Selected out of a competitive process, the present cohort is composed of sixteen leaders from the government (including its line agencies), military and civil society sectors of the country:
Lt. Col. Francis D. Alaurin
Commanding Officer
37th Infantry Battalion,
6th Infantry Division
Vision: Promotion of peace, security, & prosperity in Shariff Kabunsuan
“I hold firmly the lesson of war that peace is not attained by killing but by pursuing a dialogue of understanding and reconciliation with the adversary.”
A firm believer of the combat philosophy of “Winning wars without firing a shot”, Lt. Col. Alaurin tackles secession issues in Central Mindanao with the aim of attaining genuine peace through measures that reduce, if not totally avoid, unnecessary suffering and destruction. As the Commanding Officer of the 37th Infantry Battalion, 6th Infantry Division, he is the officer-in-charge of Internal Security Operations (ISO) of the six municipalities of Parang, Matanog, Barira, Buldon, Sultan Kudarat, and Sultan Mastura of the Shariff Kabungsuan province, and has implemented pioneering projects such as the Text Emergency Movement and forged partnerships among the Local Government, AFP and PNP to diminish occurrences of crimes and accelerate the growth and development of the region.
Dr. Hannbal H. Bara
Professor, MSU Jolo
Head, Waqaf Foundation
Vision: Promotion of peace & order based on Sadaqah in Sulu
“Peace-building in Sulu is my highest priority, and I intend to spend the rest of my life for it.”
Dr. Bara’s main concern is the promotion of peace in Sulu. Poverty alleviation for the Muslim people, he asserts, will only succeed if there is stable peace in the communities, as it is peace which will provide space for the healing of displaced families and children, as well as spur economic growth and bring forth livelihoods for the people.
In the recent years he has been involved actively in peace advocacy by organizing peace dialogues, conferences and summits of the Ulama, academe and local public officials, and by writing numerous articles on peace, which have been subsequently published by the Mindanao State University (MSU) Hangad-Hulat Student Publication, Mindanao Chronicle, and the Peninsula Journal. Through his work with the Waqaf Foundation, he has also been involved with the rehabilitation of Muslims who have been victimized and displaced by war, and has initiated efforts on implementing education programs that will give his people access to quality education.
Dr. Bara holds a Master’s Degree in Islamic Studies and a Doctorate in Philippine Studies (Major in Bureaucracy) from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. He is a professor and lecturer of Islamic Administration and Bangsamoro History and Culture in the Mindanao State University in Sulu.
Ms. Ma. Easterluna S. Canoy
Executive Director
Kitanglad Integrated NGOs (KIN)
Vision: Rights-based promotion of Indigenous Peoples’ Welfare in Bukidnon
“The [Fellowship] is a timely invitation to NGO practitioners looking for wider opportunities to scale up their learnings and skills, and to contribute significantly in healing the historical wounds that have put the IPs in the periphery of national life.”
Easterluna Canoy has been personally involved in the cause of indigenous peoples (IPs) since 1986, starting as an NGO Volunteer assigned to immerse with the Subanes in Midsalip, Zamboanga del Sur. Her expertise in working with and for the IPs has been formed from then on through her work experiences with various organizations such as the Mindanao Tribal Resource Center (MINTREC) in Butuan City, the Research Institute for Mindanao Culture (RIMCU) in Xavier University, the Environmental Research Division (ERD) of the Ateneo de Manila, and the Green Mindanao Association. Today, she is the Executive Director of the Kitanglad Integrated NGOs, Inc. (KIN), a consortium of NGOs and Peoples’ Organizations involved in upland and IP community welfare, where she has contributed to the completion of pioneering endeavors such as the passage of Mt. Kitanglad Range Protected Area Act (RA 8978), the accomplishment of census and registration of Protected Area Occupants, the formation of Kitanglad Guards Volunteers, and the organization of 76 Peoples’ Organizations of the Talaandig-Higaonon-Bukidnon indigenous communities.
Canoy holds a Master’s Degree in Anthropology from the Ateneo de Manila University and has written and co-written numerous research papers with regard to her work as an IP advocate.
Dr. Lorna D. Dino
Director
National Educators Academy of the Philippines
Vision: Improvement of student performance through School-based Management System in Sorsogon
“[The poor performance of learners] implies the need for stronger and more concrete support to the education of school administrators, parents, LGUs, and other stakeholders.”
Lorna Dino envisions raising the proficiency level attained by public school students in national achievement tests to 75% in three years. As the former Schools Superintendent of the Department of Education – Division of Sorsogon, she has made efforts on the implementation of School-Based Management System in public schools. She believes that decentralization and employing participative management in the public school system, wherein Assistant Superintendents, Supervisors, and School Heads are given freedom to plan for their own school programs, inspires and maximizes the creativity and dedication of public school officials and contributes to the improvement of public school education. Aside from this, she has been a proponent of Education Summits where education stakeholders (public officials, teachers, parents, etc.) convene to discuss and increase ownership of education issues, and develop a plan of action.
Dino has been working for the Department of Education since 1997. She holds an Ma.Ed. in Administration and Supervision, and a Ph.D. on Education Management.
Dr. Saffrullah M. Dipatuan
Vice Chairman
Bangsamoro Development Agency
Vision: Promotion of peace, security & quality of life in conflict-affected areas in Lanao del Sur
“As a peace and development worker in my community, I aspire to work on the establishment of an environment of understanding and tolerance that will result to harmonious and peaceful co-existence of different peoples living in the community.”
Dr. Dipatuan is a medical practitioner and presently the Vice Chairman of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), an organization that caters to the needs of the Muslim people in conflict-affected areas and strives to make these communities peaceful, progressive, and prosperous. As Vice Chairman, he has been actively campaigning for peace and conducting capability-building trainings and values-transformations sessions for Muslim communities. As a medical professional for more than a decade, he has gained the respect of his constituents as well as the recognition of being a trustworthy leader who can bridge the gaps that divide their community.
Aside from a Doctor of Medicine, Dr. Dipatuan holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Mindanao State University – Marawi. He also holds the post of Regional Manager of the BDA Ranaw RPMO in Marawi City.
Dr. Abdullah B. Dumama
Director IV
DOH – Center for Health Development XII
Vision: Improvement of Health through Interlocal Health Zones in Region 12
“I see my role as the first and one of the many opportunities to become the bridge among the local government leaders and local health authorities, the DOH, other government agencies and the people.”
As City Health Officer of Cotabato City back in 2005, Dr. Dumama learned the importance of using multi-stakeholder processes to address health issues. It was in this role where, by including more sectors and stakeholders as members of the Local Health Board (LHB), he revitalized the LHB and made it a responsive institution that effected the implementation of urgent health programs needed to solve health issues in the communities. Also, by directly engaging the Local Government, civic organizations, and other sectors, he was able to form Barangay Health Teams and implement programs such as Oplan D-Day (an anti-dengue campaign) which garnered massive community support and produced the intended results.
Today, as Director IV of the DOH – Center for Health Development, he continues to display his dedication to public service as he provides overall leadership and policy direction to the health sector in Region XII. He states his vision as “Health in the hands of the people”—he wants to see the proliferation of empowered communities that are able to attend to their own primary health needs with easy and ready access to efficient medical facilities and health programs initiated by the government.
Dr. Dumama holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Agusan Institute of Technology, and has been working in the Public Health sector since 1990.
Col. Natalio C. Ecarma III
Commanding Officer
3rd Marine Brigade, Philippine Marine Corps
Vision: Promotion of peace, security, & development in Patikul, Sulu
“The military [bears] the brunt of not only solving the peace and order dilemma but also, because we believe that to win this insurgency is to ‘win the hearts and minds of the people’, we have to help deliver basic needs to wean away the people from supporting the insurgents.”
Col. Natalio Ecarma III, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade, aims to promote peace and order in the municipalities of Patikul, Panglima Tahil, Pangutaran, Lugus, Tapul, Siasi, and Pandami of the province of Sulu by tackling issues such as the proliferation of firearms, the existence of the Abu Sayyaf group, and the weak justice system that governs the area. Peace in Sulu, he proposes, shall bring an influx of investments and businesses which will help alleviate poverty in the area. Col. Ecarma has conducted intelligence, and military and civil military operations toward this end, and intends to catalyze the Local Government, Funding Agencies, and other organizations in various sectors for the implementation of future projects that will deliver basic needs (e.g., livelihood and education) to the people of Sulu and divert them from possibly enlisting in insurgent groups.
Col. Ecarma has been in the Military since the 1980s and has been awarded various awards, notable of which are the two Bronze Cross Medals he obtained in 2001. His military education includes courses in Counter-Terrorism and a Master’s Degree in National Security Administration.
Hon. Munib Estino
Municipal Mayor
Panglima Estino, Sulu
Vision: Improvement of the quality of life in Panglima Estino through better multi-sectoral engagement & partnership
“Societal divides can be addressed through consultation and honest dialogue that is anchored on Islamic values and principles among stakeholders. This approach has been effective in settling conflicts in our municipality.”
The vision of Munib Estino, Mayor of the Municipality of Panglima Estino, Sulu, is to provide his people what they have been deprived of: access to basic services and a peaceful and orderly way of living. In an effort to achieve this goal, he has focused on addressing the political issues and family conflicts that cause these problems. He has facilitated dialogue among conflicting political parties, and upheld the rule and guidance of Islamic Law to appease family conflicts and prevent violence caused by “Rido”.
Now in his second term, Mayor Estino intends to pursue his peace-building and development efforts not only by continuing to facilitate the resolution of major conflicts in Panglima Estino and using Islamic values and principles as foundations for governance, but also by executing infrastructure projects that will increase livelihood opportunities in the area and by making health and education priority programs of his municipal government.
Before becoming Mayor of Panglima Estino in 2004, Munib Estino served as Vice Governor of Sulu from 1991-2001. As Vice Governor, he was awarded Most outstanding Vice Governor of the New Republic of the Philippines by the Leadership Organization of the Philippines, Inc.; now as Mayor, he has garnered a Most Outstanding Mayor of the Philippines award by the Press Media Affair, Inc.
Lt. Col. Carlito G. Galvez
Assistant Chief of Staff
Civil Military Operations, G7,
2nd Infantry Division
Vision: Promotion of peace, security, & development in Southern Tagalog
“People in the community ask: ‘When is this useless war going to an end?’ Before, I was groping for an answer, but now in the 2nd ID we got a solution—by ‘Winning the hearts and minds of the people’ through awakening, education, empowerment and community development.”
As the newly designated Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations (CMO), G7, of the 2nd Infantry Division (ID), Lt. Col. Galvez addresses the insurgency problem in Southern Tagalog Region not with traditional military combat operations, but through more collaborative, peaceful means. With the 2nd ID, he seeks to facilitate convergence and active inter-agency participation in the Government’s counter-insurgency efforts in order to promote peace in the communities and make the area conducive to progress and development. Among the achievements of the 2nd ID toward this end include the facilitation of fora/dialogue for peace and order among various sectors of the community, the training and empowerment of Barangays, and the facilitation of collaboration between the PNP and the Local Government.
Among Lt. Col. Galvez’ educational attainments are his Master’s Degree in Project Management from the University of New South Wales in Australia and Leadership Executive Education from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In 2006, he was a recipient of the prestigious United States Eisenhower Fellowship Multination Program and got the opportunity to meet emerging leaders from the United States and other parts of the world. As part of the military, he has received numerous awards which include the Distinguished Service Star (the Highest AFP administration award), six combat Gold Cross Medals and eight combat Bronze Cross Medals. He was named as one of Ten Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS) in 2006, an honor conferred by Her Excellency, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Mr. Malcolm S. Garma
Assistant Superintendent
Department of Education – Cabanatuan City Division
Vision: Improvement of student performance through School-based Management System in Cabanatuan City
“My vision as an education leader is to see [all sectors of Cabanatuan City] working hand in hand with [the Department of Education] and making public education as accessible as possible.”
Malcolm Garma considers his background on Management as a strong aspect of his leadership in Education. Regarding the problems that beset the public education, he says, “I see the problem more as an issue of not optimizing the resources provided for the education sector that makes education inaccessible to most Filipinos.” His focus as Assistant Superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd) – Cabanatuan City Division is then to strengthen the School Based Management System in public schools and help the Principals and other school officials improve their managerial skills. This competency, Garma believes, not only will increase efficiency and productivity in DepEd but also empower public schools to raise and manage school funds, network with various education stakeholders, and facilitate the generation of much needed resources and facilities.
Garma began his career in education as a well-respected classroom instructor and leader in the U.P. Integrated School. He holds a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning and Business Administration from the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.
Hon. Florante S. Gerdan
Municipal Mayor
Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya
Vision: Improvement of the quality of life in Santa Fe through participatory governance
“I envision a local government that is attuned to the fast growing potential of Santa Fe, and a citizenry that is informed and empowered.”
Now on his second term, Florante Gerdan, Municipal Mayor of Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, continues to champion participatory government in his municipality. This, he believes, will address the current societal problems caused by conflicting agenda and motivations of political leaders, Local Government officials and employees, and the leaders of other sectors of Santa Fe. In his first term, he has been successful in involving more stakeholders to the Municipal Development Council to increase community ownership of the various development programs that his local government is implementing. He has also tapped the help of youth leaders and formed the Santa Fe College Students Organization (SFCSO) to facilitate easier implementation of educational programs that give scholarship grants, tuition subsidies and free transportation to disadvantaged students; facilitated the accreditation of 23 Non-Government Organizations that will become the Local Government’s partners in Development; and established a Council of Elders or Pangngulo that will empower and preserve the culture of Santa Fe’s indigenous peoples.
Gerdan’s leadership is partly formed by his many experiences in the military in the 1990s. Today, he is recognized as a municipal chief executive who imbibes “Transformational Leadership” and a leader with the capacity to bring people together and come up with concrete collaborative efforts to address the complex problems of Santa Fe.
Mr. Vladimir A. Hernandez
Director for the Philippine Programme
Community and Family Services International (CFSI)
Vision: Sustainable education for uprooted children and youth in Pagalungan, Maguindanao
“Through continuous collaborative and participatory processes, I envision conflict-affected communities to be empowered.”
Vladimir Hernandez is the Director for the Philippine Programme of the Community and Family Services International, an organization that strives to alleviate the plight of people who have been uprooted by persecution, armed conflict, disaster and other exceptionally difficult circumstances. It is his personal vision to see these conflict affected communities having the capacity to protect their people, especially the children, from the harsh effects of being displaced and to address the barriers to education amidst the difficult situation that they are in.
Hernandez has been specifically involved in conflict affected communities in Central Mindanao. By partnering with various funding institutions, he has focused his efforts on implementing education interventions that will increase the access of the poor and displaced to basic education. In the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Hernandez has assisted CFSI to enable more than 700 out-of-school children and youth gain access to basic education. School infrastructures, such as Play Centers, where the intellectual development and psychosocial well-being of uprooted children can be stimulated and promoted, have been constructed as a result of their program.
The post of Director for Philippine Programme was given to Hernandez in February 2007, after serving ten months as Programme Officer for Humanitarian Assistance. He holds a Master’s Degree on Public Administration from the University of the Philippines and undertook specialized training on humanitarian standards on behalf of CFSI in Singapore.
Hon. Algerico H. Irizari
Municipal Mayor
Lanuza, Surigao del Sur
Vision: Improvement of the quality of life in Lanuza through sustainable use of natural resources
“I envision well-regulated, protected, conserved, and managed resources that will enhance productivity and uplift the quality of life of my constituents.”
Envisioning a better quality of life for his constituents, Algerico Irizari, Municipal Mayor of Lanuza, Surigao del Sur, focuses on the environmental issues that affect his municipality. His major projects aim for the regulation, protection, conservation and sustainable management of natural resources, such as the Lanuza bay, the source of livelihood for many in Lanuza. As local chief executive since 1995, he has catalyzed the formation of alliance of municipalities for the protection of Lanuza Bay, and in collaboration with the other municipal governments, he has implemented critical Coastal Resource Management programs such as Coastal Zoning, Marine Protected Area Management, Mangrove Management, and Coastal Law Enforcement.
Irizari holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, and is a licensed Nurse and Medical Doctor. He also has a Master’s degree in Government Management from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. Among his achievements as Mayor is the naming of Lanuza as National Winner in the Search for the Cleanest and Greenest Municipality of the Philippines in 2002 and Regional and Provincial Winner of the same honor consistently from 1997 to 2005.
Mr. Jose Mari M. Oquiñena
Head of Operations
Gawad Kalinga Foundation
Vision: Empowered communities through more effective multi-sectoral engagement & partnership
“Gawad Kalinga Foundation believes that poverty alleviation is a monumental task. This requires unity among social groups manifested by genuine multi-sectoral partherships.”
Jose Mari Oquiñena believes that poverty alleviation can only come when there is unity among the various sectors of society. In his work in Gawad Kalinga Foundation as Head of Operations, he champions the spirit of “Bayanihan”—of being heroes to one another—and envisions to see a united Filipino people, where each, regardless of cultural, political, or socio-economic background, is capable of bringing positive impact on the Philippine Society.
As of today, Gawad Kalinga has established partnerships with more than 200 companies, including multi-national corporations and several domestic and international government agencies. These partnerships have led to the success of GK in implementing its housing and values-transformation programs in 1,200 communities nation-wide. In the coming years, Oquiñena intends to further advance the movement’s goal of strengthening GK’s multi-sectoral partnerships and create win-win situations that will establish even more linkages with groups from different sectors.
Oquiñena also heads GK’s Child and Youth Development Program and works as the overall Coordinator for the Visayas Region. Before joining Gawad Kalinga, he was a full-time mission worker for CFC Youth for Christ.
Hon. Albert Que
Municipal Mayor
Bongao, Tawi-tawi
Vision: Improvement of the quality of life in Bongao through better multi-sectoral engagement
“I came to learn that almost anything can be achieved through perseverance, sheer determination and unbending faith in the Almighty God; that honesty, integrity and trustworthiness can be one’s greatest assets in business as well as in politics; and that talent or education cannot be substitute for hard work.”
Albert Que, Municipal Mayor of Bongao, Tawi-tawi, imbibes the value of Good Governance in administering to his constituents. In his first two terms as Mayor, he has displayed determination and integrity in the wise and transparent use of Municipal funds, manifested by the delivery of promised infrastructure projects. He has thus grained the trust of domestic and international organizations like the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which help fund various developmental projects in the country.
In the coming years, Mayor Que intends to continue the execution of several infrastructure projects such as the improvement of Bongao’s Wet Market and the construction of the Farm-to-Market road—projects which he asserts will significantly contribute to building peace in the community. It is his belief that the creation of opportunities for livelihood will “turn insurgents into farmers, their guns into farming bolos, bullets into seeds for planting, and tanks into tractors.”
Aside from being the Local Chief Executive of Bongao, Mayor Que also serves as the President of the League of Mayors in Tawi-tawi. He has been in local governance since 1998, and has been recognized as an Outstanding LGU Leader in ARMM by the DAR-ADB Agrarian Reform Communities Projects organization.
Mr. Teodulo R. Romo, Jr.
Regional Director
DSWD Central Visayas
Vision: Coalition development against human trafficking in Central Visayas
“I envision the poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable in Central Visayas to be empowered for an improved quality of life.”
Mr. Teodulo R. Romo, Jr., the Regional Director of DSWD in Central Visayas, has the monumental task of implementing programs and policies on poverty reduction, welfare protection, and human rights promotion for disadvantaged and vulnerable persons, families and communities in Central Visayas. He leads DSWD toward this goal by engaging numerous intermediaries such as Local Government Units, Government Line Agencies, funding agencies, and peoples’ organizations. With their help, DSWD has provided technical assistance to Local Government Units in the establishment of a juvenile justice and welfare systems and strengthened mechanisms against trafficking in persons. In 2005, his organization has completed a 4-year Asian Development Bank-funded Early Childhood Care and Development Program to improve the delivery of basic services for children 0-6 years old in the region. DSWD’s flagship poverty reduction program, the World Bank-funded Kalahi-CIDSS:KKB, is currently in operation in Siquijor and Bohol, with more than P200 million already invested for sub-project implementation.
Director Romo has been working for DSWD since 1975. He holds a Master’s Degree in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines, and has been to various parts of the world for intensive training on social welfare development.
