Aricia De Kempeneer, M. Sc. is the Vice President of Programs and Operations at The Network: Towards Unity for Health (TUFH), where she oversees all organizational activities and initiatives. This includes managing the TUFH annual conferences, fellowships, TUFH academies, and Centers of Excellence, as well as overseeing communications, membership, and partnerships. She also serves as the liaison to the Student Network Organization, ensuring alignment between students and TUFH’s broader goals.

Aricia holds a Master’s in Health Education and Promotion from Ghent University and a Bachelor’s in Midwifery from Erasmus Hogeschool. In addition to her role at TUFH, she works as an independent midwife in Belgium, providing prenatal education, care, and postnatal support.

With extensive experience as a midwife in low-risk birthing units across Gambia, Finland, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, Aricia co-founded the Student Network Organization in 2015 and was its first president. She has attended TUFH annual conferences since 2012, reflecting her deep commitment to advancing global health education and collaboration.

Serving in the capacity of the Operations Manager at TUFH, Nikolaj Hansen-Turton also serves as Education Platform and Social Media Manager for the Social Innovations Journal. Originally from Philadelphia and now lives in London. Nikolaj holds an Undergraduate Degree in Politics and International Relations, and a Post Graduate in Digital Marketing – Queen Mary, University of London.

Simran Spal is a fourth-year medical student from India. She is an advocate for global health and a researcher at heart. She is active in organisations dedicated to achieving universal health coverage, undergraduate medical research, and public health. She has been a proud member of the Student Network Organization (SNO) for the past three years, serving as SNO regional activities assistant and SEA Regional representative. Birdwatching, speed cubing, poetry are some of her interests. She wants to be a resident physician in the United States.

Prof. Mia Rotor is Dean of the College of Allied Medical Professions at the University of Philippines Manila. She completed her MA in Education (Special Education) and PhD (Educational Research and Evaluation) at the College of Education, UP Diliman. Her teaching assignments include PT in pediatrics, Clinical reasoning in Rehabilitation Science, Program Development in Rehabilitation Science, and Leadership. Her research interests include: physical therapy education, clinical reasoning, and application of evidence-based practice in pediatric physical therapy. Current research projects include, exploring the development of clinical reasoning using telehealth, promoting an active lifestyle for children with disabilities, and developing culturally appropriate instruments for pediatrics.

Yves Palad is an associate professor and currently the College Secretary of the College of Allied Medical Professions, University of the Philippines Manila. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the same university and has a master’s degree in public health. She obtained her Doctor of Education degree from the University of Liverpool in 2022. She has peer-reviewed publications in the areas of instrument adaptation, disability attitudes, knee thrust in adults, physical activity, and evidence-based practice (EBP) education. Her areas of interest are pediatrics, physical therapy education, and health promotion. She is currently involved in projects exploring perspectives on physical activity of youth with disabilities, health optimization in the workplace, and the co-development of educational resources on back pain.

Dindo P. Cafe is Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines Manila College of Arts and Sciences and Chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences. He specializes in the areas of religion, deviance, development, and health in sociology. His research interests include indigenous peoples, folk religion, social construction in media and local communities, and sustainable development.

Jay T. Dalet is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila. He has a Masters and a PhD in Biochemistry from the same university and a Certificate in Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation from the Sherlock Institute of Forensic Science in India.

Dr. Arlene Alfaro is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Community Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of the Philippines Manila. She currently serves as the College Secretary and previously held the position of Chair of the Department of Community Dentistry. She holds a Master’s degree in Medical Anthropology from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. Dr. Alfaro specializes in dental public health and medical anthropology, with both local and international training in these fields.

Dr. Lia M. Palileo-Villanueva is a Professor at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM), where she heads its Community Oriented Medical Education Unit. She is a general internist and clinical epidemiologist. Her research interests include non-communicable diseases, medical education, health operations and health systems. She is heavily involved in work related to evidence-based medicine, clinical practice guideline development, and health technology assessment.

Dr. Leilani Apostol-Nicodemus is a Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM) and Director at the Center for Gender and Women Studies in the same university. She is active in university-wide initiatives, including facilitating gender sensitivity training and leading institutional collaboration research and publication on Gender and Development (GAD) in the health sciences.

Leilani is a FAIMER Institute alumna and has been involved in the development of innovative educational and certification programs for primary care and family physicians in the country.

Dr. Gene Alzona Nisperos is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM Class of 1993) through its seven-year Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine (INTARMED) program. He specialized in Community Medicine and worked with farmers, indigenous peoples, and marginalized communities in Mindanao for 11 years. He later took additional studies in Global Health at the University of Tampere in Finland and worked at the National Telehealth Center of the UP Manila National Institutes of Health.

Currently, Dr. Nisperos is an Associate Professor with the UPCM Department of Family and Community Medicine and is the vice-chief of the UPCM Community-Oriented Medical Education Unit. He is also a board member of the Community Medicine Development Foundation, Inc. (COMMED) and an officer of the All UP Academic Employees Union, UP Manila Chapter.

Jenniffer Torralba Paguio, BSN, RN, MA, PhD is an Associate Professor at the University of the Philippines Manila – College of Nursing and a core member of its WHO Collaborating Center for Leadership in Nursing Development. As a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, she contributes to advancing health equity and nursing leadership.

She teaches across the College’s undergraduate and graduate nursing programs and conducts research on patient safety, nursing workforce sustainability, healthcare simulation, eHealth, and nursing education. She also contributes to national policy development on patient safety and nursing practice. As Head of the College’s Public Service and Professional Development Office, she leads initiatives that strengthen academic–practice partnerships and health system capacity. She has co-organized several national and international conferences and remains actively engaged in promoting equitable, high-quality healthcare through education, research, and service.

Dr. Mac Ardy J. Gloria is an Associate Professor and Dean of the UP College of Pharmacy, University of the Philippines Manila (UPM). Dr. Gloria earned his PhD in Health Technology Assessment from Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand, a Graduate Diploma in Epidemiology (Clinical Epidemiology) from UPM College of Medicine, a Master of Public Health from UPM College of Public Health, and a BS in Industrial Pharmacy from UPM College of Pharmacy. His research and extension services span diverse fields including pharmacy practice and health technology assessment. Dr. Gloria has published widely in respected peer-reviewed journals and shared his work through numerous presentations at both national and international conferences, contributing significantly to his field.

Fernando B. Garcia Jr. is a Professor of Health Policy and Administration; Dean of the College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila; and Centre Director of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization – Tropical Medicine and Public Health Philippines (SEAMEO TROPMED Philippines) Regional Centre for Public Health, Hospital Administration, Environmental and Occupational Health. He is also the Director of the Asian Health Literacy Association (AHLA) Country Office in the Philippines; and Vice President Asian Health Literacy Association (AHLA) for 2025-2026.

With his diverse background, which combines academic degrees, professional training, and experiences, his research interests include General and Health Economics; Economic Evaluations, Health Systems Strengthening; Public Health; Health Equity; Health Policy; and Public Management.

Dr. Vivien Fadrilan-Camacho is Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila. She is also the Director of the Office of International Linkages in the same university. Dr. Fadrilan-Camacho specializes in occupational health, public health, and family and community medicine. Her research interests include non-communicable diseases in the workplace, ergonomics, and occupational health and safety.

​​Dr. Maria Margarita M. Lota is an Associate Professor and former Chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of the Philippines Manila College of Public Health and a Fellow of the Philippine Pediatric Society. She finished her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of the Philippines, Doctor of Medicine at the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medical Center and Masters in Health Professions Education at the University of the Philippines Manila. Her teaching and research focus on infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, tuberculosis, and pediatric microbial infections. She has led and collaborated on significant national and international projects, including antimicrobial resistance, tuberculosis, vaccine uptake, and immunization communication strategies.

Paulyn Jean A. Claro is an Associate Professor at the Department of Health Policy and Administration and the Assistant to the Dean for Planning and Development, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila. She is also a Visiting Researcher at Tampere University in Finland where she obtained her PhD in Health Sciences. Her research interests include adolescent and women’s health, social determinants of health, psychosocial resources or reserve capacity, social epidemiology, and advanced quantitative methods.

Associate Prof. Grageda is a registered Physical Therapist with more than twelve years of clinical practice, eight of which were spent serving as Chief Physical Therapist at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH). She has since focused on teaching in the graduate programs of Health Professions Education at the National Teacher Training Center for the Health Professions (NTTC-HP) in UP Manila. She finished the same program in 2002 and is currently serving as the Dean of NTTC-HP.

With a PhD in Educational Research and Evaluation from UP Diliman, she has also served as an Affiliate Faculty in the same program for both graduate and undergraduate students. She has served as resource speaker and facilitator in various training activities and workshops in Physical Therapy and Health Professions Education. She has also been involved in developing curriculum and designing training programs for health professionals in various fields of specialization, being a member of the Commission on Higher Education Technical Committee for Physical Therapy Education from 2014-2024.

Dr. Grageda is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Physical Therapy Association and was a pioneer member and former head of its Educators’ Special Interest Group.

Charlie Labarda, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Medicine and Dean of the School of Health
Sciences at the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM-SHS). He trained at the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Philippine General Hospital. He finished his PhD in the Department of Psychology at The University of Hong Kong, his Master in Development Management from the Asian Institute of Management, Doctor of Medicine at the Our Lady of Fatima University-College of Medicine, and his undergraduate Social Sciences studies at UP Tacloban College.

He is also part of the UPM-SHS core faculty for the Leadership and Development Program (LDP), capacitating local chief executives in strengthening health systems to achieve the goals of universal health care and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the Philippine government. He serves as civil society partner of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in its 4Ps Program as Vice-Chairperson for the National Independent Monitoring Committee (NIMC). He also works in various Department of Health and World Health Organization projects in line with his advocacies around medical education, health equity, disaster public health, resilient and healthy communities, and mental health, especially in
low-resource settings.

Dr. Angelita C. Jaya is the Assistant to the Dean for Academic Affairs and faculty member of the Doctor of Medicine (MD) department, School of Health Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila. She is actively involved in the academe and in clinical practice as a family physician and a palliative-hospice care specialist.

Dr. Jaya is a registered nurse in the Philippines and a licensed physician in the same country and in Kenya and Botswana. She holds the titles of Diplomate and Fellow of the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians, and is also a Fellow of both the Philippine Society of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Academic Fellowship Program in Medical Education.

Dr. Meredith del Pilar-Labarda leads the Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) Secretariat. She is a health social scientist, medical doctor, and professor at the University of the Philippines Manila School of Health Science (UPM-SHS), an innovative school known for its community-oriented stepladder health professions education curriculum.

Meredith is also a doctor of social development and UPM-SHS’s lead coordinator for health leadership and governance programs, in partnership with government and non-government organisations, providing capacity building, training, and coaching for local chief executives, municipal health officers, and other important stakeholders in the local health system and community.

Her advocacies, work engagements, and research interests include health and social development, social innovations, transformative health leadership and governance, community partnerships and empowerment, local health systems strengthening, disaster and resilience, youth capacity building, and transformative health professions education.

Art is the Director and Research Assistant Professor of the National Telehealth Center at the National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila. He is also a registered nurse and a health informatics specialist at the National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila with over 10 years of experience in managing and implementing digital health solutions in different practice settings. In 2019, he co-founded and is concurrently serving as the chief executive officer of a start-up company to sustain and scale-up a digital health innovation generated by the university.

Jose is the Co-Lead for Research of the SIHI Philippines Hub. He also served the SIHI Secretariat as the Network Coordinator from 2020-2022. He holds a medical degree from the University of the Philippines and a master’s degree in public health from Soonchunhyang University.

Dr. Anthony Geronimo H. Cordero is a graduate of the UP College of Medicine. He is the director of the UP Manila Community Health and Development Program and chair of the UP College of Medicine Return Service Obligation Program. He serves as faculty adviser for community partnership programs with several student organizations in UP Manila. He was the 2013 UP Manila Gawad Chancellor Awardee for Outstanding Faculty in Extension Service and the 2015 Gawad Chancellor Awardee for Outstanding Faculty in Teaching. He is engaged in numerous extension and volunteer service work in the field of community health and development and gender and development. He is an active volunteer of the UP Manila Pahinungod, a 2015 DOH Bayani ng Kalusugan Awardee.

Dr. Louricha Opina-Tan is Associate Professor at the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila.

Dr. Medina is a Community Medicine, Public Health and Primary Health Care Practitioner-Educator with more than five years’ experience in local health systems development and community health management as the Municipal Health Officer of the island municipality of Quezon, Quezon from 2009 to 2014. Since 2015, he has taught his chosen discipline of Community Medicine at his alma mater, the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM), as an Assistant Professor and has been the course coordinator of the UPCM-PGH Internship in Community Medicine since AY 2017-2018 up to the present.

Dr. Medina is also one of the founding partners and founding Vice President of the Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes, Inc. (AIHO), an NGO seeking to “enable people to make health systems work for people” and served as one of its board of trustees from 2014 to 2022. He is also a founding board member of the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians (PSPHP), serving from 2018-2021. Presently, he is the National Vice President and a founding board member of the revitalized Philippine Academic Society of Social and Community Medicine (PASCOM), Inc. which was formally established as a SEC registered entity last July 2022.

January Kanindot works at the Information, Publication, and Public Affairs Office (IPPAO) of the University of the Philippines Manila. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Ateneo de Zamboanga University and pursued a Master of Management (Business Management) at UP Manila.

Alec Xavier Miranda is the Chairperson of the 44th University Student Council of the University of the Philippines Manila. A committed student leader, he advocates for free, quality, and accessible education and healthcare for all. Alec graduated cum laude with a degree in BS Nursing and is an incoming Learning Unit V medical student at the UP College of Medicine.