Education is more than delivering lessons or performing assigned duties—it is a ministry of forming lives, La Consolacion College Bacolod President Sr. Flolyn S. Catungal, OSA, reminded faculty and personnel during the institution’s Personnel Institutional Assembly on Monday.
Addressing employees gathered at the LCCB Auditorium as the college prepares for the opening of Academic Year 2026–2027, Catungal called on every member of the Augustinian community to recognize the deeper purpose of their work amid today’s social, economic and technological challenges.
“We are not simply teachers, nor merely administrators, accountants, engineers, technicians or security personnel,” Catungal said. “We are people entrusted with souls.”
She emphasized that every interaction with students carries lasting significance, noting that conversations can either heal or wound, decisions can build or diminish trust, and classrooms and offices alike can become places where students discover their worth and sense of belonging.
Catungal said even routine responsibilities—from maintaining facilities to processing documents—communicate care for students and contribute to their formation.
Reflecting on the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, she acknowledged that technology now delivers information faster than people ever could. However, she stressed that authentic human formation remains irreplaceable.
“Artificial intelligence can provide answers in seconds, but only people filled with compassion can form character,” she said. “Students today have access to unlimited information, yet they continue to search for people who embody integrity, wisdom, patience, hope and love.”
Grounding her message in Augustinian spirituality, Catungal reminded personnel that education begins with humility and a willingness to keep learning. She encouraged employees to embrace the institution’s continuing investments in professional development and spiritual formation as opportunities to grow not only in competence but also in vocation.
She also urged personnel to strengthen their sense of community by working together as “fellow pilgrims” united by a common mission rather than competing with one another.
Quoting the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Catungal called on employees to remain faithful even amid uncertainty, saying courage is shown by remaining present when answers are not immediately clear.
“Let every office become a place of mission, every classroom become holy ground, and every encounter with a student become an opportunity to reveal the face of Christ,” she said.
Catungal concluded by reminding the LCCB community that students often remember the lives of their mentors more than the lessons they teach.
“Character is contagious. Hope is contagious. Faith is contagious. So is discouragement,” she said. “As we begin another academic year, the deeper question is not only what more should we do, but who are we becoming?”
The Personnel Institutional Assembly marked the official gathering of LCCB faculty and personnel ahead of the opening of classes, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to its Augustinian mission of faith, service and integral transformation.