US-BASED Leyte educator Dr. Reynaldo “Rey” Garnace launched three new books on Sunday, August 2, 2026, tracing his more than three decades in education from classrooms in the Philippines to schools in the Bahamas and New York City.
Garnace said the event was not only about new publications, but also about “honoring a lifelong commitment to learning, teaching, service, and storytelling.”
“Looking back, I realize that my professional journey has involved many transitions — from government service to private institutions, from classroom teaching to administration, and from local to international work. Each move required taking risks, embracing change, and remaining committed to the mission of education,” Garnace told guests at the Fides Hotel in Tacloban City.
“Throughout those years, I believed that teaching should always be accompanied by research, reflection and continuous improvement. It was this belief that led me into writing and publishing educational materials,” the 55-year-old educator added.
Present at the launch were his wife, Maria Lorna Garnace, and their children, along with friends, mentors, former colleagues and students, members of the Leyte Dance Troupe of the Jess de Paz Foundation, performers from Leyte/Tacloban Idols and An Balangaw Performing Arts, and retired UP Tacloban professor Joycie Dorado-Alegre, whom Garnace described as his thesis mentor and the artistic director of An Balangaw Performing Arts.
Garnace, a native of Jaro, Leyte, detailed a career that began at Holy Infant College, followed by 11 years at the Philippine Science High School–Eastern Visayas Campus.
He later taught in the Bahamas for about 15 months before returning to the Philippines to serve as dean of the College of Education and Liberal Arts at Holy Infant College.
He also held leadership roles in the Philippine Science High School System and served for four years as chief administrator at Leyte Normal University and as adjunct professor at Biliran Province State University before joining the New York City Department of Education.
The first book, A Life of Service, compiles reflections and experiences from his years in education and leadership.
The second, My Journey Through Teaching and Leadership, focuses on lessons from more than 30 years of teaching, mentoring and administering schools.
Garnace said the idea for writing took root while he was at PSHS-EVC, where limited learning resources pushed him and his students to create their own materials.
Their work became an anthology of Asian and African literature used as a textbook.
He also contributed to integrated science textbooks, particularly in biology.
A third book contains creative works developed through writing fellowships and workshops supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and other academic institutions.
Garnace said his time in the US gave him the space to organize decades of notes and reflections that became the foundation for the new publications.
He also cited Global English for Filipinos, which he wrote to encourage more interactive and transformative classroom engagement.
Aside from being a member of the faith-based communities Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals and Knights of Columbus, Garnace also served as internal vice president of the Unified Federation of Filipino-American Educators.
Garnace’s books are available on Amazon. (Ronald O. Reyes/SunStar Philippines)
