Inter-Agency Synergy for Resilience

Inter-Agency Synergy for Resilience (Day 37)

by Rey Laguda

(This is the  37th day of 50-day journey of DepEd Undersecretary Rey Laguda as being serialized here with his permission, culled from his Facebook account - Blogger/owner

Yesterday, I attended the last meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council under this current administration. In the last several years, I witnessed how government agencies worked together towards common goals and objectives. I salute the leadership of Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Usec Alexander Pama for their unwavering commitment to the nation.

School Principals Are Now Committed in Doing Good Governance

Fr. Nebrers

It's done the workshop-training of four city divisions in Negros Occidental. They were well represented in the recent School Governance Regional Training with the theme, "Changing the Lives of Children" at L' Fisher Hotel, Bacolod City.

Synergeia with the cooperation of USAID, and Effective Governance, at the cutting EdGE of Education effectively trained the 188 school heads on problem tree analysis, listening, consensus building, participatory leadership, and decision making as far as school improvement plan (SIP) and school governing council operation are concerned.

Synergeia Foundation is a coalition of individuals, institutions, and organizations, working together for the improvement of the quality of basic education.

Remembering Director Tirol, The Great Educator

I knew it lately from the social media page of the Division of La Carlota City that a retired DepEd Regional VI Atty. Victorino B. Tirol, Jr., passed away on March 21, 2014 of septic shock. I began recollecting good things about him. I know that he is  a good leader and a mentor. He is a native of Bohol and was born on November 22, 1943

He was a great speaker as I listened to him in one of his visits in our division several years ago. The point I got from him is how should a school head do in visiting his teachers. "We should catch our teachers doing good", a statement that really works in keeping the teachers doing their best in teaching keeps still reverberating in my mind.

In June 11, 2008 at West Visayas State University, I won't forget the day he handed me my certificate of completion of eXCELS courses in Instructional and Curricular Excellence in Leadership and Management , an interactive and self-instructional online professional development programs for Southeast Asian school heads. These courses are developed based on a competency framework developed by SEAMEO INNOTECH and validated by ministries of education in eleven SEAMEO member countries.

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.