Lee Kuan Yew Fellowship

The Singapore Government has awarded this year's Lee Kuan Yew Fellowship to three outstanding Filipinos. They are Mrs Lea Ricolcol, Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Energy; Dr Lilibeth David, Chief of Health Policy Division, Department of Health; and Mr Lyndon Paul Daz, Deputy Administrator of the Livelihood Corporation, Department of Agriculture.

The Lee Kuan Yew Fellowship is aimed at preparing civil servants to better conceive and implement public policy as they move into even higher leadership positions within their organisations. Recipients of the Lee Kuan Yew Fellowship will enrol in the year-long Master in Public Management (MPM) programme at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. This MPM programme is organised jointly by the National University of Singapore and Harvard University. It includes a seven-week stint at the Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and a study visit to Washington D.C.

At an award ceremony at the Embassy yesterday, Charge d'Affaires Paul Koh congratulated the Fellows on being awarded this Fellowship. Referring to the Fellows as "very worthy representatives of the Philippines", Mr Koh urged them to maximise the benefits from this programme so that they will be better equipped to tackle higher responsibilities when they return to the Philippines upon graduation. Mr Koh also reiterated Singapore's commitment to sharing its experience in training and human development resource with its ASEAN neighbours.

Also present at the ceremony were Hon. Vincent Perez, Secretary of Energy; Mr Bernado Mitra, Administrator of the Livelihood Corporation; Dr Mario Villaverde, Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau Director; Ms Editha Abergas, OIC Executive Officer of the Special Committee on Scholarships, NEDA; relatives and friends of the Fellows.

Offering his response on behalf of the Philippine government, Energy Secretary Perez thanked the Singapore Government for the opportunity the Lee Kuan Yew Fellowship offers to senior civil servants in the Philippines. He encouraged the Fellows to learn as much as they could from the MPM, and also to share their own "best practices" with their colleagues in the programme. Drawing from his own experience living in Singapore previously, Secretary Perez also urged the Fellows to experience Singaporean culture, "particularly the food" and places of interest. This would be a unique opportunity for them to make many Singaporean and international friends.

The Fellows who depart for Singapore in January are the 5th batch Lee Kuan Yew Fellows, since the Fellowship's launch in 2000. The Fellowship covers full tuition fees, return airfare, accommodation, living allowance, medical benefits and insurance cover.