There are people who pass through institutions, and there are people who become institutions themselves. For Holy Cross College Sta. Rosa, Ma’am Raquel Tioseco Sta. Ines, affectionately known to generations as Mam RTS, belongs to the latter.
As she celebrates her 80th birthday, countless students, alumni, teachers, employees, families, and friends look back with gratitude on a life spent faithfully building not only a school, but a community shaped by discipline, excellence, faith, and care.
For four decades, Mam RTS stood at the helm of Holy Cross College Sta. Rosa after the passing of the school’s founder, the Rt. Rev. Fernando Lansangan, HP. Carrying such a responsibility was no small task. Yet through the years, she embraced the mission with unwavering dedication, guiding the institution through changing times while remaining rooted in the values upon which the school was founded.
Many know her as a perfectionist. Indeed, Mam RTS always believed that excellence is never accidental. She demanded quality because she believed students deserved the best education possible. She paid attention to details, expected discipline, and upheld standards with firmness. But behind that strong exterior was someone deeply committed to people and to the mission entrusted to her.
Personally, my connection with Mam RTS goes beyond being an alumnus of HCC. Long before I became involved in the school community, she had already become part of our family’s story.
She was the first person who gave my mother an opportunity to become an elementary school teacher after my mom decided to leave the business field and pursue a career in education. Mam RTS trusted her, believed in her capabilities, and journeyed with her throughout her years in HCC.
One memory that has always stayed with me happened when my mom planned to transfer to the public school system. Mam RTS wrote me a letter asking if I could somehow convince my mother to stay because, as she beautifully described it, my mom was “one of her angels” helping her run the school. Those words revealed a side of Mam RTS that many may not immediately see: someone capable of deep appreciation, loyalty, and sincere affection for the people who journey with her.
Even after my mother eventually transferred to public service, our connection with Mam RTS and her family remained. Years later, I found myself becoming involved again in HCC as an alumnus trying, in my own little way, to give back to the institution that helped shape me. Through those years, I never once felt like a stranger. In many ways, Mam RTS and her family made me feel at home.
Among all the lessons and memories, one of the simplest remains unforgettable to me. I used to dislike eating atis. One day, during a meeting, Mam RTS insisted that I try it. She patiently showed me how to eat it, convinced me to give it a chance, and from then on, I learned to enjoy it. It may sound like a small and humorous story, but in many ways it reflects who she is. She has always been persistent, nurturing, and quietly transformative. She sees potential in people and encourages them to grow, often in ways they do not initially expect.
At 80, Mam RTS stands as a witness to a life dedicated to service and formation. Her legacy cannot simply be measured in buildings, programs, or accomplishments, but in the lives she has touched and formed over the years. Generations of students carry lessons learned under her leadership. Teachers and staff remember her trust and guidance. Alumni remember the standards she upheld and the care behind her firmness.
Behind the title, behind the leadership, and behind the image of a strict administrator is a woman who devoted much of her life to ensuring that others could grow, learn, and flourish.
Today, as we celebrate her 80th birthday, we honor not only the administrator or educator that many know, but the mentor, supporter, and second mother figure to many whose lives she quietly shaped.
Thank you, Mam RTS, for your trust, confidence, guidance, and unwavering dedication to the mission of education.
May God continue to bless you with good health, peace, joy, and the love of the many lives you have inspired through the years.
Happy 80th Birthday, Mam RTS.
Author: Xavier Apostol