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Breathing osmosis of public service
Education and public service are deeply ingrained in his family heritage. His mother dedicated her career to educating students in public schools, while his father pursued a profession in government as a lawyer specializing in human rights. Dr. J. Prospero “Popoy” de Vera III, chairman of the Commission on Higher Education or CHEd, recalled that his mother, a teacher at the Esteban Abada High School in Manila, always brought him to school when he was still a young boy. His mother became the principal of Ramon Magsaysay High School, also in Manila, before her retirement. He said he and his siblings grew up breathing the osmosis of public service. “So, when I was growing up, the importance of education was drilled into us. Our mother always tells us to finish our education; nothing will happen in our lives if we don’t graduate from college,” De Vera said, adding that he and his siblings all graduated from public schools. “We are nine siblings, but my parents don’t have the money to send us to private schools. All of us graduated from the University of the Philippines. We are products of public schools; we were just the ‘iskolar ng bayan’ through and through.” Popoy, who finished a bachelor’s degree in History from UP, teaches political science and history at the De La Salle University and the University of the Philippines. He completed his master’s in social science at De La Salle University and doctoral studies in public administration at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He also has a master’s degree in higher education policy and higher education administration from the University of Southern California, one of the top schools in the United States of America, and later worked at the state legislature in California for three years. “In that sense, after I graduated from college, one of the options that I saw is either I take up law or teach, or to work in government, etc. There was an opportunity to teach, so I got into education.” In addition to his teaching responsibilities, De Vera also served as a consultant to several government agencies and provided his expertise to congressmen and senators. “Simultaneously, while I was teaching, I was also a consultant to the government. I worked as a consultant and then as chief of staff at the House and Senate.” His extensive academic background and government experience were benchmarks for his appointment as CHEd Commissioner in 2016, highlighting his qualifications for the position. “Since my background is in public administration and I also teach, I have a certain level of confidence that I really understand government, and I want to prove that I can do what I teach. I have a lot of involvement in the House and the Senate, from being an executive assistant until becoming chief of staff. I went through them one by one.” De Vera’s proficiency in legislative affairs from 1988 to 2010 (except for his three years abroad) encompasses a plethora of skills, including bill drafting, speech writing, and crafting amendments. Such expertise is a direct result of his extensive involvement and experience in the realm of legislation. Before his appointment to CHEd, he served as vice president for Public Affairs at UP in 2011. In 2004, he became part of the board of regents in some state universities and colleges. When he took the offer to head CHEd in 2018 after serving as commissioner for two years, he was confident because he survived UP. “I have a high level of confidence that I can do the job because they say that if you survived to govern UP, you can govern everything else because UP is the most ungovernable university in the country. So, if you survived there, you understand the public university system,” he admitted. He narrated to have experienced a sense of ease and familiarity when he joined CHEd. “It felt natural, perhaps because it aligns with my expertise. I might have had some reservations if it were a different department outside my field. However, since there was an opening at CHEd, I decided to offer my assistance, and that’s how I found myself here,” he shared. In running an agency with only 1,400 employees and serving more than 2,000 public and private higher education institutions across the country lies the challenge, De Vera said. With the scope of responsibilities, he gets to visit all state universities and colleges. Riding a bicycle, he witnessed first-hand the brilliance, resilience, and great potential of state universities and colleges. “I would be the first CHEd chair who visited all the state universities and colleges in this country. No one has done that yet,” he said, adding that he had already visited 100 of the 114 state-run universities. “I think in a year, I will finish all of them. The feeling is so different when you see what’s happening on the ground. So, from the start of my appointment, I started going around. I’ve gone to the farthest parts of the country.” As the chairperson, he said his firsthand experience in higher education enables him to speak with confidence and authority on the subject. “By engaging directly with students and faculty, attentively listening to their concerns, and providing meaningful responses, I believe I have made a significant impact. The presence of a secretary in these interactions creates a distinct atmosphere, instilling a sense of importance and value in education stakeholders. This ability to make those on the ground feel significant is a legacy I take pride in,” he said. One of the legacies De Vera is proud of is the implementation of free higher education, which coincided with his tenure. “I consider myself privileged because my predecessors did not have the opportunity to enact such a policy. Despite the challenges encountered, I believe that the beneficiaries truly reaped the benefits of this initiative,” he said. In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, the country was confronted with unprecedented difficulties and uncertainties. CHEd, however, managed to navigate these challenges and ensured that education persisted. “This, in itself, is an accomplishment. Despite various government interventions being affected, we remained steadfast in delivering education to the best of our abilities,” he said. De Vera actively advocates for an inclusive education system that provides equal opportunities for marginalized sectors to complete their tertiary education. He seeks to create “first-generation graduates” as a legacy of the current administration. This program aims to offer educational opportunities to young Filipinos from minority and indigenous groups, children of rebel returnees, and other marginalized communities, enabling them to complete their education successfully. “Why not consciously make our legacy about bringing these individuals into the mainstream and ensuring they have the opportunity to finish their education? This emerging phenomenon is something we can truly focus on.” He added: “If we can successfully accomplish this within the next three years while I am in office, I can confidently say that it will be a legacy achieved by the Marcos administration. While the Duterte administration initiated free higher education, the Marcos administration aims to make it more equitable and responsive to the needs of marginalized individuals.” The post Breathing osmosis of public service appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Better sports facilities pushed
As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Sports, I am saddened by the dilapidated state of the country’s iconic sports facilities. The Philippine Institute of Sports Multi-Purpose Arena, popularly known as PhilSports Arena, has come a long way from the time it was built in 1985 to house the Philippine Basketball Association until the league moved out in 1993 due to the lack of maintenance of the venue. The last time it was renovated was in 2019, when the country hosted the 30th Southeast Asian Games. Among PhilSports Arena’s main facilities are the Multi-purpose Arena, Swimming Center, and Football and Athletic Stadium. While the arena was greatly enjoyed as a sports facility, it also served as a temporary shelter for evacuees after Tropical Storm Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng struck the Philippines in 2009, adding to the facility's wear and tear. A quick look at the PhilSports Arena and the other sports facilities nationwide should make us realize that we should invest more in rehabilitating our iconic sports facilities. As I have suggested during the budget deliberations in the Senate, prioritizing funding for sports facilities would have been better than putting flood control projects in areas with little to no population. This concern about the support we are providing our athletes has motivated me to author and co-sponsor Republic Act No. 11470, which established the National Academy of Sports at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac. In collaboration with the Philippine Sports Commission and the Department of Education, NAS now offers a specialized secondary education program focused on sports where students can study and train simultaneously. I have also filed the Philippine National Games bill, which aims to provide a structure for a more comprehensive national sports program, linking grassroots sports promotion to national sports development by having a mini Olympics regularly. Providing opportunities to our youth will help develop their potential in sports but will also help keep them away from vices such as illegal drugs. I continue to support establishing sports-related programs and infrastructure to divert the youth from the lure of addiction and criminality. This is also part of my three-pronged approach to combat illegal drugs in the Philippines – law enforcement, rehabilitation, and prevention. Yesterday, I witnessed the Philippine ROTC Games 2023 Luzon Qualifying Leg opening ceremony held at Cavite State University – Indang Campus in Indang, Cavite. With Sen. Francis Tolentino, I encouraged our young cadets who participated in various competitions to get into sports and stay away from drugs. I have also remained faithful to my promise to visit and help our fellow Filipinos in most parts of the country. On 16 September, we attended the groundbreaking of a Super Health Center in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. We also visited the town of Damulog, where I inspected projects I have supported, such as a public market, road concreting project, evacuation center, solar street lights, and a multipurpose building. Later that day, we also attended the 25th Anniversary of Public Safety Basic Recruit Course Class 1998-Alpha at Acacia Hotel in Davao City. On 15 September, we attended a meeting of state universities and colleges leaders held in Davao City and hosted by Commission on Higher Education Chair Prospero de Vera. The night before, we also joined leaders from the CHEd, the University of the Philippines System, and various SUCs to honor the appointment of Atty. Angelo Jimenez, a fellow Mindanaoan, as the 22nd President of the University of the Philippines. We took the opportunity to voice our commitment to elevating the standard of education nationwide. This is also the reason why Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access To Quality Tertiary Education Act, was enacted into law during the time of former president Rodrigo Duterte. Today, we continue to pursue this further as I co-authored and co-sponsored Senate Bill No. 1360, which aims to widen the reach of the law further. We visited Bislig City in Surigao del Sur to participate in its 23rd Charter Day festivities. We handed out grocery packages to 32 newlywed couples during a community wedding and inaugurated the country’s 159th Malasakit Center at the Bislig District Hospital. This is the seventh Malasakit Center in the Caraga region and the 40th in Mindanao. Our team also provided direct aid, including grocery packs, to 129 patients and 191 front liners, including security guards, utilities, and hospital staff. On 15 September, my office also attended the groundbreaking of Super Health Centers in New Washington and Malay in the province of Aklan. Meanwhile, we continue to support livelihood programs, especially those that can help people experiencing poverty overcome crises. Through our support, the Department of Trade and Industry provides livelihood kits to qualified beneficiaries affected by calamities and teaches them how to grow their businesses for the benefit of their families. Among those we have helped are 20 from Dipaculao, Aurora; 57 from Sanchez Mira and Abulog, Cagayan; 100 affected by the earthquake in Montevista and New Bataan, and 50 in Nabunturan in Davao de Oro; 196 in Malalag and Sulop, Davao del Sur; 20 in Mangatarem, Pangasinan; 21 victims of Typhoon Egay in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato; 132 shear line victims in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental; and 36 beneficiaries from Lutayan and Columbio, Sultan Kudarat, and General Santos City. We also continue to support the National Housing Authority’s distribution of emergency housing assistance to disaster victims so they can purchase roofing, nails, and other home repair materials. We assisted beneficiaries, including 85 fire victims in Imus City, Cavite. Meanwhile, my office helped the 65 fire victims in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. We also provided assistance to 75 TESDA graduates in Victorias City, Negros Occidental. We also distributed additional support to workers who lost their jobs, beneficiaries of the TUPAD program of the Department of Labor and Employment, including 413 in Talibon, Bohol, and 150 in Plaridel, Bulacan. We also aided 333 poor residents in Paluan, Occidental Mindoro; and 234 in Antipolo City, Rizal. Together, let us continue bringing government services closer to Filipinos in need – from better sports facilities more accessible healthcare services, and implementing various programs to help uplift communities affected by crises. The post Better sports facilities pushed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
New maritime curriculum by next academic year — CHED
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will be implementing the new maritime curriculum starting next academic year, its chairperson said on Thursday. "We will use a new curriculum this coming school year because that was included in our report to EMSA [European Maritime Safety Agency] when the issue of non-compliance was being scrutinized—it [curriculum] was also observed there," said CHED chairperson Prospero De Vera III during the Laging Handa public briefing. "So, we changed that. The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the CHED, and the maritime schools conducted a workshop early this year. We now have a new curriculum," he added. De Vera said they already have a catchup plan for students who might be affected by the new curriculum. "But this will be implemented this school year because we also included that in our compliance report to EMSA," he said. De Vera also said that his agency has entered into a contract with the Center for Educational Management to make an assessment exam to help maritime schools choose students who are applying for their programs. "We contracted them to make an assessment test. So, we will give the concept of assessment to interested schools so they can easily the quality of students who are applying for their maritime programs," he said. "So that's continuous—the new curriculum will be implemented in the next school year, and there will be an assessment test for the incoming maritime students. That's in compliance with the EMSA," the CHED chair added. The post New maritime curriculum by next academic year — CHED appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippine colleges partner with top Canadian unis for nursing
Miriam College and World Citi Colleges are partnering with top Canadian universities to produce world-class nurses, said Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Prospero De Vera III during the Laging Handa public briefing. "If Miriam College and Camosun College in Canada signed a memorandum of agreement to have international programs including health sciences; WCC [World Citi Colleges] has also signed up with various universities there—University of Manitoba and the rest in nursing. So we have many Philippine universities now that have already signed agreements or starting to sit down together with the top Canadian universities to produce world-class nurses," De Vera said. According to him, some of the Philippine universities that offer nursing programs have aligned their curriculum with the nursing curriculum in Canada. "What they did is that they created a common curriculum that is patterned to the nursing curriculum in Canada so that Filipino students will have credentials that are recognized in Canada," De Vera said. He said World Citi Colleges has signed an agreement with the network of hospitals in Ontario, wherein the hospital training of their students will be done in Canada. "So, we focus on that [nursing] because, you know, we are famous for our nursing graduates, and foreign universities recognize that we have good products when it comes to health care," De Vera said. "So, those agreements, the other agreements, were already signed before I came to Canada. Other Philippine universities have already signed the agreements in the past two to three months, and some more will be signed in the coming months until November because there is a big international conference in Canada in November—several Philippine schools are going there to launch their partnership agreements in November on nursing program, health sciences. Those are the programs they focus on. All of that is in response to the instruction or to the call of the President that we focus on degree programs in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] and degree programs that have connections with industry," the CHED chair added. De Vera said the Department of Health, the private hospitals and CHED will work together to fund the partnership with foreign universities to produce additional nurses. "We should help nursing graduates to pass a licensure test, and that's what we're doing right now actually. Other universities have already started giving free review classes for their graduating students and their alumni who have not passed the licensure exam," he said. "So, that's what we have presented to the President—long-term, medium-term and immediate steps that can be undertaken. The President ordered CHED to continue what he's been doing to address the nursing crisis," the CHED chair added. Just recently, the Philippine State College of Aeronautics (PhilSCA) and the World Citi Colleges (WCC) also signed a memorandum of agreement with the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) to produce world-class Filipino aircraft maintenance specialists and avionics technicians for the domestic and international aviation industry. This agreement is a result of the CHED-initiated project entitled “Twinning and Training Program for a ladderized Diploma Program in Aircraft Maintenance Technology”, that leads to a Bachelor’s Degree in Aircraft Technology between PhilSCA, WCC and BCIT. This initiative is a response to the call of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for educational institutions to focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programs. “This MOA signing is timely as we celebrate the first year of the Marcos administration and a response to his call to produce world-class graduates that can practice their profession all over the world,” De Vera said. “CHED’s presence here today is the manifestation of our deep interest in further strengthening our close bilateral relationship with Canada in promoting the internationalization of HEIs and a signal that the Philippines is open for business for universities that are interested in transnational education,” he added. The post Philippine colleges partner with top Canadian unis for nursing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
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