Human Development Directorate – ASEAN Secretariat

Educational Background

Educational background includes Bachelor of Science Major in Biology – Accelerated Class (1988), and Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (1992) from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines; and, Master in Development Management (2003) from the Asian Institute of Management in Makati, Philippines. All of these degrees were obtained through scholarships from the Philippine Government and International Organizations.
Continuing education and additional health-related studies were obtained from the East West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii (1998/2004); University of Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Germany (2006); Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (2007); and other public health organizations, and medical institutions in USA and Philippines. These studies focused on quality management in health; improvement of health care services; integrated reproductive and sexual health management; occupational safety and health; microscopic diagnostics of STIs; family planning and management; and, research, advocacy and communications.

Professional Career

As a medical doctor, his clinical work focused on provision of services as a family physician, and clinical management of patients with infectious diseases including HIV and AIDS, and sexually transmissible diseases. He became the medical director of the One-Stop Shop Reproductive Health Center with 5 branches in the Philippines through the support of non-government organizations and Development Partners. He has also had clinical and hospital work in various private sector medical clinics, and health care institutions. He subsequently proceeded to public health and development management after a series of volunteer medical and counseling work with community programmes supported by UNFPA, USAID, Packard and Lucille Foundation, and Gates Foundation. These are reflected in his professional competencies and experiences.

Professional Competencies and Experiences

The competencies include, amongst others: (1) Regional coordination and resource mobilization of health-related initiatives in Southeast Asia with various international partners through ASEAN; (2) Programme Management of regional health collaboration through the ASEAN Health Sector; (3) Operationalization of multi-year projects at the regional level focused on Communicable Diseases and Emerging Infectious Diseases including Pandemics, HIV/AIDS/STIs; Disaster Health Management; Antimicrobial Resistance; Maternal & Child Health Care; Non-communicable Diseases; Food Safety; Pharmaceutical Development; Health-Security Interface including Mitigation of Biological Threats; (4) Health Systems Development in Health Sector Reform;  (5) Health Policy and Regulation Development specific on Public Health / Reproductive Health / Adolescent Health; (6) Development Management & Research on public-private sector programs; (7) Family & Community Medicine Management in rural/urban/conflict settings; (8)  Public Health Program Development and  Management in community-based setting; (9) Localized Population and Development Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation; (10) Integrated Population and Resource Management in rural/peri-urban/coastal areas; (11) Training Development and Planning on Integrated &  Participatory Health Initiatives; and, (12) Monitoring & Evaluation of Rural/Urban Reproductive & Public Health Care.