OPAPP vows to sustain PGS gains

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 15, 2021): OPAPP vows to sustain PGS gains (By Lade Jean Kabagani)

COMPLIANCE STAGE. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) is conferred with the Compliance Stage during the Institute for Solidarity in Asia’s Performance Governance System (PGS) Public Revalida on Wednesday (Dec. 15, 2021). The OPAPP vowed to sustain gains as it aspires for next PGS stage -- the Proficiency Stage. (Screengrab from virtual event)

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said the Performance Governance System (PGS) has been influential on the progress of its daily operations.

This, as the OPAPP was conferred with the Silver Trailblazer Award for performance governance compliant during the Institute for Solidarity in Asia’s (ISA) virtual PGS Public Revalida on Wednesday.

In his speech, Deputy Peace Adviser Undersecretary Isidro Purisima said the PGS pathway made them realize that "that an organization cannot remain static and must continue to evolve."

"This means that we have to learn to adapt to fast-changing realities on the ground. If not, we would be swept away by the powerful currents of change. And so our evolution as an organization began. At first, things appeared to be daunting, to say the least. We didn’t know exactly where we were heading," he said.

Purisima said the OPAPP began its "amazing, exciting and challenging" PGS journey in 2019.

He said they are aiming to "sustain the gains and continue moving forward in the PGS pathway."

He cited that ISA accompanied with "sheer" determination of OPAPP employees and constant management assessments have helped the office build its "sense of direction."

"We knew that the path towards the compliance stage would be more challenging, as we continued our transformation as an organization and the implementation of our programs," he said.

"We have been able to take the learnings from the initiation stage and apply them as we moved on to the compliance stage. This is not to say that our compliance stage journey has been easier. Modesty aside, we have just learned to be more efficient," he added.

Purisima said OPAPP and its employees committed to continuing the PGS into their system.

"We recognize the favorable impact of the PGS in the overall performance of the organization, thus, we continuously embed it in our day-to-day operations and embody the good governance principles and approaches we have adopted through the PGS," he said.

Purisima said their hard work, commitment, and dedication made them conferred the Compliance Stage.

"We are inspired to take on the challenges that come with the next PGS stage—the Proficiency Stage," he added.

The OPAPP is mandated to oversee, coordinate, and integrate the comprehensive peace process and collaborate with several agencies in pursuit of the administration's Six-Point Peace and Development Agenda within targeted conflict-afflicted areas.

At the height of the pandemic, OPAPP head Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. was appointed as the country's vaccine czar and later named as the head of the National Task Force Against Covid-19.

Galvez earlier said the pursuit of peace process continued despite playing a crucial role in the health crisis management and pandemic response.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1162899