In San Pablo City, Laguna, a school is shaping students to grow in faith, character, and academic excellence. Frontline Christian Academy is one of the initiatives of Philippine Frontline Ministries, Inc., reflecting its commitment to holistic education and community transformation.

The organization also oversees a growing multi-site church, Frontline Worship Center, as well as Face the Children, a program dedicated to protecting and nurturing abandoned and abused children. Beyond these, it advances compassionate ministries that uplift marginalized communities through social enterprise ventures and sustainable livelihood programs.

In a conversation with Rhoda Lynn Pessina-Dayo, MBA, Frontline Christian Academy’s Director of Education, we learned about her insights into the school’s mission, its commitment to holistic student development, and how God has led her and her family in faithfully stewarding the ministry.

“I think my life’s passion is to see transformation in the lives of people that God allows me to come into contact with. I love to see what only God can do, bringing people from darkness to light, from chaos to peace, from wandering into loving fulfillment. Ultimately, I think the reason why I have this role is because God opened the door, and I walked in,” shared Pessina-Dayo.

She shared that after graduating college with a business management degree, her parents, who founded the school, asked if she could help them with management. She said that the journey had not been easy, and I did not think it ever will be.

“When I first started managing the school, we were located in an old warehouse that we had renovated into a school with a dozen or more classrooms. It was not an ideal location. It was along the highway, and it had a funeral parlor in front of it and a cemetery to the left. But we were faithful with what God trusted to us and little by little the school grew to more than 140 students, almost reaching full capacity. A few years after I started managing the school, I thought it was time for us to move into a bigger school,” said Pessina-Dayo while admitting she was naïve to have tried to taking on a large fundraising project to help them move.

“But God showed me that it wasn’t time,” she added while saying “After several years, when He did finally bring us to the property where we are located now, we felt his hand all over this project. We called it “The Steward Project”. We took on our first ever mortgage, a huge leap of faith for us as a nonprofit organization and put our orphanage property at risk. I signed the mortgage papers in the first half of 2020, and we all know what happened then. Schools all over the Philippines closed and we were left with an empty building and a hefty mortgage payment. Every month the risk loomed over us like a heavy cloud. We didn’t have assurance that we would make it through”.

She recalled that they “kept praying and crying out to God, and, he has pulled us through! We now have almost 250 students long dash our biggest enrollment ever. And a generous donor paid off all of our mortgage debt. Our staff are more than 40 now, and our family continues to grow. Praise the Lord”.

Rooted In Mission

She grew up in a trailer, but her vision has always been far-reaching.

Born into a life of mission and movement, Pessina-Dayo recalled a childhood unlike most, one spent traveling across the Philippines with her family, setting up tents in different communities and staying for months at a time. “My parents, Jeffrey Pessina and Rowena D. Pessina, founded Philippine Frontline Ministries, a nonprofit organization that once traveled all over the Philippines, in tents and trailers,” she shared while adding “I grew up in a trailer. My childhood was truly an exciting one.”

Their days and nights were centered on service. Each evening, large gospel meetings filled a tent that could accommodate up to 2,000 people. “We would set up camp for months at a time, and hold nightly gospel meetings. We saw hundreds of thousands of people commit their lives to Christ,” she said, reflecting on the scale and impact of their work.

Behind this mission was a deeply personal story of transformation, one that would profoundly shape her own life. Both of her parents experienced radical change before dedicating themselves to ministry.

Growing up in that environment instilled in her a singular conviction. “Reaching the world with the love of Jesus was all that ever mattered,” Pessina-Dayo said. While that mission remains unchanged, the methods have evolved. Today, their work extends beyond preaching into tangible expressions of faith, what she described as “the gospel in action.”

Their organization now operates through four strategic fronts: compassion, education, church-planting, and social enterprise. These initiatives reflect a holistic approach to transformation, one that addresses not only spiritual needs but also social and economic realities.

Through compassion-driven programs, vulnerable sectors such as orphans and street children are given shelter and care. In education, children and families encounter not only academic instruction but also what she described as “genuine, quality, caring Christian education.” Church-planting efforts continue to bring faith communities into rural areas, while social enterprises create opportunities for employment and sustainable livelihoods.

“Through all these endeavors, I see lives being transformed,” Pessina-Dayo said. “People gaining jobs and a dignified way to provide for their families, rural communities being reached and children finding a home.”

For her, the work is not just a continuation of her parents’ legacy, it is a personal calling. One shaped by a lifetime of witnessing change, both in individuals and in entire communities.

“I have always wanted to make a difference,” she reflected. “I believe that is my life’s purpose.”

Raising Good Citizens

Pessina-Dayo shared her constant prayer, that everyone who walks through the doors of Frontline Christian Academy will feel the love of Jesus.

“Our school exists to serve the families, the students, and the community in which we exist. We exist to glorify God in everything that we do. Our vision is to develop godly steward leaders that will make lasting local and national impact. We believe that it is not only academic excellence that is important, but character,” she said.

She further said that her dream is to see their graduates becoming the salt and light of the world while explaining that “We live in chaotic times, confusion, war, economic, depression, emotional and mental depression, spiritual darkness. The world needs people who will be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

The school emphasizes both academic excellence and character formation. It equips students with strong competencies through a continually evaluated curriculum influenced by Christian education in the U.S. and best practices from high-performing countries, while also prioritizing hands-on, real-life learning beyond the classroom.

While at that, character development is intentional and Bible-centered, integrated into teaching, counseling, and student activities. Through regular discussions, Scripture engagement, and small-group “youth huddles,” students are guided to build meaningful relationships and grow both personally and spiritually.

When asked about how to make a lasting impact on the next generation, Pessina-Dayo’s reply was simple: Try to be more like Jesus every day.

She explained it by saying that “When we live a life of obedience, the overflow will be fruit. The people you encounter will want to be more like Jesus too”.

She encouraged educators and leaders to invest in and nurture the people around them, fostering both professional and personal growth to cultivate passionate, committed leaders. As a parent, she emphasized loving children consistently and modeling a life of faith and obedience, acknowledging that perfection is unattainable.

Pessina-Dayo concluded her message with an encouragement, “Walk after Jesus. Pray for your children. Pray for your spouse. Plant the seeds. The Lord will grow them”.