CODTL Welcomes New Officials as It Moves Forward
The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) has announced new appointments to key leadership positions at the Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning (CODTL). These appointments, initially made public during the Chancellorship Turnover Rites on 28 February 2025, officially took effect on 1 March 2025. The officials took their oath of office during the university flag ceremony held on 2 June 2025.
Dr. Juvy Lizette M. Gervacio has been appointed Director of CODTL. Prior to this role, she served as a Program Development Associate at CODTL and Program Chair of the Master of Public Management Program under the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS). Dr. Gervacio is also an active member of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) for Lifelong Learning and currently serves as Research Coordinator for Research Network 7 on Non-Formal and Informal Learning. In addition, she is an External Collaborator for the International Training Center of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Dr. Juliet Aleta R. Villanueva now serves as Deputy Director for Open and Digital Learning Research (CODTL-ODLR). She previously held the post of Deputy Director for Learning Design and served as Faculty Secretary of the Faculty of Education (FEd). Dr. Villanueva is also the current Program Chair of the Diploma in Social Studies Education (DSSE) and the Master of Arts in Social Studies Education (MASSE) programs under FEd.
Dr. Benigno B. Agapito Jr. has been designated Deputy Director for Educational Media Production (CODTL-EMP). He currently chairs the Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) program at the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS). A media and communication professional, Dr. Agapito is also a member of the Commission on Higher Education’s Regional Quality Assessment Team (RQAT) for Multimedia Arts, Humanities, and Communication.
Dr. Joseph De Mesa has stepped into the role of Deputy Director for Learning Design (CODTL-LD). Before joining UPOU, he taught various physics courses and served as a university research associate at the National Institute of Physics, UP Diliman. He is a physicist, educator, and researcher whose education research interests include the development of learning materials and techniques, visualization in physics, and data analytics. Dr. De Mesa also specializes in laser and vacuum systems, thin film deposition and characterization, and simulation of laser-material interactions.
Although the team has been serving in their respective capacities since March, the recent oath-taking ceremony served as a formal reaffirmation of their appointments, as CODTL moves forward with its strategic priorities under their leadership.
