Nurturing spirituality
St. Theresa’s College in its continuing celebration of the 80th year of its establishment launched the works of Dr. Dulce Jesus Lesugues-Baricuatro and Ms. Desiree L. Balota on September 7.
Leading with Heart & Soul, Fostering Workplace Spirituality is a very logical flowering from Dulce’s training and work. She has been a professor of Theology and Gender Studies and Leadership Formation. She is described as the “Champion-Advocate of the STC Vision Mission and Values; heads the Christian Formation Program, facilitates recollections and seminar-workshops on leadership and values formation.”
Dulce states that the handbook “was inspired by the results of her research with women leaders from different organizations. She had tried to find out how these women had “fostered workplace spirituality in their organizations.”
The writer says her work is a response to the “more demanding fast-paced, stressful, ambiguous, chaotic” atmosphere employees have to cope with. She offers the book as a “humble attempt to design a simple recipe that integrates rich Filipino cultural values and Christian values in fostering workplace spirituality in the Philippine context.”
So she actually declares the following purposes of the book: “to serve as a guide for leaders interested in developing workplace spirituality; to encourage leaders especially women leaders to be catalysts of change towards the transformation of society by starting with their workplaces; to highlight the positive aspects of Filipino values and the Christian values in fostering workplace spirituality; and to provide some points for leaders’ reflection on their leadership”.
It is really to provide a glimpse of the book that I have included many quotes, and to focus on the fact that the guide brings out the voices of women leaders here in our city, thus affirming women, their practices in the workplace, and their great potential as sources of innovation and renewal for our communities.
The first section, Shepherding includes “Value the Person”; “Get Close and Personal”; and “Build Bridges not Walls”. Thoughts from the women leaders:
Architect Melva R. Java: Architects must understand human needs and human design and the social component of design in addition to technology.
Dr. Carmelita T. Dulangon: During lunchtime, I eat with my co-workers, so I can talk to them and I would know what’s in their mind and heart.
The second main section, Transforming and Serving includes: “Bring Out the Best”, “Listen to Learn” and “Empathize”. From the women leaders:
Marissa Fernan: I encourage them to be more efficient in their work so they can go home on time and spend more time with the family, less overtime.
Mary Rose V. Maghuyop: I put myself in the person’s shoes. We talk out schedules to arrive at a win-win solution.
The third section, Kindling the Fire includes: “Convey the Faith”, “Cast, Mend, and Reconnect”, “Correct Others in Love”, and “Encourage the Heart”. From the hearts of the women leaders:
Dr. Delia Z. Mediano: I encourage my members to pray and celebrate life.
Ms. Debra Jane M. Estero: The company provides wellness activities for employees: stress management, counseling for employees with traumatic experiences their lives, death in the family, problems that we know that bother the employee and hinder her/him to be productive, activities like yoga sessions.
Fr. Joseph Intig and Ms. Perlita Quinones asserted the usefulness of the guide. As actual administrators they agreed with many of its points and were very enthusiastic about encouraging others to share its many inspiring suggestions.
At end of the collection of poems, Hibla ng Tubig, Habi ng Himpapawid, Ug mga Pagpukaw ug Pagmaya, Desiree L. Balota, the writer says: “Ako diay si Dess, usa ka magtutudlo ug estudyante sa Literature ug Communication. Bisaya kong dako ug tigsulat sa Cebuano, Filipino, ug English. Uban sa kakulba ug kabaskog, gipaambit ko na ang pipila kong panghinuklog nga tinipigan.”
Thank you very much, Des for being a language educator that is very language inclusive. Your collection which includes not only English poems, but also Filipino and Cebuano poems is a contribution to the maintenance of the dynamism of our local languages. Many are concerned about the fading away of our local languages. They are concerned that many are no longer familiar with the expressiveness of Cebuano; or realize that there is a great deal of richness in Cebuano that can be explored and experimented with. You have taught us, especially young people through the various moods and themes of your poetry the power and range sa atong Sugbu-anong Pinulungan, padayon!
