BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
A GRADUATE school degree course to develop industry-competitive and professional leaders will soon be offered at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in partnership with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and other state universities and colleges (SUCs).
Daniel Tapaoan Jr., MMSU assistant information officer, said the university is stepping up to offer Master in Economic Zone Administration (MEZA) this year.
He said this development at MMSU is in collaboration with PEZA and its partner SUCs of which an initial planning and consultation workshop was already conducted in mid-March by the MMSU Special Economic Zone Institute (SEZI).
According to Neilbert Gajudo, PEZA executive assistant, the consultation was participated by the SEZI representatives from Isabela State University, Central Philippines State University and Cebu Technological University, along with PEZA representatives.
He said the participants in the consultation reviewed the proposed MEZA curriculum and its proposed syllabus and identified resources needed to offer the course at the MMSU Graduate School.
“The MEZA degree is being eyed to develop industry-competitive and professional leaders who can guide various regions toward achieving economic growth,” Gajudo said.
He added that MEZA is programmed by the consortium to enable SEZI to hone leaders and managers who can lead and guide the region toward economic growth.
“Once the course is offered, we are expecting enrollees from those who are working with economic development sectors in the region,” Gajudo said.
He said the proposed graduate degree course will first be evaluated by the University Curriculum Committee, the University Academic Council and the MMSU Board of Regents.
Attached to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), PEZA is the Philippine government agency tasked to promote investments, extend assistance, register, grant incentives to and facilitate the business operations of investors in export-oriented manufacturing and service facilities in economic zones.
Gajudo said the agency oversees and administers incentives to developers, operators and locators in world-class, ready-to-occupy, environment-friendly, secured and competitively priced special economic zones.
On January 23, 2020, PEZA launched its first-ever SEZI in Batac City, Laoag, Ilocos Norte, in partnership with MMSU under a memorandum of agreement.
MMSU President Dr. Shirley Agrupis said the establishment of MMSU-SEZI is envisioned to be a center of leadership excellence and management innovation in the fields of research, instruction, production and extension.
“The MMSU-SEZI is aimed to institutionalize the instruments of promotion for export-based investments, professionalization of the personnel of economic zones administration and the proliferation of export-literate workforce in the country,” Agrupis said.
She said the establishment of this institute started the implementation of activities such as consultation workshops on special ecozone establishments with the local government units in Region 1 (Ilocos Region).