SU among PH delegates to a CLRG and edu-connect program

Silliman University delegates visit Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages with Wen-Yi Zhen (WUUL, Dean of International Affairs).

Silliman University (SU) joined a delegation of local government officials, organizations, and educational institutions on an educational trip to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, held from September 28 to October 3, 2024.

The trip, organized by the Center for Local and Regional Governance (CLRG) in partnership with Edu-Connect, aimed  to foster international collaboration, promote sustainable growth, and showcase best practices in regional governance, focusing on community development and aesthetics.

Participants engaged in a variety of educational programs, site visits, and discussions with local leaders, learning about innovative strategies used in Taiwan for regional development. Topics explored during the tour included “Cultural Governance, City Aesthetics, and Public-Private Partnership,” “City Learning Tour as a Training Tool,” “Enabling Governance for a Good Life: 1999 Citizen Complaint Management and Policy Coordination,” “Kaohsiung City Government Social Housing,” and “Smart City Development and Intelligent Transportation.”

Seth Regine Serdan, a faculty member of the SU Elementary Department and one of the participants, said, “We were immersed in Kaohsiung City’s government transparency, from its projects to the responsiveness of their 1999 hotlines. Three words that we learned from the city immersion are Responsive, Responsible, and Accountable.”

Silliman University delegates visit Chang Jung Christian University with Min-Yun Li (CJCU, Dean of International Affairs).

The delegation also attended the prestigious Yuan Ye Award 2024 ceremony at the Weiwuying National Fine Arts Center, where they had the opportunity to visit some of the award recipients near Kaohsiung. This experience allowed them to learn about local place-making initiatives and community aesthetics.

In addition to these activities, the SU team visited Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages and Chang Jung Christian University (CJCU). At CJCU, the group was warmly welcomed by University President Yung-Lung Lee and Chairman of the Board Dr. Hwang Jen-Chun. CJCU, a private institution founded by the Presbyterian Church, is a member of the Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia (ACUCA), of which Silliman University is also a member.

SU’s involvement was a direct result of the campus visit of Dr. Eing Ming-Wu, Senior Managing Advisor of Edu-Connect and UP-NCPAG Visiting Professor, along with Dexter Lloyd Sularte, Master of Public Administration student at UP-NCPAG and an alumnus of SU’s School of Public Affairs and Governance (SU-SPAG). They facilitated the university’s inclusion in the delegation to represent the academic sector along with UP.

The SU representatives included  Atty. May Pono, member of the Board of Trustees; Dr. Mark Anthony Salve, chairperson of the Public Administration Program at the School of Public Affairs and Governance (SPAG); Fermar Macatiguib, SPAG lecturer; as well as Foreign Affairs students, Jeyah Culanag, Sophie Rodrigazo and Lynnette Layon; and Political Science students, Gianna Aguilar, Crissan Bantaya, and Eijan Uy.

Yuan Ye Awards Philippine Delegation in Kaohsiung, Taiwan with (L-R, back) Mr. Eijan Uy, Mr. Fermar Macatiguib, Ms. Jeyah Calunag, Mr. Crissan Bantaya, Ms. Gianna Aguilar, Mr. Marion C. Mamauag,, Mr. Tristan Jade Cruz, Ms. Marina Campos, Mr. Tristan Jade Cruz, Ms. Amalia Dionco, Ms. Lynnette Layon, Ms. Seth Regine E. Serdan, Ms. Sophie Rodrigazo, Mr. Dexter Sularte, Ms. Maricris Delos Santos, (L-R, front) Mr. Mel Logronio, Mr. Juanito Ho, Mr. Juan Miguel Araneta, Ms. Atty. May Aguilar, Ms. Gisela Z. Kalalo, Dr. Reginald Ugaddan, Dr. Wu Eing- Ming, Mrs. Wu Mei, Dr. Mark Anthony Salve, and Ms. Ma. Fritzie Aguado.

Other than SU, the Philippine delegation to Kaohsiung, Taiwan included representatives from key institutions such as the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), UP-Center for Local and Regional Governance (UP- CLRG), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tarlac (PCCI-Tarlac), National Movement of Young Legislators (NMYL), Vice Mayor’s League of the Philippines (VMLP), and various local government units (LGUs).

Following the event, SU delegates engaged in discussions with their fellow participants on potential collaborations aimed at promoting good governance and nation-building. These conversations highlighted future opportunities to develop joint projects, training programs, and initiatives that would reinforce the shared goal of enhancing local governance practices in the Philippines.

Yuan Ye Awards Philippine Delegation with President Hwang and Chairman Wang of the Yuan Ye Awards at National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts – Weiwuying.

The CLRG, founded in 1965 by the University of the Philippines and Congress, serves as UP’s research, training, and consulting hub for local governments, while Edu-Connect is a multi-sectoral partnership of universities, businesses, and development organizations in southern Taiwan.