ASOG, Pasig LGU join forces to strengthen city’s civil service through MPM scholarships

To strengthen Pasig City's civil service, the City Government of Pasig and the Ateneo de Manila University School of Government signed a Memorandum of Agreement on Monday, 15 September 2025.

Dean Jennifer Oreta of the School of Government and Pasig City Mayor Victor Ma Regis "Vico" Sotto (AB PoS ‘11, MPM ‘18) signed the MOA at a ceremony at the Temporary Pasig City Hall. 

Present during the signing ceremony are Mr Javier Jimenez, Head of Academic Program of ASOG, and Elvira Flores, Head of the Pasig LGU Human Resources Development Office.

Under the agreement, select employees of Pasig City government will take the Ateneo School of Government’s Master in Public Management. The two institutions will share the cost of the tuition and fees of the students. 

The agreement will run for two years.

“Masasabi kong extra special ang pagpirma ng MOA kasama ng ASOG dahil nagkakatotoo na yung mga sinulat at inirekomenda ko sa GIR noong estudyante ako sa MPM,” Sotto said, referring to his Governance Innovation Report (GIR), the capstone paper of MPM students. 

Upskilling, bolstering Pasig civil service

The ASOG-Pasig scholarship program is part of the Pasig LGU’s larger scheme that provides scholarships for top-performing employees to pursue higher education, as part of their career development. The program hopes to improve the City Government's services, with more personnel having advanced technical skills and leadership capabilities.

ASOG is one of the Pasig LGU's partner institutions for the program, but what makes it different, Oreta said, is the Ateneo program’s commitment to ethical leadership.

"All institutions are producing good programs in public administration or public management,” Oreta said. “But in our case we produce leaders who are really committed to ethics and integrity in governance -- its something that is really needed right now."

“We are not only focused on the academic achievement and skills development of our students, but we are also concerned with the development of the whole person,” she added.

“We're very thankful, we're very happy because we know this will benefit not only the individuals who will become scholars of LGU and Ateneo but it will benefit the entire local government, and the entire city, and even beyond,” Sotto said.

The Pasig City mayor also said empowering civil servants is part of addressing the multiple issues surrounding good governance in the country.

“Empowering our good employees, our civil servants, is a very important part of the equation and along with empowering the employees themselves is also strengthening the institution we're a part of,” he said.