26 September 2025 – The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through its Graduate School of Public and Development Management (GSPDM), officially opened the second batch of the Master of Public Management, Major in Development (MPM-DevSec) program, welcoming 28 professionals from diverse fields. Their varied backgrounds reflect the program’s mission to foster a holistic and collaborative approach to addressing the complex and interrelated challenges of development and security.

In his welcome remarks, DAP Acting President and CEO, Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian, highlighted that development and security are deeply intertwined practices spanning multiple sectors. He emphasized the need for leadership that is both grounded in rigorous theory and enriched by real-world practice.

GSPDM Dean Lizan E. Perante-Calina presented a brief history of the Graduate School and reaffirmed its core mission of contributing to nation-building. She underscored GSPDM’s commitment to preparing future leaders from both the public and private sectors, equipping them with essential expertise in development, security, foresight, and governance. Together with a dedicated faculty, Dean Perante-Calina assured the new students of a supportive and dynamic learning environment.

Providing an overview of the program, MPM-DevSec Program Manager Alyn Joy D. Baltazar encouraged participants to maximize the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in the intersecting fields of public management, development, and security.

To inspire the incoming batch, MPM-DevSec Batch 1 alumna Sol Masqueda, EnP, MPM shared her reflections on the program. She spoke about its pivotal role in advancing her career and strengthening her community work, and expressed optimism that the new cohort would also benefit from the program’s transformative learning experience—completing their studies together while fostering camaraderie and shared purpose.

In the second part of the program, Senior Records Officer Floresita Cervantes of the Office of the Academy Registrar and DAP Academy Librarian Ma. Theresa Javier provided orientations on key academic and student services available to participants.

The MPM-DevSec Batch 2 program, which will run from 2025 to 2027, is a publicly offered degree program under the GSPDM’s Security Governance and Diplomacy Cluster. It is managed by the Learning Management Team composed of Program Manager Alyn Joy D. Baltazar, Learning Manager Hanah Hadaza B. De Ocampo, and Learning Associate Jessica Marie Borja.