As part of the celebration of the 60th Founding Anniversary of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), NDCP President LtGen Ferdinand M Cartujano PAF (Ret) delivered his State of the College Address on 7 August 2023, at the NDCP Honor Hall, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, with a simulcast via Facebook Live (now uploaded in the NDCP Facebook Page).

In his speech, President Cartujano reflected on NDCP’s 60 years and shared his vision for the future of the College. With the current geopolitical environment and threats to national security, President Cartujano highlighted the importance of further fulfilling NDCP’s mandate in training and educating future national security leaders, as well as pursuing valuable research for policy-making.

“As the College both looks back to the past and gazes upon the future, we, the men and women of NDCP, also celebrate how our institution has served and will continue to serve as the fulcrum of policy discourse and training within the defense establishment,” President Cartujano said.

In his one year of leadership, President Cartujano took pride in NDCP’s significant accomplishments: first, in educating more government, civilian, and military personnel through degree and non-degree academic programs; second, in developing training courses and engaging more like-minded partners in the country and abroad; and finally, in strengthening its research production and publication services for the defense and security establishment.

President Cartujano also commended the contribution of all personnel to the College’s successes. According to the President, the hard work, passion, and dedication of Team NDCP enabled the College to serve its stakeholders effectively.

Looking back on NDCP’s six glorious decades and moving forward, President Cartujano noted that the College’s vision of being a leading institution in the region for defense and security education, training, and research continues. President Cartujano expressed his commitment to NDCP to soar to greater heights.

The NDCP celebrates its Diamond Jubilee this month with the theme: “NDCP @ 60 and Beyond: Thriving in a New Era of Collective Responsibility, Navigating through Ever-Evolving National Security.”