Professor Romeo B. Ocampo kicked off the NCPAG Deans Lecture Series. He delivered his lecture “Against Federalism: Why it Will Fail and Bring Us to the Brink” in a packed NCPAG Case Room on 3 February 2017.
In her opening remarks, Dean Maria Fe Mendoza explained that the Deans Lecture Series, which is being conducted as part of NCPAG’s 65th anniversary celebration in 2017, “aims to honor and strengthen the College’s tradition of scholarship and intellectual praxis in the service of the nation.”
“Likewise, it is aimed at paying tribute to the men and women who steered the College to becoming a great institution it is today” added Mendoza.
Ocampo argues that “The proposed shift to a federal form of government is unlikely to succeed and may lead instead to the dismemberment of the Philippines. Federalization will critically weaken the central government by sharing its sovereign powers and substantial more of its resources with the component states. Rather than promote equitable development, federalization will probably enable the better-endowed regions-states to scoot even farther ahead of the others.”
Prof. Ocampo, who is also known as RBO in NCPAG, was Dean of the college from 1989-1992. He taught courses on administrative theory; public policy and planning; urban, regional and social development; and local and regional government.
He attended the University of California Berkeley for graduate studies on City and Regional Planning (PhD candidate) and Master in City Planning. He also holds an AB English and Master in Public Administration degrees from UP.
RBO continues to serve NCPAG as editor and chair of the Editorial Board of the Philippine Journal of Public Administration.