The team composed of the groups and units based on the 5th Floor A of DAP-Pasig made the most of the Japanese-inspired theme it worked on by scoring a near-sweep of the competitions held during the Academy’s annual Christmas celebrations.
The Japan team, which was made up of the Corporate Affairs Group composed of the Corporate Operations and Strategic Management and Corporate Communications as well as the Center for Organizational Development, Public Management Development Program, Internal Audit Services and Institutional Marketing Center, topped the floor decoration and group presentation competitions while placing a close second in the booth decoration contest.
It garnered an average score of 96 points in the floor decoration contest to beat out the 4th Floor A team, composed of the Center for Governance and Office of the Senior Vice President for Programs, which represented China (94) by two points and the 4th Floor B group that bannered South Korea (92.67) by 3.33 points.
Surprise runaway
The Japan squad also emerged a surprise runaway winner in the group presentation after averaging 93.67 points from the three judges to win easily over runner-up Cambodia, which was represented by the Asset Management Center based near the Canteen that had an average score of 85.33, and third-placer Thailand, which was depicted by the Productivity and Development Center based at the 5th Floor B that aggregated 83.67 points in a deadheat with Vietnam.
Averting a sweep for the double winners was Team Malaysia from the 2nd Floor B, which topped the booth decoration tilt in the closest contest in the competitions that turned into a virtual deadheat. The team represented by the Graduate School of Public Development and Management edged out Team Japan 96.67 to 96.33 and was just 1.34 points ahead of the third-placer, Team South Korea (95.33), which was made up of the Sustainable Human Development Program and Business Development and Revenue Generation Offices as well as the Council of Fellows.
Adherence to theme
All three contests, which were judged by external individuals distinguished in their respective fields, were evaluated on the basis of the participating teams’ adherence to this year’s Christmas celebration theme “Paskong Pinoy Goes Asian,” a takeoff from the Academy’s heavier involvement in regional cooperation as a result of the Philippines’ having been designated the Center of Excellence on Public Sector Productivity of the Asian Productivity Organization, with the DAP as its implementing arm.
The judges also considered the way the teams showcased the Asian country assigned to them, the appeal, neatness, tidiness and sturdiness of the decors, their artistic design, colorfulness as well as novel use of recycled materials in a nod to eco-friendliness, and audience impact and response in the case of the group presentations.
Service awardees
The Christmas program that climaxed this year’s celebrations last December 18 also saw some 17 DAP personnel being given service awards for having rendered at least 10 years of service to the Academy as of December this year.
These are 10-year service awardees Homer Alcon, Ritchell Furigay, Aileen Ricohermoso, Mary Sagapan and Marites Solomon of the Programs Operations Group and Joan Corpuz and Solita Nano of the Office of the President, 15-year awardees Jimmy Dadivas and Lerma Marayag of the Support Operations Group and Monica Saliendres of the POG, 20-year awardees Marilyn Son, Maria Monica Talan and Julieta Padilla of the SOG, 25-year awardee Margie Ramos of the SOG, 30-year awardees Ma. Sabrina Mendoza of the SOG and Arnel Marchan of the POG, and 35-year awardee Regina Fernandez of the POG.