Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU MAPA professors present academic leadership and climate action studies at Vietnam forum

By Jareason Fabre

Two professors of Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) presented their research on school leadership and climate action at the 2026 International Forum on Public Governance held in Ha Noi, Vietnam, on October 5–7.

Dr. Margarita Hilario and Dr. Bensen Alex Pola, both graduate faculty members of MMSU Master of Arts in Public Administration (MAPA) program, joined scholars and leaders at the forum. The three-day event focused on building smart, modern, and inclusive governments under the theme “Inclusive Governance in the New Development Era: Systems Transformation, Innovations, and Future-Ready Governments.”

Dr. Hilario, an associate professor at the College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy, shared her paper titled “Competency-Based Human Capital Development for Academic Leaders and Administrators in Higher Education Institutions: Bases for Programs, Strategies, and Institutional Policies.” Her study looked into practical ways to train and improve university leaders so they can manage schools more effectively.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bensen U. Pola, an associate professor at the College of Arts and Sciences and director of the MMSU General Services Division, presented his study on the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte’s implementation of key environmental laws. The study examined the implementation of Republic Acts 9003, 6969, 8749, and 9275 through his ecological concept, “Peers Ty,” in relation to the Philippines’ commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goal 13 on climate action. His findings showed that government agencies actively implement environmental laws, but limited financial resources remain a major constraint to full implementation.

The event was hosted in Hanoi by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, alongside the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration, United Nations Project Office on Governance, United Nations Development Programme Vietnam, and the Chandler Governance Group.

By joining the international forum, the MMSU MAPA program continues to network with ASEAN peers and share valuable research that helps improve public leadership, strengthen government policies, and tackle pressing environmental issues across the region.

📸 𝘋𝘳. 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘢

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