CHANGE HAS COME! With a new school year that has arrived and concluded, also came a change that for sure has shocked, excited, and gladdened the entire CCC community.
Just like how Saint Peter was appointed by Christ to be the rock of His church and the leader of the early Christian Great Church, another person bearing the same name of “Peter” or “Pedro” in this modern day has also been called to lead and serve the community of Cainta Catholic College. On the special day of December 6 in the year of the Lord 2017, Rev. Msgr. Pedro Cañonero had been officially installed as the new College President of Cainta Catholic College, making him the 7th president of the institution. Truly, it was a change that most CCCians didn’t expect, but accepted with a heart full of gratitude and excitement.
With his kind words, gentle speaking voice, and bright smiles, it is for sure that our beloved and newly-appointed president has already left great impressions to the minds of the members of the entire CCC community, most especially to the young students of Cainta Catholic College. However, behind the image of a college president we always perceive at Eucharistic and institutional celebrations, who is Rev. Msgr. Pedro Cañonero as a priest and as a leader?
"I AM MSGR. PEDRO CANONERO AND I AM SIMPLE, HONEST, AND WILLING TO SERVE"
Simple, honest, and willing to serve—this is how our college president describes himself. He is a simple leader who is always ready to serve the parish and the school he handles. He is also a faithful priest who has a firm stand against the moral and social issues our country and the Church is facing nowadays, such as death penalty, extra-judicial killing, and divorce. But more than that, he is a responsible priest who eagerly performs his job and mission to the parish he is assigned to. He is a leader who always makes sure to keep in touch with his personnel, students, and teachers, even if he’s not always around as he also handles other schools and parishes. For him, a leader should be open to his people and subordinates, and must always be available and approachable.
Being both a leader and a priest at the same time, Rev. Msgr. Cañonero has always looked up to our Church leaders, who are ready to serve despite of all the obstacles and hindrances that may come. His models of leadership are the Popes and leaders of the Church who have become the image of humility and practicality. Ordained in the year 1994, Rev. Msgr. Cañonero has always looked up to the former Pope and now turned Saint, Pope John Paul II. He has always viewed the saint as a Pope, a priest, and servant-leader who always move people. For him, an ideal image of priesthood is to be a shepherd, and at the same time a leader—a servant leader who is always with his people and is filled with humility and always willing to serve.
“CHANGE” IN THE EYES OF A SERVANT LEADER
Being a leader holds a big responsibility of promoting change and having a mind open to innovations. Since he has only been freshly appointed to the position, Rev. Msgr. Cañonero did not promise to create immediate changes in his first term. For him, change does not happen overnight or with just a blink of an eye; it is something that must be well-thought and well-planned. As a leader, he has always been observant. As he is still new to the community of Cainta Catholic College, he aims to observe and look over what’s happening in the school and its current status.
Our beloved college president aims to know the strengths and positive attributes of CCC and retain it, or enhance it if possible. And if there are negative observations found, that is the time when necessary actions should be done. He has always hoped to continue carrying out the good things that are already being implemented in the school, while fixing and changing the bad things in order to improve its management. However, these actions should be well thought of. Our beloved college president firmly believes that the situation or issue must be well-evaluated first before further solutions are made. Rev. Msgr. Cañonero is a leader who is responsible to his actions and does not make careless decisions until he has carefully looked through the situation.
"I AM HERE AT YOUR SERVICE, COLLABORATING WITH YOU"
The CCC community has become very welcoming to the new college president, and for that, Rev. Msgr Pedro Cañonero will always be grateful. As he enters this new journey of being the college president of a big institution like CCC, he hopes to establish a strong and wonderful bond with the management committee, teachers, students, and the entire community. He hopes for Cainta Catholic College to be his partner and not his subordinate or people under him.
Being a college president, especially of such a big educational institution with a larger population of students, Rev. Msgr. Cañonero wants the entire CCC community to unite and collaborate with him for the betterment of the school. He wants the school to help him do his job with commitment and dedication in renewing CCC. He hopes that the CCC community can help him so he may also do his best as a leader, as a manager, and as a president.
The improvement of an institution truly lies on the leadership and management of its head. A good leader, with a clear vision and mission, is able to lead his entire people towards the right path. However, it is still not solely based on the leader, himself. The subordinates and members also play a vital role in achieving the goals of the institution. Our college president won’t be able do it alone; he will be needing a great amount of support and help from us. Just like what Rev. Msgr. Cañonero says in an interview with our editorial staff, “You are here to collaborate with me.” And we, as CCCians, have a task to help him in renewing and making the CCC community a better place for everyone, especially for us students who aspire to discover, learn, and explore.
Let us always look forward to more fruitful academic years to come with our new college president.
Rhoanne De Guzman | Regina Lucis High School
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