PERSONNEL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
OF THE PHILIPPINES (POAP)

NEWS 2025

Futures Thinking: Foresighting & Scenario-Building for Public Sector Seminar

The Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines (POAP) was able to conduct a seminar titled "Futures Thinking: Foresighting & Scenario-Building for Public Sector" on November 4–7, 2025, at Residencia Suites Hotel. The event with Dr. Segundo Eclar Romero as the resource speaker, and the facilitation by Dir. Nanette Cabrera, was indeed a success.

The topics of the seminars were centered on the urgent need for the society to go further than conventional planning and to look forward to the future. Facing an era of significant scientific and technological progress, climate change, and demographic alterations, it is absolutely necessary to equip the public servants with strategic foresight in order to have government institutions that are resilient, adaptive, and proactive.

The discussions revolved around the concept of the future being not a single way a story is going to unfold but rather a multiple-possibilities space exploring different scenarios. The session introduced the participants the concept of "Futures Thinking" as a tool for the organization to identify different scenarios of the future — from the most likely ones to the ones that are desirable. The participants learnt that the different futures types exist and that the ultimate goal is not prediction but shared understanding of the problem situations, which in turn enables better decisions to be made today.

They were introduced to different foresight techniques such as horizon scanning which helps to recognize new trends, and the Causual Layered Analysis (CLA) technique that allows going deeper beyond the observed data and understanding the worldview and metaphors that influence our reality. Most of the training was devoted to the Delphi Method, a way of reaching informed consensus on complex issues by engaging in a series of structured interactions with experts, which was demonstrated in a workshop format.

The engagement also addressed the matter of putting these instruments to work through scenario-building. The gathered people were taught the skills to recognize the change agents and the critical uncertainties, constructing detailed scenario matrices and narratives for the Philippine public sector. These scenarios make it possible to test strategies against them, as well as to recognize the implications for human resources, policies, and institutional development, whereby personnel officers will be empowered to direct the change towards more agile and future-ready organizations.

The seminar, lastly, connected these skills with the content of the national initiatives such as Pagtanaw 2050, the Philippine STI Foresight and Roadmap, and the pioneering legacy of the "Probing Our Futures" project from the 1980s. It emphasized that incorporating foresight is a compulsory skill for all agencies of the national government, government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units, and state entities. This forward-looking stance is the basis of transformational leadership, strategic resilience, and lasting public service amid uncertainties.

International Human Resource Management Seminar

The Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines (POAP) successfully held the seminar "International Human Resource Management" on November 4-7, 2025, at Residencia Suites Hotel. The event featured Dr. Francis Ashipaoloye as the resource speaker and facilitation led by Dir. Rommer Gonzales.

Besides that, the Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines (POAP) leadership team, staff and members were very energetic, enthusiastic and participative in the POAP seminar of International Human Resources Management.

During the sessions, participants understood the essential adaptation of Human Resource practices from one business field to a globalized one. With the HR Departments of the same companies going to different countries, these HR professionals are compelled to resolve a variety of inter-related statutory and regulatory requirements entangled with international law and so forth. Such organizations must adopt modern and professionally sound methods of dealing with the global workforce in such a way that will be acceptable to all the stakeholders involved.

One of the major points emphasized in the discussions was the role of the effective management of international HR in the empowerment for global operations. The conference addressed different topics comprehensively, such as challenges that come with local employment laws, visa requirements, tax on the expatriate and labor standards in foreign countries.

Such participants would also concur the necessity to educate the emigrants about the importance of cultural diversity and how this can help them build a cultivated and productive global team. The training additionally covered crucial topics that are pertinent at the same time they serve as global talent acquisition and retention, international crisis management and risk mitigation. On this topic, a great deal of attention was directed at the role of HR policies in facilitating the seamless integration of global business plans as a means to corporate success at the international level.

In the end, the event made known to attendees that the acquisition of management skills in international human resources is the main turning point to drive success for businesses operating at a global scale. This skill set is the keystone for both the public and private sectors to build up sustainable, regulatory-compliant and high-achieving international teams that are capable of winning in the complicated and interconnected global market place.

The Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines (POAP) conducts a seminar on "Leadership, Management, and Training for Trainers in the Changing HR Landscape"

The Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines (POAP) successfully conducted the integrated seminar "Leadership and Management in the Changing HR Landscape and Training for Trainers" on October 21–24, 2025 in Lohas Hotel, Clark Pampanga. The comprehensive program featured Dr. Raymundo P. Arcega who led the sessions on Day 1 and Day 4, and Dr. Elizabeth A. Montero, who facilitated the in-depth discussions on Day 2 and Day 3. The seminar was expertly guided by facilitators Dir. Nanette Cabrera and Dir. Jacquelyn Landicho.

The sessions revolved around how leadership forms the basis of management which in turn, requires the leader to be adaptive and still have training skills to handle the new challenges brought by the human resources environment. The program was geared to equip personnel officers with the skills needed to create their own professional development, to raise the level of the organization and to form the teams that will be strong and able to face the future while they are trained for it.

The argument for one of the most important topics in leadership and management was that everyone has leadership in them but managing effectively is a blend of science and art which needs to be learned. The seminar went back to the core of management, the four functions of management—planning, organizing, leading, and controlling—and showed how they are different from leadership that is more concerned with relationships and "doing the right things." Workshop participants got acquainted with different characters of leadership and leader styles. They learned that a leader's face, which is a combination of skills and actions, has a great influence on the leader's power and his/her ability to motivate others and to gain their trust.

The largest chunk of the training was the introduction and detailed explanation of the "Power Skills" that are necessary for success in the future. This list comprises emotional intelligence, resilience, active listening, and adaptive leadership. They also became experts in handling difficult situations by their identification of what emotional factors provoke them, tearing down language barriers, and finding the values that love teamwork and organizational loyalty. The seminar further dealt with such urgent problems as promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), creating a "cozy workplace" for the development of talents, and leading with agility in a VUCAD (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous, and Dynamic) world.

Meanwhile, the "Training for Trainers" part has emphasized the development of skills of the participants as would-be successful communicators and educators. Topics discussed were the steps involved in crafting engaging presentations, the most important elements of delivering oneself with credibility, and the significance of using attractive visuals. This part ended with individual presentations by the participants, providing them an opportunity to put their newly acquired knowledge into practice, thus achieving valuable skills which would elevate their career and increase their influence in the world of work.

Lastly, the seminar pointed out that the secret to long-term success is not trusting only brilliant individuals or former experiences, but rather creating a strong organizational system that can sustain the momentum. The seminar urged and emphasized the need for all national government agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units, and state bodies to focus on leader and trainer development as this is guaranteed to bring about institutional resilience, integrity, and effectiveness in public service.

Excellent Customer Service Seminar

Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines (POAP) was the facilitator of the seminar "Excellent Customer Service" from October 7 to 10, 2025 at the Bee Farm Hotel, Panglao, Bohol. The first day of the event saw a keynote address by Dr. Raymundo P. Arcega. The main speaker from day 2 to 4 was Dr. Joy Comia-Ashipaoloye, while dir. Ginalyn Inciong was the facilitator.

The seminar in the public sector strongly stressed that excellent customer service is the most necessary and fundamental aspect delivered by these institutions. Service quality is the main vehicle for putting into practice the principles of transparency, and accountability, and creating trust in the citizens, while also raising organizational productivity and public satisfaction. The discussions pointed out that customer service is not only the work done by the front line; it is also a matter of values, behavior, processes, and systems that ensure the government stays faithful and responsive.

The first day was mainly dedicated to employees as the core of public service. Dr. Arcega emphasized the fact that professionalism, ethics, and responsiveness are the most influential factors leading to the success of governance. Participants recalled the major points of competence, integrity, teamwork, and service orientation as the basis for public trust-building.

The topics chosen by Dr. Ashipaoloye for days 2-4 included: Understanding Filipino citizens, communication with compassion, service standards, and innovation. The trainees were actually very well informed of the requirements of Filipino clients–that is, they should get the service that is prompt, courteous, clear, accessible, accountable, and of world-class quality. Traditions like bayanihan and pakikipagkapwa help a lot in establishing a relationship between the service provider and the citizen.

The seminar also explored service excellence measures in line with RA 11032 such as easy to understand processes, procedures that put people first, and tools for measuring customer satisfaction like the Report Card Survey and Client Satisfaction Measurement. Professionalism and compassion can be sustained through clear and empathetic communication, active listening, as well as engaging in the correct handling of difficult clients.

Problem solving and service recovery have also been treated as techniques for transforming service failures into chances for development. The participants got to know root-cause analysis, action planning, and best practices in apology and resolution. One of the main topics was about innovations in service delivery which can help the government become more efficient and chase the public service horizon.

The lesson of evaluation and data-driven decision-making witnessed the use of feedback, the setting of S.M.A.R.T.E.R goals, and constantly modifying processes based on the results of performance. Topics like wellness and motivation equally got into the limelight by concentrating on stress relief, teamwork, and building up positive work environments for the continuation of excellence.

Excellent customer service seminar ended with a plea for personal and organizational commitment. First, the program participants ruminated on the leadership values-integrity, accountability, empathy, and lifelong learning-which they considered as the pillars of customer service excellence. The initiative led participants to the idea that consistent service excellence is like a ripple effect: citizen trust gets higher, morale increases, and a culture of integrity in public service becomes robust.

Managing Conflict and Stress for Mental Health Seminar

The seminar "Managing Conflict and Stress for Mental Health" was a great success for the Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines (POAP) and took place from October 7 to 10, 2025 in Bohol Shores, Panglao Bohol. Director Thelma P. Japzon was the resource speaker of the program, while facilitation was led by Dir. Anna Zenaida Alonto.

The theme of the sessions was the fundamental necessity of handling conflict and stress as a means of creating a healthy and productive work environment. In the current highly demanding public service sector, it is absolutely necessary to equip personnel with such skills as the ability to deal with interpersonal challenges and psychological pressures, if one wants to ensure operational efficiency, cohesion in the team, and even general well-being.

The personnel officers association of the philippines seminar was centered around the idea that conflict and stress can always be controlled and managed, even if they are inevitable. The workshop also learned about human stress mechanisms and conflict resolution strategies as their bases for healthy work-life balance. The participants were enabled to spot conflict cues, learn how conflicts escalate and at the same time apply the six-step cycle of conflict resolution for a structured approach. The training also emphasized the importance of telling apart the core issues from the emotional ones to be able to effectively solve the causes of the conflicts in the workplace.

Besides that, a great deal of time was taken up exploring different aspects of stress management at the seminar. One of the points Director Japzon led the participants to was that workplace stress was just one of many sources of stress, and she later offered some very useful tools for both relieving and handling it. Among the key strategies were using a time management matrix for task prioritization and a quick stress interruption technique for resilience building and performance enhancement.

The last part of the program was dedicated to drawing deep connections between the discussed skills and mental health. The discussions presented mental health as an integral part of overall well-being and made a point of its main determinants, early signs, and very detailed suggestions on moving beyond mental health challenges. According to the seminar, mental health should not be considered a separate problem, but rather as the final result of a workplace that addresses conflict and stress in a proactive manner.

The seminar concluded that attending to the mental and emotional needs of personnel should be considered as the very core of the condition of national government agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units, and state entities. Such a holistic approach to personnel development is what builds the foundation for a public service that is resilient, accountable, and of high integrity.

2025 POAP Capability Training at Cagayan De Oro City On September 16-19, 2025

The Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines, Inc., conducted its 2025 POAP Capability Trainings entitled “Pursuing Gender and Development Interventions Towards Productivity,” with the speaker Prof. Hadji Balajadia, the Vice President of Philippine Sociological Society, and “Artificial Intelligence and Public HR” with the speaker Dr. Neil Balba, the Dean of College of Computer Engineering, Chief Data Privacy Officer of Lyceum of the Philippines University, and the President of Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE), at Grand City Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City. It was facilitated by the POAP Directors, Dir. Sam Pandapatan, the Former President of POAP, Dir. Junaida Undac, the School Head of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education - BARMM, and Dir. Namraida Pandapatan, Former Master Teacher of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education - BARMM. The two trainings consisted of 69 participants combined in total, with over 19 agencies locally and globally.

The seminar of “Pursuing Gender and Development Interventions Towards Productivity” equipped participants with a deep understanding of the relevance and cruciality of Gender and Development in a broader organizational context, highlighting equality and equity, gender sensitivity, and basic SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression) awareness. Participants engaged in interactive discussions and case studies that illustrated practical strategies for fostering inclusive workplaces, promoting equal opportunities, and addressing gender-related challenges in public sector settings.

Meanwhile, the “Artificial Intelligence and Public HR” session provided insights on the integration of emerging technologies in human resource management. Dr. Neil Balba demonstrated how AI tools could streamline HR processes, enhance decision-making, and improve productivity while maintaining ethical considerations and data privacy. Participants explored real-life applications of AI in recruitment, performance monitoring, and employee engagement, emphasizing the role of technology in modernizing public sector operations.

Both trainings offered participants the opportunity to network with peers and experts from diverse organizations, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing that extend beyond the classroom. The 2025 POAP Capability Training successfully empowered personnel to become more competent, inclusive, and innovative leaders in their respective agencies, advancing the mission of promoting progressive human resource practices in the Philippines.

Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines (POAP) Seized the Opportunity to Talk over and Seminar on "Artificial Intelligence and Public HR"

On September 16–19, 2025 at Grand City Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City, The Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines (POAP) realized a seminar-workshop "Artificial Intelligence and Public HR" successfully. Along with the resource speaker Dr. Neil P. Balba, Dir. Junaida Undac was the facilitator of the program.

Introducing artificial intelligence (AI) to the workforce leaves a lasting impression on the public. A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) in HR will eventually grow with less and less anxiety as it will bring forth new and better ways to do the tasks. Future staff members in public HR offices as a result will have more time for serious thinking and the use of the new technologies will be the perfect solution to the problems of the industry.

Discussions revolved around the commitment of AI to bring about a change in the environment of HR. This seminar provided an in-depth overview of the technological innovations behind AI, such as machine learning and natural language processing, while also illustrating its uses. How to most efficiently use AI technology to get different kinds of hard works like the ones mentioned in sometimes tedious manual task must be the preferred methods in HR, the participants agreed. They considered that through AI intervention the coming of periods of organizational growth can be forecasted with the staff requirements for such times invented strategically.

Moreover, the participants deliberated on the potential use of AI for a more productive and employee-oriented work. By the use of sentiment analysis and AI chatbots the employees engagement will be upgraded because they will feel more connected and encouraged to participate in it anytime and anywhere. And at the same time, the place for another issue, the question of ethics in AI implementation, became greater and more central. A great chunk of the seminar tackled it in which it provided information on current data protection and security laws, giving explanations about which should be followed strictly to prevent unintended data leaks in the public sector and to safeguard the importance of data ethics.

Moreover, the celebration was an opportunity to learn all about an AI friend for organizing long-term success. They were taught in workshops how they could employ predictive analytics for workforce forecasting. Hence, heads in charge of the HR gubernatorial sections will be able to do human resource planning to meet the real needs in staff requirements, thus perfectly dovetailing the core goals of the institution.

Lastly, the training served as a platform for participants to understand what it entails for HR to be able to embrace AI-related tasks and harness such as AI in their transformation roadmap in not only National Government Agencies but also in GGC's, LGU's, and state entities. As the saying goes, 'By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail,' that is why it is so important that public sector HR departments will take the lead in not only drafting but implementing these AI Integration plans that will make their units truly AI-ready thus they will be able to optimize the usage of AI solutions such as OTPs, hence leading to the increase of operational efficiency, promotion of meritocracy, and advancement of the quality of public service together with the highest ethical and legal standards being conformed to.

Lifelong Learning and Micro-Credentialing

The Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (POAP, Inc.) held its 2025 Capability Training Seminar entitled “Lifelong Learning and Micro-Credentialing” on August 26 to 29 at Acacia Hotel, Bacolod City, featuring the resource speaker, Dr. Rene M. Colocar, LPT, Ph.D., the College President of Marikina Polytechnic College, President of City College of Calapan, and National President of Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ALCU). The seminar was facilitated by the POAP Assistant Treasurer, Dir. Asliah Maniri, Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education - BARMM, and assisted by the POAP Finance and Administrative Staff, Ms. Stella Paguta.

The seminar consisted of a four-day training, comprising 25 participants in different 7 agencies internationally and locally, mainly the Visayas State University, Department of Migrant Workers, Catanduanes State University, Central Mindanao University, Philippine Marine Corps, LGU - Malaybalay, Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Sta. Rosa. The training equipped participants with a deep understanding of Lifelong Learning and Micro-Credentialing in the Philippine higher education context, highlighting their critical and crucial role in addressing the evolving needs of the workforce and global economy. The participants engaged in lectures, writeshops, interactive discussions, and collaborative sharing. The seminar emphasized the importance of creating flexible, inclusive, and outcomes-based learning pathways that are aligned with CHED standards, TESDA’s micro-credentialing guidelines, and the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF).

The last day of the training was concluded with a City tour, exploring the City’s culture: The Ruins, Silay heritage houses, Grotto, St. James, Negros Museum, Capitol Lagoon and Bongbongs. Not only the training served as a platform for knowledge-sharing but also for building relationships with different agencies both national and local. By empowering participants to design and implement lifelong learning and micro-credentialing programs, POAP continues to uphold its mission of enhancing human resource competencies and fostering competitive institutions.

The Value of Data Privacy & Sustainability and Transformational

The Personnel Officers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (POAP, Inc.) held its 2025 Capability training seminar on “The Value of Data Privacy & Sustainability and Transformational” with Dr. Rolando R. Lansigan, CEH, CHFI, CySA+, NPC-DPO, the 1st Division Chief of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE), as the resource speaker. The seminar was facilitated by Dir. Nora Aldave, POAP Auditor and Former Chief Administrative Officer of the Municipality of San Jacinto, Masbate, with the Marketing Management and Administrative Staff, Hans Rafael Cresencio.

The four-day training consisted of a total of 25 participants, representing 11 government agencies, mainly the Visayas State University, Catanduanes State University, LGU – General Santos City, LGU – Baguio, LGU – Capoocan, Department of National Defense, University of the Philippines Open University, Philippine Marine Corps, Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Sta. Mesa, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Philippine Navy, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. To provide participants with a strong foundation in the principles, policies, and practices of data privacy under the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, the training consisted of essential key areas such as the rights of data subjects, lawful processing of personal data, organizational and technical security measures, and proper breach reporting protocols. The participants engaged in group discussions about data privacy issues faced by their agencies, engaged in online quizzes, presentations, and insight sharing. They are also guided in developing compliance documentation, conducting Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs), and applying risk mitigation strategies relevant to their agencies.

The four-day seminar concluded with participants carrying not only the technical knowledge on data privacy and sustainability but also a renewed sense of responsibility in applying these within their respective institutions. More than training, it became an avenue for exchanging ideas and building stronger connections among agencies from across the country. By fostering collaboration and highlighting the value of accountability and transformation, POAP continues to strengthen its role in developing capable leaders and institutions prepared for the challenges of the digital age.