EXPERTS AND ADVISERS
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PHILIP IAN P. PADILLA
Current Affiliation: Professor, UP Visayas; Asst to the Director, Philippine Genome Center
Area of Expertise: Public Health, Health Systems, Medical Science, Molecular Biology, Microbiology
Dr. Philip Ian Padilla is a Professor of Microbiology of UP Visayas, a Registered Microbiologist, and currently the Assistant to the Executive Director of the Philippine Genome Center, UP System. He was the former Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of UPV, UP Faculty Regent, Chair of (Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences), Director (UPV National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology), and University Physician. He is a UPV and UP College of Medicine alumni, a well published scientist during his doctoral studies at Nagasaki University, post-doctoral training at the US National Institute of Heart, Lung, and Blood and as a mentor in UP Visayas. He has mentored the most number of winning youth teams in the national social marketing in health competition by the Unilab Foundation Ideas Positive from 2012 to 2018. He is a recipient of the 2020 UPV Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Public Service and the 2022 UP Alumni Association- Iloilo Outstanding Alumni in Public Health.
Dr. Padilla also serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Youth Work Research and Training Center.
PEBBLES B. SANCHEZ-OGANG
Current Affiliation: Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Mommyki® The Super Pet App, Pet Tech for Social Good
Area of Expertise: Strategic Communications and Capacity Development; Climate Action, Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development; Digitalization and Innovation; People Leadership and Operations Management; and Youth and Community Empowerment
Her passion lies in the “works of the heart”, having more than 16 years of experience handling people leadership, operations management, partnerships development, information, education and communication (IEC) campaigns, advocacy building, youth and community empowerment, tech innovation, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives across the government, civil society, international NGO, startup and private sector setting.
JAMES PATRICK SANTOS
Current Affiliation: CDO LGU - City College of Cagayan de Oro; Director, International Linkages & Promotions Office
Area of Expertise: Project Management, Policy Development, Organizational Development, Development Planning, Systems Thinking
James Patrick "JP" Santos was the former Youth Development Officer of the City of Cagayan de Oro. He was the chief lobbyist of the Oro Youth Code, a city ordinance that aims to institutionalize youth participation in local governance, and the CDO Out of School Youth Development Alliance Ordinance, an effort to institutionalize a bridging program for employment, education, skills training, and entrepreneurship for Out of School Youth.
He introduced and developed internal office systems, co-created various youth programs on leadership development, out of school youth empowerment, youth in agriculture, social audit, and policy development. He organized the 1st City-wide youth organization registration program, Barangay Youth and SK profiling, led the creation of a 3-year youth development plan. He was also the Director General of the Oro Youth Leadership Academy, the first LGU-led youth leadership development program in Northern Mindanao.
He was a recipient of the 2020 Outstanding Mindanaoan in Governance & Leadership (Youth Category) sponsored by the Mindanao Daily and Veterans Bank. Through his leadership, the Oro Youth Development Office was recognized by the Positive Youth Development Network as one of the Outstanding Local Youth Development Offices in the country. In addition, JP was one of the prime movers of the BAKA Program, a recipient of the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Award in 2023.
Currently, he is a resource person to various LGUs in youth development programming and is also the Director of International Linkages and Promotions Office of the recently established City College of Cagayan de Oro.
CHARLES VINCENT C. MANARANG
Current Affiliation: Project Development Officer III
Area of Expertise: Social Sciences (Psychology), Public Management, Environmental Planning, Community Development, Youth Development
EnP Charles Vincent C. Manarang's 10 years in government service, strengthened his portfolio as one the key players in decision-making and execution of key programs in the government and non-government sector.
His diverse skills include active engagement to local and international programs, organizational development, advocacy building, youth empowerment, communications, research, local governance administration, and monitoring and evaluation initiatives.
He was an awardee at the University of the Philippines Visayas Graduate Research Conference as an oral presenter which placed 2nd in the Management, Social Science, and Education category. The research topic entitled “A Budget Estimation Model for top Medical Conditions in Leyte” was registered with Certificate of Copyright Registration and Deposit by the National Library of the Philippines.
Currently, he is the Project Development Officer III of the Province of Leyte. He graduated with degrees in BA Social Sciences (Psychology) and Master of Management (Public Management) at the University of the Philippines Tacloban.
EDREN M. LLANILLO
Current Affiliation: Padyarescue Incorporated - Executive Director
Area of Expertise: DRRM, CCAM, Youth Volunteerism, Mobilization and Empowerment
Edren M. Llanillo, a native and dedicated resident of Barangay Umanday, Bugallon, Pangasinan. Currently serving as the Executive Director of PadyaRescue Incorporated, Edren has emerged as a leading figure in youth engagement programs for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in the province of Pangasinan.
Edren Llanillo is also a dedicated public servant. Edren served as Sangguniang Kabataan Chairperson in Barangay Umanday from 2018 to 2023 where he seamlessly integrated his meaningful community development work with public service. Prior to his elected position, Edren served as a Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Assistant Officer in the Municipal DRRM Office of Bugallon and as Secretariat to Youth Development Affairs of the Local Government Unit ofBugallon.
Edren's visionary project, the Go Bike Project, received widespread acclaim and recognition, winning multiple awards and capturing the hearts of people nationwide. His initiatives were featured on national TV, including Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho.
He is awarded as the Regional Outstanding Volunteer Awardee for his exceptional contributions to youth volunteerism by Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency and NEDA. His Go Bike Project was also awarded as National Finalist by Galing Pook Awards, a nationwide search for outstanding community projects. He joined various project pitching competitions such as the Ideas Positive, Kabataan Fair of PITYLC where he received project grants to implement his ideas and ways in making this world a better and safer place to live in.
Edren Llanillo also became a Community Development Officer of Project Kaakbay of the Unilab Foundation, exposing him on a youth mobilization management for a hundred of youth leaders in Dagupan City, Pangasinan.
A Mass Communication graduate from Colegio De Dagupan, Edren transitioned from a media specialist to a full-time community development worker, realizing that his talents could be a catalyst for positive change.
Currently enrolled as one of the Fellows of LEAD 2 - FBLP 5, a program supported by The Asia Foundation, USAID, Asian Institute of Management, Ateneo School of Government, and Ayala Foundation, Inc., Edren is actively participating in the Future Bridging Leadership Program. He is also an Executive Assistant of the Mayor newly designated as an Officer-In-Charge of the MDRRMO Bugallon.
ABDUL RAHMAN SALI ALONGAN
Current Affiliation: Ministry of Finance, and Budget and Management BARMM / Public Relations Officer III
Area of Expertise: Social Work, Social Development, Mental Health, Community Organization, Casework, Groupwork, Case Management
Abdul Rahman S. Alongan is a registered social worker, a Doctor of Philosophy in Social Development, and a mental health and gender rights advocate. As a mental health advocate, he implemented various projects on mental health and wellbeing in Maguindanao in 2017 under the Unilab Foundation’s Ideas Positive project and the US Embassy in the Philippines. In this project, he also integrated peace as a lens of mental health. When the pandemic came, he volunteered as an Online Psychological First Aid provider to distressed individuals and families under the United RSWs. He also has facilitated various training in the Bangsamoro Region. Currently, he is the President of Urduja, Inc., a non-government organization teaching to empower women and women-led organizations through a year-long mentoring program on feminist leadership that is rooted in the values of gender equality and social justice. Before joining the Bangsamoro Government, he was an area coordinator and community empowerment facilitator of DSWD XII’s Kalahi CIDSS NCDDP and an instructor of the social work department at the Cotabato State University.
JUDY SANTIAGO ALADIN
Current Affiliation: Section Editor, SmartParenting.com.ph, Summit Media
Area of Expertise: Digital Marketing, Content Creation, Organizational Communication, Communication Planning, Branding
Judy Santiago Aladin is a Section Editor of Smart Parenting, the parenting brand of Summit Media, the Philippines' largest digital lifestyle network.
She previously worked as an Assistant Communications Manager of Unilab Foundation, where she established the digital ecosystem and propagated the use of the hashtag #healthierPH. She was the Communications Advocacy Partner of Ideas Positive, its youth engagement program, until it evolved into Positive Youth Development Network.
She also worked as a news writer for ABS-CBN News Channel and a reporter for Bantay Bata 163. In 2019, she started Bagong Nanay, an online community for first-time moms. She has a 4-year-old daughter, and she is an advocate of maternal mental health, where she hopes to help build a healthier Philippines where no mother would ever feel that they are alone.
SHEILA MAE DE LA CRUZ-MALIK
Current Affiliation: Communications Special/Print Division Head Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division-Bangsamoro Parliament
Area of Expertise: Political Communication, Public Relations, Media Relations, Partnership and Capacity-Building, Broadcasting
Sheila Mae De La Cruz-Malik is a communication specialist, currently serving as the Head of the Print Media Division within the Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division of the Bangsamoro Parliament.
With an illustrious career dedicated to information dissemination, Sheila serves as the broadcaster of 'Talakayang Parlyamento,' the official radio program of the Bangsamoro Parliament. She is also a news reporter for ‘Ulat Bangsamoro,’ the online news program of the Parliament.
She also contributes to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, where she captures the nuanced narratives of the Bangsamoro region.
Her previous experience as an information officer for the defunct ARMM's Bureau of Public Information has equipped her with a deep understanding of the region's dynamics.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Sheila is a compassionate advocate for mental health. She co-founded Kabanatan (Resilience), a community-based organization dedicated to providing safe spaces for orphans and distressed children in the Bangsamoro region.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Sheila and her team received the prestigious Husay at Malasakit Award in the Ideas Positive program in 2019, the first to get the award from the Bangsamoro region.
Sheila's multifaceted talents extend into the realm of filmmaking, where she passionately directs, writes, and produces short documentaries. These films artfully depict the stories of indigenous people and the youth in the BARMM, showing her dedication to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities.
ABIGAIL GONZALES AMON
Current Affiliation: Communications and Operations Director
Area of Expertise: Development Communications, Grant Writing, Project Management, Graphic Design, Photography
Abigail Gonzales Amon has been in the HIV advocacy since her undergraduate years, when she and her friends co-founded Team Dugong Bughaw, a youth initiative on HIV awareness based in Iloilo, Philippines. She now works as the Communications and Operations Director of the now-legally registered organization.
Abigail graduated with a bachelor's degree in Communication and Media Studies from the University of the Philippines and was recently awarded a KOICA scholarship for a Master's degree in Ajou University, South Korea. She has worked for regional youth networks in Asia-Pacific and has been involved in youth public health networks in the Philippines, being part of the Communications and Strategic Department of Positive Youth Development Network and as Director of Communications & Partnerships of Dungán Western Visayas circa 2019.
As an International Scholarship Awardee, Abigail organized a booth on youth HIV awareness at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2018. In 2019, she was selected as a delegate for the JENESYS Youth Exchange in Media Industry (YEMI) held in Japan. Abigail finds meaningful work in brainstorming messages and creating programs and digital content for development especially in HIV, public health, and gender.
In her free time, Abigail enjoys going through pretty words and pretty pictures. Sometimes she tries to create them. Abigail is on a mission to find the perfect meeting point between her hobbies and her advocacies.
MAIA MELANCIO
Current Affiliation: Investing in Women; Program Manager - Campaigns and Communities of Practice
Area of Expertise: Partnerships Management, Strategic Marketing, Communications, Project Management
Maia is a driven and results-oriented individual with over 15 years of professional experience in partnership management, strategic marketing, and communications. She strives to forge relationships and manage campaigns that help organizations achieve their mission.
Currently, she works towards gender equality as a Program Manager for Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government. As a Program Manager, she works with local partners to roll out campaigns and communities of practice that promote positive examples of gender to strengthen public support for women’s economic participation. Before IW, Maia helped build healthier communities as a Partnerships Manager for Unilab Foundation, promoted environmental conservation as a Marketing Services Manager for the World Wide Fund for Nature – Philippines, and handled various brand campaign initiatives as an Account Director for a local public relations firm.
Maia is an introvert who loves fantasy and sci-fi books and quirky day-in-the-life novels, K-pop, beaches, and underwater creatures. She is a certified diver and ocean enthusiast.
CARL SEAN PABLICO
Current Affiliation: Youth Network for Good Governance (YOUNG) Movement, Co-Founder, Board Chairperson, and Director for Partnerships and External Affairs
Area of Expertise: Project Development, Policy Research and Development, Decent Work, Labor Laws and Policies
Sean is a recent graduate of Master in Development Management at the Asian Institute of Management, whose academic journey was fully funded by the Japan-Asian Development Bank. With over seven years of experience in policy research and development, Sean has a proven track record of conducting comprehensive due diligence, producing insightful reports, and facilitating strategic partnerships. He has published five research papers and contributed to two department orders on development-related topics such as decent work, worker displacement, and just transition. He is passionate about finding innovative solutions to the most pressing social and environmental challenges in the Philippines and beyond.
VAL AMIEL VESTIL
Current Affiliation: Executive Director, AYEJ
Area of Expertise: Development Communications, Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action, Youth Leadership and Empowerment, Facilitation and Moderation, Education and Training
A professional in the development communications sector, Val has over 7 years of work and volunteer experience in environmental education, climate and environmental journalism, program management, grant-writing & fundraising, youth empowerment & capacity building, and multimedia production in Film, TV, and Radio.
Val is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Association of Young Environmental Journalists (AYEJ), an ecological literacy non-profit organization focused on capacity-building projects, media training initiatives, and knowledge product development on climate and environmental issues.
A magna cum laude graduate from Silliman University, Val has been recognized as one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines in Negros Oriental. He has also represented the Philippines in numerous international engagements such as a Fellow for Civic Engagement in the USA; an academic exchange student for Global Communication and Culture in South Korea; and as a Philippine Goodwill Ambassador to the 44th SSEAYP. He also became the first Filipino to receive the ASEAN Youth Eco-Champion Award in the Junior Category awarded by the ASEAN Environment Ministers. He was the youngest Filipino speaker on the panel on Climate Change Inequalities in Brussels, Belgium during the European Development Days, and was an NGO Observer and Media Correspondent during the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
When he is not doing development work, he is a public speaker, professional events host, content creator, and an all-around Mama’s Boy who has a soft spot for dogs, cats, seahorses, chocolate chip cookies, and Harry Styles’ discography. Val is a proud child of God.
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