CLARK FREEPORT — Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman have expanded their academic partnership, opening more opportunities for CDC employees to pursue higher education and for UP students to gain workplace experience in Clark.
The two institutions signed separate agreements on October 20 covering CDC’s Scholarship Collaboration for Workers Engaging in Learning Advancement (SCWELA) Scholarship Program and its Town and Gown Program. The agreements combine graduate education and employee development with student internships and closer cooperation between the university and the Clark Freeport workforce.
SCWELA was launched in 2025 and has since supported 40 CDC employees, of whom 24 are completing their undergraduate studies and 16 are pursuing graduate studies.
For CDC President and CEO Agnes VST Devanadera, investing in continuing education has become increasingly important as organizations and their people respond to changing workplace demands.
“We need to upskill to keep up with the international community,” Atty. Devanadera said.
She also emphasized the value of bringing UP closer to CDC and the communities it serves, with the partnership creating more opportunities for advanced learning and professional development.
“We’re taking it upon ourselves to move toward higher education because otherwise, the world is moving ahead and we will be left behind,” she added.
Under the SCWELA Memorandum of Understanding, UP renews its status as CDC’s partner institution in the scholarship program, which provides eligible employees with opportunities to pursue higher education and strengthen their professional competencies. UP Diliman is CDC’s third SCWELA partner institution, alongside the City College of Angeles and the Pampanga State University.
Under the renewed agreement, qualified CDC employees may pursue master’s degrees at the UP Diliman Extension Programs in Pampanga and Olongapo (UPDEPPO). Scholarship assistance covers regular employees, subject to academic qualifications set by UP.
A separate Town and Gown Memorandum of Agreement expands cooperation into internships and closer engagement between UPDEPPO and the Clark Freeport community. Under the agreement, UP Diliman becomes CDC’s 30th academic partner institution.
The program connects classroom learning with practical workplace experience, providing students exposure to professional environments while strengthening ties among educational institutions, employers and the wider community.
Since the Town and Gown Program began in 2024, CDC has partnered with 30 academic institutions and facilitated internship/workplace-learning opportunities for 704 students.
Under the UP agreement, students are expected to participate in internships lasting 300 to 600 hours. Areas available for internship/workplace exposure include engineering, manufacturing, semiconductor, tourism, and psychology. Clark currently hosts 1,295 locators employing 151,593 workers.
UP Diliman Chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan II welcomed the collaboration, citing opportunities to expand capacity-building and create pathways for CDC personnel to pursue advanced studies, including graduate programs in management, governance and innovative leadership.
He also cited the potential of UPDEPPO, also known as UP Clark, to expand its role in higher-level learning and capacity-building in the region.
UPDEPPO currently offers three undergraduate degree programs and two graduate degree programs, and served more than 700 students in 2025, according to the UP Office of the University Registrar.
Joining them in the photo are Human Resources Division Assistant Manager Eunice May Dizon, Communications Division Manager Astrud Aguinaldo, HRD Manager Rachelle Yusi, Assistant Vice President for Administration Department Atty. Bonifacio Tarenio Jr., Vice President for Administration and Finance Group Jose Miguel de la Rosa, and other CDC officers and employees who are UP alumni.
Also present were UPDEPPO Director Prof. Patrick De Leon, Program Secretary Asst. Prof. Ethelbert Galang, and Chief Information Officer Asst. Prof. Arnulf Pita.
“We don’t have to be undergraduate-focused. Actually, we’re trying to evolve na from that. Kasi mas kinakapos tayo when it comes to higher-level learning. So, that’s what we can do here,” Chancellor Vistan said.
With sustained collaboration, Chancellor Vistan said UPDEPPO could further develop its educational offerings and contribute more significantly to the development of Clark and Central Luzon.
“If we work together, ‘yung mga ganoong programs, and show the UP community and the UP administration na kaya ng Clark. At dapat maging major player ang UP Clark or DEPPO dito sa area, sa Region 3. Kayang kayang gawin yan,” Chancellor Vistan said.
The expanded partnership gives CDC and UP two complementary tracks for cooperation: graduate education and professional development for CDC employees under SCWELA, and workplace exposure for students through the Town and Gown Program.
Applications/enrollment/internships under the agreements are ongoing. Interested CDC employees/students may contact the CDC Human Resources Division through (045) 599-7525.*
(CDC Photos)
