Manila, Philippines – The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), in partnership with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), trained 32 public sector professionals from 15 APO member economies through the Development of Public-Sector Productivity Specialists (DPSPS) program held at the Kingsford Hotel Manila, Parañaque City. 

The two-week workshop aimed to strengthen the competencies of government officials to become productivity specialists capable of championing reforms, initiating innovation, and driving performance improvements in their respective organizations. 

Resource experts led the sessions, including Dr. John Antony Xavier of Perdana University (Malaysia), Dr. Myung Jae Moon of Yonsei University (Republic of Korea), Maria Rosario Ablan and Mr. Peter Dan Baon of the Development Academy of the Philippines, and Mr. Elmer Peramo of the Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute. Their sessions focused on strategic frameworks, leadership, measurement tools, and real-world applications.

APO Multi-country Program Officer Dr. Jose Elvinia also introduced the Public-sector Productivity Program Framework and Broad Action Plan, underscoring the critical role of productivity specialists in elevating managerial capabilities, enhancing staff motivation, and modernizing work processes. 

Participants engaged in case study presentations and observed best practices in productivity during site visits to the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG). Insights from these visits were consolidated and presented during the program’s culminating activity.

In his closing message, DAP Acting President and CEO, Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian, emphasized the importance of building a strong productivity community. He lauded the participants’ commitment to becoming agents of productivity and urged them to carry their learnings and foster cross-borders collaboration to drive transformative change in the public sector.  

The APO-DPSPS remains one of APO’s flagship training programs for public-sector productivity. It stands as a testament to the value of regional collaboration, innovation, and future-readiness in shaping more responsive and effective government institutions.