BIONOTE – Dr. Theresita Atienza

Theresita V. Atienza holds the distinction of being the first President-elect of the Quezon City University (QCU). Previously, she was Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) where she administered the Masters Program in National Security Administration while crafting a blueprint for the college’s bid to become the Philippine Defense University System.

Briefly, she was also Senior Vice President and Dean of the Graduate School for Public and Development Management of the Development Academy of the Philippines. Her academic career started at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines where she rose to the rank of Full Professor, serving as Dean of the College of Science. She was also Senior Lecturer at the University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR) and charming hosting of the school’s radio program “Buhay Manggagawa (Worker’s Life)” over DZUP 1602am.

Dr. Atienza earned a degree in Medical Technology from the University of Santo Tomas, as well as a Master’s degree in Technology Management and the doctorate in Educational Management from the University of the Philippines.

In 2004, she received the Asian Public Intellectuals Fellowship from the Nippon Foundation. The grant took her to explore Thailand’s open universities, taking into account their mechanisms, policies, and strategies. From that stint, she derived ideal practices that could inspire a master plan for equitable deliveries in our own educational system. She believes that equitable education can spark up new and steady jobs, an enhanced consciousness, as well as a hopeful future for the earnest. Dr. Atienza grounds her advocacy in the Southeast Asian educational nexus, aligning it with crucial regional reforms in forging greater access to knowledge.

Upon completion of the fellowship, Dr. Atienza represented the Philippines at the API Regional Committee. At the project-management team, she launched “Community-Based Initiatives Toward Human-Ecological Balance”, taking her to cultural interaction and research in Khiriwong, Thailand; Batanes, Philippines; and Kali Code, Indonesia. She also took part at the Salzburg Global Forum on “Optimizing Talent – Closing Educational and Social Mobility Gaps Worldwide”.

As an educator committed to quality assurance, Dr. Atienza serves as accreditor of the Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission.  APACC is a regional accreditation and certification body established through the Seoul Declaration 2004, with the Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) as the lead organization. The Commission accredits and certifies institutions offering TVET programs of seventeen (17) member governments – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.  Her accreditation experience with APACC has allowed her to spearhead accreditation teams not only in the Philippines but in Malaysia and Thailand as well. 

In her capacity as adviser to an organization of women leaders, Women in National Develop and Security (WiNDS), Dr. Atienza participated in a workshop organized by the Asia Pacific Center for Strategic Studies (APCSS) on Inclusion of Women in the Security Sector.

Musing on the need for tireless engagement as a public servant during this time of the pandemic, Dr. Atienza reflects: “This extraordinary time has taught us that we cannot control what life sends us but we can control how we respond. I draw wisdom from Paulo Coelho, who sings:

When the order to move on comes, the Warrior looks at all the friends he has made during the time that he followed the path. He taught some to hear the bells of a drowned temple, he told others stories around the fire. …The Warrior thanks his travelling companions, takes a deep breath, and continues on, laden with memories of an unforgettable journey.”