UPOU invites experts in education, ICT and defence in its 2nd Leg of Halalan Forum.In an effort to provide a platform for participation on various election issues and concerns, the UP Open University (UPOU), through the UPOU sa Halalan 2016 Project under the UP sa Halalan 2016 Program, conducted the second leg of its "Hugot ng Bayan Para sa Halalan: A Forum on the People's Agenda for the National Elections." This was held on 03 May 2016 at the UPOU Audio-visual Room in Los Baños, Laguna and live via www.upounetworks.net.
Three resource speakers were invited to speak about the country's needs in terms of education, information and communication technology (ICT) and on defense or national security. Dr. Ma. Theresa L. De Villa, former Dean of the UPOU Faculty of Education (FEd), was the first speaker. Her presentation was entitled "Sa Edukasyon may Forever." She showed the expectations of some of her students regarding the new administration and recommended that the new administration should support the K-12 system of education in the country to attain sustainable development.
Dr. Alexander G. Flor, Dean of the UPOU Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), showed the interrelationship of a country's levels of advancement in ICT to its level of development. He mentioned that in terms of ICT advancement, the Philippines rank 4th in ASEAN but 76th in the world. According to Dr. Flor, "Digital skills are today's survival skills. Access to the internet is now a human right." He recommended that there should be ICT policies in place that should preserve the freedom but at the same time, limit abuse.
The third speaker is a military historian, Mr. Jose Antonio Custodio. He presented the "Current Trends in the Defense and Security Sector" of the country. Mr. Custodio tackled the evolvement of national security of the country, the importance of it being holistic, and the need of the government to work as a team especially amidst the different security needs of the country. He advised not to look at the candidates' platforms but on their character and the people that support him/her. He also added that good plans must be followed by good execution of the plan.
Dr. Melinda Bandalaria, Chancellor of UPOU, said, "Ang bawat isa sa atin ay binhi ng pagbabago na gusto nating Makita sa ating bansa. Hindi sa isang tao o lider natin dapat iasa ang pagbabago na gusto nating makita sa ating bansa," when she welcomed the speakers and participants. Asst. Prof. Rita Ramos, on the other hand, delivered the closing remarks on behalf of Dr. Primo Garcia, Dean of Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS). The message highlighted the importance of the vote of each individual in contribution to the growth of the country in the next six years. Asst. Prof. Finaflor Taylan, focal person for the UPOU sa Halalan 2016 Project, moderated the open forum after the speakers' presentation.
The first leg of the forum was held on 29 March 2016 with the issues focused on policy and governance, women and development, health and nutrition, and the environment. (Anna Cañas-Llamas)
