The Typhoon called Yolanda, Part 2 of 3

The Typhoon called Yolanda, Part 2 of 3 (Day 41)

by Rey Laguda

(This is the 41st day of 50-day journey of DepEd Undersecretary Rey Laguda as being serialized here with his permission, culled from his Facebook account - Blogger/owner)

Day 2

Sleeping at Leyte Normal University’s guesthouse compound was providential because the NDRRMC command center had decided to transfer its base of operations to the provincial sports compound which was just around the corner. And so was Leyte National High School (LNHS). We had set out different tasks for the team members and split up. I went to LNHS and met up with school personnel who were present. There were several families that occupied different buildings within the school. I met Bong, who was a teacher and the designated physical facilities coordinator. The principal had not yet been accounted for together with other teachers. It was decided that LNHS was going to be DepEd’s home base since the division office was inoperable. An office was used for all teachers to sign up whenever they would show up. It was the start of a division wide accounting of DepEd personnel.

We were fortunate to have brought with us 30 liters of gasoline when we flew in to Tacloban. Gasoline was being sold at P250/liter and the lines were just so long. So I went up to a teacher who had a motorcycle and offered him two liters so that he could bring me around for the whole morning. I went to the division office to leave word and a handwritten sign saying all teachers and personnel should report to LNHS so that we could start accounting for everyone. I would then coordinate with the City offices and the other agencies to synchronize our plans. After attending the meeting with Sec Gazmin and Sec Roxas and the agency reps, I met with Peter Galvez of DND and offered DepEd personnel to help in staffing the operations center of the regional Office of Civil Defense (OCD). We also said that there was available space for military personnel to sleep in the school across so long as they helped us in cleaning up some of the flooded areas. This would also help us secure the school from possible looting. It was a win-win situation.

ICT: CES Curriculum Enhancement

In the division of La Carlota City, the Cubay Elementary School Teachers have spent their time while their pupils are taking their semester break for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in-service training in their school.

This could be a part of their curriculum enhancement wherein they may have the skill on how to use ICT in teaching and learning for their pupils as what has been indicated in their National Competency-Based Teacher Standards-Training Needs Assessment (NCBTS-TSNA) prepared by their school head for the school plan for professional development (SPPD).

Thirteen teachers of CES inclusive of kindergarten, primary and intermediate teachers  took their precious time listening to the lecture and doing the hands-on activity as introduced by their trainor, Mr. Gilbor D. Camporazo, Junior a programmer instructor of Technological Foundation Institute (TFI) of Bago City.

To Lead Is To Sacrifice

I want to reflect here the book on leadership I have read. It is a  Christopher Handbook on "How To Be A Leader". It tells me the type of leadership which offers a little in the way of ease, honor or personal gain. In fact, it  usually involves the very opposite - hardship, misunderstanding, personal risk, and sometimes personal loss. I concede that this is true.

Leading Is Sacrificing

The Leader of leaders Himself said: "He who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for My sake will find it. "Spiritually speaking, yes, it is. Referring to the dictionary, "to lead" means: to draw along, go ahead or show the way; to move before or in advance of; to take or have the initiative; to make a beginning, go or act first; to direct an action, thought, or opinion; and to draw or direct by influence, good or bad.

Whatever your work or responsibilities, you are showing some ability as a leader right now. Sounds simple, isn't it? You show it in running your home, taking part in church, school or civic activities, managing a farm, working as a nurse or sales person, conducting a business and in countless other ways.

A leader is often described as on who - "knows the way," show the way," and goes the way."

What Leadership Is Not

Leadership does not mean wealth, great education or position. It means initiative, willingness to serve and an idealism rooted in divine truth.

The leader is willing to accept the burdens of responsibility, because his self-confidence comes from a deep and abiding faith in God and a genuine concern for his fellowmen.

Could you stay away from being a leader? Absolutely as far as you are concerned, a big NO! Every person without exception is confronted in these critical times with the challenges and obligations of leadership: - in fulfilling the responsibilities of home life; in taking a courageous, intelligent stand where vital principles are at stake on the local, national or international scene; in making a constructive contribution at work or in school; and in participating actively and intelligently in church, civic, union, business, and numerous other activities which affect both the temporal and eternal destiny of innumerable people.

Who Is To Lead

It's real what each person like yourself does - or fails to do- in providing your share of leadership, helps or hurts everyone. The only person who can get started on this road to leadership is yourself. You alone can bestir yourself to develop te tremendous potential within you. Once you realize that you can be God's instrument in putting into circulation the basic principles that can set a right every skill possible that will make you a more effective transmitter or communicator of divine love and truth.

You can be a leader. Keep in mind the points mentioned above. They are basic tips for anyone who would be a leader, preferably a Christlike leader and an effective communicator of sound ideas.

You can be a leader by acting now - communicate your ideas. And remember to sacrifice is unavoidable.