Leadership
Dr. Preciosa S. Soliven earned her doctorate in Educational Management from Centro Escolar University in 2002 through a partnership with the University of Adelaide, Australia. She earned a Doctor of Humanities degree (honoris causa) from the University of the Visayas in Cebu City, completed Montessori courses in Italy, and specialized in Montessori Language Arts in London. In 1966, she established the first O.B. Montessori School in Manila and became a TV producer and host to promote Montessori education.
Dr. Soliven represented the Philippines on the UNESCO Paris Executive Board from 1986–1987 and was an active member of UNESCO Philippines’ Education Committee from 1990–2001. In 1983, she founded the O.B. Montessori Child and Community Foundation and the Pagsasarili Preschools, winning the 1993 UNESCO International Literacy Award for her Mothercraft Training and Literacy Course. Over 200 Pagsasarili Preschools have been established across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
She authored several books, including CONCEP Manual: Planning the Young Child’s Education and How Well Do You Know the Wonders of Your Children.
From 1990–2019, Dr. Soliven wrote a Thursday column for the Philippine Star, “A Point of Awareness,” covering topics on education, travel, and social behavior.
Sara Soliven-De Guzman is the President of O.B. Montessori Center. Raised in the international method of Dr. Montessori, Mrs. De Guzman is building on the work started in 1966 by her mother, Dr. Preciosa Silverio-Soliven.
As the person leading the development of the “new teacher” and the transformation of her students into productive citizens, Mrs. De Guzman believes that creativity and culture in education enrich and allow people to adapt, find solutions, and improve situations. By encouraging that same creativity in students, schools can produce responsible citizens who continue the cycle of living with creativity and contribute toward nation-building.
This initiative ties in well with her advocacies on education, youth development, environmental protection, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response, all rooted in the care for humanity and belief in the child’s capability.
As president, she directs the work of the 40-year-old Operation Brotherhood Community Foundation (OBCF), which continues to bring quality education to underprivileged children in over 200 communities around the Philippines.
Wherever she goes and in whatever she does, Mrs. De Guzman continues to advance Dr. Maria Montessori’s educational method because she believes that in transforming the child into a productive and self-disciplined citizen, we revolutionize society and the nation for the better.