Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo

Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo (“Ace”) is a distinguished strategy, security, and intelligence professional with over 25 years of experience spanning government service, defense, cybersecurity, and public policy.

He contributes strategic insights on national security, cybersecurity policy, and regional defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Currently serving as a Technical Consultant for the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Mr. Acedillo’s extensive government experience includes his recent role as Deputy Director General for Cyber and Emerging Threats at the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), where he directed national counterintelligence strategies against cybersecurity threats and weapons of mass destruction.  Mr. Acedillo was previously Assistant Vice President for Cybersecurity Strategy and Innovation at PLDT-Smart Communications, Inc.

His legislative experience as a Representative during the 16th Congress of the Philippines (where he was ranked as one of the “Most Productive Partylist Representative”) provides him with valuable insights into the policy-making process. During his term, he helped pass seven bills into national law, including Republic Act 10844, which created the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Mr. Acedillo’s academic credentials include specialized training in cybersecurity policy and strategy from prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, the University of Cincinnati, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, and the Estonian Aviation Academy. He recently completed the International Security and Intelligence Programme at the University of Cambridge (2025) and the Executive Program on Artificial Intelligence at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (2024).

As a former military pilot with the Philippine Air Force, Mr. Acedillo brings practical operational experience to his strategic analyses. His combat service earned him the Gold Cross Medal, the third highest military award for gallantry in action; as well as the Distinguished Aviation Cross for heroism during aerial operations; among 18 other awards and decorations.

Mr. Acedillo’s research focuses on cybersecurity governance, defense modernization, and strategic cooperation frameworks in the Indo-Pacific region. His work contributes to addressing critical issues affecting the Philippines and East Asia through informed policy advocacy and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Mr. Acedillo holds a Master of Management degree from the Asian Institute of Management (as a W. Sycip Graduate School of Business Full Scholar) and a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Philippine Military Academy, where he received the Association of Generals and Flag Officers (AGFO) Award for academic excellence in history.

Atty. Alberto C. Agra

Atty. Alberto C. Agra is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Law Professor, PPP-for-All Advocate and Certified PPP Specialist™. Aside from teaching PPP Law, he also teaches Administrative Law, Local Government Law, Election Law, and Sports Law. He has conducted 461 seminars on PPP Law and released 64 PPP Law-for-All infographics. He developed a template PPP ordinance for arrangements not covered under the PPP Code. Most recently, he launched his PPP for the People Menu for local governments, titled Casa Agra. Recrafted. He published an article entitled 24 Prescriptions to Future-Proofing PPPs for Stratbase. He is a regular contributor of articles on PPP to Insider Ph. He was the former Acting Secretary of Justice, Acting Solicitor General, Government Corporate Counsel, and Chairman of the Board of the Philippine Reclamation Authority.

Mary Kristerie A. Baleva, Esq., Ph.D

Dr. Mary Kristerie A. Baleva, Esq., PhD, has held several significant positions, including serving as the Former Director of the International Affairs and Treaties Division at the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, and as the Former OIC Assistant Secretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. She is also the author of “Regaining Paradise Lost: Indigenous Land Rights and Tourism,” published by Brill Nijhoff in the International Studies in Human Rights Collection. This book employs the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to examine the interplay between indigenous land rights and the tourism industry. It particularly focuses on the Philippines, a country with a rich diversity of indigenous peoples and a significant reliance on tourism for economic growth. The book chronicles the 15-year struggle of an Ati community for state recognition of their ancestral domains in Boracay Island, a top beach destination in Asia.

In addition to her professional roles, she is a licensed lawyer in the Philippines and has served as the lead consultant writer for drafting the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 11038, known as the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act, as amended by the Expanded NIPAS Act of the Philippines. Academically, she completed her PhD in International Human Rights Law at the University of Zurich, graduating magna cum laude. She also obtained her Master’s degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Hong Kong with distinction, and was the recipient of the Anna Wu Prize in Human Rights.

General Emmanuel T. Bautista (Ret.)

General Emmanuel T. Bautista (Ret.) was the 44th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from January 2013 to July 2014. Shortly after retirement from the military service, he was appointed Undersecretary at the Office of the President, Malacañang from 01 September 2014 to 22 June 2020.  As Undersecretary, he served as Executive Director of the Cabinet Cluster for Security, Justice, and Peace and was concurrently the Executive Director of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea and Head of the National Task Force on the Whole of Nation Initiative. He was also part of the team that represented the Philippines in the South China Sea arbitration case filed before the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.

Currently, he is a Managing Director at the Ayala Corporation, President of the Hero Foundation and a member of the board of trustees of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia and the Foundation for National Interest.  He is also a lecturer at the Development Academy of the Philippines, the National Defense College of the Philippines and the Ateneo School of Government.

General Bautista is a graduate of Philippine Military Academy, Class of 1981, and is one of its outstanding alumni awardees; and of the University of the Philippines (U.P.), Diliman where he earned a Masters in Business Administration degree and was a recipient of the U.P. Alumni Association distinguished alumni award for peace and social cohesion.

Benjamin Blandin, Ph.D  

Dr. Benjamin Blandin is a French political scientist and maritime security expert, currently affiliated with several leading research institutions across the Indo-Pacific, including the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS), the Korea Institute of Maritime Strategy (KIMS), and Stanford’s Gordian Knot Center (SeaLight Project). He specializes in China’s asymmetric maritime warfare (comprising area denial, hybrid warfare and gray zone tactics) in its near seas as well as in the broader Asia-Pacific region.

His professional background includes over a decade of strategic consulting with top firms such as Accenture, Deloitte, and Capgemini, as well as industry experience at Airbus Defence and Space. Dr. Blandin has conducted fieldwork and delivered lectures throughout Southeast Asia, collaborating with maritime security actors (navies, coast guard agencies), and academic institutions in the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore.

He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science (2025, Paris Catholic University), along with master’s degrees in geopolitics, geostrategy, and strategy consulting. Dr. Blandin is also a graduate of the French War College (IHEDN) and the French Naval Institute (CESM), and an alumnus of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) Summer Academy.

Rizal Buendia, Ph.D

Rizal G. Buendia, Ph.D, is an independent political analyst, consultant, and researcher in Southeast Asian Politics and International Development, Wales, UK, and a former Teaching Fellow at the Politics and International Studies Department and the Department of Development Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He was the previous Chair of the Political Science Department at De La Salle University in Manila, Senior Lecturer at the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG)-University of the Philippines-Diliman, and Special Lecturer at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

He authored the book, Ethnicity and Sub-nationalist Independence Movements in the Philippines and Indonesia: Implications for Regional Security (2002) and published four (4) major monographs on Bangsamoro, ASEAN, and regional geopolitics. He also contributed several articles that saw print in international refereed journals and wrote book chapters in the areas of ethno-nationalism, Bangsamoro politics, indigenous peoples’ rights, conflict management, regional cooperation, Southeast Asian governance, public administration, human rights, democracy, and social policies.

Dr. Buendia was a recipient of the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) Republica Award both at the Regional (NCR) and National levels in the Social Science, Economics, Education and Humanities category in 2007. He also held the Ambassador Carlos J. Valdes Professorial Chair in Political Economics, the Alfredo S. Lim II Distinguished Professorial Chair in Public Administration, the Yuchengco Professorial Chair in Southeast Asian Studies, and Visiting Professor at the Waseda Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies (WIAPS) Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.

He is currently a member of the International Editorial Board of the Asian Journal of Criminology (Melbourne, Australia), Founding Member of the Asian Criminological Society (Beijing, China), and former Editor in Chief of the Asia Pacific Social Science Journal. He is also member of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), Asian Political and International Studies Association (APISA), the International Political Science Association (IPSA), and the Phi Gamma Mu International Honor Society-Beta Chapter.

Dr Buendia also provided project consultancy services to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP-Bangkok), World Bank, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), CANADA-ASEAN Governance Innovations Network-Institute on Governance (CAGIN), Canada International Development Agency (CIDA), the International Development Research Center (IDRC), the International Technology and Management Corp. (INTEM), and Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), among others.

He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Political Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS) under the NUS by-research Ph.D. scholarship and earned his Master of Public Administration (MPA) with Highest Distinction at the University of the Philippines-Diliman (National College of Public Administration and Governance [NCPAG]).

Chester Cabalza, Ph.D

Dr. Chester B. Cabalza is the Founding President of the International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC) and teaches in the graduate school at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD). He advises national leaders, multinational companies, and embassies on defense and security issues. He previously held the position of Vice President for the Center of Research and Strategic Studies while he concurrently became the Executive Fellow at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP).

He was formerly a Consultant of the World Bank (WB) and the Japan International and Cooperation Agency (JICA). He is conferred as Scientist by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) under the Presidential Decree 997. He was a recipient of the CHED Faculty Development Scholarship and the Angara Scholarship Awards in UP Diliman; and SEASREP by the Japan Foundation. As an Environmental Reviewer of the Department of Environment and National Resources, he has reviewed big ticket projects under the ‘Build, Build, Build’ and now ‘Build Better More’ programs including railways, subways, mining projects, mega dams, expressways, and bridges.

He is also a Course Director and thesis adviser of senior military and police officers at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), Armed Forces of the Philippines-Command and General Staff College (AFP-CGSC), and the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC). A Fellow of the College of Defense Studies at National Defense University in Beijing, China and the US State Department under the stewardship of the University of Delaware.

He has published a hundred in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and opinion-editorial in the purview of security studies. He recently authored ‘Philippine Territorial Defense’ (2024) and co-authored ‘The Rise of Philippinedization: Philippinedization is not Finlandization’ (2021). Cabalza won the IFSSO international prize for the Social Science Award and the Humanitarian Award from the Rotary Club. He is regularly interviewed by foreign and local media on the South China Sea, regional terrorism, national defense and security, and related international political economy issues. 

Alvin Camba, Ph.D

Dr. Alvin Camba is an Assistant Professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. He received his PhD in Sociology from the Johns Hopkins University. He is a faculty affiliate at the Center for International Environment & Resource Policy and the Climate Policy Lab at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. His research has been awarded multiple best research paper awards by several academic networks (International Studies Association, American Sociological Association, GRADNAS), has been published in top development and political economy journals (e.g., Review of International Political Economy, Development and Change, Energy Research and Social Science, etc.), and has contributed to widely-circulated think tank policy papers (e.g. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the International Republican Institute, and Center for International Private Enterprise) on China’s activities in Southeast Asia.

He has been cited and/or interviewed by The Financial Times, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and other news outlets, and invited to speak at The World Bank, the US State Department, AidData, etc. Most recently, Dr. Camba is part of the Carnegie Corporation of New York-funded Responsible Public Engagement project at the Korbel School. The project investigates, among others, China’s disinformation strategies and investments in rare earths.

Jose Cortez

Jose Solomon “Cortz” Cortez is a recognized expert in sustainable development with over 20 years of experience in anti-corruption, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and sustainable development projects. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Community Development from the University of the Philippines and a Master’s degree in Tri-Sectoral Collaboration from the Singapore Management University. With a career spanning over two decades, he has made significant contributions to the advancement of responsible business conduct, particularly in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Asia and the Philippines.

He has authored articles that came out in publications such as BusinessWorld, Business Mirror, the Philippine Business Magazine, Rappler.com, and The FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) Blog. He is also often invited as guest/resource speaker in numerous conferences and conventions on topics such as corporate governance, ethics and compliance and business integrity and has represented the Philippines as a plenary speaker during the Lightning Talks session of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Asia Pacific Regional Conference held in Bali in 2013 and the APEC Engineering & Construction workshop on Improving Transparency and Anti-Corruption in the APEC Region in Lima, Peru in 2016.

He has provided consultancy and advisory services to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the conduct of outreach to enterprises and business associations and helped in establishing a mechanism for advisory services, road mapping, and impact measurement on the SDGs and Inclusive Business eventually becoming the UNDP’s Project Coordinator for it Business Integrity PACTS project which aims to address unethical business practices prevalent in the Philippines’ private sector and minimize leakages in private to private business contracts.

More recently, he was the former Associate Director of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. Center for Corporate Responsibility and was engaged to expand the Center’s advocacy by developing programs for new and existing audiences and supporting the Center’s core programs and research projects on responsible business conduct, gender equality, and decent work as well as helping enterprises understand the range of standards and goals against which corporate behavior is assessed, such as the OECD Responsible Business Principles, ILO labor standards, UN SDGs and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

Currently, he serves as the President and Co-founder of Adaptive Innovations Consulting, Inc., a leading consulting firm on sustainability, providing innovative and practical solutions to help businesses and organizations achieve their sustainability goals, while also creating a positive impact on the environment and society. He is also a Partner Consultant of One HRX, a Singapore based company providing leadership coaching, strategic human resources consulting, and organization and management advising to Philippines, Singapore, and Southeast Asia organizations in the private, public and non-profits sectors.

Usec. Carlos Primo “CP” David, Ph.D (on-leave)

Dr. Carlos Primo C. David is a licensed geologist and professor of Geology and Environmental Science in the University of the Philippines. He is a project leader of the Department of Science and Technology’s Project NOAH. He graduated with a degree in Geology and earned his Masters in Geology at the University of the Philippines. He obtained his Ph.D.at Stanford University with a degree on Environmental Science and Geology. Dr. David was the Executive Director of Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development.

Dr. David currently serves as the Undersecretary for Integrated Environmental Science at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Concurrently, he serves as the Head of the Geospatial Database Office and Water Resources Management Office.

Renato Cruz De Castro Ph.D

Dr. Renato Cruz De Castro is a distinguished professor at the Department of International Studies, De La Salle University Manila, and holds the Dr. Aurelio Calderon Chair in Philippines-American Relations. He is an adjunct faculty at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), where he handles the module International Security Studies. (ISS).  He was a visiting fellow at the National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS) of the Japanese Ministry of Defense in the summer of 2018.   He was a visiting researcher at the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) from June to August 2017.   From September to December 2016, he was based in the East-West Center in Washington D.C. as the U.S.-ASEAN Fulbright Initiative Researcher from the Philippines.  He is an alumnus of the Daniel Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DIAPCSS) in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.  In 2009, he became the U.S. State Department ASEAN Research Fellow from the Philippines and was based in the Political Science Department of Arizona State University.

Professor De Castro served as a consultant to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Secretary Caesar Garcia, of the National Security Council (NSC) during the Aquino Administration (2010-2016).  He conducts several professional courses on International Relations, Strategic, and Security Studies at the National Defense College (NDCP), Special Intelligence Training School (SITS) of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), General Staff and Command College of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Foreign Service Institute (FSI).  He is a module director managing the graduate course on International Security Studies (ISS) in the NDCP.  As a member of the Albert Del Rosario Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ADRI) Board of Trustees, he writes monthly opinion columns for the Philippine Star and Business World.

He has written over 100 articles on international relations and security that have been published in several scholarly journals and edited works in the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Malaysia, France, Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, and the United States.  In 2019, the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Political Science Association (PPSA) announced that Professor De Castro is the most prolific Filipino Political Scientist in scholarly publications and one of the top 10 Filipino Political Scientists in terms of several citations.  The 2022 AD Scientific Index ranked him 92nd among the top 100 scientists in the Philippines and one of the top  50 Social Scientists in the country.  AD Scientific Index also ranked him as the number one Filipino Political Scientist in publications and citations.  He earned his Ph.D. from the Government and International Studies Department of the University of South Carolina as a Fulbright Scholar in 2001. He obtained his B.A. and two master’s degrees from the University of the Philippines.

Atty. Jenny Domino

Atty. Jenny Domino is a Harvard Satter Human Rights Fellow at ARTICLE 19. Her human rights work focuses on international criminal accountability, constitutional structure, and the limits of freedom of speech in situations of mass atrocity. She previously consulted for the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines and has interned at the International Criminal Court’s Office of Public Counsel for the Defence. She has written for the Cambridge International Law Journal and The Philippine Daily Inquirer and has been interviewed by leading Philippine news agencies on the ICC’s preliminary examination of the Philippines.

She received her Master of Laws degree at Harvard Law School and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines, where she was Chair of the Philippine Law Journal. She also held the 2018 Global Diversity Fellowship of Vrije University Amsterdam’s Center for International Criminal Justice.

Manuel R. Enverga III (Ph.D)

Dr. Manuel R. Enverga III is the Director of the European Studies Program at the Ateneo de Manila University and the first Philippine academic to be awarded the prestigious Jean Monnet Chair in European Studies by the European Union. He also serves as the President of the European Studies Association of the Philippines, an organization dedicated to advancing European Studies in the country. 

 Dr. Enverga completed a Doctor of Social Science degree at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. His teaching and research cover a wide range of topics, including European politics, digital culture, EU–Philippine relations, and digital diplomacy. He has been invited to deliver lectures at universities throughout Asia and Europe, underscoring his engagement with international scholarly communities. His publications have appeared in specialist journals, including the Journal of Contemporary European Studies, the International Journal of Cultural Policy, and Place Branding and Public Diplomacy. 

 Outside academia, Dr. Enverga contributes to public discourse by writing for mainstream media, offering insights on television news, and consulting for international organizations, diplomats, multinational corporations, and Philippine government agencies. He also hosts The Eurospeak Podcast, where he and his guests explore European influences on contemporary popular culture. 

Shanice Espiritu-Amador

Shanice Espiritu-Amador is a non-resident fellow of the Stratbase Institute. She is a governance and public policy expert with a wide range of experience spanning the public and private sector, non-government organisations, and the academe. She previously held the role of Director for Policy and Advocacy under the Stratbase Group and Deputy Executive Director for Research under the Stratbase Institute. She is also a former university lecturer under the Political Science and Development Studies Department of De La Salle University-Manila.

Currently, she is a Casual Sessional Academic under the Policy and Governance Program of the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, where she also finished her degree of Master of Public Policy specialising in Integrity and Anti-Corruption Policy.

Ludwig Federigan

Ludwig O. Federigan is a recipient of a number of scholarships to attend executive programs on climate change, sustainable consumption and production, sustainability leadership, and the ASEAN Leadership Programme.

A 2017 Yale Sustainability Leadership Fellow and a Climate Reality Leader, he is the Executive Director of the Young Environmental Forum and the Officer-In-Charge of the Information and Knowledge Management Division of the Climate Change Commission (Philippines). He is a recipient of various recognition among these include the Miguel R. Magalang Individual Climate Leadership Memorial Award awarded by The Climate Reality Project for his numerous acts of leadership in the global climate movement.

He has written and published over a hundred articles on environmental issues, climate change, sustainability and leadership in his weekly column, All About Choices, in The Manila Times.

He was the former Treasurer and Vice-President for Business Operations of the World Wide Fund for Nature (Philippines), and also served the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Asia-Pacific Finance & Operations Group.

Robin Michael Garcia, Ph.D

Robin Michael U. Garcia, Ph.D, is a Shanghai-educated political scientist, academic, and the CEO of WR Numero—a data analytics and polling firm in collaboration with Warwick&Roger, which he founded in 2017. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the Political Economy Program of the School of Law and Governance of the University of Asia & the Pacific (UA&P).

He has written on topics that lie at the intersection of political psychology, international political economy and international relations theory applied to Southeast Asia, the Philippines and China. Prof. Garcia had lectured on development theory, political economy, public policy, and international relations at De La Salle University-Manila and the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

He obtained a Doctorate Degree in Politics and International Relations degree from the School of International Relations and Public Affairs (SIRPA) of Fudan University in Shanghai, China where he was distinguished with the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence in 2017. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Major in Public Policy from the University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG) in 2013, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies from De La Salle University-Manila 2010 where he was awarded the Gawad Mag-Aaral (Distinguished Student) Award.

Dean Jemy Gatdula

Jemy is a lawyer specializing in international law, constitutional law, and the philosophy of law. He is the Dean of the Institute of Law, as well as the Vice Chairman of the Operations Committee of the School of Social Sciences, Law, and Governance of the University of Asia and the Pacific. He is an opinions columnist for BusinessWorld and Of Counsel for the Policarpio and Acorda Law Office.

On scholarship from the Cambridge Overseas Trust, Jemy read international law at the University of Cambridge. Upon the invitation of the US State Department, he attended the Study of US Institutes (SUSI) program, focusing on constitutional law and political thought. He received his Doctor of Juridical Science degree from San Beda College, where his dissertation work focused on the natural law, the Philippine Constitution, and the limits of judicial power.

Jemy was the Bar Examiner for Political Law and Public International Law for the Philippine Bar Exams of 2009. He lectures on international law, international trade law, philosophy of law, and constitutional law for various governmental and academic institutions, including the Philippine Judicial Academy, the National Defense College, Congress, and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. He has authored, co-authored, or edited books and articles on public international law, international economic law, and natural law.

He continues to work on various issues relating to international law, international trade, national security and the law on armed conflict, and the Constitution. He was special counsel on international economic matters for the Philippine government, assisting particularly in numerous international trade disputes. Jemy also previously headed the Philippine and Indonesia offices of the World Trade Management Services of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, where he provided counsel or studies for multinational corporations, international organizations, and governments, including the PIDS, JICA, ASEAN, the ITC, the WTO, and the OECD.

He is a Senior Fellow (and former Executive Director) of the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations, a member of the National Transplant Ethics Committee, and served with the Legal Education Board Technical Panel. He has been interviewed by leading news organizations, such as Bloomberg TV, CNN, ANC, the 700 Club, and the Financial Times, amongst others.

Don McLain Gill

Don McLain Gill is a Manila-based geopolitical analyst, author, and lecturer at the Department of International Studies, De La Salle University. His work centers on Philippine foreign policy, India-Southeast Asia relations, and Indo-Pacific security. He has written in the forms of books, book chapters, peer-reviewed international journal articles, newspaper columns, and commentary articles for renowned international affairs publications such as The Diplomat, The National Interest, RUSI, and The East-West Center, among others.

Mr. Gill is a visiting senior fellow at the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), a research fellow at the USANAS Foundation, and a member of the Indo-Pacific Circle. He is also regularly invited to give special lectures and attend panel discussions on said themes.

Mr. Gill is also interviewed often by international television channels including ABC, BBC, DW, and Al Jazeera. Furthermore, he also serves as an external reviewer for manuscripts submitted to various peer-reviewed and scopes-indexed international journals.

Richard Javad Heydarian

Richard Javad Heydarian is a multi-awarded public educator, academic, columnist, and policy adviser. He has taught political science at De La Salle University and Ateneo De Manila University, and is an incoming research fellow at National Chengchi University in Taiwan. He is currently resident analyst at GMA network, a columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and a regular opinion writer for leading global publications. His latest book is “The Rise of Duterte: A Populist Revolt against Elite Democracy” (Palgrave), which was among The Financial Times’ “Best of weekend long reads”, and described as “a superb monograph on the Duterte Phenomenon, grounded in political theory and Philippine history…” The Times Literary Supplement (TLS) describes it as an important work which, “vividly describes the simmering public dissatisfaction with post-Marcos “elite democracy” that paved the way for Duterte’s rapid rise to power…” He is also the author of forthcoming “The IndoPacfic Age: Trump, China, and the New Global Struggle for Mastery” (Palgrave) and “Duterte’s Foreign Policy”.

He is a regular contributor to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC, and has written for or/and interviewed by Aljazeera, BBC, Bloomberg, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Economist, among other leading global publications.

He has been described as “one of Asia’s most prolific…analysts,” and was awarded as the 2018 Ten Outstanding Young Persons in the World (TOYP) by JCI international for his contributions in social sciences. He has been invited to speak at the world’s leading universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia University, York University, and Australian National University, among others, and major global conferences on asian geopolitical affairs.

He currently sits as Professorial Chairholder in Geopolitics in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Ma. Carmen Lagman, Ph.D

Ma. Carmen Ablan Lagman, Ph.D, is a Full Professor with the Biology Department of the De La Salle University – Manila. She is a member of the Center for Natural Science and Environment Research (CENSER), where she is also the Coordinator of the Technologies for Biodiversity Use and Utilization Unit. She has previously been the head of the Practical Genomics Laboratory and head of CENSER’s Biodiversity Unit.

Her career started by working on the physiology and genetics of giant clams and genetic connectivity and adaption of reef fish for her Ph.D. at the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute, where she also received her Masters’ in Marine Biology.

She also had research positions at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute and the International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management in Manila and in the World Fish Center located in Malaysia. In addition, she has had visiting researcher positions at the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Thailand and the National Research Institute for Aquaculture in Japan.

In 2016, Dr. Lagman received the Newton Agham Leadership in Innovation Fellowship (LIF) from the British Government and the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) in Cambridge, UK. The year prior, she won 1st Prize in the Outstanding Research and Development Award (Emerging Technologies Category) from the Philippine Council for Industry Energy and Emerging Technologies Research and Development (PCIEERD) under the Department of Science and Technology.

She is an alumna of the Fulbright-Philippine Agriculture Scholarship Program (2013 – 2014) and also a recipient of the USAID Science Technology Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) program on its first year of implementation last August 2014.

Raymund E. Liboro

Having been appointed as the Philippines’ first Privacy Commissioner in 2016 until December 2021, he fast-tracked data protection policy development in the country with the issuance of the Data Privacy Act’s Implementing Rules and significant policy circulars within the first year of NPC’s establishment – effectively working for the country’s data privacy and protection rules to be part with global data protection regulations.

Prior to the NPC, he was the Assistant Secretary for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). He created ICT-based risk-management tools for climate change adaption and disaster risk reduction. Under this initiative is the risk management tool called the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards or Project NOAH. He is the brain behind project NOAH, which has been cited as one of the most advanced e-governance tools in disaster prevention by the United Nations Program Office on Governance (UNPOG).

In 2018, he put the country on the world stage by earning the Philippines a voting seat on the exclusive 5-member executive committee of the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioner or the ICDPPC.   The ICDPPC was later renamed the Global Privacy Assembly.

In 2019, he chaired the first ASEAN Data Protection and Privacy Forum and became the host chair of the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities Forum or the APPA.

In 2020, Mr. Liboro was chosen to lead and chair, the Global Privacy Assembly’s COVID-19 Taskforce, intended to create a venue for collaboration among jurisdictions and organizations and address the emerging privacy issues posed by the spread of the COVID-19 virus worldwide. He will continue as Chair of the new Working Group until 2021.

In 2021, Mr. Liboro attended the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Program for Digital Transformation.

Francisco Magno, Ph.D

Dr. Francisco A. Magno is a Full Professor of Political Science and Development Studies at De La Salle University. He has been a Visiting Professor at Waseda University and Hiroshima University, and a Visiting Researcher at the University of Reading, Florida State University, and Osaka University.

He served as President of the Philippine Political Science Association in 2015-2017, President of the Local Governance Training and Research Institutes-Philippine Network in 2016-2018, and Member of the National Leadership Council of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network-Philippines in 2015-2019. He is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Albert del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Studies. He finished his BA and MA in Political Science from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, and his PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii. 

Alvin Manalansan

Alvin M. Manalansan is the current Healthcare and Education Convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines, an advocacy group which champions the rights of consumers on various issues such as greater access to healthcare, affordable prices of basic goods and lower taxes for the burdened sector of the economy.

He is an independent health, nutrition and food safety consultant. He previously consulted for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) where he worked with different international and national agencies, including local government units in various health and nutrition programs such as nutrition in emergencies, management of severe acute malnutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Prior to his consultancy engagements, he served as senior Food-Drug Regulation Officer in the Philippine Food and Drug Administration.

He attained his Bachelor of Science in Community Nutrition, including post graduate courses in the same field, from the University of the Philippines. He also obtained international certifications in managing public health programs, food and nutrition safety, global health response, and evaluation of social programs.

He is a current Board Member of the Philippine Society of Nutritionists-Dietitians and frequently writes health commentaries in the Philippine Star and Business World.

Charmaine Misalucha-Willoughby, Ph.D

Charmaine Misalucha-Willoughby is a Professor and the Chair of the Department of International Studies at De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines. She is the Senior Editor of Asian Politics and Policy (Wiley), and Co-Editor of Bandung: Journal of the Global South (Brill). She sits on the Review of International Studies (Cambridge) editorial board and is the Southeast Asia Chair for the Institute for Regional Security’s Security Challenges. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for the National Interest (Philippines), as well as the Advisory Board of La Trobe Asia (Australia). Her areas of specialization are alliances, maritime security, security cooperation, and critical international relations theory. 

Sherwin Ona, Ph.D

Sherwin E. Ona, Ph.D. is an associate professor of Political Science at De La Salle University (DLSU). His current interests are in the areas of human security and non-traditional threats, open government, cybersecurity policies and disaster informatics. Dr. Ona is the former research and advanced studies director of the College of Computer Studies and is the current chairperson of the political science department.

For his research endeavors, Dr. Ona was part of the iGov summer program of the State University of New York (2009-2010) and managed the e-Participation in rural communities project supported by the IDRC-Canada (2011). In 2012, he was part of the IDRC’s “Open Data in Developing Countries”, a global network of international research teams that examined the challenges of open government data in developing and least developed economies. In 2017, Dr. Ona served as a senior team leader for the Newton disaster informatics and innovation spaces project sponsored by the British Council and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Dr. Ona also served as technical consultant to the following government agencies: Commission on Information and Communications Technology (2005-2008), the Department of Science and Technology-ICTO (2012), the Commission on Higher Education (2016) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (2018). In 2019, he assisted the UN-Asia Pacific Center for ICT for Development (APCICT) in their research about the government-led interoperability initiatives in the Philippines.
At present, Dr. Ona is a fellow of the Philippine Pubic Safety College and the La Salle Institute of Governance. He is an auxiliary officer of the Philippine Coast Guard with the rank of commander.

RADM Rommel Jude G. Ong (RET) 

RADM Rommel Jude Ong (Ret) is currently affiliated with the Ateneo School of Government (ASOG). He is a Professor of Praxis, and currently the Program Director of the Masters in Public Management (MPM) Twinning Program, which is a collaboration between the ASOG and the AFP Education, Training, Doctrine Command. For the Executive Education Department, he has completed a program on political warfare, an advanced leadership course for the Philippine Air Force and a financial management course for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He is also a Senior Research Fellow with the Ateneo Policy Center, and is currently co-lead investigator in research on Chinese political warfare.

He was co-lead investigator in a recently completed two-phase study entitled: Toward Increased and Stable Investments in National Security in the Philippines: An Analysis of trends, Allocations, and Policy Options in Philippine Defense Spending. He was also lead researcher on a study in ASEAN minilaterals for the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative Development Studies (UPCIDS). He edited a book entitled “Security Sector Reform and Governance in the Philippines,” which was written as a project of the National Defense College of the Philippines. Recently, he contributed a chapter in the book Martial Law in the Philippines: Lessons and Legacies 1972-2022. While he was still in the active service in the Philippine Navy, he has written four (4) naval manuals focusing on the following subjects: naval decision-making process, naval exercises, naval operations, and protocols of the naval inspector general service.

His last posting was as Vice Commander of the Philippine Navy until his compulsory retirement. As the Vice Commander, he chaired various committees covering a wide spectrum of concerns. Among his noteworthy accomplishments were: the formulation and implementation of a naval diplomatic track to address the concerns in the West Philippine Sea; successful shepherding of the Navy’s modernization projects until their approval; the formulation of the Navy’s basing and infrastructure development plan; and, the revision of the career management program for the uniformed and civilian personnel.

He has successfully commanded three (3) commissioned naval vessels, and later the Naval Intelligence Security Force, the Naval Task Forces 11 and 80, Director of the Fleet Marine Warfare Center, and the Naval Forces West, which has operational jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea. He has also occupied senior staff positions such as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Naval Operations (N3), the Assistant Deputy Chief for Joint Operations (AJ3) and the Naval Inspector General.

RADM Ong is a graduate of the Philippine Military Class of 1987. His other career training includes the Naval Officer Qualification Course; the Naval Command and Staff Course; and the Naval Intelligence Course. He completed his GSC-equivalent training at the US Naval War College and his Senior Executive Course on National Security (MNSA-equivalent) at the National Defense College of the Philippines. He completed his Masters in Development Management at the Asian Institute of Management.

Bienvenido “Nonoy” Oplas, Jr.

Bienvenido Oplas, Jr. is the President of Minimal Government Thinkers (MGT), a free market, non-government think tank in Manila registered in 2008. He was also a Columnist of BusinessWorld’s Weekender section from April to September 2015, and is currently contributing writer to Opinion section, “My Cup of Liberty”, from October 2015 to present. Prior to that, he was a Columnist of InterAksyon, for the “Fat-Free Economics” column from March 2012 to July 2014.

MGT is a member-institute of Economic Freedom Network Asia (EFN Asia) based in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Property Rights Alliance (PRA) based in Washington DC, USA.

He is a lifetime member of the Philippine Economic Society (PES) and the UPSE Alumni Association (UPSEAA).

He graduated from Cadiz City High School, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, class valediction in 1980. Then he went to the University of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE) and finished AB Economics in 1985. He went back to the school and obtained the Diploma in Development Economics (DipDE) in 1998.

Before forming MGT, he worked for a labor federation from 1985-86, then in a tv public affairs program, “Public Forum” in IBC-13 hosted by Prof. Randy David and directed by the late Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1987-1990. He also joined the cast of a political satire program in IBC-13, “Sic o clock News”, also directed by Ms. Abaya in the last year of the program, mid-1989-1990.

He worked as a Junior economist then Senior economist at the Congressional Planning and Budget Office (CPBO), House of Representatives, 1991-1999. Then he joined Think Tank, Inc., a research and consulting firm headed by former DOF Secretary Gary Teves, 2000-mid-2005.

So far he has published two books, Health Choices and Responsibilities (2011) published by Central Books Supply (Manila), and Liberalism, Rule of Law and Civil Society (2014), published by Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) Philippines Office.

He was also a Chapter contributor of two books, Free Trade and Markets for Healthcare: Lessons from Asia (2013) published in Delhi, India; and Why Liberty (2010) published in the US.

Dr. Jagannath Panda (Euro-Asia Distinguished Fellow)

Dr. Jagannath Panda is the Head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA) at the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), Sweden. In addition to his primary appointment at ISDP, Dr. Panda is a Professor at the Department of Regional and Global Studies at the University of Warsaw. He is also the Director for Europe-Asia Research Cooperation at the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS); and a Senior Fellow at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) in the Netherlands.  Prof. Panda has testified to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission at the US Congress on ‘China and South Asia’.

As a senior expert on China, East Asia, and Indo-Pacific affairs, Prof. Panda’s current research focuses on India’s relations with major Indo-Pacific powers (China, Japan, South Korea, the EU), China-India Relations, China and NATO, and the EU in Indo-Pacific. He is the Series Editor for Routledge Studies on Think Asia. Dr. Panda is a Contributing Editor for The National Interest (Washington DC) and an Author at The Diplomat. He is an Advisor to the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) and is also a Member of the Editorial Board of various international journals such as the Journal of Asian Public Policy (JAPP: Routledge) and The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis (KIDA).

Raul C. Pangalangan

Raul C. Pangalangan was a Judge at the International Criminal Court at The Hague until 2021. He is currently Professor of Law at the University of the Philippines where he earlier served as Law Dean. In 2023, chaired the ILO Commission of Inquiry on Myanmar. In school year 2024-25, he will be a Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C.

He has been elected to the Institut de Droit International. He is currently a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (The Hague). He recently served as Senior Fellow at the Kolleg-Forschungsgruppe (The International Rule of Law – Rise or Decline?), jointly organized by the Freie Universität Berlin, Potsdam University, and Humboldt University. He has served as Asian Public Intellectual Fellow of the Nippon Foundation.

He received his LL.M. and S.J.D. from Harvard University, where he won the Laylin Prize in International Law for his LLM thesis in 1986 and the Sumner Prize on issues relating to International Peace for his S.J.D. dissertation in 1990. He received his Diploma from The Hague Academy of International Law in 1987.

Vicente Paqueo, Ph.D

Vicente B. Paqueo, Ph.D, is currently a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), a Fellow of the Social Weather Station (SWS) and the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), and a World Bank Consultant. Dr. Paqueo was a Lead Economist at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. and a Professor at the University of the Philippines School of Economics. Until recently, he was Lead Consultant of the ADB Social Protection Support Project for the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4Ps). He was also a consultant at various times of other organizations like the ILO, WHO, UNICEF, UNESCAP, NEDA, DSWD, POPCOM and Population Center of the Philippines.

Dr. Paqueo finished his AB (cum laude) at the University of the Philippines School of Economics and got his Ph.D. from the same institution. He was appointed visiting post-doctoral fellow at Princeton University in New Jersey with a grant from the Population Council. He has since then published numerous articles and books and presented papers in local and international conferences. As a young man, he received the Outstanding Young Scientist Award for Human Resources Economics from the Philippine National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).

Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran

Dr. Prashanth Parameswaran is a fellow at the Wilson Center and the founder of the twice-weekly ASEAN Wonk newsletter which covers the geopolitics and geoeconomics of Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific. He is also a senior columnist at The Diplomat magazine, an advisor at the consultancy BowerGroupAsia and an instructor for various institutions including the U.S. State Department.

Dr. Parameswaran has held various roles across think tanks, governments, media and companies, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Associated Press. In those capacities, he worked on various issues including geopolitical and geoeconomic statecraft, Southeast Asia foreign and security policy, regional institutions, major power engagement in the Indo-Pacific as well as alliances and partnerships.

He has written over 2,000 commentaries and articles, and his insights have been published in various regional and international outlets including CNN, The Straits Times, Nikkei Asia, South China Morning Post and Foreign Policy. He regularly speaks at forums across the Indo-Pacific and advises governments and companies. His book Elusive Balances: Shaping US Southeast Asia Strategy, published in 2022, developed an original framework for comprehensively understanding major power commitments across regions such as Southeast Asia in an age of intensifying competition across realms.

Dr. Parameswaran holds a Ph.D. and MA focused on international business, international relations, Asian affairs, and U.S. foreign policy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He earned a BA from the University of Virginia, where he studied foreign affairs and peace and conflict studies with a focus on Asia. He regularly advises groups and individuals seeking to advance conversations on Indo-Pacific affairs and serves on the board of several institutions.

Epictetus Patalinghug, Ph.D

Dr. Epictetus E. Patalinghug is a Professor Emeritus of Economics and Finance at the Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business of the University of the Philippines. He teaches macroeconomics and the financial system, managerial economics, international finance, financial sector regulation and ethics, financial research, industrial organization, competitive and industry analysis, and government regulation and public policy. He obtained his Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and taught at their College of Business Administration before joining UP in 1981. He was a Member of the Tariff Commission in 1996-1997 and participated in the formulation and discussion of competition policy for the APEC member economies.

He was the past Director of CBA’s Business Research and Publications Program and Director of its Doctoral Program. He served as the editor of the Philippine Review of Economic and Business and the Philippine Management Review and Consultant to the Board of Investments which is in charge of granting investment incentives and in the formulation of the Country’s Investment Priorities Plan. He was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award in the Social Sciences by the National Research Council of the Philippines in 2009. He also managed several consulting projects funded by USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and the World Bank.

He has published several books and articles on competition policy, privatization, productivity, and competitiveness, electric power industry regulation, retail trade industry liberalization, relationship between crime and unemployment and the prospects of the East ASEAN Growth Area, among others.

Col. Ray Powell

Ray Powell is the Founder and Director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University in California.

Ray served for 35 years in the U.S. Air Force, including posts in the Philippines, Japan, Germany, and Qatar, as well as combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He commanded the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard from 2009-11. He also served three tours in the Pentagon; as the U.S. Air Attaché to Vietnam (2013-16); and as the U.S. Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché to Australia (2017-20).

Ray co-authored the ADRi special study, “Game Changer: The Philippines’ Assertive Transparency Campaign Against China (How the Philippines Rewrote the Counter Gray Zone Playbook)”, which was released in January 2024.

Ray was a 2021 Fellow at Stanford’s Distinguished Careers Institute, and co-hosts the “Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific?” podcast.

James Mark Terry Ridon

James Mark Terry L. Ridon is a public interest lawyer focusing on infrastructure: power, transport, telecoms, cybersecurity, housing, water, natural resources, and environment. He is the Convenor of Infrawatch PH, a public policy think-tank covering major infrastructure and development projects in the Philippines.

He served as the Chairperson and CEO of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor under the Duterte Administration, and represented the Philippine government as the head of delegation to the Asia Pacific Conference on Housing and Urban Development in New Delhi.

He was Representative of the Kabataan Partylist in the 16th Congress, with membership in committees such as Ways and Means, Legislative Franchises, Energy, Natural Resources, Transportation, ICT, Official Development Assistance, Climate Change, among others.

He currently writes commentaries in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, while studying public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. He graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Law, and sat as a member of the UP Board of Regents and chaired the UP Student Council.

Edwin P. Santiago

Mr. Edwin P. Santiago is a full-time faculty member of the Department of Political Science and Development Studies at De La Salle University. He brings extensive experience in public service, having worked with several government agencies, including the Department of Budget and Management, the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corporation, and the Department of Finance.

In addition to his public sector experience, Mr. Santiago has held various administrative positions at De La Salle University. He served as Vice President for Administration, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Services, and University Registrar.

Mr. Santiago continues to provide his expertise as a consultant to schools, private companies, and government entities. He also conducts public lectures and is actively involved in preparing policy studies and recommendations. His primary fields of interest and expertise include development finance, development management, process improvement, and service operations management.

Maria Thaemar Tana, Ph.D

Maria Thaemar Tana holds a Ph.D. in Japanese Studies from the National University of Singapore and an M.A. in International Studies from De La Salle University Manila. She is currently a Japan Foundation-Global Japan Studies fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo.

Previously, she served as an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science, University of the Philippines-Diliman, and Co-Convenor of the Strategic Studies Program at the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS). Her research focuses on Philippine-Japan relations, Japanese foreign policy, and Philippine foreign policy, and she has authored numerous publications on these topics.