A Loss for Naguenos, a Gain for Irigueños

This column is a tribute to the outgoing Superintendent of the Department of Education, Division of Naga City, Mariano de Guzman, as he takes a bow upon completing his leadership term. As his former teacher in Law school, I take pride in his accomplishments, and he deserves a resounding round of applause. His term of office came at a challenging time when the education sector was barely equipped with the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet through his leadership, DepEd Naga City flourished and thrived through those tough times.

As a leader, he has been well-spoken of by those who have been his subordinates, and he is undoubtedly a loss for Naguenos and a gain for Iriguenos as he moves on to his next assignment, DepEd Iriga City (according to my daughter, who is with DepEdNaga). He has been a very able partner of our local government in its vision for the education sector, and the programs he has initiated through his leadership platform have made an impact in upholding Naga City not only as a center of good governance but also as a champion of quality and accessible education. I gathered from my daughter that his leadership had inspired the people of DepEd Naga to be their best in everything they did during the tough times of the pandemic and as they transitioned back into recovering what was lost in the learning process.

Kudos to Superintendent de Guzman, and welcome to the new Superintendent of DepEd Naga City Division, Superintendent Susan Collano!

QUOTATION FOR THE WEEK:

“There is a difference between being a leader and being a boss. Both are based on authority. A boss demands blind obedience; a leader earns his authority through understanding and trust.”

Klaus Balkenhol

FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE:

“Leaders realize that serving others is the only way to lead with a pure heart”

Matthew 20:28