CNU passes ISO 2nd surveillance audit

Cebu Normal University (CNU) subjected its management systems for yet another International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 surveillance audit.

Lead Auditor Loyda Amor Cajucom and Technical Expert Dr. Rizza Bagalanon conducted a two-day visit in CNU last January 23 to 24 and audited the administration and management of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Board of Regents (BOR) approved programs including the essential support to operations services and facilities of the University.  

CNU has passed the 2nd surveillance audit though it has acquired major and some minor non-conformities, and opportunities for improvement.

According to Presidential Assistant for Quality Assurance Mrs. Ma. Mayla Imelda Lapa, CNU President Dr. Filomena T. Dayagbil has created a Technical Working Group (TWG) to resolve the non-conformities and create protocols as corrective actions to prevent the recurrence of the non-conformities.

Lapa said that CNU has submitted the academics first to ISO. Offices from the non-teaching department were still audited as part of the support functions.

CNU top management comprising the President’s office and the different Vice-President offices were audited this year including the Quality Assurance (QA) Office, Supply Office, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), Registrar’s Office, Human Resource Management Office (HRMO), Clinic, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), CAS-QA, and the College of Nursing (CN).

The College of Teacher Education (CTE) on the other hand with the Center for Research and Development, and the External Affairs and International Linkages Office have already been audited last 2019.  

Cajucom congratulated CNU on its second surveillance audit. She said that CNU has been doing well on the implementation. She said that the purpose of the 2nd visit is to know primarily what CNU has achieved in the last three years and whether it has executed well the operations planned.

CNU will undergo ISO re-certification in 2021. The offices that have been audited during the 1st and 2nd surveillance visit will be all audited again next year.

Lapa said that prior to the re-certification, the QA Office is planning to have a major review of the core processes of all the delivery units in the University so that all delivery units can be ready during the re-certification.

CNU had its stage 1 ocular survey and assessment in 2017, stage 2 audit in 2018 where CNU received its first ISO certificate in August 21, 2018, and 1st surveillance visit in 2019. (JDF)

CNU gains deeper understanding on data privacy

Cebu Normal University (CNU) educators acquired knowledge on data privacy through an in-service training that was attended by all faculty members in the University.

The training on Data Privacy in Higher Education Institutions was held last January 7 and 8 at the Tandang Sora Hall.

The first day was attended by teachers from the College of Teacher Education (CTE), College of Nursing (CN), and CNU Balamban campus, while the second day was attended by educators from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and CNU Medellin campus.  

It was conducted by the office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs (VPAA).

VPAA Dr. Daisy Palompon said that the gathering aims to add more inputs on data privacy to educators who are exposed to different information sharing and who come in contact with sensitive information that are shared in different social media platforms.

Palompon also said that the in-service training would also serve as a springboard for CNU faculty members to implement the data privacy operations or systems in the University.

Atty. Rey Cris Panugaling, Attorney IV and Head of the Office of Strategy Management of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), and Human Resource Director and Data Protection Officer of University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMed), Inc., graced the event as a guest lecturer to impart knowledge and awareness on the Data Privacy Act (DPA) of 2012 to the faculty members of his alma mater.

He gave a background briefer and overview of DPA, and discussed the rights of data subjects, general obligations, the five pillars of data privacy accountability and compliance, and data privacy threats and best practices.

The same seminar on DPA was also given to CNU non-teaching staff on February 7, 2020 which was organized by the Office of Quality Assurance in coordination with the Office of the Chief Administrative Office and Data Privacy Office. (JDF)

Updated as of February 10, 2020

CNU evaluates 2019 performance

Cebu Normal University (CNU) conducted a 2019 Year-End Performance Evaluation to examine its achievements and developments in the entire year.

The event was spearheaded by the Planning and Development Office and was attended by administrative council members and unit heads. It was held last December 13, 2019 at the Well Hotel.   

The evaluation aimed to review the objectives and deliverables of the University as well as to give an update on CNU’s plans and projects relative to the University’s strategic directions, namely: Sustaining Quality and Relevance; Enhancing Research, Development, and Innovation; Expanding Community Engagement and Linkages; Digitization and Automation of Operations; and Maximizing Resource Generation and Utilization.

Presidential Assistant for Planning and Development Dr. Floriza Laplap said that aside from the mid-year and year-end performance review and planning, a performance monitoring is also done to evaluate the Programs, Activities, and Projects (PAPs) of unit heads.  

The strategic directions were formulated at the onset of Dr. Filomena Dayagbil’s presidency and are used as bases for making and monitoring the PAPs and a guide for the operational plans of colleges, and others. 

“Nice man gud kung naa tay mga performance evaluation to keep track ba kung asa nata (It is nice to have performance evaluations to keep track of where we are),” she said.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) VII Senior Economic Development Specialist Ednie Casiller also graced the year-end performance evaluation and discussed how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be applied in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).

Dr. Laplap said that CNU has already made initiatives to include the SGDs in the curriculum. She said that based from her discussions with Dr. Dayagbil, it is initially discussed that the 2017-2021 strategic plan will be revised or enhanced to incorporate more (and give emphasis) to the SDGs.

She said that in every PAP, quality assurance is observed because “CNU does not settle for less. It always aims for the best.” (JDF)  

CNU bags FOI award

CNU is 2nd runner-up for the 2019 Freedom of Information (FOI) Award – State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) Category and is the only school in the Visayas to be part of the finalists this year.

CNU received a plaque of recognition conferred by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) during the 2019 FOI Awards held on December 12, 2019 at The Peninsula Manila, Makati City.

It was organized by the FOI-Project Management Office (FOI-PMO) under PCOO.

There are five categories for the awards given to recognized departments, agencies, government-owned or controlled corporations, SUCs, and local water districts. There are three nominees per category.

On the SUCs category, the Kalinga State University-Main is 1st runner-up while Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST) is the Champion. Both schools hail from Luzon.

The FOI award is given to government institutions who showed exceptional and significant contribution to FOI program’s progress and development in pursuance to Executive Order No. 2, series of 2016 which mandates government institutions’ transparency of public service for national development. It was approved and signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on July 23, 2016.

The giving of FOI awards is on its third year now which started in 2017.

CNU has extended its assistance to the FOI program as host during the conduct of the FOI Workshop for librarians on August 9 and the 2019 PCOO Roadshow and Campus Caravan which took place on August 27.

Public Information Officer Kim Francis Rodriguez who received the award on behalf of CNU said he’ll continue advocating for the programs of FOI by improving the services of PIO. He said FOI is important to fight corruption and is a basic criteria for good governance.

 “The right to information is every Filipino’s basic right,” he said. (JDF)

CNU admin earns international gerontology award

It is not just for personal gain but a testament to what CNU has accomplished through time.

This is the core message of Dr. Daisy Palompon, Vice President for Academic Affairs, when she was interviewed after receiving the 2019 Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing Award.

“This particular award is actually not for personal recognition alone but basically it’s more of telling the world that you have to recognize Cebu Normal University as a Gerontology Nursing Education provider in the Philippines and even for our potential students from outside the country,” she said.

Palompon received the award given by the National Hartford Center for Gerontological Nursing Excellence (NHCGNE) last November 13, 2019 in time for the 2019 NHCGNE Leadership Conference on Aging held at the Austin Convention Center, Austin, Texas, USA.

The Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing is a program of Hartford that aims to recognize leadership of nurse educators working in the academe who have worked or taught Gerontological Nursing Education. Gerontology is a study that deals with older persons in different settings.

According to Palompon, the nominees of the award were screened in terms of educational qualification, research accomplishments related to older persons improving the quality of life or the care for older persons, and contribution to the development of Gerontology Nursing Education in the country they are in.

“This is indeed one of our accomplishments as a University having considered and distinguished care for older persons for the many years that the Philippines has grown into what we are now,” she said.

“This is a proof that the international community has recognized what we have been doing in terms of shaping our nurses to become more sensitive and to be experts in the care of older persons,” Palompon said.

“The award in itself is not just an affirmation of my personal accomplishment but more of the affirmation of the world to the quality of education that Cebu Normal University has provided throughout the years,” she added.

Two Filipino nurses were awarded this year from 59 recipients across the globe. Another Filipino awardee is Dr. Lydia Manahan from the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila. Palompon is the second recipient of the award in CNU after Dr. Laurence Garcia received the same accolade in 2018. The award is held annually which started last year during the Leadership Conference.  

CNU is the first academic institution to offer Gerontology Nursing as a specialization in the masters and doctorate programs in the Philippines amid the scarce number of gerontology nurses and geriatric physicians.

“We are happy that even if the trend has not started yet, CNU has started it already,” Palompon said. (JDF)

CNU supports VAW campaign

Cebu Normal University (CNU) started the Violence Against Women and Children (VAW-C) campaign to create awareness on women and children’s rights. A series of activities are prepared for the 18-Day campaign period within the school.   

Faculty and non-teaching staff launched the campaign last Monday, November 25, 2019 during the flag raising ceremony.

It kicked off with a prayer led by Dr. Catalina Canasa, the Gender and Development OIC focal person and afterwards danced through “Isang Bilyong Babae ang Babangon”, the Philippines’ song to One Billion Rising (OBR), a worldwide campaign against VAW.

November 25 to December 12 is declared every year as the “18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women” in pursuant to Proclamation No.  1172, series of 2006. November 25 is also declared as the “National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children”.

The Philippine Commission on Women (PWC), in coordination with the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and their Children (IACVAWC), spearheads the 18-Day campaign.

The VAW theme for 2016 to 2021 is “VAW-free community starts with me”.

Canasa said that the importance of the campaign is to empower women to speak and fight for their rights. She said that women should support those victims to let them feel and know that they can stand and fight for their rights.

Why women & how about men?

Canasa said that most women still experience violence and rape as depicted in news. According to OBR, one in three women in the world will be beaten or raped in her lifetime.

Dr. Catalina Canasa, Gender and Development OIC focal person, dances in participation of the Violence Against Women and Children (VAW-C) campaign launching. / Photo by John Paul Fajardo

Women may also be liable under law. Men who experience violence may also file a case or compliant under the Revised Penal Code.

“We want to encourage everyone. This is not only for the faculty but this is also for the students and staff that they need to be aware also about their rights,” she said.

“Masa-stop yung violence kapag matapang tayong isiwalat kung ano ang nangyari sa atin pero if… walang magsusumbong, walang magsasabi… (The violence will stop if we will have the courage to disclose what happened but if no one complains…) people will continue to do it again,” Canasa said.

“We need women to encourage women to report then also to be brave enough. I know it’s not easy but the society should support these women who experience this kind of tragedy,” she added.

Faculty and non-teaching staff were encouraged to wear orange shirts, while others were pinned with orange ribbons during the start of the campaign, the bright and optimistic color representing hope and future that is free from violence.

CNU faculty and non-teaching staff participate in the dance during the launching of the Violence Against Women and Children (VAW-C) campaign. / Photo by John Paul Fajardo

Different activities and contests are scheduled for the entire 18-Day campaign period of VAW-C including Essay Writing, Film Viewing, Song Writing, Slogan Contest, Women Volleyball League, Poster Making, Quiz Bee, Spoken Poetry, Creating Values-based Atmosphere Seminar, and more. (JDF) 

CNU hurdles PRIME-HRM level 2

Cebu Normal University (CNU) Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) has been recommended by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Region VII to be a Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM) Level 2 compliant.

HRMO, with the confidence of Dr. Filomena Dayagbil – CNU President, has strived to continually comply with the standards of national government agencies to achieve excellence both as a University and a government institution.

PRIME-HRM is a program of CSC that evaluates government HRMO’s practices in four areas namely: Recruitment, Selection, and Placement; Learning and Development; Performance Management System; and Rewards and Recognition.

The program covers all national and local government agencies involving Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) with original charter, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and regional offices of agencies with HR offices or units.

Government institutions subject to PRIME-HRM have to undergo different phases which include assessment, assistance, and awarding; and are classified by CSC either Level 1 (Transactional HRM), Level 2 (Processed-Defined), Level 3 (Integrated HRM), or Level 4 (Strategic HRM) compliant.   

CNU HRMO has officially complied the Level 2 or Processed-Defined HRM in the regional scale which was announced last November 15, 2019.

Level 2 is classified to have a set of defined and documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and is characterized by goal-oriented decision-making with some automated system.

Prior to the announcement of Level 2 compliance, the CNU PRIME-HRM was validated last November 14, 2019 by Director Gina Crucio, CSC Field Office-Negros Oriental; Director Ma. Victoria Gabud, CSC Field Office-Cebu South; Director Ariel Bacatan, Acting Region VII Director; Ms. Resil Daniot, Supervising Personnel Specialist CSC Field Office-Cebu South; and Mr. Joselito Bolasa from the Policies and Systems Evaluation Division of CSC Region VII office.    

The chairs of the different PRIME-HR areas are as follows:

*Recruitment, Selection, and Placement

> HRM Promotion and Selection Board (PSB) – Atty. Dominiciana Bandala, Vice-President for Administration

> Faculty – Dr. Daisy Palompon, Vice-President for Academic Affairs

*Learning and Development – Dr. Catalina Canasa, Learning and Development Chair

*Performance Management System – Dr. Daisy Palompon, Vice-President for Academic Affairs

*Rewards and Recognition – Dr. Angeline Pogoy, Vice President for Research, Extension and Publication

Only five government institutions are recognized by CSC Region 7 to be Level 2 compliant which includes the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), PGO Cebu, LGU Bayawan, LGU Trinidad, and PGO Bohol.

CNU and Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) will be the first SUCs in Central Visayas to be Level 2 complaint if CSC Central office would recognize the recommendation of CSC Region 7.  

“HRMO with the help of CNU administrative council will work hard to attain the recognition on the national level,” Mrs. Mary Margaret Cornejo, HRMO Head said.

“CNU will never settle for less. Through PRIME-HRM, together we can achieve HR excellence in the field of public governance,’’ she added.

CSC central office would still revalidate the current status of CNU PRIME-HRM and will formally award those compliant on the annual HR Symposium. (JDF)

GPPB-TSO collaborates with CNU to yield procurement experts

Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) through its Technical Support Office (TSO) has partnered with Cebu Normal University (CNU) to implement its Professionalization program to train Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) members, secretariats, Technical Working Group (TWG) and others on procurement processes.

According to Dr. Rodin Paspasan, BAC Vice Chair, CNU was chosen by GPPB-TSO among the State Universities and Colleges (SUC) in Region VII to host the program in the region.  

The professionalization program in line with GPPB’s mandate to ensure proper implementation of R.A. 9184, otherwise known as Government Procurement Reform Act, aims to capacitate government workers and the private sector on procurement processes through a certificate course program.

29 participants have finished and passed the Basic or Level I of Public Procurement Specialist Certification Course given by GPPB-TSO and Department of Budget and Management (DBM). 12 of which are from CNU administrative council, admin staff, and faculty. The other participants come from BAC members of state universities and national government agencies including DBM Region VII, Bohol Island State University (BISU), Cebu Technological University (CTU), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City.

A graduation ceremony and exit conference took place last October 16, 2019 at the Eva Macapagal Memorial Arts (EMMA) Center after participants of the said program have completed seven modules taken on the month of August and have passed the exam on September this year designed by GPPB-TSO.

Atty. Rowena Candice Ruiz, GPPB-TSO Executive Director / Photo by John Paul Fajardo

Atty. Rowena Candice Ruiz, GPPB-TSO Executive Director graced the event to congratulate the graduates. She said that it is incumbent for GPPB-TSO to make procurement practical and relatable, and challenged the graduates the same.

Ruiz has acknowledged the difficulty of finding technical specifications in procurement and said that they are thinking ways for government to come up with the most advantageous bid that does not necessarily mean to be the cheapest.

She reminded to make procurement responsive because “for every procurement lies a procurement project in government … to provide better lives for every Filipino.” 

There are still two more levels; intermediate and advanced that the graduates have to take to fully finish the training and be called a Procurement specialist.

Curriculum Integration

Paspasan said that the program is also intended for the Public Governance program of the College of Arts and Sciences for it to be integrated in the curriculum of those taking Masters in Public Administration and to be taught by Public Governance Professors.

Based on the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between GPPB-TSO (represented by former DBM Secretary Hon. Benjamin Diokno) and CNU (represented by President Filomena Dayagbil), in two years, “CNU shall undertake to develop and capacitate its faculty to teach and handle the Program as determined and approved by the GPPB through the GPPB-TSO.”

Paspasan said that the training has enhanced BAC members’ knowledge through the different cases discussed. The intermediate training is scheduled on the first quarter next year. (JDF)

Intramurals 2019 institutes despite budget complications

Despite the lack of budget brought upon by the implementation of free tuition fees within state universities, Cebu Normal University (CNU) launches its annual Intramural Games with fury and fires, along with the cancellation of Cultural Festival.

“Wala nay budget ang school, last year naa pa man to, kadtong wala pa gi-implement ang free tuition fee,” said Sports and Cultural Director Dr. Wilson T. Ibañez in an exclusive interview with Ang Suga.

Ibañez stated that the event’s cancellation also stems from the decision of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) to alternate the staging of Cultural and Sports among the 113 State Universities and Colleges (SUC) throughout the country.

Though next year’s Intramurals would mainly focus on Cultural Festival, Ibañez said that the involvement of sporting events will still be realized, as mandated by the university’s calendar of activities.

“We have a difficulty in terms of financial requirements for the conduct of the Intramurals 2019, but we realized that this is not an activity that we should take for granted,” said CNU President Dr. Filomena T. Dayagbil in her opening speech, during the opening ceremony held at the Centennial Stage this afternoon.

Dayagbil also stressed out that the inclusion of this year’s Intramural Games will develop teamwork, sportsmanship, and fellowship among the students and break barriers which paved the way to achieving holistic development, which stays true to this year’s theme: “Breaking Barriers and Achieving Excellence through Sports”.

To promote solidarity during the four-day celebration, National Arnis Player Mr. Charlz Michael Y.Lucrida lighted the Symbolic University Intramural Urn of Peace and Friendship, followed by National Arnis Bronze Medalist Ms. Kimberly Jane I. Ybañez leading the Oath of Sportsmanship.

Despite the financial challenges behind the annual event, the College of Teacher Education (CTE), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Nursing (CN), CNU Medellin, and CNU Balamban managed to showcase their team spirit through performing their respective saludos and presenting their candidates for Mr. and Ms. CNU 2019.

The battle for this year’s crown started off with a bang, with CNU Medellin ending up taking all of the special awards, which are the Best in Saludo, Most Disciplined Unit, Most Colorful Delegation, Biggest Delegation, and Most Lively Unit.

Words by Kenjiro Mitsui and Jhonazel Kiskis
Photos by Ang Suga Publication

CNU represents PH in UNESCO Regional forum

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) asserts that qualified teachers are said to be the most influential factor on students’ performance and achievement. Considering that, the attractiveness of the youth to the teaching profession has long been known as a challenge.

The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for education organized a forum last October 7-8, 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand with the theme, “Attracting and Retaining Youth to the Teaching Profession: the Role of Professional Development” which focused on the retention of young talents in the profession.

Dr. Filomena Dayagbil, Cebu Normal University (CNU) State Universities and Colleges (SUC) President III and Ms. Rebekah Louise Rosito, CNU alumna represented not only the University but also the country in the regional forum.

The event consisted of five sessions consisting of topics including “Sharing Experiences in Promoting Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Teachers” wherein Dayagbil imparted to the teachers and policy makers representing the various countries across the Asia-Pacific (Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, Uzbekistan, and Thailand) information on the Philippine CPD framework mainly on its legal and professional standards, how it is obtained, who are the main providers, its present challenges, and recommendations on its improvement.

Furthermore, Rosito partook on the fifth session wherein she shared her insights on the teaching profession from the view of a young, prospect teacher.

Teachers, whether young or experienced, meet challenges along their journey in the profession. The forum began to unravel the region’s main challenges in maintaining the attractiveness of teaching giving way to the participants’ suggestions on how to hurdle these obstacles. Teaching indeed will always depend on continuing improvements from its stakeholders. (MJO)

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