THE 1st Regional Assembly of Education Leaders 2018 (RAEL) gathered more than 3,000 superintendents, assistant superintendents, school heads and teacher-leaders throughout Davao Region and impressed on them the importance of leadership skills in the academic sector to bring forth quality graduates in basic education.
Recognizing the immense role of education leaders as public servants in honing the lifelong learning skills of the learners, the regional assembly which provides a venue to strengthen the professional competence of the participants amidst the call to increase students’ learning performance, was conducted at SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang, Davao City on May 1-3, 2018.
“This regional assembly of education leaders is what we need as we address the challenges in improving the quality of life of our learners,” said Dr. Janette Veloso, Chief of the Curriculum and Learning Management Division Region 11 and the representative of Regional Director Alberto T. Escobarte, CESO III during the event.
Jasmin M. Nesperos, school in-charge of Magdum National High School, Tagum City Division said that the topics in the plenary sessions are what the educators’ need in improving the service delivery in schools so as to respond to the challenge of improving the learners’ performance.
“I feel privileged to be one of the participants in this assembly since the contents of the plenary sessions are what I exactly need especially the topic on Motivation in Public Service,” said Leonila D. Berdin, principal I of Matutungan Elementary School, Davao del Sur Division.
With the theme “Engaging the Heart of Education Leaders in the Asean Community”, the 1st Regional Assembly of Education Leaders was organized by Philippine Association of Schools Superintendent (PASS) Region 11 chapter headed by the Davao del Norte Superintendent Josephine L. Fadul.
The first ever RAEL held here in Davao City conveys the clear statement of the PASS 11’s effort to capacitate the proponents of quality instruction in basic education. No time to do this better than when the country is integrating with the ASEAN community.
In the age of communication, the country's human resources is its greatest wealth when developed to its full potential.
In influencing others to observe the rules and standards of the Department of Education, leaders must practice their obligation to correct co-workers with facts, fairness and sensitivity, Civil Service Commission Director Minda Garcia Ostique said.
Ostique said, one way of exemplifying integrity is to live upright and move others to do the same despite the repercussions of giving honest feedback.
Among others, she cautioned against spreading gossips and wrong information and to avoid favoritism. Delicadeza is a must in making decisions. Balance life, work and family, she said.
Leadership is not purely about directing your team to do the given tasks. Most importantly, one needs the heart to sympathize and empathize with the people he/she serve. This role was stressed by Rev. Fr. Danny Montana who talked about Spirituality in the Workplace.
A very unorthodox style was used by Cito Beltran in his lecture on multi-disciplinary development as he warned participants that they will be exposed to suffering, insult, intimidation, and attack.
Asking the selected participants to step on stage and discuss their roles, Beltran focused his talk on why the identified participants were sickly. Blunt remarks such as being fat, psychologically sick, and having heart disease were among the tirades he used to the participants. It happened fast but it was not done for naught. Beltran started processing the activity, telling the crowd that attitude has become the most difficult sickness.
We know what is right for our body, yet we tend not to give importance on achieving fitness. We are told to do physical exercise yet we only do it sometimes. We are asked to take right amount of food but we only think of it sometimes. We are advised to manage our resources properly yet only think of it sometimes. “Sometimes” has become our weapon of defense from our own incompetence.
From the physical aspect, he talked on mental, emotional, intellectual, economical, social, and spiritual development, providing a practical approach on the topic as he led the participants step-by-step to fully appreciate what multi-disciplinary development is.
The executive director of the Career Executive Service Board (CESB), the highest governing board of CES Officers and Eligibles in the country, Atty. Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones was the resource person on the topic “Motivation in Public Service” where she expounded the inner self and letting them experience taking the Enneagram to reflect on their own personality traits as well as understand the other eight personality types.
Entrepreneur and inspirational speaker Marlon Molmisa guided the school heads and teacher-leaders in Recognizing and Dealing with Stress in the Workplace. He used his own life experience and the current life stressors to ignite the audience to still hope amidst the sad realities of life they may face.
Deped Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Lorna D. Dino elaborated the topic “The Challenge of Resiliency for Education Leaders”. As a leader who rose from the ranks, Dino narrated how he overcame the various challenges in the workplace and how these strengthened her resolve to provide quality education through Deped's curriculum.
OIC-Assistant Regional Director Teresita G. Tambagan congratulated PASS 11 for conducting RAEL 2018 which according to her, “manifested the true mettle of the leadership of the sitting superintendents and assistant superintendents of Davao Region."
The three-day assembly did not only open the eyes of the education leaders of Davao Region but most importantly, it gave them more reasons to do their job well. (With reports from Melanie Estacio, Riza Lovitos, Harley Aglosolos, Tito Endrina, Gervacio Salinas Jr., Romel Babiera and Janice Abrea)