In a closing activity held last 15 February 2022 for the Phronetic Leadership Class, two co-creation projects were explored as part of the class’s final requirements.
DAP Senior Vice President for Programs Magdalena L. Mendoza formally welcomed the guests in this much-anticipated activity. She recalled the goal of the PLC program which is to provide the participants with the opportunity for quality direct experiences to nurture their phronetic abilities and to facilitate the co-creation of innovative solutions to challenging issues, especially those that call for horizontal coordination among agencies and organizations outside the public sector. She also cited the co-creation projects of the previous batches which covered specific sectors. The first batch focused on the promotion of adaptation of the SECI process in the policies and plans of the government; the second batch came up with their co-creation project to rekindle the entrepreneurial spirit that made Marawi a bustling business center before the crisis; the third batch presented a project about green initiatives for the Philippines towards sustainable recovery.
Presentations followed thereafter, starting with Former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary, PMDP FIC, and PLC 4 scholar Laura B. Pascua who exhibited her co-creation project titled, “Installing Medium Term Expenditure Planning (MTEP) in Agencies: The Final Frontier”. The MTEP is an advanced reform which would need to build on and consolidate various skills and behaviors of the Planning and Budgeting units of the different departments and agencies such as strategic and operational planning; developing good programs, projects, and their performance metrics; linking agency plans to the national and regional PDP and investment plans; proper phasing and monitoring of annual activities; and costing the outputs and activities. Installing the MTEP in the bureaucracy will be timely and will ease the progress towards Ambisyon 2040 and the SDGs. This will also improve performance targeting with enhanced planning in the agencies, and ultimately facilitate the improvement of the lives of Filipinos and the reduction of poverty.
The second co-creation project was entitled, “A Sustainable and Replicable Local Nutrition Program Founded on Community”. This focused on addressing malnutrition, particularly stunting, wasting, and obesity among children under 5 years of age. PLC4 identified the Municipality of Kapangan in the Province of Benguet as the focus area based on factors such as persistence and pervasiveness of malnutrition in the area, poverty incidence, and the willingness of local officials to partner with PLC Batch 4.
Panel reactors provided inputs to further improve each co-creation project. DOST Secretary Fortunato B. Dela Peña, DSWD Assistant Secretary Rhea B. Peñaflor, NEDA Undersecretary Jose Miguel Dela Rosa, DND Undersecretary Cesar B. Yano, and DAP SVP for Programs Magdalena L. Mendoza comprised the esteemed panel.
Afterwhich, a Graduation Ceremony for the class was held. The Certificates of Completion from DAP were awarded virtually to the scholars led by DAP Senior Vice President for Programs Magdalena L. Mendoza and NEDA Undersecretary Jose Miguel Dela Rosa.
PLC Batch 4 – Sandiwa Class President and DILG Undersecretary Jonathan E. Malaya delivered a message on behalf of the class. He expressed gratitude to their mentors from DAP-PMDP and GRIPS in Tokyo, Japan as he described their journey as a unique and productive learning experience. Despite the challenges of online learning, they exemplified the desire to become phronetic leaders. At the end of the day, the application of their learnings to practice is what will make them phronetic leaders. He congratulated and urged his classmates to make use of this learning experience to better serve the public.
The graduation ceremony was concluded by the class singing their batch song, Here Comes the Sun.
