By Jennifer T. Pambid
LAOAG CITY — Compassionate leadership and dedication to public service. This asset catapulted Dr. Joel B. Lopez to the regional and national limelight one-and-a-half-year after he took over as Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the Schools Division Superintendent of the Department of Education in Laoag City.
For his exceptional accomplishments in improving the quality of education, Dr. Lopez received two consecutive awards in the month of September 2017.
On the eighth of September, he was cited as one of the regional finalists of the 2017 Civil Service Commission’s Dangal ng Bayan Award at the Diego Silang Hall, Provincial Capitol, City of San Fernando, La Union.
Under the category, outstanding public officials and employees are awarded for exemplifying extraordinary acts of public service and consistently demonstrating exemplary ethical behavior as stated under Republic Act No. 6713.
The nomination for Dr. Lopez narrated his achievements in the past three years particularly in improving management, empowering teachers and school heads as well as championing student development.
Among his great accomplishments were introducing democratic and collaborative leadership, enhancing the efficiency of the division’s services, improving communication and information dissemination and launching of Learning Resource Center.
Three days after receiving his regional award, Dr. Lopez was likewise recognized as Honorable Mention in the Ambrosio Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Gintong Parangal Para sa Edukasyon-Pamumuno.
Organized by the Fortune Life Insurance Inc. and the MaryLindbert International, the nationwide search honors the exemplary deeds of educators who upholds the value of hard work, discipline and dedication to their profession.
Dr. Lopez received the award during a ceremony at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, Department of Education Central Office, Pasig City on September 12, 2017.
“I am very honored for the recognitions and for being able to lead SDO Laoag City. We will continue improving the system and the overall quality of service we are providing to our clientele,” said Lopez in an interview.
For Dr. Lopez, leadership is not only about leading people to achieve a goal; it is about making impact on the lives of everyone he encounters.
Testimonies from his constituents affirm his transformational and inspirational kind of leadership. He is characterized by his strong commitment, professionalism, responsibility, justness and humility.
Aside from being compassionate, he is admired for being an innovative leader. As soon as he assumed office, Dr. Lopez emphasized his desire to establish an organized system and dutiful execution of one’s functions through his mantra “Maayos na pamamalakad, tapat na pagtupad.”
Dr. Lopez’s quest for continuous improvement carries on as he leads the whole SDO Laoag City towards an ISO-certified organization which will provide all its stakeholders a world-class quality service.
More than receiving awards and recognitions for his achievements, Dr. Lopez believes that leaving a mark in the lives of people is the most important and fulfilling part of being a leader—one that is compassionate and dedicated to help others be the best person they can become. (Jennifer T. Pambid)
