Welcome Remarks of President, PPSC, PLTGEN RICARDO F DE LEON (Ret.), Ph.D. during the Inaugural Ceremony and Launching of the Pioneer Batch Class 2024 held at the NJMPTI Social Hall, Camp Vicente Lim, Canlubang, Laguna on June 2, 2022, 9:30 A.M.

Good morning!

We are truly honored for your presence in this joyous and historic occasion, the inaugural ceremony and the launching of the pioneer batch of the Bachelor of Science in Fire Protection Administration (BSFPA) and Bachelor of Science in Penology and Correction Administration (BSPCA), Class 2024 of the new Philippine Public Safety Academy or PPSA.

This milestone event is truly a CELEBRATION and would not have been possible without the unwavering support and combined leadership of our DILG Secretary, the Undersecretary of Public Safety, and the Chiefs of the BFP and BJMP. The preparation, to let this program set into place, is with the utmost cooperation of the PPSC Head office, PPSC’s Constituent Units – the National Police College (NPC), the National Forensic Science Training Institute (NFSTI), the National Jail Management and Penology Training Institute (NJMPTI), and the National Fire Training Institute (NFTI).

I recall that in 2019, the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) and the National Police Training Institute (NPTI) were transferred from the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) to the Philippine National Police (PNP). We welcomed the challenge of discovering out how to turn this into an opportunity. Also, to be more relevant and responsive to our stakeholders and the country’s requirements in general.

This is when the concept of the Philippine Public Safety Academy (PPSA) was conceived. As an offshoot of RA 11279, we made a solid COMMITMENT to further enhance the quality of education and training for good governance in public safety. We made the initial coordination with the concerned Departments and Bureaus, as well as the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on how we can proceed, and I am delighted that we are now finally seeing the reality of our aspiration.

Adding to the compelling narrative of the PPSA is that we have an enthusiastic and hardworking lady Director and Dean of Academics proving that gender awareness and development are at the forefront of the Academy. Out of the 1,084 applicants, our 100 incoming cadets are composed of 35 males and 16 females for BJMP, 44 males, and six (6) females for BFP. Please let us give them a round of applause!

We are now faced with a new challenge. We undertook benchmarking activities for the various professional service providers academies, including the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA), and the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), prior to the launch of the PPSA. Our goal, as with PMA, is to have no attrition in the PPSA. As we prepare for the opening of classes, we held faculty orientation and consultations with educators and experts to ensure that the curriculum is polished and aligned with the CHED requirements, the National Qualification Framework, and the International Qualification Framework.

The Fire and Jail Bureaus play an important role in this, as well as in our cadets’ rigorous selection procedure. The PPSA would be temporarily situated in NFSTI, sharing facilities with NJMPTI and NFTI while waiting for the academy’s permanent location, which would be completed soon.

We also had a capacity-building program for the men and women that compose the PPSA team, which was held in Baguio City and was facilitated by the Lead Academy. It was an important component of their training as formation leaders and academy staff, highlighting the essence of teamwork and the importance of dedication and commitment to oneself, others, our country, and God.

PPSA is PPSC’s significant CONTRIBUTION to our country’s capacity building and transformation. The academy’s mandate is to instill the core values of courage, integrity, and professional service in the cadets. The graduates are envisioned to be Service-oriented officers, ethical leaders, effective administrators, and change managers. As the home of patriotic and caring public safety leaders, PPSA will play a critical role in training the minds and nurturing the hearts of future fire and jail officers, so they can lead and serve with courage and integrity.

To our cadets, as the pioneer batch, we are proud and honored for making it today despite the tough admission process and the challenges brought about by this pandemic. You are part of this history. Your class will surely be an inspiration to the succeeding classes. And most importantly, we look forward to the officers that you will become and the contributions that you will continue to offer to our country.

Thus, today’s achievement of our shared vision of establishing and operationalizing PPSA is a tremendous triumph for the Filipino people. Rest assured that, with our Department’s guidance and our partners’ support, PPSC, through PPSA will remain zealous in fulfilling our mandate and relentless in our goal of contributing to national capacity building.

Indeed, there is a reason to celebrate the academy’s inception. Today, as we launch PPSA and its pilot batch, it is with great honor that I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for your presence at this event, particularly to those who supported and contributed their best efforts in ensuring that the legacy of our outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte and our SILG, as well as the PPSC, is carried forward. Our cadets’ graduation in 2024 coincides with the last quota from the PNPA’s Fire and Jail.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the birth of PPSA is a welcome change as our country also transitions to new leadership. We celebrate this milestone by renewing our commitment to excellence in education and public safety services. Our humble contribution to this noble undertaking will have a great impact on our country. As I end today’s welcome address, let me leave you with these words to ponder from John C. Maxwell, I quote “Every person has a longing to be significant; to make a contribution; to be a part of something noble and purposeful.” Unquote. With that, I welcome you all once again to this momentous event.

Maraming Salamat. Mabuhay tayong lahat. May God bless us all!