L-R: Ms. Julie Ann Belen, CWC Planning Officer; Usec. Angelo Tapales, Executive Director V of CWC; Dr. Joane V. Serrano, UPOU Chancellor; Dr. Finaflor Taylan, Dean of the UPOU Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS), together with the UPOU Faculty and Staff and CWC Delegates
The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) officially sealed their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a ceremonial signing held on 1 December 2025 at the UPOU Headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna.
The event brought together key representatives from UPOU, CWC, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and UNICEF, solidifying a shared commitment to promoting child rights and strengthening child-focused governance across the country.
The principal signatories include Dr. Joane V. Serrano, UPOU Chancellor; Dr. Finaflor Taylan, Dean of the UPOU Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS); and Usec. Angelo Tapales, Executive Director V of CWC. The signing was witnessed by Dir. Anna Liza F. Bonagua, CESO III — Director of DILG-Bureau of Local Government Development, and Ms. Lea Marasigan, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Social Policy Specialist.
Principal signatories during the ceremonial sealing of the partnership
In her remarks, Dr. Serrano highlighted the significance of this collaboration in shaping future-ready governance that centers on the needs and voices of children. She noted that the partnership opens new pathways for learning, research, and advocacy, and will help nurture leaders who embody compassion, integrity, and a deep commitment to safeguarding children’s rights across all levels of governance.
Usec. Tapales described the MOU as an important milestone in the agency’s five decades of championing children’s welfare. He expressed appreciation for UPOU’s support in helping the state advance child welfare efforts. He underscored the need for transparency and called for stronger monitoring to ensure that local government units allocate resources responsibly for children.
Dir. Bonagua reaffirmed the department’s strong commitment to implementing child-friendly governance, expressing appreciation for UPOU and CWC’s joint efforts to advance child rights education and practice nationwide.
Ms. Marasigan described the partnership as a meaningful step toward institutionalizing child-rights-based public finance at a national level. She noted that the collaboration demonstrates a shared dedication to scaling training, strengthening advocacy, and reaching more government institutions through evidence-based, rights-centered learning.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the presentation of the Child-Rights-Based Public Finance Management (CRBPFM) initiative. The MOU outlines several key areas of cooperation, including development, piloting, and co-management of the CRBPFM Course through UPOU platforms; exploring potential credit loading for course takers; sharing data and information for research, policy, and capacity-building initiatives; joint ownership of research outputs and innovations; pursuit of future academic, research, and advocacy collaborations rooted in mutual benefit and institutional autonomy; and continued support from UNICEF to strengthen and sustain the course modules.
Dr. Joane Serrano and USec Angelo Tapales exchange institutional gifts.
UPOU and CWC also marked the occasion with an exchange of institutional gifts.
Both institutions acknowledged that this partnership is dynamic and evolving, with future agreements to refine areas of cooperation as the project advances. The ceremonial signing marks a shared resolve to champion children’s rights in governance, public finance, and community-building efforts.
Written by Marinela Hernandez | Edited by Anna Cañas-Llamas and Primo Garcia | Photos by Genesis Faith Coronel
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