CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, November 27, 2018 – Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones highlighted the developments brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its relevance to Philippine public administration during the 2018 Philippine Society for Public Administration (PSPA) International Conference held on November 13 at the Limketkai Luxe Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City.

“Now, we’re engrossed with the fourth industrial revolution. The drivers of this are physical, digital, and biological which brought developments in our lives,” Briones said.

The Education chief discussed the changes in digital drivers which include the advancement of technology and the Internet, among others. It can be noted that DepEd, together with partner agencies and organizations, is venturing into providing Filipino students with access to various technological advancements and equipment as part of their learning process.

Briones further posed a challenge: “All these changes and developments are already happening, but not all are able to benefit from these wonderful changes. Therefore, the major challenge to us, not only in public administration but in all fields as well, is to use these developments to make life more meaningful, to give more services to our people, and to reduce the perennial problem of inequality.

The Secretary congratulated the organizers for a successful event, and conveyed her hopes for future conferences with focus not just on governance, organization, and rightsizing, but also on important ethical issues which the country and the world may face.

Organized by the PSPA, the event carried the theme, “Public Administration and Governance in Critical Times: Turbulence, Transitions, and Transformation,” and was attended by practitioners in the field of public administration and governance both locally and internationally.

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