The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) concluded the four-day Innovation Project Presentation/Revalida for the Public Management Development Program – Local Government Executives and Managers Class (PMDP-LGEMC) Batch 19, held virtually via Zoom from July 9 to 15, 2026.
Serving as the culminating milestone of Course 5: Designing Innovative Projects for Local Development was the Innovation Project Proposals of 50 Scholars of LGEMC Batch 19 – Kusog the presented concepts target critical local development priorities, including local economic development, agriculture, healthcare, disaster resilience, digital governance, environmental management, planning, social welfare, peacebuilding, and other strategic initiatives responsive to local needs.
The revalida was led by the DAP key officials who served as Program Representatives, provided technical reviews on the administrative feasibility and long-term sustainability of the projects. The DAP panel consists of:
- Imelda C. Caluen, Vice-President, Center for Governance
- Jannis T. Montañez, Director, Local Governance and Development Office
- Gilbert E. Lumantao, Director, Policy Research Office
- Alvin P. Principe, Director, Operations Management Office
- Peter Dan B. Baon, Program Director, Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity
- Maria Rosario A. Ablan, Program Director, DAP Harmonization of National Government Performance Information, Monitoring, and Reporting System
- Michelle N. Belga, Program Manager, Local Government Executives and Managers Class
- Myda A. Nieves, Vice-President, Center for Career Executive Service Development
- Sheryl D. Reyes, Director, Center for CES Development – Senior Executive Development
- Monica D. Saliendres, Acting Vice-President, Productivity and Development Center
- Yuri R. Munsayac, Program Manager, Government Quality Management Development
- Armand Tristan R. Suratos, Director, Center for Strategic Futures
A panel of governance practitioners and public sector leaders served as Subject Matter Experts were also invited to evaluate the innovation proposals. The external panel of experts included:
- Magdalena L. Mendoza, Acting Executive Vice-President, Senior Vice-President for Programs, Development Academy of the Philippines
- Mel Senen S. Sarmiento, Secretary, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity
- Austere A. Panadero, President, Zuellig Family Foundation
- Kristine Joy S. Briones, Deputy National Statistician, Philippine Statistics Authority
- Engr. Jose Arnold M. Tan, PhD, Former Deputy Executive Director of the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF)
- Anna Liza Bonagua, Director, Bureau of Local Government Development, Department of the Interior and Local Government
- Dr. Francisco A. Magno, Director, De La Salle University – Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance
- Florante D. Galura Jr., Assistant Executive Director, Information and Communications Technology Office Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
- Czarina Teresa B. Teves, Organization Development and Executive Coach InnerWorks PH
- Jansen M. Mayor, Country Representative – Corus International
Distinguished officers from the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) served as panelists during the Revalida, providing technical comments and recommendations to strengthen the scholars’ Innovation Project Concepts and ensure their relevance to national and regional development priorities, as well as alignment with the National Innovation Agenda. Among the panelists were:
- Stephanie F. Christiansen, Regional Director, Region I
- Dionisio C. Ledres Jr., CESE, Regional Director, Region II
- Apollo Edwin S. Pagano, Regional Director, CAR
- Nerrisa T. Esguerra, Regional Director, Region III
- Carmel P. Matabang, Regional Director, Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
- Agustin C. Mendoza, Regional Director, Region IV-B (MIMAROPA)
- Edna Cynthia S. Berces, Regional Director, Region V
- Marlon T. Jinon, OIC-Assistant Regional Director, Negros Island Region (NIR)
- Engr. Alexander O. Aquio, Assistant Regional Director, Region VI
- Jennifer C. Bretaña, Regional Director, Region VII
- Meylene C. Rosales, Regional Director, Region VIII
- Mylah Faye Aurora B. Cariño, CESO III, Regional Director, Region X
- Romel Patrick E. Tanghal, OIC-Regional Director, Region XII
- Guillermo Manrique Jr., OIC-Assistant Regional Director, Region XII
- Gemima A. Olam, Regional Director, Region XIII (CARAGA)
Apart from the abovementioned panel of experts, the respective Institutional Partners (consisting of Local Chief Executives, department heads, officers) of the scholars were also engaged in the revalida to ensure that the projects were aligned with their Local Government Unit’s (LGU) thrusts and priorities.
The virtual presentation of the Innovation Project Concepts and corresponding papers marks the final requirement for the Batch 19 – Kusog scholars before they transition to the implementation of their respective innovation projects in their home local government units.
The breadth and depth of these Innovation Project Concepts reflect the strong commitment of the Batch 19 – Kusog scholars to advancing transformative governance and delivering high impact public service in their communities. To date, the PMDP-LGEMC has generated 488 Innovation Project Concepts, many of which have already been piloted or implemented, contributing to a more responsive, resilient, and citizen centered local governance landscape.
For more information about the PMDP-LGEMC, visit:
https://pmdp.dap.edu.ph/local-government-executives-and-managers-class-lgemc/