FROM TATA TO FR.TITO (Part 3) (November 21, 2011)

R. TITO CALUAG WITH THE PHSA ADVISORY COUNCIL, FACULTY, AND STAFF

Vim Nadera: Among your students, who ought to be our modern-day hero? Why?

Fr. Carmelo Caluag: Marami – people who do “little things with great love” ( from Mother Tereasa of Culcatta). These are real heroes for young people to emulate. Others maybe are good leaders, good models, but heroes are ones who live a life of great love – thus great service with a nobility of spirit, great soul, magna animus.

VN: You specialized in Jesuit Secondary School Administration. How do you apply it to a public school like PHSA?

CC: I still believe one of the best models for education and formation is Ignatian spirituality. Ignatius had a great gift of a brilliance.

VN: Being a Leadership Studies major, too, what for you is a good leader?

CC: I have this philosophy as a leader occupying a position or office: first listen and second articulate together with your community the vision and mission of the community to be started or worked on under your watch. Then the third and most important – plan your exit. There is the danger to hold on to the office – we see so often in many people occupying leadership positions. The natural leader – even with an office or position – always has influence. Why? I think because he or she “has a story to tell” (Howard Gardner) and this story inspires others to live out their own stories. My personal bias is a good leader mentors and allows his mentees to out shine him or her. I always say I do not consider someone an authority in a field until he or she has mentored someone. In the end a god leader loves others into excellence. I think the teacher in me greatly influences my view of a good leader.

VN: Why is our country a failure when it comes to choosing our leaders?
CC: I have not really reflected on this that much. My ideas and views are still evolving.

VN: How can our educational system teach our voters?
CC: Just have good education, better quality and also reach more people. The rest will follow.

VN: Are you making PHSA a pilot school for excellence other than in the field of arts?

CC: No because our identity and mission is in the arts. We can veer away from this. I am a firm believer that once you veer away from your founding vision you have no reason to exist. Close shop and open as a new organization, but do not be “unfaithful” to the founding vision.

VN: What are the things, including the organizational structure, PHSA should continue or not?

CC: I need to listen more to the stakeholders about these areas before I articulate the proposals for the organizational structure.

VN: What are the problems that welcomed you when you assumed your post? How did you solve them?
CC: I would not consider them problems. There are needed improvements and this is normal. Things evolve and when we clearly see as an organization and as a community the direction we need to take and not take it – that is when we need to deal with problems.