Coming off the heels of their successful pilot run for the C.L.I.C.K. program, the Aboitiz Group, National Union of Career Executive Service Officers (NUCESO), and Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) held a thanksgiving event on February 26, 2021 that reunited the group’s Organization Committee Members in an intimate gathering at the Astoria Plaza in Pasig City.
The event was led by the NUCESO President and Office of the President Assistant Executive Secretary Atty. Lynn Danao-Moreno, who was assisted by DepEd Undersecretary Tonisito Umali, DOH Director Enrique Tayag, and DOLE Assistant Secretary Mariano Alquiza in handing out Plaques of Appreciation to all those who painstakingly worked to ensure the successful implementation of the first run of capacity-building efforts for senior career government officials.
It is our hope that this newly-acquired knowledge, techniques, and skills will not end here but will continue to be applied in our respective agencies like a candlewick that will ignite, spread, and give light to guide us and our colleagues in making decisions and actions that are good, appropriate, and ethical for the benefit of our stakeholders, our countrymen, and the nation.
-Atty. Lynn Danao-Moreno, NUCESO President and Office of the President Assistant Executive Secretary
The C.L.I.C.K. program began its pilot run in October 2020 with a pioneer batch of 31 co-learners who hold senior-level positions from 25 different government agencies of the Philippines. After an extensive five-week asynchronous and synchronous learning program, the participants integrated their key learnings into their individual capstone projects for implementation in their respective agencies, a planned way forward that improves their real-work situations.
Its virtual graduation ceremony held on November 24, 2020 marked a milestone for NUCESO in its push for continuous learning for all CESOs and CESEs to further equip government officials in their role of leading the country in the new normal. Keynote speakers were world-renowned futurists Dr. Riel Miller, UNESCO Head of Futures Literacy, and Dr. Anita Sykes-Kelleher, Founder and Director, Designer Futures Australia. A congratulatory message was also given by Hon. Alicia dela Rosa-Bala, Chairperson of both Civil Service Commission (CSC) and Career Executive Service Board as well as a member of DAP Board of Trustees.
“I’d like to extend my heartfelt appreciation for your passion for self-improvement and commitment to public service. The CSC is proud of you. I urge you to continue to pursue excellence and persevere as leaders of the Philippine bureaucracy,” said the CSC Chairperson, Rosa-Bala. “May your certificates of today’s ceremony remind you of all the unique learning experiences and put it to practice in order to provide an efficient, effective, and accountable service to the public. And whatever setbacks that come your way, continue to keep the fire in your heart in serving the Filipino people. Wherever you go, be a lingkod bayani!”
The results of the C.L.I.C.K. executive course go beyond the program as it is now up to the co-learners to implement their capstone projects. Both Bangsamoro Transition Authority Member Don Mustapha A. Loong and PEZA Deputy Director General Tereso O. Panga received Certificates of Recognition as ‘Best Policy Foresight Paper’ while DepEd Usec. Revsee Escobedo, CHED-UniFAST Executive Director Ryan Estevez, and Virata School of Business Dean Joel Tan-Torres each received special citations for ‘Superior Policy Foresight Paper’.
It is an upgrading and updating of our new knowledge, ideas, studies, and systems and concepts. The course really opened the opportunity for me to do my own self-assessment after learning the different leadership and management concepts that I am practicing. I would like to thank the Aboitiz Group, DAP, NUCESO, and our speakers and lecturers for giving this privilege to participate and be one of the founding CLICKers, for what I am and what I will be after these great learnings as a CLICKer, ito po ay para sa bayan at sa aking mga kababayan!
– BGen. Charito B. Plaza, Director General, Philippine Economic Zone Authority
My takeaway from the C.L.I.C.K would be three areas of learning as mentioned—foresight planning, futures thinking, innovation, and I think there is nothing esoteric about these words or about these areas. To me, this only means that we could do much, much better in government if we can think ahead, we can plan the resources cognizant with our plans, and we are always reminded that nothing is constant in the bureaucracy and that resources are very finite, and that the resources are really the people’s money.
– Joji Aragon*, Undersecretary, Department of Labor and Employment
Aboitiz Group President & CEO Sabin M. Aboitiz, in a message during the C.L.I.C.K. launch, said: “Given that public service covers a wide range of responsibilities, it really is to our collective benefit that our CESOs receive the right kind of support to become even better leaders not only in their respective agencies but, more so, to the greater communities they belong to. This is especially relevant right now as the entire world grapples with COVID-19.”
“The public servant is a unique professional, operating in a unique environment, and one that is demanded to continuously develop, capacitate, and improve him or herself,” explained DAP President, Atty. Engelbert Caronan Jr. “Through the close collaboration of DAP-GSPDM, the Aboitiz Group, and NUCESO, we have successfully initiated a program that enables the capacitating and upskilling of government executives. Let’s continue to drive meaningful change for people and country.”
C.L.I.C.K. underscores the importance of having strong partnerships between the public and private sectors in filling in resource gaps to address the monumental demands of serving Filipinos. The Aboitiz Group is optimistic that the program will create a positive impact across entire sectors towards a united front on the path to recovery.
