Officials are invited to the CES Strategic Conversations in Cagayan de Oro on March 10, 2010. Director James Jimenez, COMELEC spokesperson, will talk about the automated elections.  See you there!

Date posted: March 1, 2010

 

From resuscitating a river to enhancing one’s image.

These seemingly unrelated themes have so far drawn the community of CES officials to the past two CES Club gatherings.

Last February 24, close to a hundred officials underwent a seminar on “Power Dressing” facilitated by a consultancy group engaged in personality development seminars. It is the second event for the revived CES Club; the first one was the Pasig River cruise in June last year.

The  seminar on power dressing covered areas  in image enhancement,  and practical tips on projecting a professional, corporate and authoritative image via dressing, bearing and posture. Gwen Albarracin, the resource speaker, said that people who project a corporate image tend to gain more attention, respect and exude more authority and credibility. She added that dressing for power doesn’t mean wearing expensive clothes.

The participants were game to the exercises on posture and projection, as each “took the ramp” for reinforcement or constructive criticism by the resource speaker and encouragement by their fellow participants.  They also expressed delight over the “minimal fee relative to the learning we take home.”

The next CES Club will be a heritage tour  on the second week of May in Cebu City. For queries and reservation, please call PMAD at 951-4981 local 126, 110 and 111.

Date posted: February 25, 2010

 

Region 2 was host to the CESB twin activities, CIRCLE Forum and Strategic Conversations on February 17. The twin activities drew close to a hundred participants.

The second of this year’s CIRCLE Forum series, “Pusong CESO, Daluyan ng Pagbabago” tackled the theoretical context and experiential challenges and rewards of transformational leadership. The Forum featured an academician, a practitioner from a progressive civic group and a renowned maverick chief executive.

Dr. Ma. Olivia Z. Domingo, Director of the UP-NCPAG’s Center for Leadership, Citizenship and Democracy, presented the concepts of  leadership and presented a stark contrast between transformational and transactional leadership styles. She said that transactional leaderships tends to be transitory with no enduring purpose, while transformational leadership raises the standard of human conduct. She also describes transformational leader as someone who “are visionaries, change agents, are courageous, are value-driven believe in people, are open to new ideas and have the ability to deal with complexity, ambiguity and uncertainty.”

Raul S. Dizon, Regional Coordinator of the Gawad Kalinga (GK)  Community Development Foundation, spoke of the “build” philosophy behind the nation-building movement that GK has adopted. He said that building and bestowing honor to people is important to transforming communities. “GAWAD means to bestow. We try to bestow honor and re-build the dignity of communities. Kalinga means to take care. When we care for people, we give them back their sense of importance, their sense of self-worth.” Dizon talked  of how a community which used to be plagued with high crime rate registered a zero crime rate when GK built new homes for them.”

Former MMDA Chairperson Bayani Fernando said he combined engineering and sociology when he transformed Marikina and the roads of Metro Manila. He said that it is important to change the physical environment (using engineering)  in order to change or influence social behavior.  He said that a lot can be achieved by “just sticking to fundamentals, letting institutions, systems and laws do their work.”  He added that “corruption is a sign that a system is not working well.” He said that he used the laws of nature when he constructed  U-turn slots. “The water does not flow faster by blocking the river occasionally  to enable small streams to flow into the bigger river.” He said the U-turn slots he built were cheaper to address traffic problems compared to the traditional strategy of building flyovers.

The Strategic Conversation in the morning of February 17 featured COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez  who engagingly talked about Elections 101, or the basics of automated elections. He said that the 2010 elections is “a massive transformational exercise that will usher in a new era of credible elections.” He walked the participants, composed mostly of voters who have cast their votes in more than three previous manual elections,  through the processes of the automated elections in May.

CESB Executive Director Ma. Anthonette V. Allones also presented the new policies and programs of the CESB. She tackled the new vision of the CES, programs in the pipeline and new programs, even as she enlisted their support.

The February 17 CIRCLE Forum is the second of eleven sessions this year.  The subsequent sessions will feature two sessions of last year’s hit Wellness Camp, a presidentiable forum, and a session on managing transition.

Two more Conversations with COMELEC on the automated elections are being planned in Visayas and Mindanao hubs on March and April.

Date posted: February 19, 2010

 

A forum on how information technology (IT) can be harnessed for key reforms to promote good governance kicked off this year’s slate of themes lined up for the CIRCLE Forum. More than 200 executives attended the January 29 forum.

Entitled “Make I.T. Happen!: Leadership and Technology in a Networked World”, the forum focused on how two vital agencies have used and are using IT to modernize their systems and processes.

COMELEC Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal engaged the audience with his candid views on the upcoming automated elections while Deputy Commissioner Alexander M. Arevalo of the Bureau of Customs (BOC)  shared his experiences in instituting reforms at the BOC. COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez also enlightened the executives on the basics in voting in an automated system.

DepCom Arevalo talked about the vision of a queueless, cashless and paperless system in the BOC that will put an end to the corruption in an agency that was heretofore perceived to be among the most corrupt government agencies. He said that an IT-run system will put an end to “the open drawer”, a scene that has come to symbolize corruption in frontline-service agencies in government. He said that “IT is a tool, an enabler.” Commissioner Lazzarabal on the other hand expounded on the efforts of the COMELEC to ensure the success of   this crucial time in the country’s democratic history. 
           
The CES CIRCLE Forum features leaders who share their innovations, insights, lessons and experiences in carrying out reforms. The centerpiece of the CES Career Development and Lifelong Learning Program, it is designed to deepen the appreciation on relevant issues and provide opportunity to explore areas for advocacy and engagement among members of the CES community.

The next CIRCLE Forum dubbed “Pusong CESO, Daluyan ng Pagbabago: Tackling The Challenges of Transformational Leadership” is scheduled on February 17, 2009 in Tuguegarao City. Speakers will talk on both the theory and practice of transformational leadership.

Date posted: February 2, 2010

 

The CESB is inviting third level eligibles to the first CES Club activity this year on February 24, 1:00-4:30 p.m. at the UP Balay Internasyonal, Guerrero cor. Dagohoy Sts., UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City. 

The Club of CES officials shall enjoy a lecture-workshop on power dressing. The CES Club has been re-designed to provide CESOs and Eligibles a holistic framework of development.

A participant shall get a four-hour training credit for attending. A minimal registration fee of P500.00 will be charged. Attendance in CESB training, workshops and conferences exempted from the provisions of Administrative Order No. 103 s. 2004. The registration fee may be paid in cash or check payable to the Career Executive Service Board. 

For queries, please get in touch with Carme of the Performance Management & Assistance Division (PMAD) at 951 4986 or at 951 4981 locals 110,111 and 126. Limited slots are available.

Date posted: February 1, 2010

 

Click here to download nomination form

Date posted: February 1, 2010

 

The 2010 initial offering of the CES C.I.R.C.L.E. (Creative Innovations and Reforms for Committed Leadership and Effectiveness) Forum will be held at the Bayview Hotel in Roxas Boulevard, Manila on 29 January 2010 (Friday) from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The half-day forum is entitled “Make IT Happen! Leadership and Technology in a Networked World” which will highlight the value of e-Governance specifically the use of ICT in improving public service delivery. Invited resource persons are COMELEC Commissioner Gregorio Y. Larrazabal who will share the Commission’s experience and the challenges in ensuring a successful national election in May this year and Customs Deputy Commissioner Alexander M. Arevalo to share the BOC e2m project and their other ICT-enabled initiatives.  

Attendance in and completion of the forum earns four (4) training credit hours to each participant. A minimal Registration Fee of Five Hundred Pesos (PhP 500.00) shall be charged per participant to be paid on the actual day of registration at the CESB Secretariat. 

Kindly confirm attendance on or before 22 January 2009 (Friday) by faxing the accomplished registration form found in the Programs section of this website at Fax numbers: 952-0335 / 931-5732. You may also contact the CESB’s Professional Development Division at Trunkline number 951-4981 loc. 108 / 109 / 113 / 127. This year’s calendar of the CES C.I.R.C.L.E. Forum can also be found at the said section of this website.

The CIRCLE is a monthly forum which gathers thought leaders, leading experts, and other luminaries from various fields to discuss issues, trends and imperatives in governance, leadership and development.

Date posted: January 19, 2010

 

Isang mapayapa, masagana at maka-Diyos na pagsalubong sa panibagong dekada ngayong 2010! Many if not all of our accomplishments in the last two years were driven by our collective dream to bring back the CESO pride. We worked towards strengthening the entry processes into the CES with measures to ascertain the integrity of our candidates in addition to ensuring that only those equipped with excellent analytical, communication and leadership abilities are conferred the much-coveted CES eligibility.
Our continuing professional development program has been rationalized to follow the CES competency framework.  Increased opportunities to conduct our residential Executive Leadership Program were offered to facilitate the appointment to or promotion in CESO rank of our deserving CES eligibles. Apart from technical and leadership skills enhancement courses, we likewise explored lifelong learning initiatives that enabled CESOs and eligibles to attain work-life balance and total wellness as individuals. Our annual recognition program through the Gawad CES and the full implementation of the new CESPES were equally widely supported by our community and agency partners. We also saw the success of our 8th National Conference in Iloilo City last November with almost 700 participants. This kind of attendance simply underscores the growing sense of community spirit in the CES! Above all these, we saw the revitalization of NUCESO, the various regional associations of executives and CESOs and agency-based unions of CESOs, particularly with the Energy Sector led by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). I say the last effort is “above all” the CES accomplishments because it plays a crucial role in the community thrust to bring back the CESO pride and revive the spirit of the CES.  And so we hope to be instrumental in facilitating more agency-based CES organizing efforts this year. In addition to this, we set our eyes to achieving the following milestones in this New Year: Acquire the ISO-certification of our eligibility and rank appointment processes to ensure sustained efficient, expeditious and reliable processing; Conduct our residential SALDIWA and GABAY sessions as frequently as needed by eligibles; Pilot the new professional development programs such as L.E.A.P. (Leaders Enterprise Attachment Program),  M.A.P. for eligibles and the revitalized Sabbatical that is now called the Fellows Program; Launch a new CES community hymn; Align the CESPES to our competency framework and launch the revised CESPES for an online implementation; Strengthen the CES Club and sustain the CES C.I.R.C.L.E. forums; and Complete the CES classification study and promulgate its corresponding policy resolution. Finally, 2010 marks the beginning of two initiatives that have strategic impact on capacity building for our executives. First of these is the desire to start our collaboration with the ARMM on executive development. Initial dialogues were held beginning September 2009 and we intend to ensure the follow-through activities this year to pave the way for a programmatic approach to a CES-ARMM Executive Development partnership. The second initiative concerns our dream of establishing a CES Institute that will house all our leadership training programs and provide a physical milieu for policy support activities among active and inactive CESOs such as policy and program assessments and governance best practice documentation, among others. Again I say, many if not all of what we have achieved in the past were made possible because of our aligned vision, our unity and that burning commitment for public service that we all find in each other’s hearts. I am confident that God will fill our hearts with gladness as we renew our commitment to work together on our community aspirations. Mabuhay ang CES! Wishing you all an abundant year and decade ahead.

 

The career executive service (CES) community, led by CESB Chair Bernardo P. Abesamis, lauded the selection of CESB Executive Director Ma. Anthonette Velasco-Allones as one of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) for 2009, honoring her innovations in the field of human resources development.

“We are delighted that the TOYM has chosen to recognize a very deserving public servant and we are honored to have been part of her outstanding achievements,” Abesamis announced. “Tonette is one who truly embodies the CES creed – isang karangalan ang maglingkod sa bayan.”  

Allones, who was recently promoted to a CESO I rank, received her medal and trophy from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a ceremony held at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan on December 8. Aside from Allones, five other individuals deemed as outstanding in their respective fields, were also honored by the TOYM this year including: Vicky Morales for Broadcast Journalism, Jose Roberto Alampay for Democracy and Human Rights Advocacy, Mary Joy Abaquin for Education, Eliseo Prisno III for Maritime Health and Rajo Laurel for Arts and Fashion Design.

Allones’s award in the field of human resources development – a first in the history of the TOYM -- was in recognition of her groundbreaking efforts at the CESB, including the introduction of innovative training and career development programs for CESOs. “These have inspired other career executives to step up to the challenges brought about by the changing times and complexities of governance with a high level of professionalism, dedication and integrity,” the citation noted.

The prestigious TOYM Awards was established in 1959 to give national recognition to outstanding individuals whose selfless dedication to their profession or vocation has resulted in significant contributions to the welfare of their countrymen. In its roster of honorees are luminaries in almost every field, including artists, scientists, and leaders in both the public and private spheres, who have contributed to the advancement of their fields of endeavor. 

A lawyer by profession, Allones has been in public service for the past 22 years, rising up the ranks and becoming the youngest ever Assistant Secretary of National Defense at the age of 30 in 2000. She subsequently served the Department of Labor and Employment as Assistant Secretary until 2006 when she was awarded with a graduate scholarship at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore. Allones was appointed as CESB Executive Director in 2007.

Date posted: December 21, 2009

 

The CESB hosted a thanksgiving dinner to celebrate another productive year and to express gratitude to our valued partners who helped the Board accomplish its achievements in 2009.

The party was held last December 8, 2009 at the Grand Terrace in Commonwealth Avenue. The occasion also saw the oath-taking ceremony of new eligibles. The NEA Choir kept the audience entertained throughout the night.

The highlight of the evening was the toast given to Executive Director Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones for being awarded one of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) for 2009, honoring her work in the field of human resource development.

The night was capped by a message from CES Board Chaiman Bernardo P. Abesamis who thanked everyone for a fruitful year and welcomed the new CES eligibles into the fold.

Date posted: December 23, 2009

 

A regional council working to promote ICT in the Asia-Pacific commended the CESB for its efforts “to bridge the ICT capacity gap of Filipino government executives to achieve socio-economic and development goals” during its 4th annual meeting in Incheon, South Korea held last November 9-14, 2009.  

The Governing Council of the United Nations Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communications Technology for Development (UN-APCICT) likewise selected Executive Director Tonette Allones to lead an international team of policymakers to develop an ICT Competency Framework for government leaders in the Asia Pacific.
 
The UN-APCICT is a regional institute under the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) that advocates the use of information and communications technology (ICT) among its member countries to bridge the digital divide in the Asia-Pacific region.
 
“We are grateful for the opportunity to share with our colleagues in the Asia-Pacific community what the CESB has achieved in terms of capacitating our government executives in the field of ICT,” said Executive Director Allones who led the Philippine delegation in Incheon. “We are likewise looking forward to working with our international partners to develop a feasible and relevant framework to develop the ICT competencies of our government executives.”

In less than a year, the CESB has fully-integrated into its core training programs the training principles and content specified in the “Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders”, a flagship project of the UN-APCICT. Part of this roll out effort is the development and implementation of a training module on ICT customized for the Executive Leadership Program (ELP). The said module has already been conducted twice this year – one in July and one in October. 

The Philippines is part of a growing group of countries -- including Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Timor Leste and countries of the Pacific islands -- dedicated to implement institutional and human capacity building programs in ICT to help attain national socio-economic and development goals.

 

Date posted: December 1, 2009