Administration for Unity in Diversity

By MOHAMMAD ELIAS T. MAMANTUC

School Head
Sigayan Elementary School
Sultan Naga Dimaporo Central District

The citizens of the Republic of the Philippines are categorized in numbers. There exist are so called
cultural majority and minority.
I belong to the cultural minority group but, luck working well, I am occupying the topmost post in
the school organization. I work the roles of a school head in Sigayan Elementary School,
(henceforth be read as SES). Therefore, creating and cultivating an organizational culture that
actually honors and capitalizes upon the strengths of all its stakeholders is no small task to an
administrator who belong to the cultural minority. Especially then, when it becomes necessary to
shift the focus, first from discerning the ethnic-cultural origins of the organization, to helping its
people identify and understanding who they are as individuals.
As administrator in a multi-ethos school and multi-tribal community, it is never a dream to fulfil,
especially for one who belong to the culturally minority in identification. Over-coming a culture-
shock is not a thin debacle and weak barrier to conquer. However, a challenge to unify a diverse
culture school remains a very strong reason to administer the school.
The Sigayan Elementary School (SES) is not an exception to this multi-ethosity of school
campuses in Mindanao. From the roll of teachers, learners, and community people, there is that
multi-tribal and multi-culture melting in the educational pot of SES campus. Of course my concept
of management is based on the academic, managerial, school environment and motivational
aspects as well as the relationship with the community all melted as one objective of the program.
Although the major and prominent culture in SES is that of the Maranaos (people by Lake Lanao
and Muslim Filipinos), it is constantly worked out by the school management not to label an
individual with something divisive, such as religions and political affiliations, but be labelled with
the cultural peculiarities which ought to be respected by everyone. This is the secret of the school
administration for unity in diversity.