DOrSU President Ponce to New DOrSU Personnel: ‘You are now the University’s Guardians’
As a younger generation assumes a larger share of Davao Oriental State University’s (DOrSU) workforce, DOrSU President Dr. Roy G. Ponce challenged the new employees to act as its steadfast protectors and drivers of continuity.
Dr. Ponce administered the oath of office to 50 newly hired and appointed personnel during the University’s flag ceremony on September 7, 2026. The incoming cohort brings 38 employees to Research, Innovation and Extension (RIE) and Auxiliary units, 10 to the Academic division, and two to the Administrative division.
Addressing the appointees, Dr. Ponce pointed out that while long-serving leaders are nearing retirement and top-level management inevitably turns over, rank-and-file employees are the ones who carry the institution forward from one administration to the next.
“You are now DOrSU’s guardians,” Dr. Ponce told the new personnel, noting that they will sustain the university’s daily operations and core culture.
He explained that this guardianship requires stewardship of university resources and the continuous improvement of institutional processes. He urged the new hires to maintain an uncompromising stance on integrity, actively protecting DOrSU against negligence and corruption that could erode the institution from within.
Dr. Ponce further emphasized that their responsibilities will scale up as the campus grows. Pointing to the university’s recent surge in student enrollment and structural expansion, he encouraged the personnel to leverage DOrSU’s training and professional development opportunities to be ready to assume heavier leadership roles.
“We want you to grow with the University,” he said. “The future of DOrSU is in your hands.” His remarks were particularly timely as the university celebrates the 126th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary (PCSA). Channeling this year’s national theme, “Bawat Kawani, Lingkod Bayani: Puso, Dangal, at Galing Para sa Bayan,” Dr. Ponce anchored the new hires’ roles to DOrSU’s regenerative futures philosophy. He reminded them that their public service is ultimately measured by its impact outside the campus walls.
“There’s something bigger—the purpose and the mission,” Dr. Ponce said. “Our greater purpose is to improve the lives of the people of Davao Oriental.”
With 50 new personnel officially on board, DOrSU looks forward to sustaining its momentum in academic and RIE expansion while cementing its position as a regenerative futures university in the Asia-Pacific.
