UPOU and PPSC officials sign memorandum of agreement. (From left: Dean Primo G Garcia; Chancellor Melinda dP. Bandalaria; President Ricardo de Leon; and Dean Mauricio V. Ramos)The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) facilitated a seminar-workshop for faculty members of the Master in Crisis and Disaster Risk Management (MCDRM) program of the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC)on 20-21 June 2016, UP Hotel, Diliman, Quezon City. The MCDRM program was developed in response to Republic Act No. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, and as part of its mandate as the Center for Excellence in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management. The seminar-workshop organized by UPOU is part of its thrust as a public service university and part of the RA 10650 or the Open Distance Learning (ODL) Act wherein UPOU was designated to lead in the development of ODL in the country.
The seminar-workshop was conducted to help build the capabilities of PPSC faculty members to teach MCDRM and their other degree programs via the blended learning mode — an integration of online and face-to-face teaching strategies. Nineteen participants took part in the seminar-workshop which included topics such as blended learning concepts; selecting appropriate online learning resource; designing learning activities; facilitating online learning; building a community of learning; course mapping; preparing course and study guides, learning management systems, and various technologies that can be used for blended learning.
The resource persons from UPOU were Dr. Melinda dela Pena Bandalaria, UPOU Chancellor; Dr. Primo Garcia, Dean of Faculty of Management and Development Studies; Dr. Joane Serrano, Director of Multimedia Center and Information Office; and Assistant Professors Rita Ramos, Aurora Lacaste, Reinald Adrian Pugoy, and Roberto Figueroa, Jr.
After the seminar-workshop, the UPOU and PPSC held a ceremonial signing of the memoranda of understanding which states the UPOU and PPSC will collaborate and to perpetuate the Master in Crisis and Disaster Risk and Management as a specialized educational offering of the PPSC. In addition, UPOU will make available open and educational resources (OERs) developed during the collaboration.
The PPSC provides continuing education, training, and human resource development to all personnel of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and other agencies promoting public safety. (Luisa A. Gelisan, Multimedia Center)
