Presidential Banaag Awardee Rommel P. Sergio launched his book entitled “Unbroken: Trials to Triumph: The Making of a Community Leader”

At first glance, the reader might think that this is yet another book of a personal journey. Indeed, it is a record of real-life events that shaped Mr. Sergio’s life in a way that is relevant to the world of community leadership. What makes this book unique, however, is that it started to take shape during a global pandemic – an uncertain time when people somehow knew they would never be the same again.

While the effects of the last few years are still being felt, Mr. Sergio, by telling his story, offers hope through a series of life lessons, all stemming from the distillation of his adventures. He has narrated what he calls “trials” and “triumphs” and described in detail the particular set of travails that he faced very early on in life. He has used these experiences to inculcate values we all could learn from.

Mr. Sergio invites readers from all walks of life to travel with him on this journey, not only back in time but also forward, into the future. Forearmed with courage and fortitude, and with hope as our greatest ally, we could all, by engaging more with the community, live a life of service to humanity – a life of self-actualization.

In 2016, Mr. Sergio was conferred with the Presidential Pamana ng Pilipino Award in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments as an educator at the Canadian University of Dubai, and for his scholarly works in the field of human resource management and organizational psychology that led him to participate in a number of international conferences, including Harvard University.

Photo credit: Rommel Sergio