Pangasinan State University’s seventh (7th) President, DR. ELBERT M. GALAS, has been recognized as a Dangal ng Bayan Awardee by the Civil Service Commission – Regional Office I in acknowledgment of his outstanding feat as a government worker.
The prestigious award was bestowed during the 123rd Philippine Civil Service Anniversary celebration as part of the Honor Awards Program (HAP) for Outstanding Government Workers held on September 21, 2023 at the Hall of Learning of the CSC Regional Office in San Fernando City, La Union.
The award categories under the HAP are Presidential Lingkod Bayan, CSC Pagasa and Outstanding Public Officials and Employees or the Dangal ng Bayan. These awards are the highest recognition given to individuals or group of individuals who have excelled or shown utmost dedication and commitment in government service.
The awardees underwent a rigid screening process under the scrutiny of the Regional Committee on Awards composed of officials of CSC, Department of Education and Philippine Information Agency.
Criteria for evaluation include the observance of the eight norms as provided under Republic Act 6713 namely: commitment to public service, professionalism, justness and sincerity, political neutrality, responsiveness to the public, nationalism and patriotism, commitment to democracy and simple living. Outstanding public officials and employees were also judged according to the quality and consistency and impact of behavioral performance; risk of temptation inherent to work, obscurity of the position and years of service, among others.
Dr. Galas, who was humbled and elated to receive the award, rose from the ranks starting as a contractual faculty and climbed the ladder to become a program chair, campus executive director, director for quality assurance and vice president for QA and vice president for administration and linkages until he became PSU’s seventh president and the youngest SUC president in the country.
“We are one with the Civil Service Commission to institutionalize meritocracy and excellence among the 1.9 million government workers in the country. Rest assured that I will leave no stone unturned to ensure that our commitment to integrity and transparency will be carried on by the PSU community as we move to be a leading industry-driven state university and continue our efforts towards internationalization,” Dr. Galas said.
The University President was nominated by Dr. Ethel Reyes-Chua, the head of the CHED –initiated programs of the PSU, who anchored the nomination based on the President’s commitment to government service, simple living and fair and just approach.
“I have firmly believed in Dr. Galas’ innate passion for work and commitment and the award is a testament to his good deeds for PSU. I am filled with bliss, I am in tears and I did not expect that as a nominator, I would also be given an award. I dedicate this to all those who worked for this feat,“ Dr. Chua quipped.
Incidentally, Pangasinan State University, as an institution, also received a Certificate of Appreciation for the continuous and invaluable support it has given to the programs and thrusts of CSC.
The awards were received by Executive Secretary Juan Primitivo Petrola on behalf of the President who was in a Budget Hearing in Manila on the same day. Other members of the PSU delegation include Campus Executive Director Dr. Liza Quimson;, Director Venus May Sarmiento of the Public Relations and Information Office and Director Lorena Echalar of the Human Resource Management Division who also received an award for the Philippine Council of HR Practitioners in Western Pangasinan where she serves as Chair.
Meanwhile, in a video message, Atty. Karlo AB. Nograles, chairperson of the Civil Service Commission said the awards are not only about achievements but moreso a reminder of the responsibility of being a civil servant and a call for excellence in government work.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Nerissa Canguilan of CSC Human Resource Governance, who served as the guest of honor and speaker of the event, anchored her speech on the theme ‘Transforming Public Service in the New Decade: Honing Agile and Future-Ready Servant Heroes’
“We must learn to harness the power of digitalization to improve work, explore innovation and become citizen-centric workers. If we want to remain being relevant, we have to adapt to abrupt change without compromising service delivery,” Commissioner Canguilan said.
Once again, Congratulations, President Elbert Galas. Congratulations, Pangasinan State University!
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