Three DOST execs conferred Gawad CES presidential award

Department of Science and Technology directors dominated the 2010 GAWAD Career Executive Service (CES), as three DOST executives out of the four awardees received the prestigious presidential award conferred by President Benigno S. Aquino III on January 11, 2011 at the Rizal Hall, Malacañang Palace.
Awardees were Dr. Patricio Faylon, executive director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development; Dr. Urduja Tejada, regional director of DOST Region 2; and Engr. Denis Villorente, director of the Advance Science and Technology Institute. The other awardee was Undersecretary Mario Villaverde of the Department of Health.
“The recognition proves the point that we have excellent people leading the DOST agencies,” DOST Secretary Mario Montejo said. “The accomplishments of our awardees show how science and technology helps in improving our country’s delivery of its services.”
The awarding body recognized Dr. Faylon’s visionary leadership that pushed PCARRD-DOST to attain the Philippine Quality Award Level 1 (Commitment to Quality Management) in 2009 and subsequently obtain ISO 9001:2000 certification. PCARRD was the first DOST agency to obtain the ISO certification. As such, Malacañan acknowledged PCARRD as one of the 43 government agencies that implement a quality management system in compliance with the ISO 9001 standards. Faylon also established the Techno Gabay Program, a technology transfer modality that delivers much needed information and technologies to the countryside. It has been adopted by local government units in their agricultural extension programs.
Dr. Tejada was distinguished for initiating and successfully implementing community- based projects, including a number of hatcheries, grow-out ponds, and fish feed mills, and a training center for fishery products that helped move forward the aquaculture industry in the region. She was also responsible in reviving the peanut industry in Jones, Isabela and the conversion of coco wastes into useful products in Region 2.
Engr. Villorente was recognized for his efforts in helping promote research networking in the country through the Philippine Research, Education and Government Information Network (PREGINET), a nationwide broadband research and extension network that links the government, academe, and research institutions in the country, providing a faster and more reliable collaboration among researchers and scientists. PREGINET also established internet connectivity to government agencies, enabling them to comply with the Government Information Systems Plan.
Villorente also enabled Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) technology and awareness in the country and provided technical expertise to both government and private telecommunication companies, on the process of gaining IPv6 capability when the IPv4 addresses were exhausted. He also led the technical team in the certification of the automated election system for the May 2010 national and local elections, proving that a clean, credible and orderly electoral process is feasible in the country with the help of technology. He also pushed for the transition of ASTI’s ISO 9001:2000 to ISO 9001:2008 certification last year.

The Gawad Career Executive Service (CES) Awards recognizes career executive officials who had exemplary performance and significant contributions, particularly in the areas of innovation, information and communication technology, social services, administrative reforms and public policy. (S&T Media Service)