Category: News

The Public Service Value Chain Workshop, hosted by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) through the Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity in coordination with the Asian Productivity Organization, wrapped up a series of learning sessions and workshops in Pasig City from 23 – 27 October 2023.

The event brought together 35 participants from the DAP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

In her welcome address, DAP Senior Vice President for Programs Magdalena L. Mendoza emphasized the importance of optimizing value chains for efficient and effective public service delivery.

“As public sector entities serve citizens, they contribute significantly to national value. To meet the diverse demands of both private and public stakeholders, refining the public service value chain is thus crucial,” said SVP Mendoza.

The resource persons for the five-day workshop were Dr. Nilton Hideki Takagi, a Professor at the Federal University of Mato Grosso’s Institute of Computing in Brazil, and Dr. Ilka Massue Kawashita, an Associate Professor at the University of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.

During the training, Dr. Takagi and Dr. Kawashita provided an overview of the concepts and methods of public service value chain development.

They also shared the bottom-up approach in developing public service value chains, discussed how horizontal governance works, explored how public institutions can increase citizen trust and confidence, and guided the participants in collecting data and defining processes and macro processes within government institutions.

Dr. Kawashita also shared insights on the methods for monitoring and evaluating value chains. She emphasized the critical role of measuring performance in maintaining standards and ensuring quality. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” Dr. Kawashita stressed. Simultaneously, Dr. Takagi delved into the software tools for designing value chains.

On the last day, participants presented the value chains they had developed using various approaches.

The event culminated with discussions on creating a training manual for value chain development in the public sector, covering topics like planning, implementation, and management of value chain initiatives.

The workshop aimed to enhance public sector efficiency and contribute to national value by refining the public service value chain.

Overview

Green Transformation would require a new “contract” among stakeholders that is green, sustainable, and inclusive. During the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Virtual Workshop on Green Innovation held in October 2023, Dr. Rene Ofreneo, Professor Emeritus of the University of the Philippines, shared his thoughts on combining innovation, productivity, and growth.

Pioneering Green Productivity

Since 2002, the APO has advocated for green productivity, hinged upon a heavily agrarian landscape among its member economies. This was a call to the public sector to steer growth, innovation, and productivity toward a green economy.

In the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, Green Productivity emerged as a lifeline for economies, offering an opportunity to address the looming climate crisis. By directing efforts towards renewable energy, societies can simultaneously foster job creation and access to cleaner, more affordable energy.

The New Green Deal

The New Green Deal was a proposal for the G20 countries to shift to clean, renewable energy and support the labor force behind green jobs. This meant investing in restructuring the traditional energy-reliant societies and creating new jobs that give way to environmentalists and indigenous and vulnerable communities that stand to protect their homes, consisting of the ecosystems that require high-level environmental protection.

The Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals

In the field of green innovation and combating the climate crisis, the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) took center stage in 2015. The Paris Agreement stands as a legally binding climate change treaty, aiming to cap global temperature increases to just 1.5°C, a marked improvement from the anticipated 2°C rise in the status quo.

As another instrument of the United Nations, the SDGs obligated member states to adopt the 17 SDGs based on the five interconnected pillars: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership, all to be realized by 2030.

Professor Ofreneo advocates for these instruments despite the prevailing environmental challenges. He implores governments to shift towards greener alternatives and structures.

The Future of Sustainable Development

Harking back to the 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development’s report, “Our Common Future,” the principle of sustainable development resounds: it should fulfill the present needs without jeopardizing future generations’ ability to meet their own needs.

To achieve this vision, there must be alignment in the environmental, political, and economic agendas. This synchrony must serve the immediate necessities while ensuring the world’s continued rotation, promising a secure future. This said synchronization must occur under a regional policy framework, with national accountability, but with an impact that can be observed and felt across Asia, as Professor Ofreneo concludes.

Embracing Social Justice in the Green Transition

Professor Ofreneo’s perspective expands to social justice within the framework of the green transition. He acknowledges the “controversial” and “radical” nature of the Climate Justice movement. Nevertheless, he recognizes its value in advocating for a holistic approach: environmental protection equates to safeguarding the most economically vulnerable communities.

He concludes with a battle cry: for all sectors and communities to unite in the pursuit of a Green Transformation.

In his words, “Green innovation requires green investment.”

In the age of digital transformation, the Philippines faces an unprecedented challenge: the relentless onslaught of cyber threats. With the recently reported cyber attacks, the assertion of Engineer Pierre Tito Galla of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has never been more accurate: “[Cyber] breaches or incidents are not a matter of if, but when.” These challenges are particularly alarming for institutions holding vast private data, such as those in banking and finance, and public-sector agencies entrusted with high-risk confidential information (HRCI).

In 2022, the Philippines experienced a 57.4% surge in ransomware attacks, as the Philippine News Agency reported. These attacks have emerged as the weapon of choice for cybercriminals, targeting both private and public sectors. Data theft, driven by ransomware attacks, has now become a means of extortion in the country, which places the Philippines at number two in Asia in terms of being targeted by cyberattacks.

Cybersecurity serves as a risk mitigation effort for public-sector organizations (PSOs) as it can help ensure business continuity and minimize downtime. PSOs are entrusted with different levels of data, requiring different magnitudes of security in the same breath. The data is the purpose of many initiatives towards productivity through digitalization; cybersecurity is indispensable toward these efforts. By prioritizing cybersecurity, PSOs enhance their ability to maintain business continuity, minimize downtime, and optimize resource allocation, leading to more effective public service delivery.

Solidifying Cybersecurity in CBILLS Thursday Talks

On 21 September 2023, the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through its Center for Governance–Policy Research Office (CFG-PRO), held the fifth and final installment of the 2023 Thursday Talks Lecture Series under the Capability Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff (CBILLS) program entitled “Safe and Sound: Protecting Filipinos in a Digital Future.” The event was held at the Virata Hall of DAP in Pasig City and streamed online.

Officers and staff from the Senate of the Philippines, House of Representatives, and DAP attended the event.

Atty. Richard Leo M. Baldueza, Committee Secretary on Banks & Financial Intermediaries of the House of Representatives, moderated the discussions, sharing his insights into cybersecurity within the context of e-governance and highlighting actual cases in the finance sector.

Engineer Pierre Tito Galla delved into the fundamentals of cybersecurity, the current state of Philippine cybersecurity, and the global shortage of cybersecurity professionals. He also tackled USAID’s Better Access and Connectivity (BEACON) Project — a five-year project aimed at promoting economic growth through better information and communications technology (ICT) and helping bridge the digital divide in the Philippines.

Tirso Raymond Gutierrez, Chief of Staff of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, outlined the citizen-centric features of the proposed E-Governance Act. This legislation centralizes payments and government transactions, ushering in a more secure and efficient era of governance.

Securing the Digital Financial Landscape

Director Melchor Plabasan of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas highlighted the transformative impact of digital payment portals and electronic wallets, expanding financial inclusion among lower to lower-middle-income groups. However, he also voiced concerns about the surge in data breaches from phishing and other cybercriminal tactics targeting civilian accounts.

Atty. Christine Lovely E. Red-Allego, Assistant Vice President of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, expressed enthusiasm for the proposed E-Governance Act, foreseeing its potential to bolster e-banking initiatives. She also echoed the alarming number of cyberattacks on customers’ online accounts.

If you want to see the full session, click here.

Key Takeaways:

• The public sector’s productivity efforts demand the presence of cybersecurity in risk mitigation and management. With less time spent on recovering from cyberattacks, there will be more time and manpower dedicated to ensuring the initiatives, in the form of projects or programs, run smoothly.
• The panel discussions unearthed several nuances in the Philippines’ cybersecurity landscape. Notably, the nation grapples with a growing interest in cybersecurity, yet it contends that more professionals are needed. Furthermore, the competitiveness of the labor sector for cybersecurity experts remains a challenge, with remuneration being a significant factor.
• Critical information protection has long been a pivotal concern of cybersecurity since massive malware attacks have threatened or succeeded in compromising data. The Philippines’ situation in the matter has yet to actualize fully.
• Transforming towards a digitalized society is a shared responsibility. As part of recovery in the new normal, Filipinos should be fully aware of the cyber risks to protect cyberspace from attacks, phishing schemes, malicious links, and scams, just as much as the government must be highly critical of “when” cyberattacks can happen.
• With digital banking and online or e-wallets, cybersecurity threats have been more prominent and provoking to hackers. The finance and banking sector must partner with the government to protect the constituents’ money and their HRCI.

The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through the Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP), led the Conversation Circles on public sector productivity last 13 September 2023 at the DAP Building in Pasig City.

Nine members from the Community of Practice on Public-Sector Productivity attended the event. These participants came from different government agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Education (Schools Divisions of Dasmariñas City and Mandaluyong City), Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, and National Youth Commission.

The COE-PSP organized the Community of Practice on Public-Sector Productivity as a platform for individuals who have undergone different capability development programs of the center. It aims to promote and sustain discussions about public sector productivity in the Philippines.

As the first activity, the members gathered in Conversation Circles to co-create possible activities and interventions to promote public sector productivity and help define the strategic position and role of the community.

The participants engaged in discussions about the productivity challenges and opportunities within their respective government agencies. They emphasized the importance of involving everyone, from top-level management to individual employees, in efforts to enhance public sector productivity. This includes the involvement of those from the national level down to individual offices. From this event, the participants suggested bringing the discussion of public sector productivity into their own offices.

A total of 124 participants joined the Productivity Challenge Workshop: Discovering and Designing Productivity Solutions held at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial University (DMMMSU), Bacnotan, La Union, on 11-15 September 2023.

Batch 22 participants came from the DMMMSU faculty and staff, while batch 23 consisted of participants from different DMMMSU campuses, the National Power Corporation, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Local Government Unit of Bacnotan, Abuyog Community College, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Department of Education Regional Office 1, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., Department of Public Works and Highways-CAR, and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority.

Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP) Program Director Peter Dan Baon introduced public sector productivity to the participants and taught them how to use tools for discovering productivity problems and gaps, formulating productivity problems, and discovering and designing productivity solutions. The application of these tools in public sector innovation was discussed as well.

The participants worked on problems related to their departments or organizations. They were closely guided through the process, which helped them identify problems they could handle with their resources and authority. The workshop then carefully examined how to solve these problems and develop creative solutions.