From Sitio Cubay to a Stronger Bingawan—One Breath at a Time

If leadership were a soil type, Tatay Lemuel G. Magnetico would be loam—steady, balanced, and always nurturing growth. As president of the Cubay Evangelical Church Farmers Association in Bingawan, he’s spent seven years tilling the rough ground of community leadership, sometimes with nothing but grit, faith, and a quiet prayer.

But even the most seasoned farmers face droughts.

For Tatay Lemuel, the drought came in the form of indifference and apathy—members skipping meetings, skipping dues, skipping out on volunteer work with the classic lines:

“I’m busy,” “I have work,” “Is there payment? If not, I won’t go.”

It’s the kind of resistance that seeps into a leader’s bones, slowly eroding hope. And yet, this 72-year-old leader didn’t quit.

Instead, he paused.

And that’s where the Inner Conditioning Workshop (ICW) of SEA Inc. planted its seed.

From Frustration to Reflection: The ICW Shift

Before, when tensions rose, Tatay Lemuel would react fast—“It’s in the policy, that’s it.” But now, post-ICW, he pauses and asks:

“What is it they want?”

And with that one, powerful question, the tone shifts from command to conversation. He now opens policy discussions with calm curiosity, not combat. He no longer fights for control—he facilitates consensus. And in that space, his members stop resisting and start reflecting.

“Do we want to change the policy, or follow the one we created?”

This simple line has become his magic phrase. It centers the group, reminds them of shared ownership, and gently returns them to their collective ‘why.’

Breathing Life into the Group—Literally

But Tatay Lemuel didn’t stop there. He took Heart Breathing, a technique from the ICW, and brought it to their regular meetings.

The result? A shift in the emotional climate.
No negativity. No drama. Just concerns shared with breath, not blame—and solutions offered with care, not control.

The IPAT-SIAD Spirit in Action

Tatay Lemuel’s journey is a living example of IPAT-SIAD (Integrated Participatory Accountability and Transparency for Sustainable Integrated Area Development) at its best.

SEA Inc. believes transformation happens not just in systems but in the soul of the leaders. Tatay Lemuel’s inner work—his emotional regulation, reflective leadership, and community-centered thinking—is what IPAT-SIAD is all about: local leaders growing from the inside out, then rippling that growth into their communities.

Not Just a Leader—A Living Lesson

Tatay Lemuel is more than a barangay farmer-leader. He is proof that it’s never too late to change how you lead, and never too early to listen more deeply. He reminds us that real strength is not in how loud we speak, but in how quietly we listen—first to ourselves, then to our people.

So the next time you feel burned out, unheard, or frustrated as a leader, take a page from Tatay Lemuel’s ICW notebook:

Pause. Breathe. Ask the better question.

Because the best leaders aren’t always the ones who know the answers—
They’re the ones willing to change the conversation.