Alumni

Applying Knowledge and Experience from
IATSS Forum & Paying Forward to Community

Participant's Voices

Eric

  • Country : The Philippines
  • Forum : 56th batch (2016 Autumn Forum)
Country: Philippines Ten (10) years ago I was given an opportunity to participate a technical training on Web Application Specialist for e-Government Promotion sponsored by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It was a six (6) months training held in Okinawa International Center (OIC), Okinawa Prefecture, Japan which provided trainees knowledge and hands-on training on web development, source code programming, systems development life cycle, information technology planning and project management. The JICA training experience had great impact not only on my professional career but to my personal life as well. Since then, I always wanted to go back to Japan, I love the culture and everything that I learned during my stay, from my Professors, co-participants, the JICA staff, the people in Okinawa, were second to none. God is good, after ten years, I will go back to Japan but this time to join a “Leadership Training Program” with the 56th batch sponsored by the IATSS Forum. The expectations are quite different compare to my first training which is more of a classroom type of training wherein Professors conducted lectures, provided quizzes/exams and laboratory exercises. I understand that the IATSS has a different approach and methods in implementing its program, and I shall give more of what is expected to me, to share my knowledge and be receptive with other participants because I know very well that this is another once in a life time opportunity to grow with my professional life and be better individually. At the moment of this writing, I would like to give my utmost gratitude to the IATSS Forum’s management, organizers and project coordinators for providing the Program and unceasingly support the human resource capability development of the ASEAN countries.
Three (3) days after I returned from IATSS Forum Leadership Training Program, I immediately plugged myself into working with the Information Systems Strategic Plan (ISSP) 2018-2020. The ISSP is a three-year Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Plan of our Department that contain plans and programs on systems development, hardware and software inventory, human resources capability upgrading and ICT budgetary requirement. The approval of ISSP is vital to our Department’s ICT needs, as this is the main plan for ICT infrastructure support that will significantly help in achieving the Departments’ vision and mission. The ISSP was submitted on 7 December 2016 and as of 28 February 2017 it has undergone initial assessment from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and awaiting for the second evaluation or endorsement to the Department of Budget (DBM) for appropriation of budget. On January 6, 2017, the majority members of our employees association elected me as the new President of our Employees Association (EA). Perhaps, one of the major reason was the experience gained from the IATSS Forum. Likewise, the Executive Board have entrusted me with the position knowing that I could also implement the learnings I went through the leadership training in Japan. The latest accomplishment of EA is the ratification of our Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA). The CNA is a contract negotiated between an accredited employees' organization as the negotiating unit and the employer/management on the terms and conditions of employment and its improvements that are not fixed by law. Last November 24 to 26, 2016 the Philippine IATSS Forum Alumni (PIFA) conducted several alumni activities such as 25th year anniversary celebration and promotion of IATSS Forum program. It was an eventful day for PIFA, in which I also participated in particular the conduct of orientation seminar to the selected Filipino participants for 57th and 58th IATSS Forum Batch CY 2017. Moreover, I was also in constant communication with officers of PIFA and Masumi Saka (Masumi San) for the preparation and formulation of concept proposal for the Alumni Portal. The proposal is currently on preliminary phase and I am hoping that I could create much needed momentum in order to submit final draft to IATSS Japan. There are many things happened for the past 3 months and in summary I could say that the immediate impact of IATSS Forum training to me is building the right attitude, the inspiration and the drive to do something better without thinking anything in return are the thoughts that I learned from the IATSS Forum.

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