OBSERVER Volume 2, Issue 4, May 2013 The Official Publication of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines TESDA’s Joel Villanueva T echnical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, a young, energetic and visionary man is the guest speaker of the 2013 Commencement Exercises (morning cluster) of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, May 10. The graduation rites, which will be held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, has 3,138 graduates who took various degree programs in the University. The University confers Villanueva a doctorate degree in Humanities, Honoris Causa. Villanueva was a three-term representative of Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) Partylist before he joined the Aquino administration to lead TESDA. He was the driving force behind the Juvenile Justice Act and was instrumental in 9485 which sought in reducing if not eliminating allowed absentee voting for Overseas Filipino additional privileges to senior citizens. For his exemplary showing, he won back- to-back honors as one of the Ten Outstanding Legislators of the Philippines in 2004 and 2005. As TESDA Director-General, he recognizes the importance of technical education and the need to upgrade the skills of workers. He offers the public an option to improve their lives. He seeks partnership with private organizations to ensure that same opportunities to OFWs to upgrade their skill. Moreover, Villanueva believes that the biggest contribution he could make to TESDA would be the rationalization of the TESDA Techno-Park in Taguig City. It is envisioned to be a state-of-the-art showcase of the different technical modalities including environment-friendly technologies, products proto-types and entrepreneurial opportunities. The Techno-Park will focus on producing a world- class workforce on key employment generation in such areas as agri-business, business process outsourcing and the creative industries, tourism and retirement health and wellness, general infrastructures, electronic and semi-conductors. Villanueva is a University of Santo Tomas (UST) 1996 graduate of Bachelor of in Business Administration at the Harvard University, in Massachusetts, USA. (P S. S / A O. C) Consul General Lhuillier T he Polytechnic University of the Philippines bestows an honorary doctorate in Humanities (honoris causa) to diplomat and philanthropist Jean Henri Diago Lhuillier on May 10 during its year- end commencement rites at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. PUP President Dr. Emanuel C. De Guzman confers the degree on the Harvard Business School alumnus who is also the honorary consul general of the Marino to the Philippines. Lhuillier was acknowledged “not only for his achievements but also for his sense of community” and his “vision of a good society that in a moral universe is a vision cognate with mankind, with the universal spirit.” Lhuillier is known for his corporate responsibility projects in sports and business. He is also noted for his humanitarian activities along the areas of nationwide scholarship program, nationwide day care center feeding program with medical missions, outreach programs, cultural enhancement, and special projects. (D E D A O. C) The