With the future of the Davao de Oro State College on the line, three aspirants from different backgrounds snagged the spotlight vying for the DDOSC presidential seat and presented their vision and platform at the Activity Center on May 20, 2024.

In front of various stakeholders of the DDOSC community, the triumvirate outlined their specific programs for education, research, extension, production, and other facets of institutional leadership.

The aspirants and their current affiliations are as follows:

Dr. Randy A. Tudy, Associate Professor II and the Publication Unit Deputy Director of the University of Southeastern Philippines.

Dr. Janice A. Fernandez, the Public Schools District Supervisor of the Department of Education, Davao del Norte;

Dr. Lilybeth M. Matunhay, Chief for Administration and Finance of the Davao de Oro State College; and

The trio hopes to succeed Dr. Christie Jean Villanueva-Ganiera, CESE, the first DDOSC president who helmed the top seat in the college from 2016-2024.

Dr. Tudy took the stage first and presented his vision of DDOSC as a leading future-proof college transforming individuals and communities in the ASEAN and the world with a strong commitment to inclusive transformation for sustainable development.

Meanwhile, Dr. Matunhay discussed her CRADLE vision, which includes Cultivating a vibrant educational ecosystem, R&D aligned with local, national, and global priorities, Advancement in governance and services, Diversification of production, Leadership excellence, and Empowerment of all stakeholders.

Lastly, Dr. Fernandez showcased her vision of helping DDOSC be GREAT by producing Globally competent graduates, establishing Resilient governance and administration, and nurturing Excellent and responsible Academic leaders, towards developing a Transformative education in the community.

PUBLIC FORUM: ANSWERING THE STAKEHOLDERS

During the open forum section of the event, the aspirant answered various questions from the different sectors, including faculty development, non-teaching career opportunities, student services, Indigenous Peoples (IPs), and promotion of DDOSC.

Asked how they will remain unbiased in the decision-making on opportunities for the faculty, Dr. Matunhay and Dr. Tudy emphasized following the set process, particularly referring to the Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and using the existing PRIME-HRM mechanisms. Meanwhile, Dr. Fernandez advocated for transparency and participatory leadership where faculty has a voice in decisions.

On promoting fair job opportunities and career growth for non-teaching personnel, all three emphasized following election committee guidelines set by the Human Resources and Management Unit (HRMU) and offering professional development opportunities for all non-teaching personnel across branches.

On the issue of reimagining student engagement, Dr. Matunhay stated, “As a former faculty, I got the chance to get engaged with the students, and I am pretty aware of their needs. They also need to strike the balance between academic pressure and engaging in extracurricular activities.”

Dr. Tudy, meanwhile, stated “We will only not limit our activities in the local. We will go international. Let’s talk, and we will have a very good OSA, our program for our student services because that is one of the very important services in higher education.”

On the other hand, Dr. Fernandez assured “I will support 100% engagement of our students in extracurricular activities because I believe that these extracurricular activities will nurture the holistic development of our students.”

On the question regarding Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and their cultural preservation, the candidates offered the following responses:

Dr. Matunhay said “I always believe in the development perspective in the using the Pentahelix development where local government units and the academe should always collaborate, specifically programs, projects that really answer the felt needs of the people.”

Dr. Tudy promised, “I would be helping the local government units and other units in the government. We will not only preserve but also integrate them.”

Dr. Fernandez, on her part, said, “I am totally in favor of cultural preservation for our indigenous people because I believe what constitutes a society is the culture and the dignity that we have based on the customs and traditions that we have in our different cultures.”

On the final issue of promoting DDOSC to the incoming students, all candidates recognized the need to promote the college by focusing on internal improvements.

The public forum serves as the first stage of the two-pronged search for the next DDOSC President.

In the afternoon, the candidates underwent closed-door interview with the Search Committee for President (SCP) headed by Atty. Ryan L. Estevez, DPA, Chair, DDOSC Search Committee for Presidency and Executive Director, CHED UniFAST, at the DDOS Board Room.