FSI and DAP Strengthen Diplomatic Training

FSI Director General  Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III and DAP OIC Ms. Magdalena L. Mendoza formalize the FSI-DAP partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement.

MANILA 31 March 2025 — The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) and the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) formalized a partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to integrate the Certificate in Public Management (CPM) program into the Foreign Service Officer Cadetship Course (FSOCC). The signing ceremony, held on 20 March 2025 at the DoubleDragon Tower, Pasay, marks a significant step in strengthening the professional development of young Filipino diplomats through academic accreditation and specialized training.

Atty. Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III, Director General of FSI, and Ms. Magdalena L. Mendoza, Officer-in-Charge of DAP, signed the agreement, with Ms. Evelyn O. Katigbak, Director of the Carlos P. Romulo School of Diplomacy, FSI, and Dr. Lizan E. Perante-Calina, Dean of DAP-GSPDM, serving as witnesses.

Through this collaboration, FSO cadets who complete the six-month cadetship course will earn a Graduate Certificate in Public Management, with an option to pursue additional academic units to earn a Master’s in Public Management. This outcomes-based training approach aligns with FSI’s mission of equipping diplomats with both academic knowledge and practical expertise.

Director General Fernandez underscored the importance of integrating theoretical learning with hands-on diplomatic skills, advancing a long-standing vision of providing cadets with a structured academic pathway toward a master’s degree. Meanwhile, OIC Mendoza reaffirmed DAP’s commitment to supporting government professionals in enhancing their education and specialized competencies.

Through this collaboration, FSI and DAP are strengthening the country’s foreign service by ensuring that the FSO cadets receive the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate the complexities of diplomacy.

Since the FSO Cadetship Course was required by Republic Act No. 7157 in 1991, the Graduate Certificate in Public Management will be the first academic degree to be granted to graduating FSO Cadets. The next cohort of FSO Cadets expected to start their FSO Cadetship Course in April 2025 will be the first recipients of this academic degree.

FSI is the training and research agency attached to the Department of Foreign Affairs, created under Presidential Decree No. 1060. Its remit was expanded by Republic Act No. 7157. The FSI Board is chaired by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs with the Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Director General of FSI, President of the University of the Philippines (UP), and President of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) as members. END

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Dr. Lizan E. Perante-Calina (far left) and Prof. Evelyn O. Katigbak (far right) stand as witnesses to the MoA signing.

Representatives from FSI, DAP, and the Department of Foreign Affairs attended the event.