The SERDEF was among ten institutional partners recognized by the UP Institute for Small-Scale Industries (UP ISSI) at its Araw ng Parangal last Friday, August 29.
The award, received by Finance Officer Gloria D. Canela and Media
Consultant Myrna R. Co, cited SERDEF for sharing a common mandate in promoting and developing small and medium enterprises in the country through training, research, extension and other development activities. The citation noted that the ISSI-SERDEF partnership dated back to 1976.
Other institutional awardees were the Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (DTI-BMSMED), Industrial Guarantee and Loan Fund (IGLF), Department of Science and Technology – Manufacturing Activity Extension Program (DOST-MPEX), Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), Mechatronics Technologies Corporation (MTC), Radiowealth Finance Company (RFC), Phil-Japan Worldwide Management Services (PJW), Community Health Education Emergency Rescue Services (CHEERS) and various units of the University of the Philippines Diliman.
The UP ISSI also recognized loyal customers and strategic partners and members of its technical and administrative staff who have rendered exemplary performance.
In his inspirational talk, UP ISSI Director Nestor Raneses discussed the 10 principles and characteristics of change leaders who help advance an entrepreneurial society. Such leaders, he said, create an innovative learning environment, learn by doing, unlearn past successes, use scientific tools, demonstrate role models, snowball diffusion, and modify learning.
He also cited the importance of going beyond defined boundaries, empowering people, and maintaining a good sense of humor.
The Institute marked this year the 45th anniversary of its inception as an organic unit of the UP System by virtue of RA 2010. The law was enacted in 1969 with lobbying work by its pioneer Filipino-Dutch staff which manned the ISSI in the first three years of its existence (1966 to 1969) as a bilateral project between the Philippines and Netherlands governments.