op@clsu.edu.ph (044) 940 8785
CLSU Logo

Central Luzon State University

Science City of Muñoz, 3120 Nueva Ecija, Philippines

University

PRESIDENT AND COO OF FIRST PHILIPPINE HOLDINGS CORPORATION ADDRESSES MID-YEAR GRADUATES

Dec. 10, 2021

PAO | PAO

Mr. Francis Giles B. Puno, president and chief operating officer (COO) of the First Philippine Holdings Corporation (FPH), one of the largest industrial conglomerates in the Philippines focused on power, real estate, construction services, and manufacturing and is part of the Lopez Group of Companies, is the guest of honor and speaker on the 26th Mid-year Commencement Exercises of CLSU on February 10, 2017. He addresses 444 graduating students. Mr. Puno is also concurrently the president and COO of First Gen Corporation (First Gen), one of the country’s largest independent electric power producers, that focuses entirely on clean and renewable sources of electricity. First Gen is the power generation subsidiary of FPH. President and COO Puno or simply “Giles” to his colleagues and friends was unanimously chosen to address the mid-year graduates by the CLSU Academic Council chaired by Dr. Tereso A. Abella, CLSU President. Mr. Puno is looked up to by the graduates as a source of inspiration as he is expected to share with them his and his corporation’s work and management-related practices and ethics, endeavours, advocacies, and successes that relate to the theme of the Commencement Exercises, “Enhancing Education Through Quality Management Systems.” Mr. Puno sits as a board director of FPH, First Gen and Energy Development Corporation (EDC). He joined FPH in 1997 and was assigned to First Gen as its Chief Financial Officer to lead its $1.4 billion fund raising of the 1,500 MW Santa Rita and San Lorenzo gas-fired power plants. He also advised and arranged the financing of First Gen’s P58.5 billion acquisition of a controlling stake in geothermal operator Energy Development Corporation (EDC) in 2007. Giles previously worked as the Vice President for the Global Power Group in Singapore and Hongkong of the Chase Manhattan Bank from 1990 to 1997. COO Puno completed his Master of Management degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management in 1990 and his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1985. Meanwhile, the speaker in the Baccalaureate Services held last February 9 was Fr. Cesar C. Vergara, Parish Priest, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Guimba, Nueva Ecija.

Related SDGs

Other Stories

CLSU Educators Present Landmark Studies on Teaching and Leadership at National RITE NOW Webinar

Central Luzon State University (CLSU) solidified its position as a driver of educational policy and practice as faculty researchers from the College of Education (CEd) and Institute of Graduate Studies (IGS) presented landmark research findings at the national Research Initiatives in Teacher Education (RITE) Network of Webinars (NOW) on October 28. The featured session highlighted the project "Identifying Exemplary Practices of Teachers and Educational Leaders," led by Dr. Regidor G. Gaboy alongside a distinguished panel of CLSU educators and researchers. The presentation emphasized research-backed solutions to optimize teacher preparation, professional learning pathways, and educational leadership development across four distinct areas of study. In the first study, Dr. Abigail P. Simbre explored the traits of standout educators through stakeholder narratives in "The Anatomy of Distinguished Teachers." Building on administrative perspectives, Dr. Mark Gill M. Mercado presented the second study, which examined effective management strategies in "Identifying Best Practices of School Heads." Shifting the focus to higher-level guidance, Dr. Ma. Ruby Hiyasmin M. Delos Santos led the third study on "Defining Excellence in Leadership" by identifying key qualities of exemplary supervisors. Finally, Dr. Joel M. Torres presented the fourth study, titled "Who Could Mentor Teachers?", which examined the essential characteristics and strategies of top teacher-educators. Through their active participation in the RITE NOW platform, CEd and IGS faculty members continue to demonstrate academic rigor and leadership in national teacher education reform, curriculum alignment, and policymaking. The national RITE Project is implemented by the Philippine Normal University (PNU) and funded by the Teacher Education Council (TEC).

Oct. 29, 2026

CLSU Secures 100% CHED Program Compliance Milestone

Central Luzon State University (CLSU) has achieved 100% compliance with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) requirements across all undergraduate and graduate degree offerings. This milestone was reached after CHED issued COPCs for the university's final three pending programs: the Master of Science in Education major in Home Economics, Educational Management, and Mathematics. With this full attainment, every academic program at CLSU strictly adheres to CHED’s Policies, Standards, and Guidelines (PSGs). This success highlights the collective effort across all programs to elevate our quality standards and align our academic offerings with national benchmarks. At its core, this milestone reinforces public trust in CLSU while ensuring students receive a high-quality education that directly responds to the evolving demands of industry and society. #SievingForExcellence

Oct. 29, 2026

CLSU Demonstrates Excellence with Above-National Performance in Chemistry Licensure Exams

Central Luzon State University (CLSU) maintained its outstanding performance in the recent Chemist and Chemical Technician Licensure Examinations, surpassing national benchmarks across both examinations. In the Chemical Technician Licensure Examination, the University posted a 96.15% passing rate among first-time takers and a 100% success rate among re-examiners, totaling 27 successful examinees. This yielded an overall institutional passing rate of 96.43%, significantly outperforming the national passing rate of 76.48%. Similarly, in the Chemist Computer-Based Licensure Examination, CLSU achieved an 86.67% passing rate for first-time examinees and 83.33% for re-examiners. This resulted in an overall institutional passing rate of 85.71% with 18 successful passers, thereby exceeding the national passing rate of 76.48%. These strong results reflect CLSU's continued dedication to academic quality and strong instruction in the chemical sciences.

Oct. 20, 2026

View More
CLSU Data Privacy Seal of Registration

Central Luzon State University

Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines 3120
  • Central Luzon State University, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines
  • op@clsu.edu.ph
  • (044) 940 8785

Opportunities
E-Services
Feedback and Grievance Desk
Central Luzon State University values the voices of its students, faculty, staff, and the people it serves and is committed to continuously improve its services. As part of our commitment to quality and excellence, we encourage you to share your feedback, concerns, and suggestions.

To ensure your inputs are heard and addressed, we provide the following official channels for receiving feedback and grievances.
  • feedback@clsu.edu.ph
  • +63 9537 267 511
  • (044) 940 7030
© Copyright 2023 Central Luzon State University All Rights Reserved