Nelly Dillera on staying true to public service

After the EDSA Revolution in 1986, just a couple of years after she graduated from university, Nelly Dillera decided to enter the government service. This was her promise as a young child in Mindanao then who used to ask herself, “kung may gobyerno, bakit may ganito? Hindi mo nakikita sa buhay ng mga tao” (if there’s a government, why are things like this? You cannot see in the lives of the people). She believed that there is something she could do if she’s in the government. She started as an entry-level employee and even though she wanted to inject the things she wanted to do, she couldn't because there were authorities she needed to follow. That’s when she decided that she needed to have a position. She  wanted to be in the leadership position to be in the position of influence and not just power and authority.

What do you do for a living? And what are the things that make you feel more alive? 

I’ve been with the government for the longest time

Currently, I am the Deputy Director General (DDG) for Partnerships and Community-Based TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training), where I actually champion enterprise-based education and training.

Another thing that I champion as DDG is the Industry TVET Board. I think my long work from the DTI Regional Office, DOT, and then PTTC, where I was able to connect with industry players and the communities have helped me a lot in championing this particular cause.

Industry TVET Boards (ITB) in TESDA are the ones responsible in developing standards; the curriculums that we use for teaching.

Ito palagi kong sinasabi na “huwag tayong magmagaling sa mga bagay na hindi tayo magaling. Kasi una, when we talk about curriculum, when we talk about what should be taught to engineering students, the best way is actually to consult those who are already working in the industry. But we can inject into the picture people from the academic institutions kasi nasa DNA na nila ang development ng modules or training programs.

That's what I injected in the program, the ITB program of TESDA kasi before industry lang siya. Kasi iyong industry, okay, they're good. They know what their work is. They know how to do it, but how to teach what they know to students is something different from what they know, or how they can how they demonstrate it. However, it will be a challenge to translate that into module if you do not have the experience. So there needs to be academe or training institutions that should be included in the picture.

What makes me feel more alive? Three things:

1. I always find reason for being. Reason for being in that particular work. Reason for talking and working with the communities. Reason for working in the industries. So, it’s not just reaching and realizing the KPIs. It’s not only talking to industries or talking to communities, but really finding your meaning when you're talking to them. Ano ba iyong reason bakit ako nasa community? Why am I talking to them? 

2. Adding value to what they (community)are already doing and seeing them transform.

3. Maglaro kay Triana. (Triana is her 3-year old grand daughter)

How old are you?

62. It’s the season of life that feels both reflective and forward-looking.

Fill in the blank: “I am most known for___________________”

1. Transformation. And I think, as far as that is concerned, iyong mga program na nasimulan ko ay nandoon pa rin.

When I was in DTI-Sultan Kudarat , and that was a long time ago, we started “Sulong Tacurong” – it’s bringing together the different agencies para isulong iyong micro, small, and medium enterprises.

When I was DOT Region 12, nandiyan pa rin iyong “Treasures of SOX”. It different from the usual trade fair because we gathered different agencies in one trade fair. Why can’t we just pull our resources. 

In DTI-PTTC, the advocacy for the Philippine Skills Framework. Barely 1-3 months since I started in PTTC, I was tasked by then Secretary Ramon Lopez to handle PSF. 

Here in TESDA, Industry TVET Board. When I joined TESDA there were only four (4) Industry TVET Board –  tourism, construction, printing and IT-BPM. In a matter of 1 year after I joined TESDA, we now have 11 ITBs.

2. Many colleagues also know me for building partnerships and nurturing talent with warmth and persistence.

3. “Let’s not work in silos” is what my colleagues or staff would always hear me say.

Fill in the blank: “I am most proud of _______________.”

1. Raising a family that stays closed despite busy schedule, kaya ako pagdating talaga ng hapon, either kay Triana ako pupunta or uuwi ako sa bahay, Except kung may official functions.

2. Mentoring young professionals who now lead in their own fields.

3. Staying true to the public service values even in challenging times.

Minsan gusto ko ngang magmartsa eh pero siguro may kanya-kanya tayong lugar. Challenging ang ganitong panahon pero pwede namang contribution is through reforms, not necessarily going to the streets but through reforms. Meron tayong maaayos at magagawa pa rin.

Iyon talaga ng objective ko kung bakit gusto kong magkaroon ng position, hindi lang dahil maganda siya sa pangalan, Kundi iyong influence, iyong power ng position and things that you can do.

Kasi makulit talaga ako. Hindi talaga ako titigil hanggang hindi narealize o hindi na-implement, hindi lang iyong gusto ko kundi iyong gusto natin.

At saka gusto ko may urgency sa lahat ng ginagawa nating bagay. Kasi ayoko din iyong iniisip nila sa government na walang ginagawa. Kaya ako ma-social media. Kasi gusto kong i-report. Gusto kong ipaalam sa tao na may ginagawa kami, kahit maliit lang ito. Pero iyong maliit naming sulok, were we are assigned we are actually doing something.

What do you think is the biggest challenge and the best thing about your age? 

The biggest challenge is actually balancing energy, recognizing that I cannot do everything at once, even if my passion says otherwise.

The best thing about my age. . .

1. I’ve learned to listen more deeply.

2. I’ve embraced collaboration. A lifetime may not be enough for you to learn everything. But if you try to collaborate, if you try to pick the brains of other people – talk to other people and listen to other people – and through experiences, you will have added value because of these people.

3. Understanding that empowering others multiplies impact.

How have you grown wiser in the past years?

I’ve become more intentional about rest & reflection. Kasi sa dami ng kailangan mong gawin, dapat alam mo kung kailan ka dapat magpahinga at magreflect kasi baka masyado mo ng pinu-push ang sarili mo, iyon pala there are also other people na may kanya-kanyang ideas. Realizing that strategic pauses often lead to better decision-making. “Peace in the pause.”

What are the best pieces of life advice you have ever received? 

1. Use your influence to open doors for others, not just for yourself.

2. Stay grounded because title fades but integrity stays.

3. Celebrate small wins, they build the big victories.

4. Family moments are not interruptions. They are the point.

What is one thing you'd like to tell your 30-year-old self?

Keep doing what you have been doing, but learn how to expand your horizon and expanding your horizon doesn't necessarily mean that it's only you who will work and search for that expansion and a bigger perspective because the world is so big enough. The world can actually provide you a lot of resources – a lot of knowledge, rich insights and all that through other people – not just of your age but even the younger and older generations. And even observing what's happening around you can actually provide you a lot of insights.

Who are the women, you look up to and how have they helped shape your life

I don’t have any specific person but I admire women who are considered to be trailblazers in public service and community development. They're not there to do what is usual but they're there because they're introducing change or they're challenging the status quo. They're thinking of what added value can be integrated to what is currently done. 

Women who show that influence and compassion can coexist. Their examples have shaped how I live with empathy, courage and a sense of purpose bigger than myself.

It’s a combination of different people or characters. As I mentioned, looking at different people around you or observing how they do things they are actually contributing to your well-being and adding value to what you are doing, because we all have different strengths and skills. Gamitin natin ang strength ng bawat isa and gawin nating model.

When I said the word model, I remember my mother. She’s a modelled resilience and quiet strength. We are opposite, she’s literally very quiet but she’s very resilient maybe because at young age my father died and we were all little kids then.

If you were to be a Disney Princess, who would you be?

Mulan. Like her, I believe courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to step forward anyway.

Her love for family and country also reflects the responsibility I feel every day—whether it’s nurturing my granddaughter or championing support to the indigenous peoples or advocating widespread campaigns like the Philippine Skills Framework, cultural tourism, promoting a region that’s often times in the list of flagged regions or now industry-driven training programs.

Mulan’s perseverance reminds me that real change comes from adapting and rising again after setbacks.

Her integrity and creative problem-solving inspire me to lead with honor and innovation, even when the path isn’t easy.

Most of all, she proves that anyone—regardless of expectation—can break barriers. These are the values I strive to live by: courage, responsibility, resilience, and empowerment, so that together we can build a future where every Filipino’s potential is recognized and celebrated.

#STAGenerations