TAGAYTAY CITY, Cavite, 25 April 2026 — Public servants should prioritize delivering results over seeking recognition and must embody leadership grounded in focus, consistency, and persistence, according to Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) Acting President and CEO Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian during a leadership conversation with senior public sector executives.
Speaking at the DAP-PMDP Breakfast Chat with Senior Executives Class (SEC) Batch 15 Magkono at DAP Conference Center, Dr. Sebastian led the discussion on leadership, public service, and navigating the complexities of government work.
“You have to keep a good track record. It is very important because when you are in government, you are expected to do everything and deliver results consistently,” he said.
“It doesn’t mean that you have to be in the limelight. You have to be a leader,” he added.
Participants asked questions in response to Dr. Sebastian’s insights, engaging him on the realities of implementing programs within government, including bureaucratic constraints, political pressures, and the challenge of balancing innovation with accountability.
The leadership conversation was facilitated by Senior Executive Development Office Director Sheryl D. Reyes, who guided the discussion and encouraged participants to engage more deeply in the exchange.
Dr. Sebastian stressed the importance of integrity and maintaining a strong moral compass in public service, especially when dealing with political actors and public scrutiny.
“You have to formulate your own style. You cannot just be in the shoes of others—you have to learn from them, but at the end of the day, you develop your own way of leading based on your experiences,” he said.
Drawing from his extensive background in agriculture, Dr. Sebastian also underscored the importance of strengthening the country’s food systems and supporting Filipino farmers through strategic reforms.
“All of our aspirations for the agricultural sector—we want to be sufficient, and we can do it. But we cannot ignore the lessons of the past; we have to build on them and improve how we deliver support to farmers,” he said.
He highlighted the need to make government subsidies more effective by linking them directly to productivity and empowering farmers with greater choice.
“We should use these subsidies to incentivize economic growth. Instead of simply distributing inputs, we can give farmers the capacity to choose what fertilizer or seeds they need, using systems like cards or direct support, so that assistance becomes more efficient,” Dr. Sebastian said.
Dr. Sebastian also pointed out persistent structural challenges in the sector, particularly in scaling up successful agricultural innovations.
“That’s our problem—we have the technology, we have the experts, but we don’t have scaling. Many of the technologies are already here, developed by our institutions, but they are not reaching enough farmers to make real impact,” he said.
He added that improving coordination, timely delivery of inputs, and stronger implementation strategies are critical to boosting productivity and ensuring a stable food supply.
The Breakfast Chat is part of DAP-PMDP’s ongoing efforts to provide a platform for dialogue and knowledge-sharing among senior officials, particularly on emerging governance issues.
