Alexis Ortiga is a Senior Vice President at the leading real estate corporation in the country. He is directly responsible for the development of new projects of a premier beach resort community in Luzon.

Having worked in the real estate industry for more that 15 years, Alexis has worked for some of the country's real estate leaders.  He started his career with Ayala Land being part of the project development team of One Serendra, a residential and commercial community in the Bonifacio Global City. He also worked on other projects, such as the Montgomery Place.

He also worked for Bahay Financial Sevrices (BFS) as a Business Development Manager, where he worked on the valuation, bidding, and acquisition of multiple office building projects. He also established the Property Sales Department, whose main goal is to provide an exit strategy for the Company by creating a healthy secondary market channel for the company’s asset disposal program.

Franklin Bolalin is currently the AVP for Estate Management of a premier beach resort in Luzon, where he implements estate rules and regulations, monitors implementation of sustainability programs, and oversees the whole estate operations (security, finance, human resource, etc).

He was with Ayala Property Management Corporation, where he managed and monitored the physical, environmental and general maintenance of the building facilities. He has a total of 12 years of experience in the real estate industry.

Mr. Allan Gamboa has previously been an organisational development and training manager for the Peninsula Manila, San Miguel Corporation, and Globe Telecom. He is now an entrepreneur and consultant, who designs and implements initiatives to address different business needs. Who should

Almie Borromeo established Borromeo Marketing Consultants, LLC (Seattle, WA) which delivers personalized marketing consulting to companies to help them develop branding, increase online visibility and brand loyalty.

Previous to having her own consulting firm, Almie is a seasoned Account Management and Business Development professional with a solid history of achievements in sales consulting, operations, and customer success.  She was a Business Development Manager for Sesame Communications, an industry leader in cloud-based marketing and specializes in patient-engagement solutions designed for the healthcare industry. She was also connected to Socrata Inc, a company which develops and publishes information delivery technology, serving state and local governments in the United States.

Though she is now running a business in the Philippines involved in retail selling bicycles, she is still invited to conferences in the USA as she is an experienced lecturer on topics covering social media marketing, SEO, brand building, website design and Google Business.

Atty. Alvin Alburo is the Managing Partner of Alburo Alburo and Associates Law Offices, a law firm which specializes in business law and labor law, and provides legal services to various industries. Atty. Alburo’s areas of practice are labor relations law, corporate law and intellectual property law. He is a member of the Technical Working Group of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), the voice of Philippine employers on labor and social policy towards national development.

Ma. Angelica Ventanilla has been in the field of selling for more than ten years and now, she is the General Manager of a pharmaceutical distribution company. Aside from selling, she loves teaching. She enjoys corporate training, among other pursuits.

Anna Esperanza has more than 18 years of experience promoting professional and personal growth in non-profit and government institutions, as well as corporations in the education, retail, finance, hotel, healthcare, telecommunications, and food and beverage industries. She is now a social entrepreneurship and organizational development consultant with in-depth knowledge in brand and sales strategy, marketing communications, program management, training, public relations, and organizational counseling. 

Anna also performs individual counseling, assessment and training programs, and holds an MA in Family Ministry and Counseling from Ateneo de Manila University. She has also undergone studies in career planning and development and new product development from the New York University and the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, respectively.

Learn  from the mobile experts, Aris and Brigette Villarin, the Chief Technology Officer and Operations Director respectively of Megamobile, Inc.  Megamobile is a mobile and digital applications provider focused on delivering services to mobile communities. It has numerous clients in the Philippines and abroad aiming to reach their market through mobile solutions. 

Brigette has worked with numerous local and foreign brands from service conceptualization to project management for ten years. This experience has given her an understanding of both the technical and marketing side of mobile tools.

Described as a mobile technology visionary by his colleagues, Aris Villarin has a wealth of experience not just on the tech side but also on understanding consumers and developing businesses, such as FingerApps, NEDA and a group of companies involved in the call centre business, software development, media licensing and more. 

Aris is a graduate of Masters in Technology Management at the University of the Philippines.

With more than 20 years of work experience and 14 years of training experience, Ms Arrpie Puno has a solid experience in new business transitions, designing and delivering a variety of training solutions, management and frontline organizational development, and quantitative communication assessments for hiring and development checkpoints.

Arrpie's work experience allowed her to interact with colleagues from different cultural backgrounds, age groups and levels of competencies. She has worked with an Australian home and business insurance company, an American healthcare company, a multinational confectionary, beverage and food conglomerate, an Australian law publication business, plus American and Asian banks, among other businesses and industries.

Boris Joaquin is a top ranked executive trainer, consultant and coach in the country. He is an accredited Investors in People (UK) Specialist.  He authored a best selling book entitled "Practical Wisdom to be Happy at Work" based on the column he used to have with Inquirer Libre. He also co-founded Project Purpose Philippines.

Carlo Cuevas has 10 years of experience in financial modelling and investments.   He currently manages a team of investment counselors in BP Investment Management, Inc.  He was a Finance Manager in Citibank N.A. and an external auditor for Punongbayan and Araullo Audit Firm.

As a finance professional, he earned certifications such as the Certified Treasury Professional by the Bankers Association of the Philippines and Investment Company Representative Certification Program by SEC to name a few. Aside from his earned MBA degree, Carlo finished a one-year course on Trust Operations and Investment Management with the Trust Institute Foundation of the Philippines.

Charmaine Bautista- Pamintuan has more than 20 years of experience in Marketing, Advertising and Business Development and has worked for the country’s top companies like San Miguel Corporation, RFM Corporation and Globe Telecom.  From FMCG where she handled top flagship brands and was part of the team to set up business operations in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, South China and Hongkong for San Miguel International Operations to handling Global brands like Sunkist and homegrown brands like Selecta, she moved to B2B heading the Marketing team for the Enterprise Group of Globe Telecom before she moved to Media. She was a 2015 Awardee of the Golden Globe Tigers for Excellence in Marketing and Leadership in Malaysia and is also one of the Philippine representative and a member of the Advisory Council of the World Brand Congress in Singapore. Recently as the Chief Marketing Officer of the Inquirer Group of Companies, she spearheaded the marketing campaign for the Inquirer relaunch  "My Inquirer" and the tactical campaign "Experience the most engaging Inquirer yet,” putting into life the media quintet innovation of the Inquirer Group.

Learn from the Public Relations and Corporate Communications expert, Ms. Connie Kalagayan. Ms. Kalagayan has accumulated 25 years wealth of experience in the areas of issues and crisis management, corporate image and brand stewardship, strategic marketing communications, top level partnerships, CSR projects and advocacies.  She was formerly connected with Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and won numerous international awards for her clients. 

In her present role as Assistant Vice President for Corporate Affairs of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, she takes on the responsibility of managing both the internal and external communications, protector of the Inquirer’s brand image, head of issues and crisis management team, and the Executive Director for the Inquirer Foundation.

Dexter Ortega is currently a Managing Partner of Tania, Ortega & Partners and the Chairman of First Corporate Consultancy Center., Inc. and Wise Supplies Corporation.

He has an extensive background and experience in the applications of the Philippine Auditing Standards (PAS), the Philippine Financial Reporting Standards (PFRS), the Philippine Tax System and International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing.

Mr. Raul Dominic “Dino” Badilla is an Executive Coach, a member of the International Coach Federation. He is currently the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chairman and CEO of the Philippine Sports Commission.

He was a Commissioner, Executive Director and COO of the National Youth Commission under the Office of the President of the Philippines. He was an Academic Relations Administrator for De La Salle University, Executive Director of SEAOIL Foundation and an Associate Director for Policy & Government Relations of Merck Sharp & Dohme.  Dino has 25 years of experience with young professionals in program development, policy making and trainings.

He has a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines.

Mr. Donnie Ray Baje has been in the professional learning and development field for more than 12 years, designing and developing training modules for various corporate clients. He has developed his expertise in MS Office applications working with one of the top IT schools in the Philippines. He has written several ebooks and has ghost written learning materials for clients both locally and abroad.

Dr Cesar Mansibang is currently the National Vice President for Education and Senior Member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) for 2016-2017. He is also a professor at the Ateneo Law School, and at the Doctoral and MBA Programs of San Beda College. He taught for more than 20 years at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business, Ateneo School of Government, and Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health. He has over 30 years of corporate experience in the Philippine business and industry holding senior executive positions in local and multinational companies.

Francis Ochoa is currently the Assistant Sports Editor of Philippine Daily Inquirer. He has covered numerous sports events (e.g. Manny Pacquiao fights and Southeast Asian Games) and has done profiles on several international sports celebrities. He received recognition from the Catholic Mass Media Awards Special Feature Category in 2013. He also maintains a sports blog.

Glen John Labasug, the Production and Broadcast Head of INQUIRER.net, is a hobbyist photographer turned video practitioner, who has amassed more than 1,000 hours in producing and directing video series under his belt, focusing on non-traditional digital media and out-of-home solutions as his main avenue of expertise.

Applying the basic principles of photography to video production, John transformed a small-scale production unit into one that delivers industry-standard outputs. From corporate AVPs, commercials, lifestyle, sports and entertainment shows, documentaries, breaking news and live broadcast, he has proven that even the budget-challenged can produce great and compelling content.

His unconventional and unique approach to the production process has already captured the eyes and minds of many, as he believes that: “Even if you lack the intricate knowledge to be a video practitioner, you can still flourish through practice and self discovery. Having an open mind, passion and ability to tell a story helps.”

Ireneo Demecais, Jr. is an experienced social entrepreneur, design thinker, and training consultant. He has managed various international funded projects supported by USAID, Spanish Embassy, US Embassy, and other international NGO’s and private organizations. He was also a lead researcher of several projects for Makati Medical Center Foundation, BPI Foundation, and Ayala Foundation, among many others.

He is currently the co-founder and president of YGOAL, Inc, where they specialize on project development, training and development, and impact assessment.

Jag Garcia is a Design Thinking Instructor and Innovation Mentor at Benilde’s Hub of Innovation for Inclusion conducting human-centered design workshops for faculty, students, external partners, and corporate clients such as Unionbank, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Globe Telecoms, and Menarini Pharmaceuticals. 

Aside from teaching Film Production, History, and Marketing courses, he is a Technology Coach handling training in learning management systems and technology-enabled learning environments. 

Jag is a recipient of the Senior Artist for Asia Fellowship at the University of New South Wales in Sydney where he earned a Masters in Cross Disciplinary Art & Design.

James Aguilar is one of the founding member of Rebar Solutions. Inc where he leads the Project Management Office and IT Operations. He specializes in managing and building software systems software systems with improved functionality and productivity, consistently meeting critical requirements.

He initially worked as a software developer for VSTAFF Scalable Solution, a software house catering to clients from the USA providing web solutions for their business needs. He then became a software developer at Smart Communications where design, development and implementation of projects for revenue assurance, system improvement, market-driven projects and 24/7 on-call support support were his critical roles. He also worked with PSBank where he managed the online banking team in software development, user interface and production support.

Mr. Jeff Chua is Certified Trainer of LIFE Orientation Method, an international organization that focuses on modifying behavioral changes in individuals and teams.

Founder of Passion Project, as an HR consultant and Trainer, he helped organizations like Pharmalink, Globo Asiatico, Clean Fuel & Dentacare (one of the largest dental clinics in the country) by providing customer service, sales management, leadership and management programs. He also led the development of the company’s employee manual & performance management system.

Jeff has an extensive corporate & leadership work experience in the 2nd largest milk company (FMCG) in the world, Mead Johnson, and the 2nd largest pharmaceutical company in the world, Novartis and the number 1 retail company in the Philippines, SM Retail.

As an entrepreneur, he conceptualized and set-up operations of Zyklus Concept, Inc., the FIRST and ONLY bicycle and motorcycle franchising company in the Philippines, CycleHouse. It now has more than 25 branches open nationwide in just one year in its expansion strategy.

Has over 30 years of experience in Marketing and General Management, holding senior positions in San Miguel Corporation's Beer Division, General Milling/Alaska Milk Corporation International Distillers and Vintners, and Multimedia Telephony, Inc l(known as Broadband Philippines).

She continues to advocate marketing excellence and superior customer service as a consultant and trainer to both start-ups and established brands in various industries. She is also a part-time lecturer at the Ateneo's John Gokongwei School of Management.

Jody Salas led workforce development in the IT Outsourcing industry for 20 years in the Philippines and Asia-Pacific Region. He was a Board of Trustee of the Philippine Society for Talent Development and a Board Member of HP Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative. He is currently a lecturer at the University of Asia and the Pacific.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Library and Information Science from the University of the Philippines, and Master in Business Administration from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.

He is currently a Doctor of Public Administration candidate at the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG). He is also a certified Project Management Professional and ITIL Expert in Service Management.

John Nery is a Columnist of PDI. He served as a senior editor at the Philippine Daily Inquirer, including a three-year stint ss Editor in Chief of INQUIRER.net. He retired last November of 2018. He taught opinion journalism at the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication from 2008 to 2012.

His investigative journalism has received a Catholic Mass Media Award, a Jaime V. Ongpin citation, and a Louie R. Prieto Grand Prize; his book editing has been recognized with two National Book Awards; and his opinion writing has led to a Jefferson Fellowship at the East West Center inxd  Honolulu, a Visiting Research Fellowship at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, and a Nieman Fellowship for Journalism at Harvard University. He was the Jaime V. Ongpin Memorial Lecturer for 2013.

His Revolutionary Spirit: Jose Rizal in Southeast Asia” was published in Singapore by ISEAS and in the Philippines by the Ateneo de Manila University Press.

Jomar Bernedo is a co-founder and the CTO of REBAR, a company that specialises in research, analysis, and implementation of quality software solutions using only the latest technologies in IT.

A former enterprise architect of a top telecoms company, Jomar has ten years of experience in telecoms, software publishing, and real estate.  He received his MBA from the University of the Philippines on top of a bachelor’s degree in Physics under scholarship from Ateneo de Manila University.

 Mr. Jose Paolo R. Alcantara is currently a learning consultant, trainor and course developer for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Lufthansa Technik, and De La Salle-College of St. Benilde. He has also been an HR and management lecturer for the Mapua Institute of Technology, Enderun Colleges, and St. Scholastica’s College.

JR Demecais is an experienced social entrepreneur, design thinker, and training consultant. He has managed various international funded projects supported by USAID, Spanish Embassy, US Embassy, and other international NGO’s and private organizations. He was also a lead researcher of several projects for Makati Medical Center Foundation, BPI Foundation, and Ayala Foundation, among many others. 

He is currently the co-founder and president of YGOAL, Inc, where they specialize on project development, and impact assessment. 

He is also one of the 21 people from 9 ASEAN countries to be selected to be part of the ASEAN CSR FELLOWSHIP 2018.

Julius is a member of the Housing & Land Use Regulatory Board. He is in charge of standards, regulations, supervision, and control of projects in the organization.

Jun Famatigan was a career banker of 36 years capped by his 5-year tenure as CEO of Maybank Philippines. Before that he was CEO of a savings bank also for 5 years. He retired from banking in February 2017 at the age of 57 after which he joined two non-bank organizations as COO — the first was a leader in printing and digital services and the other was the holding company of one of the fastest growing conglomerates in the country. He is a graduate of the U.P. School of Economics. 

Jun has embarked on the pursuit of his passion which is to speak on and engage with organizations on subjects with which he has always been fascinated — leadership, self-mastery, workforce and organizational transformation, and the discipline of execution. His talks are informed by his real life leadership experiences, his passion for continuous learning and his desire to provoke others into thinking about being the best version of themselves.

JV Rufino is a digital change agent and strategist in the publishing industry, specializing in leading the development of innovative digital products and services in traditionally print-oriented publishing organizations. Now focused on mobile, the next area of digital transformation.

He is currently the Director for Mobile and Social for the Inquirer Group of Companies.  He was also Editor in Chief of INQUIRER.net from 2000 to 2008 wherein he introduced Liveblogging in 2001 (before the term even existed). JV is also an officer of Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), and graduated from Ateneo de Manila University.

Lia Bernardo enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences so that others may grow, learn, and create. She focuses her practice toward spiritual growth, development and empowerment. She is certified in several healing modalities and uses her own intuition to determine which methods best suit her clients. Basically, Lia believes that her purpose is to help others truly find and understand themselves, in order to achieve a well-earned balance of success in their professional and personal lives.

Lia is currently working toward her PhD in Psychoneurology and Integrative Health from Beurin University in California. She has earned certifications as a ThetaHealing, FlorEssence and Millennium Method practitioner, and is an Usui Reiki master teacher and healer. Some of her previous clients include St. Luke’s Medical Center, BMW Asian Carmakers Corporation, C.F. Sharp, Inc., Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, Jaka Investment Corporation, and Rockwell Land Corporation.

Before being a consultant, Luz Mercurio was the Regional Learning and Development Leader for ASEAN in General Electric (GE). She was a Master Trainer of Leadership Courses in GE and was a faculty for Global GE Crotonville courses, such as Applied Coaching, Situational Leadership, Leading without Bias, and more.  She also designed a Global Talent Acceleration Program for outstanding performers at the managerial level.

She was part of the Human Resources Development team of Kraft Foods, Philips Group of Companies, and Monde Nissin Corporation. Her experience has allowed her to work with multi-cultural teams, and train executives, managers and frontliners.

Ms. Maita Mojica graduated with a degree in Business from Durham University in England. She gained work experience in Singapore and in London before returning back to the Philippines to continue her career in the digital space. She is currently a Content Partnerships Manager in a leading telco in Manila.

Mr. Nico Mojica studied Graphic design at SCAD in Savannah, Georgia, USA. After a brief career as a designer, he currently balances his time as a manager and producer of his successful Youtube channel, “CamCrunch” and an indoor cycling instructor at Electric Studio.

Marco Ng is currently a Managing Partner of M.Ng and T.Lopez Partnership Firm. He is experienced in internal and external auditing services, accounting and finance, risk management, and financial decision-making.

Ma. Criselda “Maricel” Gatchalian-Badilla is a marketing and tourism destination consultant. She has been trusted by various LGUs to research and strategize for different tourism destinations in the country.

She is the Managing Director of Dance Plus, a dance school for children located in various malls and schools in Metro Manila. Her work experience includes being in the sales team of companies in the banking and hospitality sector, as well as in non-profit organisations.

Maricel is also an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines - Diliman where she teaches marketing and events management subjects. She is currently a Phd Candidate at the University of the Philippines, has a Masters Degree in Communications Research and is a BS Tourism cum laude graduate of the same university.

Michael Victor H. Sibayan is an experienced corporate executive, consultant and trainer with more than twenty years of experience with a record of accomplishments in the area of General Administration/Management, Change Management, Continuous Process Improvement, Operations Management, Project and Program Management, Process Documentation, Methods Analysis, Training & Development, Risk Management, Business Continuity Planning, Crisis Management, Information Security and Business Analysis. All these with exposure and skills application in different industries such as in the Telecommunications, Insurance, BPO, Hospitality, Cruise Ship and Academe.

He is a graduate of De La Salle University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering with minor in Mechanical Engineering. He is also a trained Six Sigma Black Belt from Motorola University, an Associate in Customer Service under the Life Office Management Association (LOMA), and has a TAE40110 – Certificate IV in Training and Education awarded by the North Australia Career & Training Services. Mike is a former Trustee of the Philippine Society for Quality, Inc. (PSQ) and was the former Vice Chairman of the Quality Council of the IT-Business Processing Association of the Philippines (IBPAP).

Millie Morales is responsible for several successful digital marketing campaigns across different industries. She was previously a Senior Digital Marketing Manager of Watsons Philippines where she executed the digital marketing campaigns of both Watsons and SM beauty brands, which included media planning, content creation, production, community management, and lead generation to Watsons and SM Beauty’s e-commerce platforms. 

She was also the Digital and PR Manager of Max’s Kitchen Inc where she led the creation of Max’s Digital Ecosystem and Strategy which included the consolidation of Marketing, Rewards, Sales, Analytics, IT, Legal and other support team projects across Max’s Group Inc.  

Millie was also connected with Globe Telecom where she did end-to-end channel brand management, the digital strategy of Globe Postpaid Acquisition Team and ensured sales conversion of leads from the Globe Online Shop.

She graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Communication Arts, and earned a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration from University of Technology Sydney.

Currently, Millie is an advocate of digital literacy and creates modules for SMEs to help telemarketers, insurance agents and the like to tap the power of digital marketing to reach sales targets.

Carmina “Miselle” P. Bergonia, AICI CIC, received her training and certification from the Foundation Image course with the Academy of Image Mastery, Singapore and her Advanced Image Mastery course from the London Image Institute. As a certified image consultant she has achieved the international First Level Certification by the Association of Image Consultants International.

With a background in the luxury hotel industry as a Sales Manager and managing a family corporation, Miselle aims to incorporate the grace and corporate image and behavior of the hotel industry with the concepts of image enhancement, personality development and business etiquette. 

Her unique background in the corporate arena, gives her sessions a practical and current approach to image enhancement and business etiquette. This is a trait that her clients’ prefer to have in selecting a training provider or speaker and which keep her individual makeover consults and training sessions authentic, lively and inspiring.

Mondo C. Castro has 20 years of experience in media, training and corporate management. Over the years, he has worked with and trained some of the top companies and institutions in the Philippines, such as PLDT, Meralco, Globe Telecom, St. Luke’s Hospital, Philip Morris, and Accenture, just to name a few.

He is a training, quality, and management consultant for several local and international organizations, specializing on topics relating to sales, communications, and customer service.

On top of this, Mondo was also formerly a radio DJ, actor, TV host, brand endorser, and musician with The Pin-Ups. He is an MBA - Regis graduate of the Ateneo Graduate School and is presently a restaurant entrepreneur with his wife and some friends.

Atty. Nelson Gargoles is a lawyer and a CPA. He began his career with Punongbayan & Araullo in Audit and Assurance Division, where he worked with local and foreign companies from a wide range of industries, and then moved to the Tax Advisory & Compliance Division.  He returned in 2011 as a Tax Senior Manager where he had extensive experience in a broad range of tax work. He also worked for an airline and shipping company as an internal auditor.

He held the post of Revenue Examiner at the BIR for almost 15 years. He conducted field audit investigation of tax cases and processed dockets for the payment of capital gains tax, estate tax and donor’s tax. He also conducted lectures on BIR’s new issuances.

In 2013, Atty. Gargoles established his won firm, the Gargoles Law Office.  He speaks in various learning events on topics related to Tax and Estate Planning.

Nicai de Guzman 

Nicai has over ten years of experience in copywriting and journalism, previously having worked for Probe Media Foundation’s Kabataan News Network as its Manila Bureau Manager. Currently, she is also a regular contributor for several publications, including Summit Media’s SPOT.ph, Men’s Health, K-Zone, and Entrepreneur. 

Karl Salazar 

Karl currently handles accounts for Digital Strategy Executions at Rising Tide. Prior to this, he spearheaded the foundation of the digital marketing arm of iConcept Global Advertising Inc., a website design and development company, where he managed the online presence strategy executions, specifically in SEO, SEM, and SMM, for several key accounts.

Hazel Yago-Hung

Before joining Rising Tide as the Head of Strategy Execution, Hazel was Ad Operations Manager for Summit Digital and Summit Media, where she streamlined operations and reporting for all ad products. Even before “digital” became a buzzword, she was able to experience the evolution of digital from basic banner ads to what we have now, as she handles executions for a wide range of brand in real estate, e-commerce, and more.

Ivan Bautista

Ivan comes from the publishing side of One Mega Group Inc. and Havoc Digital, one of the pioneer digital marketing agencies in the Philippines. He has also worked with Publicis Manila, before becoming the Digital Manager of Nissan Philippines, and now, the Head of Digital Strategy at Rising Tide.

Raffy Paraiso

Raffy is currently a Business Development Manager for Direct Accounts of Rising Tide. He previously ran social media campaigns for several well-known brands. He was part of the team that produced the Cobra’s Father’s Day viral video and Zonrox’s AlDub commercial, which both gained impressive engagement in social media in a short span of days.

Pam Pastor isn’t exaggerating when she says she grew up in the newsroom. She started writing for Inquirer when she was 17 and has since juggled different roles at the newspaper as lifestyle reporter, 2bU editor and SUPER editor.  She can no longer count the articles she’s written for the paper. They’re in the thousands.  The wonderful world of writing has brought her to many places as well.

Her books, Paper Cuts and Planet Panic are available in your favorite bookstore.  She is also one of the editors of Young Blood 4 and 5.

Pancho Reyna is the founder and CEO of Rebar Solutions. He is a former CIO and management consultant for a multinational recruitment company, a former IT manager of a large Philippine bank, and has over 10 years of experience in telecoms, banking, big data, and finance.

Pancho graduated with a double bachelor's degree in Physics and Computer Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University.

She is retained as a Professional Image Consultant of Philippine Airlines after training its pilots, flight attendants and ground front liners for several years.  She also currently trains front liners of hospitality industry on Service Etiquette. She is the skilled craftsmith behind many fashion, business and political icons.

Pauli Antoine was a regular columnist for F&B World Magazine’s Front of House on “Redefining Service Etiquette and Protocol” from 2010-2015.  Her affinity with the food, service, and hospitality industries go back to her extensive experience as a manager at the Hotel InterContinental Manila where she garnered several prestigious awards for customer service.

Ms. Pennie Azarcon-dela Cruz, a senior newsdesk editor at the Philippine Daily Inquirer and former Executive Editor of the Sunday Inquirer Magazine.

She has been writing for popular media for the past 30 years and has handled writing seminars and workshops for at least 20 years. She has also edited and authored various publications for mainstream and alternative media, and has a National Book Award for Anthology as well as a Quill Award for travel writing.

Pia Reyes-Cruz is an HR and Organizational Development leader with 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She was formerly the AVP for Learning & Development at Unilab, and an HR associate for Johnson & Johnson Philippines. Pia is a steadfast believer in goal-setting and lifelong learning, and is skilled in workplace learning, performance and competency management, and leadership and career development.

Having been a workplace learning professional since 2002, she is currently a part-time instructor at the University of Asia & the Pacific, teaching courses in training and performance management under the Human Capital Development program, and is a certified Development Dimensions International (DDI) facilitator.

Being a wife and mother to four children, while also carrying degrees in BS Psychology from Ateneo de Manila University and MA in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, New York, she has applied the concepts of visioning, talent development, democratic leadership, and time management, to the most challenging organization she’s worked for - her home.

Ram is currently an Operations Manager at Santos-Knight Frank Inc., where he oversees operations of residential properties. He has a history of orchestrating successful strategies in operational expense management and maintenance of building equipment. He has a strong background in property management, project management, pre-construction management, and technical, safety and security audits with more than 8 years in progressive roles in real estate services.

Raul Dominic I. Badilla is an Executive Coach, Corporate Trainer & government executive with a professional background anchored on 30 years of work experience in operations, people management & leadership in various capacities as an executive for government institutions, multinational companies and private organizations. His leadership track record in running successful teams, advocacies and campaigns trained him to design & lead customized programs and strategic blueprints for corporate leaders. His strengths are working with high potential individuals, managing conflicts, facilitating succession planning, and challenging high performing teams to build success momentums and sustain it for the long-term.

Dino has a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines and is a member of the International Coaching Federation. He is president of Firebrand Asia Consulting. His professional expertise in communication, adaptability, and accelerating behavior modification are essential competencies that set him apart in initiating rapid, deliberate and sustained improvement to their personal transformation and professional development.

Rem Zamora, a CPA-turned-award-winning photojournalist and head photo editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, says that a distinguishing characteristic of a good photographer is the ability to create and capture stories out of seemingly normal scenes. He believes that the principles of photojournalism can be applied to impactful visual storytelling in order to promote brands, people, events and products, through various media, such as billboards, print advertisements, social media, and the like.

As a photojournalist, Rem has proven to be a consummate storyteller through his photographs that cover major national beats and emerging issues, and was also previously connected with the Manila Times and ABS-CBN News Online, doing documentaries and in-depth photo stories. He is also a faculty member of De La Salle University-Manila.

Rem was cited for the Best News Photo in the 2006 Catholic Mass Media Awards and the Best Human Interest Photo and Best News Photo in the Louie R. Prieto Awards for 2006 and 2005 respectively.  In 2006, he won the Gold Prize in the first Asia Press Photo Awards organised by the Asia News Network and the China Daily in 2006; a Silver Award for General News Photo and Best News Photographer at the 2007 IFR Asia Media Awards; and an Honorable Mention in News Photography from the Society from the Society of Publishers in Asia Awards in 2008.  In 2013, he received ABS-CBN’s 20/20 Excellence Awards which recognises twenty people in ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs who exhibit skills, core values, standards and ethics prized by the division.

Rock Cleo discovered the power of Design Thinking, which helped him to build the structure for the Creative Team of the biggest retail company in the Philippines, The SM Retail. His works include strategic design, driving organizational transformation, and human-centered visual communication. Serving 32 departments and 62 branches nationwide, he managed to deliver marketing services from his in-house creative team in just a year.

He completed his units in Mechanical Engineering but found his calling in Advertising and PR, and earned a degree for the said course at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. He took up Design Thinking at the National University of Singapore. Took up his Design Sprint 2.0 Masterclass at AJ+Smart, the only authorized agency by Jake Knapp of Google Ventures.

Rock Cleo worked at SM Retail as Creative Head, Senior Art Director in Summit Media, Art Director at Avon Phils, Art Director in Hinge-Inquirer, and Graphic Artists at One Mega Magazine.

Ruel S. De Vera has been writing features articles on all sorts of topics for over two decades now. He has been teaching feature writing for almost the same period of time. He reviews books and movies for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He teaches journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University’s Department of Communication and previously taught at the University of the Philippines. He has a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Ateneo. He sits on the governing board of the National Book Development Board and is moderator of the Ateneo’s college newspaper The Guidon. He is the author and editor of twelve books, including the best-selling Young Blood 4. His writing has received the Catholic Mass Media Award, the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature and the Philippines Free Press Literary Award. 

Ryan KC Buenafe is an organizational learning and performance consultant, whose expertise covers talent management, organizational development, BPO operations, and human resources. He has also facilitated/consulted for various projects in the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

In a career spanning over 17 years, Ryan has led training and project teams for companies such as JPMorgan, Accenture, Sitel, and AXA Philippines. He currently leads the global e-Learning team for Teleperformance, the largest BPO company globally, where he supports over 160,000 learners in over 65 countries.

Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Far Eastern University, as well as a master’s degree in business administration from Regis University-Ateneo de Manila Graduate School of Business.

Sara Pacia is the Digital Content Editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the founder of INQUIRER.net's NewsLab. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in Journalism, and was also an Inquirer scholar in her last two years of college.

She manages the newspaper’s digital assets such as the InquirerPlus tablet edition and its social media accounts. She was a founding member of Inquirer NewsLab, a team charged with finding editorial innovations and producing multiplatform stories and other content executions. Among the multimedia topics she has produced are a report on the strengthening typhoons in the Philippines and the country’s climate resilience and the state of football in the Philippines.

Techie Bautista is the President of Real Estate and Entrepreneurship (REAP) Academy. She has worked with major real estate companies in the country in different levels of engagement.

She was a consultant to politicians on housing and development matters for many years. She also held various key positions in Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association (CREBA). It is worthy to note that she is  the first program director of CREBA - De La Salle consortium which initiated the offering of the Diploma Program in Real Estate Management, the first in the history of real estate in the Philippines.

Vida Lacano has worked in the media and advertising industry for more than a decade under broadcast media, content development, and media planning before becoming Head of Marketing of INQUIRER.net. Her campaigns have been highly commended by clients, regional guilds and even by local award giving body Boomerang. She considers her degree in Journalism as her greatest asset in understanding the nature of native advertising and its role in a brand's business objectives. She loves dogs, plants, musical instruments, and is into restoring antiques / including watches.

Micaela Tan currently leads BrandRoom, a native advertising studio comprised of individuals with background in creatives, media, journalism, tech, and production. She has a double degree in advertising and philosophy, and is also a make-up artist on the side.

Aries Santos is currently the Content Marketing Group Supervisor - INQUIRER.net, and has worked on native advertising for 2 years before becoming the channel lead for InqPOP!, the newest and fastest-rising brand of the Inquirer Group of Companies. He is also the host of InqPOP! Sessions, the first ever show of its kind on Facebook PH. He has a degree in advertising and is a very skilled guitar player. He is also the resident geek of INQUIRER.net and has a deep knowledge of comic book universes.

Vina Vicente has years of experience in program design and facilitation specialising in Communications and Public Affairs.

She earned her Masters in Public Management from the Ateneo School of Government. She also gained certifications as an instructor for English as Secondary Language, Facilitating Adult Learning and Diversity and Inclusion.

Yumi Wada has made it her life’s mission to form young people and equip them with the psycho-emotional-spiritual tools to help them face today’s challenges.  She pursued a Master of Arts degree in Developmental Psychology from the Ateneo de Manila University, completed her Certificate Course in Professional Teaching from Miriam College, and is a licensed teacher (LPT). Her training and exposure as an educator in varied classroom settings for a wide age-range of students from kindergarten, to lower school, to high school, to college, to young professionals have exposed her to a myriad of issues concerning the youth of today. 

Since taking a leave from classroom teaching, she has then focused her efforts on designing and conducting Christ-centered and values-based programs, and in working in close collaboration with the campus ministry, guidance, and student affairs offices of various academic institutions including Assumption College, Everest Academy Manila, Holy Angel University, Immaculate Conception Academy, Miriam College, and the St. Paul Schools, just to name a few. She has been a sought-after retreats, recollections, and leadership workshop motivational speaker and facilitator for almost 15 years now, specializing in youth empowerment, values formation, mental and emotional health, and psycho-spiritual healing. She also provides special talks and group processing for various foundations and companies. In 2018, she published her first book “You Make My Day: Daily Wisdom from the Mouth of Babes” which highlights thoughtful mindfulness and celebrating the big lessons in the small of our every day. Her Ignatian education, Marian devotion, and affiliation with the Ateneo Campus Ministry Group (ACMG), Ayala Young Leaders’ Alliance (AYLA), Center for 

Family Ministries (CEFAM), Christian Life Community (CLC), and Heroic Leadership Philippines (HL) are her biggest influences.