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An accolade to the man ---as some astute leaders in the academe would call it---is one of the priceless recognitions to a leader besides magnanimity in victory.
He was a poor man. Because of this, he needs neither immersion nor being focused on in a 24-hour reality show nor a media spin for him to understand the truest situation of the poor. He was among the very few "provincianos" who liberated themselves and their families from the pangs of scarcity and made it on top through education.
His being a poor student did not impede him to finish, all through scholarship grants, his B.A. in Asian Studies (cum laude) at the Mindanao State University, Master of Public Administration and Doctor of Public Administration at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, and Certificate in Senior Managers in Government at the JFK School of Government at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
This is the experience of having witnessed the outstanding leadership of a self-motivated man from humble beginnings. A true inspiration of modern-day educators! He is the human: Dr. Eldigario D. Gonzales. A born leader of understanding, forbearance, and know-how!
His brilliancy and exceptional leadership responsible in the significant improvement of the Mindanao State University in Tawi-Tawi, the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) in Zamboanga City, and the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) is viewed to be one of the reasons to his becoming president of the Southwestern University (SWU) of Cebu City, and “the best is yet to come”...
Indisputably, what is inimitable, yet common in these two institutions of higher learning besides the bastion of talents and potentials; their roles in Mindanao and Visayas; and their being melting pots of cultures and traditions, little by little being influenced by friendly Bisayan-speaking students and employees, is the “western” in their school crest. In jest, the choice of leading the “western” institutions is but an accident, and is no threat for the “easterners.”
Born and raised in the beautiful city of Zamboanga of poor farming parents, “Doc Eldy,” as his connections call him, rose from the ranks as Instructor, Professor, Dean, Chancellor, and Vice-President of Mindanao State University (MSU) to becoming the president of one of the most sought-after state universities of the country, the WMSU, ---where beauty is natural, talents are essential, leaders are trained, and the culture of peace and development is being molded---where the future of Mindanao and the region is gouged, till he reached the apex of becoming Zamboanga’s pride in the realm of leadership by serving as effervescent President of the PASUC. He is the epitome and true inspiration of the struggling educated poor Filipinos who made it to the pinnacle.
Dr. Gonzales, as a trend-setter in public and corporate governance, made him what he is today. This, I believe, must be looked into by the University of the Philippines leadership in celebrating the Centennial in assessing the roles of her alumni and by extending them due recognition in the real world of service in whatever capacity to the community, domestically and internationally.
Before he assumed his post as WMSU president, bickering, factionalism, vindictiveness and other challenges often pestered democratic governance not because of the doing of his predecessor but of the latter’s seemingly uncontrollable followings and their rivals that resulted in the underdevelopment of the more than a century-old institution.
In spite of the fact that President Fidel V. Ramos appointed him in 1997, threats posed by his rivals banking on him being an outsider and new to WMSU politics lingered on. It was a very tense situation. His skill in crisis management, and development diplomacy was put to a test. Modesty aside, it was during my incumbency as University Student Council president when Dr. Gonzales was welcomed by the students which forged a strong administration-students partnership in development.
Importantly, through the help of broad-minded stakeholders in the academe, student leaders, and other members of the WMSU family, he successfully maximized the meager resources, utilized the potentials of the highly politicized university, and moved on as a unified vibrant institution of higher learning.
After having developed WMSU, PASUC, and other academic communities, notwithstanding the crisis he and his family experienced due to the abduction of her only daughter (a special child) who was released through the help of his friends, religious and community leaders from various sectors after 40 days in captivity, Doc Eldy accepted the challenge of aspiring as a Philippine legislator. His political trounce---due to lack of time and financial preparations---in the popularity contest in the recently concluded midterm elections to represent the newly instituted 1st district of Zamboanga for the Philippine Congress is seen by some as a loss of WMSU, PASUC, and the countless people who believed in him. But I disagree. This in fact is a blessing in disguise. An exceptional leader of his stature will certainly find his way to nowhere but success!
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Writer Profile
Teng Catong
ESNAEN M. CATONG is finishing his Ph.D. in History, Cognate in Political Science at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, where he also earned his master's degree. He teaches political science and history at the Western Mindanao State University in Zamboanga City, where he graduated a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and a B.A. in Political Science.
Teng, as his friends call him, won in a research competition from the Southeast Asia Research Fellowship Program for Young Muslim Scholars under the auspices of AMAN and the Rockefeller Foundation. He has presented papers in international conferences and has published articles in journals. His major works include Philippines-Saudi Arabia Relations: A Socio-Cultural, Political, Labor and Economic Relations (forthcoming, 2007); Balik Islam and Its Socio-Political Implications (forthcoming, 2007); Active ‘Three-O’ Diplomacy: An Indispensable Alternative for Philippine Survival (forthcoming, 2007); and Energy Crisis: The Philippine Experience (forthcoming, 2008).
His research interests include diplomatic history, geopolitics, migration, energy and the environment, Islamic studies, international relations, and peace and conflict resolution.
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