Ateneo School of Government holds culminating event and graduation ceremony for the Leadership and Governance in Tobacco Control (LGTC) executive course

On 16 December 2024, the Ateneo School of Government (ASOG), through the Ateneo Policy Center (APC), conducted the culmination program of the Leadership and Governance in Tobacco Control (LGTC) Executive Course at the Ateneo School of Government. The three-day course, equivalent to 24 training hours, aims to develop emerging leaders by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to champion good governance and robust tobacco control measures within their localities. The first two days, which took place at Seda Vertis North last 28 and 29 November , were dedicated to the onsite delivery of all four modules of the course. The third and final day of the course served as the culminating event, featuring plenary presentations by the participants and concluding with a graduation ceremony.

Morning Session

During the morning session, each local government unit or organization presented the Programs, Projects, and Activities (PPA) work plan of their respective city or municipality, as their final output for the course. During this, they highlighted their suggested action steps for amendment or improvement of their PPAs, intending to create stronger smoke-free (SF) and vape-free (VF) ordinances in compliance with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

The plenary presentations were followed by panel remarks and feedback from esteemed partners of the tobacco control community who were in attendance. Ms Ma Dolores “Jing” Causon, the Training Director for the LGTC Executive Course, opened the panel with comments on the salient points that stood out from the participants’ presentations, reaffirming their proposed next steps and offering advice on their implementation. Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo, Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), offered relevant technical feedback on the participants’ presentations. He provided helpful suggestions for developing tobacco control ordinances and effectively using language to appeal to various audiences. This was followed by Dr Anton Javier, FCTC Program Officer of SEATCA, who emphasized the importance of selecting strong policy options before incorporating strategies to adapt them better.

The morning session concluded with a closing message from Dr Madeleine Valera, Senior Technical Advisor of Vital Strategies, in which she offered the participants some advice and words of encouragement. She urged the participants to remain dedicated to their work and to continue striving for meaningful change in tobacco control efforts within their localities.

Graduation Ceremony

The session was followed by the graduation ceremony, wherein Dr Philip Arnold P Tuaño, the Dean of the Ateneo School of Government, delivered the opening remarks. 

Atty Clyde S Maramba, the Chief of Staff of the Assistant General Manager for Planning in Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) then delivered a keynote speech for the graduation ceremony of the participants. In his address, Atty Maramba encouraged the graduates to be proactive in their efforts to promote the advocacy, urging them to take the lead in demonstrating strong leadership and good governance.

Ms Sharon Grace S Yabut, the Program Head of the Executive Education Program of the ASOG, and Dr. Tuaño awarded the 17 participants of the LGTC Executive Course their Certificates of Completion for their active participation and successful accomplishment of the course. 

After the awarding of certificates, Engr Ruperto A Rillera Jr, Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Board Member on Health of the Provincial Government of La Union, represented the pioneer cohort in a closing speech. In his message, he expressed his gratitude for the LGTC executive course and highlighted the significance of applying the learnings from the course to strengthen current tobacco control initiatives in their localities. He also emphasized the need to ensure that these efforts align with international frameworks and regulations to enable effective and comprehensive tobacco control at the grassroots level. 

Looking Ahead

With the completion of the first cohort of the LGTC Executive Course, which involved participants from La Union and Metro Manila, preparations are underway for the next cohorts for the program. Further details on the targeted regions for these cohorts will be shared in the first quarter of 2025.