CATBALOGAN CITY, Philippines—From strategic leadership to digital transformation and data-driven marketing, Samar State University (SSU) continues to invest in future-ready leadership as its officials and faculty completed world-class training from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania—one of the world’s top-ranked institutions for business and leadership education.
Through the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) Higher Education Upskilling and Study for the Advancement of Staff and Faculty (HUSAY) Program, SSU has now produced three batches of Wharton-trained leaders, reflecting the university’s sustained commitment to personnel development, internationalization, and global standards of excellence.
Third Batch Leads with Wharton Graduation in Pennsylvania
Most recently, faculty members of the College of Engineering Prof. Ronald L. Orale and Engr. Maricris Ediza, and QA Director Mr. Jake Boy Carbonquillo, completed the Strategies for Accountable AI Certificate Program from August to November 2025. The course examined the responsible development, deployment, and governance of AI systems, with emphasis on transparency, fairness, interpretability, legal accountability, and ethical decision-making. It also explored global AI regulatory frameworks, risk mitigation strategies, and real-world cases highlighting the societal and organizational impacts of AI technologies.
“The AI is super powerful to be wasted or set aside. I also believe that SSU have to fully adopt it not control or restrict its use. There is however a major shift in the teaching-learning process as the traditional way of teaching-learning process is super obsolete. With my attendance at Wharton, it is now clear that AI has to be optimally used and that the curriculum including how professors [and] instructors teach has to change and it should change fast,” Prof. Orale remarked.
Following their completion of said course, Prof. Orale attended the in-person graduation rites on December 3-5, 2025, at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, where participants from diverse sectors gathered for the In Person Networking and Executive Reflection Program, an onsite program that brought together cohort members at the University of Pennsylvania to connect with peers and distinguished professionals. Prof. Orale engaged on direct interaction with faculty and fellow executives from institutions worldwide, fostering meaningful dialogue, exchange of insights, and professional relationships on the program learnings and real-world applications obtained from their Wharton education.
Prof. Orale symbolically represented the 11 SSU personnel who have completed Wharton leadership programs under the CHED HUSAY initiative, placing SSU on the global academic stage.
Second Batch Expands Leadership Across University Units
Earlier in July 1 to September 19, 2025, SSU’s second batch of Wharton graduates completed 12 weeks of leadership and management courses delivered through Wharton Online. Guided by distinguished Wharton professors, participants engaged in rigorous learning activities including modules, video lectures, discussion forums, synchronous sessions, and practical assessments, with a minimum passing requirement of 70% in all examinations.
Under the Strategic Marketing for Competitive Advantage Program, Ms. Elma C. Sultan, Director of University Publications, and Ms. Flory Jean A. Loreno, Director of the Auxiliary Office, underwent intensive training based on Wharton’s MBA marketing management curriculum. Their coursework covered positioning new products and services, customer engagement strategies, smart pricing, communication campaign design, online advertising, brand management, channel strategies, customer analysis, and strategic innovation.
Meanwhile, Dr. Lanie M. Pacadaljen, Acting Dean of the Graduate School; Mr. Jerson Sorio, Acting Campus Director of SSU Mercedes Campus; and Dr. Gil O. Amoyan, Director of the Student Internship Program, completed the Leadership and Management Certificate Program. The program focused on purpose-driven leadership, work style diversity, and sustaining positive organizational culture through effective management practices.
First Batch Strengthens Leadership at the Helm
The university’s engagement with the Wharton–CHED HUSAY Program began with its first batch of completers, composed of three key SSU officials: SSU President Dr. Redentor S. Palencia, Vice-President for Research and Extension Services Engr. Mirador G. Labrador, and Director of the Samar Island GIS and Data Analytics Center Engr. Raven C. Tabiongan. They completed their 12-week programs from September 27 to December 20, 2024.
Dr. Palencia completed the Leadership and Management Certificate Program, earning badges in Engaging Hearts and Minds, Understanding Work Styles and Cultivating Originality, Purpose-Driven Leadership, and Organization Culture and Culture Change. His training centered on building inclusive, purpose-aligned leadership and sustaining a constructive organizational culture.
Engr. Labrador and Engr. Tabiongan completed the Digital Leadership Certificate Program, earning badges in Leadership in the Age of Digital Disruption, Removing Barriers to Change in Organizations, Managing in the Global Digital Economy, and Artificial Intelligence for Business. Their training equipped them with advanced competencies in digital strategy, organizational change, and technology-enabled leadership.
Investing in People, Advancing the Institution
Across three batches, SSU’s participation in the Wharton–CHED HUSAY Program underscores a strategic investment in human capital and one that aligns with the university’s strategic plan on faculty and personnel development, strengthens its internationalization agenda, and equips its leaders with globally relevant skills.
As SSU continues to navigate the demands of higher education in a rapidly changing world, these globally trained leaders stand at the forefront—ready to translate world-class learning into meaningful, localized impact for the university and the communities it serves.