SPEAKERS
CEO RIA PERSAD
Founder and CEO, Statweather, USA
Fellow, US National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Climate Scientist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Ria Persad studied mathematics and physics at Harvard, Princeton, and Cambridge Universities. Her experience in climate modeling began at Lawrence Livermore Lab's Supercomputer Center in 1991. Persad performed earth and solar system modeling at NASA and went on to model geophysical systems at Bell Geospace. She worked on the trading floors of Lehman Brothers and was a consultant to Goldman Sachs. As a climatologist at Enron and Duke Energy, she was alerted to the needs of the energy trading sector and weather risk management. She later went on to develop state-of-the-art long-range weather prediction systems which were peer-reviewed among academia and U.S. Department of Defense scientists. She models complex systems for the U.S. Space Program and is an innovative Subject Matter Expert. Persad has been collaborating with NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information and their academic research partner, CICS-NC on numerous climate and energy engagement activities to advance environmental intelligence. Persad is the Founding CEO of StatWeather, which received the 2017 International Climate Business Achievement Award for top global merit in climate technology. Persad received the Highest Honor from the Society of Women Engineers and Citations from the U.S. Secretary of Energy and the U.S. Senate on Scientific Achievement on her original contributions to computational and applied mathematics. Persad has been recently recognized by Platts Global Energy Awards as one of the top 7 global leaders for Lifetime Achievement and as the International Power-Gen and Renewable Energy Woman of the Year. She is also the reigning Ms. Trinidad and Tobago World and is an advocate for climate solutions and science education.
MISS NADINE JACINTO
Consultant Director and Producer, and Liaison Officer, BBC World Service
Media Communications Director, Greenpeace International
Maria Lourdes “Nadine” A. Jacinto is a broadcaster by profession, and an environmentalist by heart. Her specialty is in Environmental Communications. Nadine has produced and presented various radio and TV programs and educational series focusing on environmental awareness for the general public. Nadine has over 30 years of solid experience in radio and television operations, programming, and production. As a broadcast executive, she was Program Director of a nationwide radio network and worked for international non-profit organizations, such as the BBC World Service and Greenpeace. She was Consultant Director and Producer of English Learning programs for the BBC World Service and Media Communications Director for Greenpeace International in the Philippines. She organized a successful “Earth Day” concert fair, where famous musicians and artists performed, while invited Environmental Groups showcased their respective advocacies to the audience. The event was broadcast live on nationwide radio and was well-received by the press. Additionally, Nadine has appeared as host in various TV shows and as emcee of corporate events and programs. Currently, Nadine is a Liason Officer (Philippines) for the BBC World Service’s media partners and a primetime morning disc jockey of a leading nationwide FM radio network in the Philippines. Her morning time slot recently garnered the highest rating among commercial radio stations in it’s niche audience market. With her expansive radio listenership, all over the Philippines and various parts of the world, Nadine continues her crusade for public environmental education and awareness. Nadine completed her Master in Environmental Management degree, Ateneo de Manila University. Her Master’s Project examined the production of an environmental radio series for broadcast on the FM radio. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from John Cabot University in Rome, Italy, Nadine is also an experienced English teacher and has taught in a reputable International School.
JUDGE ROWENA NIEVES TAN
Presiding Judge, Pasay City, Philippines
Corporate Secretary, Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Association of the Philippines
Member, Board of Advisers, Chevening Alumni Association of the Philippines
Rowena Nieves A. Tan is the Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 118 of Pasay City, Philippines. She tries civil, criminal and drugs cases. She also teaches Persons and Family Relations Law at the University of Asia and the Pacific Institute of Law and the Law on Evidence at the Far Eastern University Institute of Law. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. She is a recipient of the prestigious Chevening Scholarship Award that enabled her to pursue her Master of Laws in Law and Society specializing in Child Protection at the Brunel University London, United Kingdom. She was also a Lee Kuan Yew Fellow at the National University of Singapore-Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore and at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusettes, USA where she obtained her Master’s degree in Public Management in 2011-2012. In 1996, she was conferred a Postgraduate Diploma in International Law and Organizations for Development by the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, The Netherlands where she was a Netherlands Fellowships Awardee. She attended the Summer Course in Private International Law at the Hague Academy of International Law in The Hague, The Netherlands in July of the same year. She also participated in the Development Lawyers Course offered by the International Development Law Organization in Rome, Italy as a World Bank scholar in 1998. In March 2018, she was a panelist at the 62nd Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York, USA on Rural and Urban Justice: Perspectives from Women Judges. Judge Tan is very active in the different alumni associations of the different universities that she attended abroad. She was the President of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Alumni Association Philippine Chapter in 2017. She was a member of the Board of Advisers of the Chevening Alumni Association of the Philippines in 2015-2018. And, since 2015, she is the Corporate Secretary of the Harvard Kennnedy School Alumni Association of the Philippines.
ATTY. ANGELO "JIJILL" JIMENEZ
Regent, University of the Philippines
Trustee, UP Foundation
Member, Harvard Club of the Philippines
President, NUS Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy
Angelo A. Jimenez is a writer, lawyer, and lecturer and policy consultant specializing on overseas employment. He is currently Of Counsel at the Jaromay Laurente and Associates. He is also a Regent of the University of the Philippines, a Trustee of the UP Foundation, Inc., President of the National University of Singapore Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy Philippine Chapter Alumni Association, and President of the Asia Pacific Basin for Energy Strategies, Inc., an energy and economic thinktank granted a Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). His policy and academic interests also include energy, the South China Sea, and negotiations strategies. His work as Regent also exposed him to the practical issues involved in education reforms. Attorney Jimenez started his government service at the Office of the President of the Philippines in 1993 and in 1996 served as Head Executive Assistant to the Secretary of Labor and Employment. He was appointed Labor Attaché in 1997 and ended his stint under the Department of Labor as Acting Deputy Administrator of OWWA in 2007. Atty. Jimenez took his degrees in Sociology (‘87) and Law (‘94) from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. He was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1995. In 2013, he obtained his Masters in Public Management degree from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. In 2012, he spent a semester as a regular student at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, as a Lee Kuan Yew Fellow. Atty. Jimenez was born in Butuan City in May 5, 1966. He is married to Atty. Edlyn Frances Villar-Verzola (UP Law ’92). They have two children, Angelo Luis and Aaron Atticus.
CEO RICHARD HIRSCH
Founder and CEO
Applied Planning and Infrastructure, Inc.
American expatriate with 20+ years professional experience resident in S.E. Asia, primarily Philippines. Served as Director of The Louis Berger Group’s Integrated Development business unit for over a decade. Progressive advancement over 25 years within LBG from Training Specialist to Partner responsible for establishing and managing a $US 300+ mil portfolio of contracts in transportation, agriculture, urban infrastructure and economic growth financed by USAID, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, JBIC and private firms. Managed business unit operations including ongoing client liaison, contract negotiation and management as well as oversight and control of project teams, budget and work scope. Participated as a Communications Specialist on many assignments to provide services in the fields of development communications, public diplomacy and capacity building. After 25 years, established and managed APII, Applied Planning & Infrastructure Inc. a local firm which successfully participated for over six years in the nations PPP program. Retired in 2018 undertaking intermittent consulting assignments.
ATTY. DARWIN ANGELES
Senior Associate
MOSVELDT Law
Mr. Angeles obtained his law degree from the University of the Philippines in 2013 where he graduated with honors. Mr. Angeles is currently a Senior Associate in MOSVELDTT Law and a Professorial Lecturer at the Adamson College of Law. Mr. Angeles’ fields of expertise are dispute resolution, intellectual property, real estate, banking, data privacy, and special projects. He has been listed as a Next Generation Lawyer for Dispute Resolution by Legal 500 Asia-Pacific for the years 2017 to 2019. He also served as pro bono counsel representing human rights victims in Ocampo v. Enriquez and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Falcis v. Civil Registrar General in which he delivered oral arguments before the Philippine Supreme Court En Banc. Prior to private practice, he served as Legal Analyst and Consultant with the Legal Affairs Office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (“DAR”) from 2008 to 2013. He handled cases of coverage and distribution of large-scale corporate farms pursuant to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program and the defense of the Government’s position in Hacienda Luisita, Inc. v. Presidential Agrarian Reform Council. He also served as a Consultant for the House of Representatives for Rep. Arthur R. Defensor, Jr. and as Law Reform Specialist with the Institute of Government and Law Reform of the University of the Philippines Law Center. Mr. Angeles is an active member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (“IBP”), Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. and Philippine Institute of Arbitrators. He is also a member of the Philippine Bar Association (“PBA”) in which he served as Co-Chair of the PBA’s Committee on Constitutional Law from 2016 to 2017 and as its Assistant General Counsel from 2017 to 2018.
DR. CARLOS TABUNDA JR.
Former Assistant Secretary,
Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines
Host, "ASEAN in Focus" and "ASEAN Hour"
Dr. Tabunda is a senior government administrator, NGO practitioner, media practitioner, and an educator with more than 20 years of experience in project management, community organizing, curriculum development, research, project proposal preparation, evaluation and management with particular emphasis on social development, agricultural policy, public policy, governance, public fiscal administration, national security and ASEAN affairs. He started his career as a community organizer/trainor in various urban and rural poor communities in many parts of the Philippines. He has also been involved in the monitoring and evaluation of various programs and projects related to cooperatives organizing, livelihood development, environmental protection, and agriculture. His current advocacies include increasing awareness on ASEAN matters, appropriate agricultural policies, and biodiversity conservation. He has co-authored and co-edited several publications on ASEAN and international concerns. For several years, he was an Assistant Secretary at the Office of the President of the Philippines handling various concerns such as urban poor housing, peace and national security concerns. He was involved in the peace talks between the government of the Philippines and Muslim secessionist groups. As an educator, his field of specialization is Public Administration and he has been lecturing in various universities, both in the Philippines and abroad. He finished his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Master of Public Administration, and Doctor of Public Administration all from the University of the Philippines. He is currently the Executive Director of the New Era University - ASEAN Studies Center, the first of its kind in the Philippines. He hosts "ASEAN in Focus", a TV program. and "ASEAN Hour", a radio program over Eagle Broadcasting Corporation.
MR. RICARDO CLORES
Board Member, National Association of Filipino Psychology
Co-Chair of Teaching Division, Psychological Association of the Philippines
Ricardo A. Clores is currently an Associate Professor and Full-time Faculty of the Department of Psychology of De la Salle University--Dasmariñas. As the department’s Research Coordinator, he helps in the development of research thrusts, directions and guidelines by both students and members of the faculty of the department. Mr. Clores served as a Board Member of the Pambansang Samahan ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino (PSSP)/The National Association for Filipino Psychology (NAFP) (www.pssp.org.ph) in 2016-2017. He is also the former Co-Chair of the Teaching Division of the Psychological Association of the Philippines. Moreover, he served as the former Head of DLSU-D’s Center for Applied Psychology. Mr Clores has done research presentations, lectures and workshops in psychology both locally and internationally. Mr. Clores has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Sociology. He is currently the advisor for the Psychology department’s radio program for communicating researches to communities. His research areas of interest include: creativity and development, marginality, violence, sexuality, orientation, gender and identity, and Sikolohiyang Pilipino/Filipino Psychology. He recently co-authored an interdisciplinary research titled “Tourism as a Life Experience: A Service Science Approach” published by Springer International Publishing Switzerland/2015. Mr. Clores is working on two institutionally approved researches on gender-based violence as experienced by people living with HIV and psychosocial program for Children in Conflict with the Law.
DIR. AIAN CARINGAL
Director for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Division
Office of ASEAN Affairs
Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Aian Caringal assumed the position of Director for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Division (Division 4) of the Office of ASEAN Affairs of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on 9 March 2015. His work includes assisting in the policy-making and coordination of activities and Philippine positions in ASEAN and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. He was part of the Philippine negotiating team for the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrants Workers and was also a member of the DFA’s Philippine Chairmanship Committees on Commemorative Activities of ASEAN’s 50th Year, on Climate Change and the Environment, and on Migrant Workers. He was given a commendation by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs for his contributions to the successful chairmanship and hosting of the Philippines of ASEAN’s 50th year in 2017. Mr. Caringal previously served at the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in South Korea from January 2009 until February 2015, where he served as Second Secretary and Consul before going back to Manila. Prior to his assignment in Korea, he was Acting Director in the Office of ASEAN Affairs of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs where he worked since 2005. During this time, Mr. Caringal was also part of the Philippine negotiating team for the ASEAN Charter and also for the Terms of Reference for the ASEAN Human Rights Body. He was a member of the Substantive Core Group of the National Organizing Committee for the one-year hosting by the Philippines of the 12th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in 2007, for which he was conferred the award of Gawad Mabini, Rank of Commander. In July 2019, he will be going to Australia where he has been assigned to assume the position of Consul-General of the Philippine Embassy.