Nemesio E. Prudente (December 19, 1927 – March 28, 2008) was an educator,

political activist A political movement is a collective attempt by a group of people to change government policy or social values. Political movements are usually in opposition to an element of the status quo, and are often associated with a certain ideology. Some ...

, and

human rights defender A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing camp ...

revered for serving as

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of the

Polytechnic University of the Philippines , mottoeng = ''Light of the Nation'' , type = Public coeducational research higher education institution , established = October 19, 1904 , closed = , religious_affiliation = ...

. Prudente is credited with revitalizing public education in the Philippines by institutionalizing much-needed changes in the state university he led, which will eventually become the largest state university.

Biography

He served as the 4th President from 1962 to 1972 of the Philippine College of Commerce now (PCC) now PUP and in 1986 up to 1992 as the 2nd President of the

. Prudente earned his

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...

San Francisco State College San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different b ...

and a PhD in political science from the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

. He ran for a Senate seat in 1992 but lost.

Legacy

Philippine College of Commerce - Polytechnic University of the Philippines

In 1962, with the initiatives of the PCC President Dr Prudente, the establishment of Philippine College of Commerce - Placement Service Unit (PCC-PSU) a modern-day PUP Career Development and Placement Office (PUP-CDPS), envisioned to provide career development assistance for its students and alumni. The emergence of the nationalistic movement in the school campuses, supplied further momentum to the achievement of President Prudente's progressive vision and goals for PCC. The Supreme Student Council president's nomination as a member of the board of trustees made it possible for students to participate in the decision-making process at the school. The involvement of the PCC in the Progressive movement was held by

Marcos Marcos may refer to: People with the given name ''Marcos'' *Marcos (given name) Sports ;Surnamed * Dayton Marcos, Negro league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio (early twentieth-century) * Dimitris Markos, Greek footballer * Nélson Marcos, Portug ...

administration to include Prudente among the targets of suppression of well-known Anti-Marcos figures in 1968. Under his presidency in newly renamed

, Dr Nemesio Prudente assigned a committee for formulating new university philosophy, mission, hymn, logo and restructuring of several departments which some of its namely the "Electronic Data Processing" under the college of business restructured into College of Computer Management and Information Technology a predecessor of College of Computer and Information Sciences. Newly graduate programs were created including the Master in Industrial Engineering Management (MIEM), Master of Arts in psychology (MAP) and Master in Education Management (MEM). Under his term the Public Affairs Office established a Community Relations Office. The similar agreement to UP-DND Accord; Prudente-Ramos accord or known as PUP-DND accord was signed in 1990 to recognize students to express academic freedom and protect against the police and military interventions.

Bantayog ng mga Bayani

In November 2011, Prudente was among 14 individuals honored by having their named engraved on the Wall of Remembrance of the

Bantayog ng mga Bayani The Bantayog ng mga Bayani (), sometimes simply referred to as the Bantayog, is a monument, museum, and historical research center in Quezon City, Philippines, which honors the martyrs and heroes of the struggle against the dictatorship of for ...

, which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos Dictatorship. Prudente was noted to have developed a close relationship with

Philippine Military Academy The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...

instructor Dante Simbulan, Navy Capt. Danilo Vizmanos and

Philippine Merchant Marine Academy The Philippine Merchant Marine Academy ( fil, Akademiya sa Bapor Pangkalakalan ng Pilipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMMA) is a maritime higher education institution operated by the Philippine government in San Narciso, Zambales. Studen ...

Superintendent Rogelio Morales, who all shared his advocacies; the latter two are fellow Bantayog ng mga Bayani honorees.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prudente, Nemesio 2008 deaths Filipino activists People from Cavite Polytechnic University of the Philippines Polytechnic University of the Philippines faculty Filipino educators San Francisco State University alumni University of Southern California alumni 1927 births Presidents of universities and colleges in the Philippines Individuals honored at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani