Message from the President

TRANSCENDING THE PAST: TAKING CHALLENGES BEYOND SCHOOL SYSTEM

Keeping ahead in competency assessment and certification in the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has been the working policy incumbent upon the Cali Paramedical College Foundation, Incorporated (CPCFI) through the years, and in this regard, I may salute my colleagues, faculty and staff for their momentous success!

Employment - the eventual end of every TVET student - requires passing of the competency regulation. It is more relevant as the country is gripped by crisis and unemployment which are further compounded by the withdrawal of abused OFW back to the fold of unemployed labor force in the country. I believe that the export of home-based and non-skilled manpower should cease in favor of the skilled and labor-secured overseas employment. Along the brain-drain should go the prioritiy investing for sustainable industry and the further transformation of the Philippine educational system that truly serve the national interest.

The qualification and certification standards set by regulating bodies are not simple obligations to comply with. They encompass all the capabilities the Institution should be equipped with and especially in human and material resources to bank on. Capital requirement for quality education has always been a dilemma especially in serving the poor and the underprivileged. The CPCI 2008 Report reflects vivid memories of these real-life struggle.

I am foremost indebted to Allah, most Gracious and most Merciful, for all of His endowments and for letting me witness the success of the Cali Foundation until today. By Allah's Will, we could still have this kind of Report to show of in the future.

To the officers and members, to the faculty and staff, to my colleagues and friends, and finally, to my wife and children, may you enjoy the fruits of your toils imparted in the Cali's six years of existence.

INTERVENTIONS AND MECHANISM

1. POLICY AMENDMENTS AND APPLICATION - involves the concrete redefinition of the Mission Statement and Goals according to the personality and thoughts of the CPCFI originator and of what the CPCFI should be. This shall make the concept very clear to guide the formulation of policies and programs. An “ideological line” that serves as the “spirit of the moving bodies” must be invented so that every CPCFI personnel will work with a heart and dedication. Translated into concrete action, the CPCFI Mission by then becomes a BATTLECRY of every CPCFI officer and member that will trickle down to the beneficiaries and the entire CPCFI shall become a “gold chest” treasured by everybody.

The intended paradigm shift can only succeed upon expert manipulation over the “drivers” and on the factors involved. At present, the President had imported an able consultant that executes interventions as well, and the “war generals” are now put into position. The CPCFI engine room has now been established with its crew filling-in their posts gradually. These workforces must be sustained. A capital outlay for at least the 3-month costs in administrative services must be invested. The amount required in the actual situation at present should suffice sustenance of the present In-house Consultant-executive on a full time basis with at least 3 regular staff in the administration excluding the CEO (now the President) and the Cashier (the usual CPCFI Treasurer). A quality workforce in that set-up can assure the production of resources for the needs beyond.

2. ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM AND OPERATION - must include the process of capability building in the administrative workforce along with the regular operational routine. It shall be a working style of theory and practice in an upgrading cycle. This workforce must also have their “second-liner” that shall serve as their assisting staff. This is to assure replication of skilled manpower in the natural process of making work outputs. In this set-up, no work shall be dislocated in the absence of the principal staff; his second liner will take his place. Its major advantage is the institutionalization of the basic element of sustainability, the continuous supply of required skilled manpower. A check and balance mechanism must not be overlooked in the administrative system.

A program on Human Resources Development must be established. This shall be headed by a qualified executive that likewise assigned to oversee all the personnel and submit periodic report to the president. In the process, the HRD head, in close coordination with the guidance counselor, shall come up with a concrete program plan, devise methodologies and execute direct interventions in the process. These, however, shall be defined clearly in relation to the systematic flow of Institutional leadership from the top executive. The principle of professional accountability and mutual benefit must reinforce the values-motivated personnel. A compensation scheme that gives justice due to each and everyone shall be implemented without harming the budget security of the Institution. The scheme of compensation can be partly monetary and partly credit point of services freely rendered. All the labor must be fairly accounted for in a legal record system for future reward. In the actual set-up, a CPC-Family Multi-Purpose Cooperative can serve to legally account the personnel credit points. This will in return translated into funding grant for the CPCFI scholars and outreach beneficiaries. In this manner, the partly free services rendered by an employee are credited as his scholarship grant to a CPCFI beneficiary.

3. FUNDING REQUIREMENTS AND ITS GENERATION - have to address the priority areas of intervention with the amount vary according to the program thrusts required per se. Each identified areas must have its own proposal for funding either by grant or loan, however, if funds is not sufficient enough, it shall use from the general fund diverting some other appropriations that can be sacrificed until sufficiency is met.

Aside from the operating cost in basic programs, additional budget for the areas of intervention should be provided immediately to start the ball rolling. Deficiency of intervention budget will jeopardize the entire scheme and could be disastrous since every area of intervention is vital component part of the whole system. The complementing relation of each area is more complicated as command and control of its operations is based on different degree levels in terms of program thrusts or emphasis. Budget is very vital in the command and control because it is the prime variable used to navigate in every twist and turn of events

The CPCFI 2008 Report

5-YEAR REPORT REVEALS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND SCHOOL SYSTEM

The summed-up educational outcome from the years 2002-2008 are all signifying qualitative achievements. It was found out that the quantity aspect especially on the number of students, lagged behind unattended. While it is believed that quantity comes next to quality, the state of imbalance in the past 5-year experience of the Cali school was serious enough that created negative implications. The persistence of this problem must have caused by inherent flaws in the quality system itself.

QUANTITATIVE DEVELOPMENT MUST FOLLOW

The recorded population in all levels average to about 420 students a year or a total of 2,090 in a 5-year operation. This output is complimented by sporadic charitable services accounting to more than 6,000 estimated total beneficiaries (See The CPCFI AY 2007-2008 Report, page 8, Table 3). To such, the CPCFI essentially operates as a charitable organization rendering more outreach services to the community rather than being a school. However, its school operations remain in regular basis and it made efforts to incorporate outreach as academic exercise. This situation explains the quantitative educational outcome a result of strong influence from the institutional handler, the president and originator Dr. Camal Cali, in continuance of the century old legacy of their family in public service.

The program thrusts in the past should be redirected to make the educational operation in forefront agenda. Charitable outreach shall serve the educational services in accordance to the requirements of learning process. Given the limited sources of funds and the insurmountable budget deficits accrued, the number of students and the payment generated from the non-scholars must be raised up to the point of self-sufficiency. By then, program to capture the market of enrollees must be emphasized. This should be expressed in public information campaign suffice to reveal the educational qualities of the school.

A paradigm shift must be enforced immediately to arrest the critical condition of budget. There must have decisive interventions and support mechanism to be employed in at least the first year transition. These interventions must start from the top policy-making down to the particular program implementation. The redirection and transformation must address the areas of administrative system and operation, the funding requirements and its generation, the number of personnel and the kind of qualities suffice for human resource development, the kind of program and program thrusts appropriate to the rectified direction setting, and lastly, the Institutional competitiveness, advertising and promotion.