Showing posts with label UP Open University. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UP Open University. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Getting A New Sablay: Because the Public Deserves the Best

 

 


Last December 16, 2023, I donned my second sablay at UP Open University in Los BaƱos, Laguna. The first was four years ago for my Diploma in Land Use Planning. This time, for my master’s degree in Public Management to which I majored in Local Government and Regional Administration (LGRA).

 

Some have asked me what would now be my next plan. My reply was, I do not know yet, because when I enrolled in both courses I was not thinking of the future rather I was preoccupied with my self-imposed belief that my previous and today’s positions should be matched with a good academic background because such would help me give the best service to the people, the brand of service that they rightfully deserve. And which university can provide me such good academic background other than can be provided by the best university in the country and one of the “bests” in the world, the University of the Philippines.

 

Thankfully, there is the UP Open University that made UP education readily accessible to someone like me who lives and work in the province and definitely cannot make it to a UP physical campus. Thanks, too, to the professors from the UP System who generously shared their time and brilliance to us learners. Gratitude as well to modern communications technology that bridged the distance.

 

In 2017, right after passing the board exam for environmental planner which made me qualified to occupy planning and development position on an assistant or department head level in the local government unit, I felt I am still inadequate, knowledge and technical-wise. By the way, I was only qualified to take the planner’s board because I was an incumbent planning officer in our LGU by virtue of the five-year grace period that was guaranteed by RA10587 or the Environmental Planning Act of 2013; which means after 2019, all applicants for the board exam should be a graduate of environment planning or urban planning or related courses. The classes for the Diploma in Land Use Planning were delivered fully online for the first to three semesters and for the last semester a practicum is required where students have to physically meet together with the professor to conduct actual planning workshop. The coursework was a huge challenge for a learner like me who have been away from school for fifteen years. Self-doubt as in questioning my ability consumed me but have considered it to be useful as it flexed my self-discipline and perseverance. In 2019, I finished the course, wore the sablay, and smiled with a dream fulfilled.

 

By 2020, the position of secretary top the Sangguniang Bayan is about to be vacated as the incumbent is about to retire in a year. That presented a golden opportunity for me to elevate my present status of an assistant planning officer to a department head position. Fortunately, I was vouched by the mayor as well as by Sangguniang Bayan members and eventually hired by the vice-mayor; the latter being the appointing authority. Being the secretary of the sanggunian as my colleagues know is more than just preparing the agenda and the minutes of the sessions and meetings, it is also having the responsibility of making sure that all ordinances and resolutions being deliberated and enacted are well-researched and properly formulated. At times, a secretary has to initiate the passage of some ordinances and resolutions one deems useful and necessary for the municipality.

 

Again, with my personal belief that a position in the government should be coupled with necessary and relevant academic degree, one that is above the required minimum, I enrolled in Master of Public Management program, where else, but in the UP Open University. After three years of coursework and passing the comprehensive exam, I got my second sablay.

 

Looking back some 23 years ago, what I only desire is to graduate in college and land a job in the government. I have no idea yet as to which agency or department and what specific task I would be doing. As time went by, surprising opportunities and challenges took their turns. 


Going back to the question as to what I will be doing now with my new degree and all that came before it, again, I do not have a definite answer yet. What matters now is I can assure the public that I am now prepared more than ever to serve them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Finally, Wore my Sablay for the Diploma in Land Use Planning at UP Open University


In the early part of 2017, I applied both for the EnP Board Exam  at the PRC and for admission at the University of the Philippines Open University for the 21-unit Graduate Diploma in Land Use Planning. 

My intention to enroll in the DLUP course is to prepare myself should I fail the EnP Board. RA 10537 clearly provides that by the following year which is 2018, only those with appropriate degree in planning will be allowed to take the exam.



By June 13, 2017, I got the result that I passed the EnP Board Exam. After a few days, I was also informed that my application at UPOU was approved.

By August 2017, I decided to enroll in the DLUP as I think I would be more confident of my EnP license if I have an academic degree to back it up.

The first semester was really a grueling struggle for me. I was really feeling anxious and unsure of myself. For one thing, it has been seventeen years ago that I have been away from a university. I was filled with self-doubt over the thought that I may no longer possess the skill and the drive in studying. And, this is UP. 

The lessons are delivered to us via “myportal.upou” Modules and learnings materials are given by our professors based on their time frames. Class discussions are done on a forum. Assignments and quizzes have to be submitted on time or else,  points will be deducted.

I would claim that constant motivation, persistence and discipline helped me survive this mode of learning. It was all self-learning as there are no professors who explains and no classmates whom you can freely discuss lessons with any time of the day.

The last semester was intended for Urban Planning Workshop. Our class was fielded in the Municipality of Pasacao, Camarines Sur, the summer capital of the province. For two scheduled activities in March and April, our team which was composed of six students was able to facilitate and prepare the Sustainable Urban Development Plan of Pasacao. The MPDC of the town who was our classmate and the mayor were very supportive of us. These were the only instances where our class had the chance to meet face-to-face. While doing our class project, we have grown closer as if we have been together for the last couple of years. We have also grown closer to our professor, Ma’am Carmi Liwag from UP Diliman (SURP) who filled us with loads of inputs being a professional planner herself for several decades.

On October 12, 2019, I finally wore the sablay, got my diploma and was pleasantly surprised to receive a special citation for exemplary academic achievement.





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