Dean’s Message

The year 2011 has been good to the UP NCPAG.  There were a good number of partnerships forged by the college with new and fresh as well as old partner organizations in diverse fields of the college mission domain, such as in:

1) Capacity building (through the Department of Transportation and Communication under the term of then Secretary Ping de Jesus, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the National Economic and Development Authority, various local government units and more especially the Quezon City government, the Philippine Science High School, and the Ayala Foundation with support from the USAID),

2) Research and extension service, such as through the Government Procurement Policy Board, the Department of Budget and Management, the Population Commission, International IDEA, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy, Philippine Chamber of Commerce Inc., the UNDP and the Civil Service Commission, the Career Executive Service Board, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Folke Bernadotte Academy in Sweden, among others, and

3) Teaching, such as a continued scholarship arrangement with the House of Representatives under the sponsorship of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. and new scholarship support thru Senators Antonio F. Trillanes IV,  Francis Pangilinan, and A-Teacher Party List Julieta Cortuna,  the Magdalo Foundation, and the Philippines-Australia Human Resources and Organizational Development Facility, and a continued engagement and leadership in curricular development  thru the technical committee of the Commission on Higher Education.

Through Memorandum of Understanding, NCPAG has also officially forged partnership with academic institutions overseas such as the Florida State University, the Meiji University, the Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development both of Japan, the Mahidol University, the Mahasarakham University, and the National Institute for Development Administration, all of Thailand, and the Soongsil University of Korea.  Requests for partnership from other institutions are in the pipeline. NCPAG now serves as the Regional Centre for Citizen-led Democracy Assessment for the Asia-Pacific, as a major partner of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, an inter-governmental organization of 27 member states. Through NCPAG’s link with the Folke Bernadotte Academy of Sweden and in partnership with the UNDP and the Civil Service Commission, the college piloted a study on the Rule of Law in Public Administration, which was rolled out to Ukraine and Crimea, and later on to Sierra Leone.

Our NCPAG Alumni Association showed tremendous support in terms of revitalizing the database of our alumni, which is crucial to alumni communication, support, and cooperation.  And toward the end of the year, the NCPAGAA provided support to make possible our entry to the “belen” competition which won for the college the “Natatanging Belen” (Special Belen) award. Our efforts at preparing for the 2012 International Conference would not take off if it was not for the avid support of our NCPAGAA and particularly its president, Senator Trillanes.

NCPAG continues to examine its curricula, more urgently the undergraduate program.

Indeed, there are so many blessings the NCPAG has to be thankful for. However, we also witnessed some tragedies as we share the misfortune of our fellowmen in the calamity of Sendong that hit Northern Mindanao and part of the Visayas.  As we speak today, our staff continues to muster contributions modest as these are, for our affected brothers and sisters in these areas.  We wish them well and we share their grief over the loss of lives of relatives and friends.  After all, we are one nation.

As we wind up the year, we look forward to an exciting and busy 2012, as we welcome the 60th anniversary of the NCPAG in June. We look forward to the International Conference of NCPAG which serves as a highlight of our anniversary celebration.  With this event, we also welcome various other activities such as the NCPAG Alumni Association’s “Run for Good Governance,” the 1NCPAG Fund Campaign to support the refurbishment of the PARDEC Building to convert to a hostel, the completion of a training facility referred to as the NCGG or the National Center for Good Governance, the re-invigoration of our Philippine Journal of Public Administration as a refereed academic journal, facing  up to the challenges of a global dissemination of knowledge. We also recognize the need for a curriculum that is solid in the foundations of the discipline yet responsive to the changing times in the country and in the world. We strive hard to open a doctoral program in UP Iloilo and in the Visayas, and to launch an NCPAG hymn and a book which is a narrative on NCPAG’s six decades of contributions and role to the academic field and to the nation.

Indeed, as we close 2011, we count our many blessings and we share the grief the nation goes through. We look ahead to 2012 with an even more dedicated vigor, hard work, and openness to meet fresh challenges.   We will begin the year with a celebration of life – and, therefore, we welcome the 60th year of our dear college with a bonfire celebration on the 6th of January, gathering our faculty, REPs, staff, students, alumni, and friends together.

With the belief that NCPAG remains the leading institution of public administration and governance in the country, we shall continue to raise high the banner of excellence, compassion, ethical service and social critic if necessary because we have a nation to serve, a town to partner with, and a citizenry to empower.

Have a Happy Christmas and a truly blessed New Year!