23/09/2026
[SPECIAL FEATURE] The third of a four-part Wednesday series celebrating the 126th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary and honoring DNSC personnel for their 10, 15, 25, and 35 years of service. An institution is only as strong as the people behind it.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฌ: ๐๐ซ. ๐๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐
Dr. Reir Erlinda E. Cutad, Vice President for Administration and Finance and one of the prime movers of Davao del Norte State Collegeโs Smart Campus direction, has become synonymous with innovation and efficiency.
In her speeches, she often leaves a reminder, or an encouragement, that DNSC must continue building systems through policy and programming, not simply to meet the challenges of technology head-on, but to make it work better for its people.
But behind the systems, policies, and innovations is a public servant whose own journey was shaped by uncertainty, long nights, difficult roads, faith, and the people who walked them with her.
VP Cutad began her career at DNSC when there were no online application portals, digital systems, or instant notifications. There was only a bulletin board.
She had accompanied her younger sister to the College to enroll in the BS Marine Biology program. A fresh graduate of Mindanao State UniversityโIligan Institute of Technology, Maโam Reir wandered around the campus while waiting. Then, among the notices pinned to the bulletin boards, she found an announcement for a newly opened plantilla position for an Information Technology faculty member.
That small announcement would become the beginning of a journey that would last decades.
Just three weeks after taking her board exam, she was told by Human Resources that her application could not move forward unless she was enrolled in a masterโs degree program. Without consulting anyone, not even her mother, whose advice she deeply valued, she went to a university and enrolled.
Later, she had to transfer schools after learning that her masterโs and bachelorโs degrees were not vertically aligned for the position she was pursuing. She transferred again to a more aligned program and learned to live the demanding rhythm of working while studying.
It was a rhythm many educators know well: work by day, study when the day should have already ended.
In her first few weeks at DNSC, Maโam Reir recalled having classes until 9 or 10 oโclock in the evening. She would wait for a friend to finish her classes, too, before the two of them made their way home through the dark roads leading away from campus.
โImagine the fear and danger we faced during those journeys. Yet God faithfully kept us safe throughout those years.โ
Decades later, the campus would look different. The way people worked would change, too.
Asked about the biggest change she has observed at DNSC, Maโam Reir pointed to its transformation in infrastructure and technology, โThe college's ongoing infrastructure improvements and digital transformation initiatives have greatly enhanced the way we work. Although we recognize that infrastructure challenges remain due to the growing number of students and personnel, our current situation is far better than it was before.โ
She remembers when the work was measured not by clicks, uploads, or digital workflows, but by stacks of paper. Accreditation requirements meant printing, scanning, photocopying, and sometimes staying overnight just to finish what needed to be submitted.
โ๐๐ช๐ณ๐ช ๐ณ๐ข ๐ซ๐ถ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ช ๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ,โ she recalled with a smile.
There was only one photocopier shared among the institutes. Employees had to take turns through the night.
Technology may have changed how DNSC works, but Maโam Reir knows that it was people who kept the institution moving when the systems were still being built. She speaks fondly of colleagues who shaped both her work and her way of leading: Dr. Girley S. Gumanao, with whom she worked on policy formulation, Performance-Based Bonus tasks, and institutional projects; Dr. Arnold Duping during their days in the planning office; and Dr. Melissa Dalumay, Dr. Leonida Piorac, Director Josiedel Santamaria, and Nurse Gemma Cervantes, whose work ethic left a lasting impression on her.
She also credits College President, Dr. Joy M. Sorrosa, for helping her understand the value of empathy and patience in leadership.
For Maโam Reir, no one carries an institution alone. People share deadlines. They share burdens. They fill in each otherโs gaps when circumstances become too heavy.
Of all the memories her years of service have given her, one remains etched in her mind.
An hour after Super Typhoon Yolanda made landfall, Maโam Reir had to travel to Manila for an important meeting. Given the circumstances, it was a risky decision.
โThroughout the flight, there was calmness in the air. It taught me that even when surrounded by storms, literal and figurative, you can still find calmness. You can still choose calmness,โ she conveyed.
Her strength to continue in the service is deeply rooted in faith and in the oath she took as a civil servant. During the interview, she cited the Panunumpa ng Lingkod Bayan as her guiding principle. Her eyes grew teary, but her voice remained firm as she uttered, โ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฌ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ช๐ธ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฃ ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฏ. ๐๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ข๐บ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ด๐ข๐ฌ๐ช๐ต, ๐ฌ๐ข๐ต๐ข๐ฑ๐ข๐ต๐ข๐ฏ, ๐ข๐ต ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐ถ๐ด๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ธ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ฏ. ๐๐ข๐จ๐ช๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ข๐ธ๐ข ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ต ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ฃ๐ช๐ฃ๐ช๐จ๐ข๐บ ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐จ-๐ข๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต ๐ช๐ฏ๐ด๐ฑ๐ช๐ณ๐ข๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฑ๐ธ๐ข ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฏ.โ
Her advice to younger civil servants reflects the experiences she has thrived on over the years, โI have learned that when God entrusts us with a mission, He also provides the strength, wisdom, and grace to accomplish it. Keep doing what is right. Never stop learning and remain faithful to your purpose. In time, you will realize that the challenges you face were not obstacles, but opportunities for growth and transformation. Serve with integrity, humility, and love. Most importantly, trust in God.โ
And perhaps the most fitting advice comes from what she would tell her younger self.
โDo your best. Listen to others and accept criticism. Keep improving. Serve the College. Love the College.โ
This is the human side of the smart campus she has helped build.
Serve the College. Love the College.
Systems can make work faster. Policies can make processes clearer. Technology can make a campus smarter. But systems cannot, by themselves, express consistent acts of service, consistent acts of empathy, and consistent acts of love.
That is what people can do.
This is what Maโam Reirโs years in public service have ultimately given the College. She didnโt just help build a smart campus, she has helped build a human resource who are willing to learn, adapt, and innovate. A campus becomes truly smart not just when technology does more, but when people are empowered to do more, for one another and for the institution they serve. (end, CNL)
Congratulations and Happy 25 Years of Service, Ma'am Reir! Mabuhay ang mga lingkod-bayani!
DNSC - Institute of Aquatic and Applied Sciences
DNSC - Institute of Computing
DNSC - Institute of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Good Governance
DNSC ITED Institute of Teacher Education
DNSC - Institute of Advanced Studies
personnel endorsed by: DNSC Office of the Human Resource Management
read similar stories here: https://dnsc.edu.ph/special-features/
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