The University of Asia and the Pacific School of Management (SMN) and the Markets, Culture & Ethics Research Centre (MCE) of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, PUSC) in Rome officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on July 22, 2025, for a program on Church Management for priests and bishops of the Philippines.
The MOU was signed through a virtual ceremony by Dr. Anna Maria Mendoza, Dean of SMN, and Rev. Msgr. Martin Schlag, Director of MCE. Jodie Claire Ngo, Operations Committee Secretary of SMN, and Prof. Roberto Dandi, Chair of the Department of Business and Ecclesial Management of the Catholic International University in West Virginia, served as witnesses.
In attendance on the online event were UA&P President Dr. Winston Conrad Padojinog; Rev. Fr. Lambert Ramos, Rector and Administrator of the Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned (Marikina), UA&P chaplains Fr. Cayo Estrada and Fr. Edgar Soria; Dr. Eligio Santos and Dr. Ruel Maningas, Vice Deans of the UA&P School of Management; and several faculty members and staff of SMN.
This new partnership aims to foster collaborative research, faculty and student exchanges, and in-depth discussions at the intersection of business, culture, and ethics.
The initiative draws inspiration from Pope Benedict XVI’s call for financial reform within the Church, starting in the Vatican, and is further affirmed by the late Pope Francis, who emphasized the need for sound formation in Church management. According to him, the aim is not to turn priests into managers but to equip them with the understanding and skills to supervise, assess, and responsibly delegate economic and financial matters—avoiding the practice of sending individuals into Church administration without proper formation, which is akin to “asking someone to drive a car without a driver’s license.”
This MOU marks the beginning of a shared journey toward responsible stewardship, ethical leadership, and meaningful global academic collaboration.