BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

Atty. Angelo A. Jimenez
President, University of the Philippines

President Jimenez took his oath as the 22nd President of the University of the Philippines in February 2023. Angelo A. Jimenez is a labor lawyer and a respected authority on global worker migration whose work has contributed to the establishment of the Philippines’ new Department of Migrant Workers, as well as the labor migration regulatory framework in countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. As the highest-ranking official in the university, President Jimenez sits as Chairman of the UP CIFAL Philippines Board of Representatives.

 

Arnaud Peral 
UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines

Mr. Peral was most recently the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tunisia since 2020. Prior to that, he served successively as United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Ecuador, UNDP Country Director in Colombia, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in México and then Brazil, Programme Manager and Chief of Staff in UNDP´s Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean in New York and Programme Officer in UNDP Cuba.

Prior to joining the UN System in 2000, Mr. Peral served as Cooperation Counsellor for Scientific and Technical Cooperation in the French Embassy in Cuba, Research Assistant in the Ministry of Environment in France and Research Assistant in public policy in the Ministry of Agriculture in Chile.

Mr. Peral holds a Master´s Degree in Development Economics from the University of Paris X-Nanterre and a bachelor’s degree in Economic Policy from the University Pierre Mendes France, Grenoble.

 

Mr. Alex Mejia
Director, Division for People and Social Inclusion & Head of the CIFAL Global Network

Mr. Mejía was appointed Director of UNITAR’s Division for People and Social Inclusion in 2018. Within the Division, he also serves as Senior Manager of UNITAR’s Social Development Programme (SDP), which he has lead since October 2012. Prior to these posts in Geneva, Mr. Mejía served for three years as Director of UNITAR’s Hiroshima Office in Japan, and for four years as Director of UNITAR’s CIFAL training centre in Atlanta, USA. In his current capacity, he serves as Director of UNITAR’s global network of 21 training centers, and is also responsible for several other programmes within UNITAR’s Division for People and Social Inclusion, including the Nigeria Project Office and the Human Mobility Programme managed out of New York.

 

Hon. Joy Belmonte
Mayor, Quezon City

Belmonte is the mayor of Quezon City from 2019-2025. She was vice mayor of Quezon City for nine years, presiding over a City Council, which has been regarded as the Most Outstanding in the Philippines, in accordance with the exemplary standards of the Local Legislative Awards of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

 

Asec. Robespierre BOLIVAR
Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy Planning and Coordination
Department of Foreign Affairs

In 2018, Mr Bolivar was conferred the Order of the Gawad Mabini, with the rank of Dakilang Kasugo (Commander). The Gawad Mabini is one of the highest honors awarded to Filipino diplomats. Prior to being designated as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination, Mr. Bolivar served as Chief of Staff of the Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

 

Hon. Richard P. Palpal-latoc
Chairperson
Commission on Human Rights

Atty. Richard Paat Palpal-latoc sits at the helm of the CHR Commission en banc VI as its Chairperson. Chairperson Palpal-latoc, 48, will serve a full seven-year term from 2022 to 2029. Prior to his appointment in CHR, Chairperson Palpal-latoc served as Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs under the Office of the President. In 2020, he was appointed as Assistant City Prosecutor at the Office of the City Prosecutor in Quezon City.

 

Fr. Nguyen Hoang Khahn Huy
Director, Scalabrini Migration Center

Fr. Nguyen Hoang Khahn Huy is the Executive Director of the Scalibrini Migration Center. 

 

 

Antonio “Tony” G. Lambino II
President, Ayala Foundation Inc. 

Antonio “Tony” G. Lambino II is the President of Ayala Foundation, Inc., the social development arm of Ayala Corporation. He also serves as a member of its Board of Trustees. Mr. Lambino rejoins the Ayala Group after serving government as Managing Director of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and Assistant Secretary of the Department of Finance where he led stakeholder engagement initiatives in support of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program and related socio-economic reforms.

 

Elvin Ivan Uy
Executive Director, Philippine Business for Social Progress

Elvin Uy is the Executive Director of Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), the country’s largest business-led NGO at the nexus of corporate citizenship, sustainable development, and poverty reduction. Elvin is a former Assistant Secretary and K to 12 Program Coordinator of the Department of Education (DepEd).

 

Capt. Suresh Kumar Bangah
Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia Philippines

Captain Suresh Bangah is a seasoned aviation professional with over 30 years of industry experience, including over 14 years in senior leadership roles across the AirAsia Group. Known for his operational expertise and people-first leadership, he brings a deep understanding of the AirAsia culture and a forward-looking perspective to his role as President and General Manager of AirAsia Philippines.

 

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DIRECTOR

Dr. Michelle R. Palumbarit
Associate Professor, Asian Center
University of the Philippines Diliman

Dr. Michelle R. Palumbarit obtained her doctoral degree in Political Science from Yonsei University, Seoul in 2016 and her master’s degree in Korean Studies in 2012 from the same university. Prior to her graduate studies in Korea, Prof. Palumbarit studied at the Asian Center, UP Diliman with Korea as her country of specialization. She is currently an associate professor at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines, Diliman. Her research interests include Korea Studies, ASEAN-Korea relations, Filipinos in Korea, and environmental politics.