By: Delaila Irma T. Calindas, Project Technical Staff II

“𝑨𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝒋𝒂 𝒖𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒏”—these were the words of Dr. Serafin L. Ngohayon during his message on November 17, 2025, at the Assumption of Office Ceremony held on his first day as the OIC–Director IV of CHED-CAR.

This Ifugao principle, which is roughly translated as ‘𝙙𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩,’ reflects his belief that a leader’s worth is proven through concrete actions and accomplishments.

During the simple ceremony, focal persons from the different units of the Regional Office presented their accomplishments and current status. They also expressed their full support for his leadership as he began his tenure in the Cordillera.

In his message and goal-setting presentation, Dr. Ngohayon shared his journey as the youngest university president during his time, and the major milestones achieved by higher education institutions under his leadership. He served as President of the former Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry and later became the first University President of Ifugao State University (IFSU) when the institution attained university status.

He also held key leadership roles in several organizations, such as AACCUP, PASUC, the Philippine Science Consortium, HARRDEC, and the NBC 461 Zonal Center for CAR, contributing significantly to quality assurance, research collaboration, and academic development across the region.

Despite these achievements, Dr. Ngohayon shared that he has always placed his family at the center of his decisions. He admitted that it was initially challenging to convince his family to support his assumption of the OIC Regional Director post, but ultimately expressed happiness and gratitude for receiving their full support. He emphasized the importance of a strong family support system in fulfilling one’s responsibilities effectively.

Dr. Ngohayon concluded by outlining his goals as the new OIC Regional Director, stressing his commitment to pursuing the ACHIEVE Agenda of CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis and ensuring that CHED-CAR continues to deliver quality, responsive, impact-driven, and transformative higher education services. Dr. Ngohayon will serve as the OIC Regional Director of CHED-CAR from November 17, 2025, to November 16, 2026, subject to renewal. He assumes this post on secondment status under a Memorandum of Agreement between CHED and IFSU.