As the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) marks another graduation milestone, the DAP Graduate School of Public and Development Management (GSPDM) celebrates a cohort of public servants shaped by rigorous learning, reflective practice, and a shared commitment to public service excellence.
At the heart of this milestone is the Master of Public Management (MPM)—DAP’s flagship graduate program dedicated to developing competent, ethical, and reform-oriented public managers. Designed for professionals navigating increasingly complex governance challenges, the MPM integrates theory, practice, and leadership development to prepare scholars for higher-level responsibilities in the public sector.
The program’s interdisciplinary and experiential learning model combines academic rigor with practitioner-led instruction, field exposure, and an action-oriented thesis that addresses real and pressing public sector issues. Through this approach, scholars are not only trained to analyze policy and systems, but to lead reforms grounded in evidence, integrity, and public value.
Admission into the MPM is highly selective. Scholars are admitted based on established guidelines that consider relevant professional experience, demonstrated leadership potential, and compliance with academic requirements, including minimum grade standards and sustained satisfactory academic performance. These criteria ensure that each graduating cohort reflects DAP’s standards of excellence in public management education.
Among the candidates for graduation is Kim Jayson Villezca of the Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Office III, a member of MPM Batch 5. For Villezca, the MPM represented a critical step in professionalizing his approach to education governance and in preparing himself for higher-level leadership within DepEd.
Yet his journey through the program extended beyond academic achievement. Balancing the rigors of graduate study with the demands of his role as a DepEd supervisor—and his responsibilities as a father to a young daughter—required resilience, discipline, and resolve. Reflecting on his experience as a DAP scholar, Villezca described the MPM as a defining test of character. “It taught me that true leadership is about managing competing priorities without compromising excellence,” he shared. “Excellence is not an act, but a discipline—a refusal to accept ‘good enough’ when the best is required.”
As a ladderized program, the MPM is complemented by preparatory certificate and executive courses under the GSPDM, providing multiple entry points into advanced public management education. These include the Certificate in Public Management (CPM) and the Executive Course on Public Health Sector Finance Management and Human Resource Development (ECPHSFMHRD), both of which serve as pathways toward the master’s program.
The CPM serves as the first tier of the GSPDM’s MPM ladder, offering a structured academic pathway for co-learners who intend to pursue advanced graduate studies in public management. It strengthens foundational competencies essential for effective leadership in the public sector, particularly in policy analysis, governance, and public accountability.
Meanwhile, the ECPHSFMHRD equips participants with a comprehensive understanding of public health sector finance management and human resource development, grounded in futures thinking. Through an integrated exploration of policies, systems, and practical applications, learners critically examine their roles in managing public health resources to improve health outcomes and strengthen local health systems.
Among the candidates under these ladderized programs are Jaecian Onoh A. Cesar of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), enrolled in the CPM, and Analiza Rago of the Local Health Insurance Office in Palawan, a participant in the ECPHSFMHRD. Cesar’s academic work examines biodiversity issues and the mainstreaming of nature-positive initiatives at the local level, with the goal of strengthening their integration into Philippine foreign policy. Rago, on the other hand, focuses on addressing her city’s lack of a formally institutionalized Primary Care Provider Network (PCPN), aligning local systems with the objectives of the Universal Health Care Act.
Together, the journeys of Villezca, Cesar, and Rago reflect the broader impact of the DAP Graduate School of Public and Development Management. Beyond academic credentials, their stories underscore DAP’s commitment to cultivating public servants who lead with integrity, discipline, and purpose—professionals prepared to translate learning into meaningful reforms that strengthen governance and deliver lasting impact to the Filipino people. – Liza Rose Fetalino