceived notions about
ourselves. Maybe you were
your school’s valedictorian,
the bemedaled math and
science whiz, the kid with
photographic memory, or the
quiet one with the surprising
top marks. Either way, you
were most likely known for
academics, with your other
talents or interests paling in
the background. But, here in
Pisay’s, it hasn’t been like that
at all, has it?
Here, surrounded by more
than 200 students with the same
academic skills, we searched for
new things to explore and found
other sides of ourselves. We all
got to shine; we were recognized
in ways we never were before.
I mean look at me: back in my
old school I was known as the
girl who made the high grades,
here I became the girl who hits
the high notes – haha. Seriously
though, Pisay is where I fi nally
came to the realization that I
really wanted to excel beyond
academics, where I made the
conscious eff ort to push myself
and put myself out there. These
past four years, especially, I’ve
had so many wonderful, life-
changing opportunities and
experiences where I was able to
hone my skills further and grow
into the more well-rounded
person that I’d like to believe I
am today.
Singing with ‘Himig
Agham’ and ‘Sightlines’,
joining the Battle of the Bands
with Ultraviolet, being cast in
Balete – alongside my music
scholarship with the Madrigal
Singers – taught me not just how
to work the stage, act, read notes
but also how to manage my time
and, most importantly, commit.
Meanwhile, editing for the
‘Science Scholar’ and joining
essay-writing and journalism
competitions taught me that
my words have weight, that we
all have the potential to eff ect
change, big or small, so long as
we are not afraid to amplify our
voices.
And fi nally, being our
batch’s yearbook head, ‘The
journey’, as some of you her
know, was not easy – the
roadblocks, the learning curves,
the moments of high pressure.
But thanks to the support of
my family, my friends, Sir Jejo
and our teachers, Tita Cee and
the PTC, the Batch Council, our
suppliers, and all of you in the
committee, I gradually got a
better handle of things and I’m
so… so proud of what we have
been able to achieve as a team,
not to mention this incredible
feat – we are the very fi rst
Pisay batch to ever produce the
yearbook in time for graduation
day! But more than anything,
being the yearbook head really
opened my eyes to how amazing
our batch is. It truly has been
such a privilege to get to know
A NOTE /1
you all a little bit better through
your creative shots, your favorite
songs, and all the sentimental
and even funny things your
friends wrote about you. I’m
also grateful that we had our
last year together face-to-face
because this was another chance
for us to reconnect, reinforce
old friendships, form new
bonds, and make irreplaceable
memories together. It’s amazing
to see just how much we’ve all
grown into our own skins a little
more – how we’ve really grown
from those kids who got in Pisay
six years ago. We’re not just
those academic kids anymore:
we are a proud batch of debaters
and public speakers; of athletes
and teams; of talented artists and
writers; of actors and musicians;
of leaders and social advocators;
and much, much more.
Never let anyone tell you
that your extracurriculars are not
worth your time because they
are an essential part of who you
are – they allow you to discover
the person that you can be, the
barriers that you can break.
2023, you all shine so brightly,
and I hope that, as we all leave
Pisay, and move on to the bigger
things, we will all let our light
shine… brighter than ever. Keep
the fi re burning, congratulations
and Padayon 2023!
A Thank You Message
Indie P. Beldia, thru her Lola Mom Terry Beldia, is sending thanks to all of you who took time out to post (Facebook) congratulations, heartfelt, well-meaning felicitations, and compliments for her having received the ‘Highest Honor Award’ from the Philippine Science High School (main campus) for the year 2023.
“I really appreciate your thoughtfulness just as I am sending all of you loads of love and thank yous from
my deeply grateful and humble heart.” Si Indie po ito.
“Maraming Salamat!”
