Poverty is already a challenge for someone, but adding tragedy to what is already an obstacle is really something to ponder on – the unfairness of life and the bitter irony of a finish line that moves just as it’s within reach. In the film Graduation Day, Jeric Gonzales (also worth mentioning is Aidan Veneracion as young Simon), delivers a gut-wrenching performance that captures this exact cruelty: the moment a hard-fought victory is transformed into a final goodbye.