UV to launch leadership program

CEBU, Philippines - The University of the Visayas will launch this Saturday the UV Lecture Leadership Series with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as speaker.

First district Rep. Eduardo Gullas, in a press conference at his office in UV yesterday, said this program will showcase national leaders who will give a lecture on their own leadership principles and precepts.

Among those prominent names expected to be speakers in this new program are Department of Transportation and CommunicationsSecretary Mar Roxas, former Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, and Senator Manny Villar.

 There will be a different speaker every month. Gullas said this will be a venue for these leadersto share their own leadership stories. “This program is part of UV’s aim to produce and develop servant leaders,” Gullas said.

Another program that the university is set to launch within this year is its Leadership Fellows Program, which according to the veteran lawmaker, is the university’s way to harness the energy of emerging leaders within the UV community.

For a start, Gullas said, the program is open to 25-30 of the “best” and the “brightest” of current UV undergraduates from all disciplines.

A team of panelists will handpick from all applicants the first batch of scholars of UV Leadership Fellows Program. Gullas, who is president of UV, said big universities in the country offer masters in Public Management or Public Service, but none as far as he knows has a curriculum on leadership training.

UV offers it for free.

The purpose of this program, Gullas said, is to empower the new generation to become community leaders of tomorrow. “What they will learn will tremendously help them in their career in the government, corporation, etcetera,” he said.

Gullas hopes that the ideas of leadership of these scholars will be based on servant leadership. (FREEMAN)