Introduction to Futures Thinking and Foresight

“The Future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

As quoted by Malcom and mentioned by one of our esteemed speakers, achieving the future an individual or an organization wishes will only be given to those who give the same amount of time and effort for it to happen. Over the past years, the role of the administration has remained pivotal in the success of institutional processes and programs for the benefit of its constituents and its stakeholders. To ensure that the administrative employees of UP Manila continue to possess a progressive mindset and actions towards their future in their respective offices, the UP Manila Human Resource Development Office (HRDO), in collaboration with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension (OVCRE) and Ad Hoc Committee for the UP Manila Futures Thinking Initiative Project (Phase II), conducted a Futures Thinking Educational Caravan for the administrative staff. Beginning with a Webinar entitled “Introduction to Futures Thinking and Foresight”, the 4-hour webinar was held virtually via Zoom on September 18, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Starting off with a bright welcoming remarks, Dr. Leslie Michelle M. Dalmacio, the current Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension, commends the UP Manila HRDO with the OVCRE for the initiative to host the training as well as the participants for attending with motivation to discover what is futures thinking and how they can apply their learnings in their line of work.

The webinar was divided into three (3) sessions to tackle the introductory topics into futures thinking. The first session entitled “Futures Thinking & Strategic Foresight” was delivered by Dr. Emerito Jose A. Faraon, the current Director of the Research Management and Translation Office (RMTO) and Research Grant Administration Office (RGAO) Head, highlighting how futures thinking and having strategic foresight prepares us for the changes and advancements the future may bring.

Dr. Raymond Fernando B. Yu, an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the UP Manila College of Pharmacy and the current college's graduate program coordinator and health and safety committee chair, discussed the second session entitled “Visioning the Futures of Administrative Staff.” In his talk, he added on the previous discussion and continued delving into the futures thinking, particularly in envisioning various scenarios in preparation for the future by providing realistic examples relatable to the audience.

After a 10-minute health break, the third and last session entitled “Backcasting for Work Productivity and Career Alignment” was presented by Dr. Aila Nica J. Bandong, an Associate Professor and the current Chairperson of the Department of Physical Therapy and International and Local Linkages Coordinator of the College of Allied Medical Professions. She emphasized the importance of backcasting to encourage collaboration among offices and teams to bring the future that they desire into the present.

The sessions of the webinar encouraged the participants to actively think and participate in sharing their ideas to grasp the introductory topics into futures thinking. Delivering a promising closing remark for the employees, Dr. Johanna Patricia D. Adevoso-Cañal concluded the webinar by reminding everyone to always consider the past or our history when widening our horizons to envision several futures as society continues to accelerate with digitization.

A total of 95 administrative staff attended the Webinar coming from several units and offices such as the HUO, NIH-NSRC, IPPAO, NGOHS, Accounting, Budget, and more. The collaboration of units and offices towards the betterment of its services begin with the proper training and knowledge, and the event is a great starting point in honing their skills and expertise while looking out into the organization’s future.

Stay tuned for more updates and workshops aimed at assisting UP Manila employees in every stage of their careers!