MSEUF gives local stakeholders real seats at the table

Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation (MSEUF) strengthened peace, justice, and strong institutions by using formal, recurring channels for local stakeholders—residents, local government, and civil society—to help shape university-linked decisions and programs. Three 2024 engagements show those mechanisms in action: city public hearings, a CSO–academe partners meeting with DSWD, and a community-facing career forum that gathered youth and family feedback for admissions and student-support planning.

 

On May 14, 2024, MSEUF’s Vice President for External Relations and the Office of Scholarship, Endowment, Job Placement, and Alumni Relations joined a Lucena City Sangguniang Panlungsod public hearing on an ordinance to recognize local achievers. The session—chaired by city councilors with multiple school, LGU, and youth offices present—served as a formal venue to present positions, refine provisions (including incentives and implementation rules), and enter inputs into the public record. Participation through named liaison offices gives the community a direct, lawful route to influence policy areas that intersect with university initiatives and student life. 

On Sept. 13, 2024, MSEUF took part in the Provincial CSO–Academe Partners Meeting convened by DSWD IV-A for the 4Ps program. With CSOs, state universities, faith groups, and campus representatives in the room, partners reviewed results, aligned next steps, and confirmed roles for youth development sessions, livelihood training, and health initiatives for vulnerable families. The meeting’s documented agenda, attendance, and follow-through create a repeatable, written procedure for stakeholder engagement tied to social protection outcomes. 

Earlier, on May 22, 2024, the University brought admissions and student-life leaders—and the University Collegiate Student Council—to the Cotta National High School #MapItOut forum. Beyond program briefings, the team fielded questions and gathered community feedback on scholarships, timelines, and student organization support, inputs used to fine-tune recruitment, outreach, and aid communications for local families. The event exemplified how MSEUF engages local residents and youth in decisions about access pathways and services. 

How these mechanisms fulfill SDG 16

• Identify and engage local stakeholders: MSEUF works through designated liaison offices (e.g., External Relations; Scholarship/Alumni) to interface with city councils, DSWD, CSOs, schools, and families. 
  
  
• Written policies/procedures: Engagements follow government and partner procedures—city public-hearing rules and DSWD partners’ meeting protocols, with agendas, attendance, and decisions recorded; university news pages document participation and outcomes. 
  
  
• Meaningful participation in decision making: Inputs gathered in hearings and partners’ meetings influence ordinance design, social-protection programming, and university outreach and aid strategies—directly shaping how MSEUF serves the local community. 
  
  

MSEUF’s approach reflects its values—Mindfulness, Service, Excellence, Unity, Fortitude—by making stakeholder voice visible, procedural, and productive. Through public hearings, cross-sector partner convenings, and community forums, the University converts dialogue into decisions, advancing SDG 16 in Lucena and across Quezon.