The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has partnered with the University of the Philippines (UP) to launch a leadership development program aimed at preparing future public sector managers for the evolving landscape of labor governance.
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and UP Chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan II formalized the partnership through a memorandum of agreement signed on Apr. 8 at the UP Diliman campus in Quezon City.
Under the agreement, the Management Development Program (MDP) will be implemented as a 12-day intensive course for directors and mid- to upper-level managers from DOLE’s central and regional offices, including its attached agencies.
The program is designed to strengthen leadership capacity within the department by integrating academic instruction with practical applications, led by faculty from the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations (UP SOLAIR) and other subject matter experts.
Its core components include strategic management, a deeper understanding of DOLE’s mandates, and cross-functional competencies essential for effective public service and labor administration.
“This initiative is an investment in our people, and it is designed to enhance the ability of our managers to navigate the complex demands of labor governance,” Laguesma said, highlighting the department’s commitment to developing transformative leaders.
The pilot run of the MDP is set from May 19 to 31 and will adopt a participatory format focused on experiential learning and peer-to-peer exchange.
Vistan described the initiative as a model for government-academe collaboration, saying, “This initiative goes beyond traditional training—it is a concerted effort to shape the future of labor governance through an investment in human capital.”