Religious administrators from various Recoletos educational institutions gathered for a seminar on corporate governance, highlighting the importance of accountable leadership, institutional sustainability, and fidelity to the Augustinian-Recollect educational mission. The seminar featured Engr. Segismundo F. Exaltacion Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Tsuneishi Technical Services Philippines, Inc. (TTSP), who shared insights on how corporate governance principles can be adapted to religious and nonprofit educational institutions.Exaltacion emphasized that corporate governance is not limited to business corporations. It is a framework of rules, processes, systems, and practices that guides boards and management in making sound, transparent, and responsible decisions.
He stressed the importance of clearly distinguishing the roles of the Board of Trustees and management, noting that effective governance requires both bodies to work together while maintaining appropriate checks and responsibilities.Among the key principles discussed were fairness, accountability, transparency, responsibility, ethics, compliance, independence, and stakeholder engagement. For educational institutions, Exaltacion noted that governance must take into account a broad range of stakeholders, including trustees, administrators, faculty members, non-teaching personnel, students, parents, alumni, regulators, the Augustinian Recollect Order, local communities, industry partners, donors, and benefactors. He also underscored the value of independence of mind among board members, particularly the courage to express differing views when necessary. The discussion also touched on environmental, social, and governance considerations, encouraging institutions to examine not only financial performance but also areas such as energy use, waste management, employee satisfaction, stakeholder satisfaction, community engagement, and institutional reputation.
Also sharing insights was Rev. Fr. Raul Murillo Buhay, OAR, Director of the University of San Jose-Recoletos, Balamban Campus, who presented an overview of the Institutional Educational Project and its role in strengthening the Augustinian-Recollect educational mission.Participants revisited the importance of institutional resources such as the Institutional Educational Project, Augustinian theological principles, and the Augustinian Values and Rubrics. These materials were presented not simply as documents, but as guides for translating the mission of Augustinian education into concrete institutional practices. The discussion emphasized that education in the Augustinian tradition seeks the integral formation of the human person and the humanization of society. In an educational landscape increasingly shaped by technology, artificial intelligence, digital immersion, changing student profiles, misinformation, individualism, and a rapidly evolving world of work, the mission of educators extends beyond academic instruction.
Schools are challenged to develop students' critical thinking, creativity, discernment, character, relationships, and sense of responsibility. The Augustinian spirit of “Love and Science” was highlighted as a continuing reminder that intellectual formation must go hand in hand with human and spiritual formation. The seminar also highlighted the Institutional Dictionary of Competencies for Augustinian-Recollect Educators, which serves as a common framework for identifying the knowledge, skills, values, and abilities expected of members of the educational community. For the Recoletos educational community, strengthening governance is therefore more than an administrative undertaking. It is a means of protecting institutional mission, promoting accountability, ensuring sustainability, and preparing schools to respond faithfully and effectively to the challenges of the future. The gathering reaffirmed the shared commitment of Recoletos institutions to remain communities that educate, evangelize, and humanize, guided by the values and spirit of St. Augustine.
