THE French philosopher Albert Camus once said: “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” Taken literally, Camus simply meant that it is all about finding deep inner strength when times are hard. There is no winter in the Philippines, but the weekslong monsoon rains, typhoons and widespread flooding forced almost everyone to “hibernate” — at least, for those whose homes remained dry. It allowed us to do what we love, gather necessary strength, and incrementally build on our expertise. The weather-imposed isolation prompted me to read, from cover to cover, three recently published books on educational leadership and management by Filipino authors. I recommend them as essential reading and resources for those in education and for anyone desiring to learn what true leadership is.
They are:
– “A History of Futures Past: A Collection of Speeches by Reynaldo Vea” (Reynaldo Vea, published in January 2025). Reynaldo Vea served as president of Mapúa University for 23 years (2000–2023). At present, he is the chairman and chief executive officer of iPeople Inc. and a global fellow at the University Design Institute of Arizona State University.
From the book, one gains insight into how Vea propelled Mapúa University into what it is today: one of the most reputable universities in the Philippines. The chronological arrangement of his speeches summarizes the wisdom needed to guide an institution’s journey, demonstrating how to remain adaptable in every technological era and transform a school into an international university. To successfully navigate an educational institution through fast-changing times, its leaders must remain continuously aware of new, valuable developments that complement their visionary goals. The book is replete with success stories, as well as narratives of challenging events that ultimately rendered the institution formidable.
– “Unlearn to Lead: Essays on Transformative Education” (Angelo Maduli, published in July 2026). Angelo Maduli is a former dean of the graduate school and executive director of the Center for Professional Advancement Programs at Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Calamba City, Laguna. He later served in academic leadership roles and headed innovative programs for several universities in the Philippines and Malaysia. He currently works as an educational consultant.
Maduli said that for education to catch up with the swift evolution of ideas, educators must quickly unlearn past mindsets and practices that no longer empower them to pursue independent educational principles. As the book description says: “There is a need to strip education down to its essentials: judgment, discernment, trust, and purpose. The world being influenced depends less on information and more on meaning.” The book argues that we can no longer prepare learners for systems built on compliance. Instead, they must be prepared for complexity.
– “The Call to Transformative Leadership: Reflections on Five Decades of Educational Leadership, Formation, and Stewardship” (Roberto Borromeo, published in August 2026). Roberto Borromeo is a former dean of the Br. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC, College of Education at De La Salle University, Manila. He was an educational consultant for several Southeast Asian education ministries and sits on many boards of trustees for private schools across the Philippines. Currently, he serves as president of the Elizabeth Seton School.
For Borromeo, transformative leadership is not merely about holding a position perceived as the apex of one’s career. Top leadership positions are not endpoints; rather, they are unfinished tasks of moral dedication — points of convergence for viewing a wider reality in order to form others and assist them in internalizing stewardship and servant leadership.
These books are works we need now because they seek to address our pressing national concerns regarding education.
Culture, innovation and strategic vision, a contribution to industrial growth
Knowledge, the solid formation of a desirable institutional culture, and the right motivational techniques make all the difference in leading an institution to greatness. What Vea accomplished at Mapúa University centered on reinforcing its reputation as a leader, primarily in science, technology and engineering programs. This focus is a vital element that the country needs to boost its economy by training technocrats for essential industrialization. Vea led a university that helped position the country to keep pace with the current industrial era while preparing for the demands of future industrial revolutions.
Such a feat would never have been possible without the author’s ingenuity in creating the culture necessary for his university to thrive, alongside his superb use of motivation to “sell” the vision and bring everyone on board to achieve an almost impossible goal.
A quote from his final speech in the book, as he ended his term as president, inspiringly expresses how his leadership relied on teamwork to achieve undisputed success:
“I leave with a feeling of great pride and gratitude that I served my watch with a team that is welcoming of new ideas, unafraid of entering uncharted territory, and capable of implementing solutions with dispatch and at scale. ‘Intrepid’ and ‘can-do’ are the team’s middle names.”
Education beyond compliance
Maduli’s book serves as a powerful voice advocating for change in an educational system burdened by heavy bureaucracy and innumerable regulations. When compliance is mistaken for accomplishment, mediocrity inevitably follows. The worst-case scenario occurs when learning institutions become submerged in bureaucratic requirements and lose their capacity for innovation and creativity.
Maduli assures readers that the book is not about quick fixes, but about recovering the moral compass of schools by asking the most fundamental question: “What kind of human beings are our schools helping to form?” Indeed, there is much to unlearn when educators are inundated by practices and mindsets that no longer work. The book sounds the alarm for national school systems that may still be addressing obsolete issues and problems from the past.
Essence of transformative leadership
Borromeo’s reflections on transformative leadership serve as a timely reminder in a society marked by a wide chasm between religiosity and the unscrupulous behavior of leaders, many of whom were educated in Catholic schools. Currently, public leadership is frequently associated with dishonesty, corruption, selfishness and greed for power and position — a poignant reality where many of those leading us remain uneducated on what true leadership entails.
Borromeo underscores in his book that leadership is transformative when it is imbued with a moral dimension. Thus, whether in a general Christian or specific Catholic context, spirituality matters deeply. One cannot fully understand or practice transformative leadership without touching on its indispensables: a scholarly life, strong values formation, and the moral duty of stewardship, which represents the true nature of power and service in a Christian and Catholic framework.
Fr. Jesus “Jay” Miranda Jr., OP, is an organization and leadership studies resource person. He teaches at the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School and the Department of Educational Leadership and Management of the Bro. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC, College of Education of De La Salle University, Manila.
jaymiranda.op@ust.edu.ph
jmmiranda@letranbataan.edu.ph