Making history as the first SUC in the Philippines to participate in the Performance Governance System (PGS), Biliran Province State University (BiPSU) passed the initiated stage of the PGS and honored with Governance Trailblazer Award after its exceptional performance during the Public Governance Forum Revalida held at Luxent Hotel, Timog Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, today, November 28. 

BiPSU President Dr. Victor C. Cañezo, Jr. led the successful presentation at the forum, where he presented and defended the strategic governance documents under the WoW BiPSU 2.0 Development Plan for 2024-2027, highlighting the university’s transformation through the governance system. 

The 15-minute revalida presentation of Dr. Cañezo was followed by a 45-minute panel evaluation with key panelists, including ISA fellow Mary Jane C. Ortega, Atty. Paolo Raynor E. Salvosa, Atty. Alexander B. Cabrera, Dr. Nicomedes B. Alviar, Dr. Severina M. Villegas, and Engr. Feliciana P. Jacoba, president of Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology.

Attended by over 300 delegates from the 11 public institutions across the Philippines, the Public Governance Forum, organized by the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA), is an event that gathers national government agencies and local government units to showcase their performance and discuss their progress toward advancing in the stages of the good governance pathway.

In December 2022, BiPSU began its PGS journey when President Canezo, along with his team, initiated discussions with the ISA, which led to the establishment of strategic goals outlined on its Strategic Change Agenda. 

“I want to ensure that no student ever has to feel the way I did. I don’t want any student to feel that BiPSU is not a place to build their future. I want them to look at BiPSU and see all that we have transformed—our academic programs, our world-class faculty, our innovative research, and our state-of-the-art facilities—and know that this is the place where their dreams can be realized,” shared Dr. Cañezo, in his revalida speech.

The forum also featured a keynote address from Dr. Alfredo E. Pascual, former secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, who emphasized the importance of accountability and collaboration in governance. 

Dr. Pascual noted, “The presentations today proved that we can build the dream for a better Philippines. Because each initiative and innovations presented show the transformative pillar of accountability—it demands that leaders  uphold the trust of the people and deliver impactful results.”

With the Governance Trailblazer Award, BiPSU affirms its commitment to sustainable development, quality education, impactful research, and meaningful community engagement. It strongly defines the university’s efforts of creating a thriving institution that excels amidst change with the collective effort of its faculty, staff, students, partners and stakeholders from both  campuses.

In his closing remarks, ISA Chief Executive Evaristo S. Francisco, Jr. congratulated the 11 participating public institutions and  emphasized  the importance of transparency, accountability, and excellence in governance.

“The awards you received today  elevate not only your respective institutions but the lives of the many people in the communities you serve,” he closed. 

Joining Dr. Cañezo at the forum were Executive Assistant Joedel Peñaranda, University and Board Secretary Dr. Ralph Arvic Arcenal, Institutional Planning Office Director Engr. Jessie Mari Cerera, University Media and Information Office Director Apple Joy Balondo-Visitacion, Planning Officer I Engr. Ronn Lenard Napala, and UMIO Staff Ralph L. Javines.

Having successfully completed the initiation stage of the PGS, BiPSU now aims to progress through the next stages—the compliance stage, proficiency stage, and institutional stage. 

Congratulations, BiPSU!

#WoWBiPSU