Building Bridges: How Cordillera Career Development College is Championing Health Leadership
Stories | by Krizzia Esperanza
In La Trinidad, Benguet, the Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC) has been quietly transforming lives since 1993. This private, non-profit institution offers programs from basic education to graduate school, including a College of Law. Its flagship programs in entrepreneurship, midwifery, and criminology have long served the Cordillera region. But recently, its partnership with the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) has added another dimension to its mission: health leadership.
A Partnership Rooted in Bridging Leadership
CCDC’s journey with ZFF began in 2016 with the Bridging Leadership Program. “We were introduced through a collaboration with other bridging leaders,” shared Dr. Sherry Junette Tagle, CCDC’s President. This initial effort involved integrating Bridging Leadership into CCDC’s Master in Public Administration program, laying the foundation for further collaboration.
By 2022, formal talks with ZFF led to a Memorandum of Agreement in March 2023. Since then, CCDC has actively participated in numerous capacity-building initiatives, including leadership and mentoring programs tailored for educators and local government officials.
“We’ve engaged in about 10 capability-building sessions in just one year,” Tagle said. “These programs prepared us to embrace Bridging Leadership before we shared it with municipal health leadership teams.”
Empowering Leaders Through Health Programs
One of the standout projects under the partnership was the Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDP) conducted in 2023. The program included training and mentoring for local government units (LGUs) and municipal health officers.
“At first, we doubted our ability to coach experts,” admitted Abigail Bersamin, CCDC’s Vice President for Academics. “But with ZFF’s support, we successfully guided them. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Tagle shared the impact on their faculty: “Our top management, deans, and faculty from [the College of] Health Education, which includes Nursing and Midwifery, and the [College of] Social Work have all benefited. This training has not only strengthened our team but inspired us to pass on these learnings to students and other stakeholders.”
Widening the Scope of Influence
Beyond immediate results, CCDC is integrating health leadership principles into its academic programs. Courses in nursing and midwifery now include these frameworks, and the school is exploring how to make leadership training a cornerstone of student activities.
“What we always say at CCDC is bringing education closer to the people,” Tagle explained. “This partnership has allowed us to widen our reach, engaging adult learners and promoting continuing education.”
The institution is also laying the groundwork for a Bridging Leadership Center, which would provide resources for faculty and students while fostering collaboration with other ZFF academic partners.
Looking Ahead
CCDC sees the partnership with ZFF as an opportunity to address emerging health issues, particularly mental health. “We’ve seen the need to focus on adolescent and mental health concerns,” Tagle shared. “We hope to expand our collaboration to tackle these pressing issues.”
Both Tagle and Bersamin expressed gratitude for the partnership, which has brought invaluable learning and growth to the institution. “With our shared vision, we hope to continue making a significant impact together.”
