The study explores how leadership competence fosters participation in ISO-accredited private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in South Cotabato. It analyzes how leadership impacts institutional climates by assessing the effect of strategic planning, decision-making, professional development, and empowerment on workers' communication, commitment, collaboration, and recognition systems. Employing descriptive-correlation and comparative research design, data was acquired through standardized Likert scale questionnaires from 45 administrators and 126 employees in two PHEIs. The findings reveal a generally favorable opinion of leadership qualities and engagement in cultural activities, with the highest marks on professional progress. Nevertheless, the correlation study found a very weak correlation between leadership competence and cultural participation, suggesting that other factors might affect this interaction. However, results indicated a significant difference in the leadership competence and culture of engagement among employees when categorized by private higher education institutions. The study asserts that while leadership competence is crucial, we must also consider other elements to understand and fully foster cultural engagement.

Keywords: leadership proficiency, engagement-oriented culture, private tertiary education institutions