30th president of the Philippine Divine Word College of Calapan to foster culture of research

The 30th president of the Divine Word College of Calapan (DWCC) during his investiture on August 29 vowed to foster research, among others, to keep the school globally recognized while anchored to its core.

"Our dedication to research would be aligned with the Commission on Higher Education's mandate to foster a culture of research in higher education institutions. This ethos also reaches our Basic Education Department, where high school students are already introduced to the world of research," said Fr. Renato Aguilay Tampol, SVD.

He encouraged all members of the DWCC community—administrators, faculty, and students—"to persist in producing high-quality research that holds the potential for local and international publication.

The Eucharistic celebration commemorated the investiture rites presided over by Bishop Pablito Tagura, SVD, of the Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

Also present were SVD trustees Father Nielo Cantillado, the Provincial Superior of SVD Philippine Central Province, Father Jerome Marquez, and Father Crispin Cordero, who just finished his term as president of the DWCC and is now vice president for administration at St. Jude Catholic School in Manila.

Affectionately known as "Natoy," Tampol was born on January 20, 1966, in Carigara, Leyte, in the central Philippines.  He completed his Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the Divine Word College of Tacloban in 1987 while a working student then worked there as administrative staff for four years.

In 2001, was sent as a missionary to the SVD Province of Botswana, Zimbabwe district, in Africa, until 2006. 

He holds a Doctorate in Human Resource Management from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila in 2021. 

He served as vice president for Finance at the Divine Word College of San Jose (DWCSJ) from 2011 to 2014 and provincial treasurer of the Philippine Central Province from 2014 to 2017.  He returned to the DWCSJ as elected president for two terms until July 2023.

As the 30th president of the DWCC, he envisions it "to be firmly anchored in its core values: integrity, social responsibility, excellence, and evangelization."

"These values will serve as our guiding principles in pursuing the institution's objectives: global competence, academic excellence, cultural sensitivity, and SVD spirituality," he said.

"DWCC will remain at the forefront by arming both faculty and students with technological prowess, essential for success in modern times. This translates to graduates who are not just well-educated but also industry-ready," said Tampol.

"Our students are (now) gaining practical experience in the United States and are even presented with opportunities to work in various parts of Europe," he added.

Committed to social responsibility beyond the academe, Tampol said its "most meaningful expression is through partnership with the marginalized communities, notably the indigenous peoples of Mindoro—the Mangyans."

"The Mangyan apostolate holds a special place in the legacy of the SVD pioneers in Mindoro. One of these pioneers, "Amang" Fr. Ewald Dinter, SVD, remains with us to this day. Currently, we take pride in the fact that DWCC supports 90 Mangyan scholars pursuing diverse courses," he said.

A new initiative is an apostolate with the Mangyan community, centered around non-formal education and aligned with the government’s Technical Educational Skills Development Authority.

The school will collaborate with Fr. Ross Heruela, SVD, who is the part-time director of its Community Extension Services and is actively working with the Mangyan community in the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan.

Tampol said the school properties in Pinamalayan and Gloria towns will be harnessed to concretize the extension efforts in order to create sustainable programs that will benefit the Mangyan. 

The Philippine Central Province of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) operates DWCC. The institution is located in Oriental Mindoro, a province of the Philippines in the Mimaropa region. Its distance from the nation's capital, Manila, is approximately 180 kilometers. - Madonna T. Virola