Dr. Felipe Mendoza de Leon, Jr.
Board Chair
Dr. Felipe Mendoza de Leon, Jr is a renowned scholar and proponent of a holistic worldview that integrates spiritual principles with psycho-physical health and social well-being. His scholarship advanced the principles of culturally-rooted governance or management for sustainable development. He was a Professor of Art Studies at the University of the Philippines where he also served as Chairman of its Department of Humanities. At UP Diliman he taught humanities, aesthetics, music theory, and Philippine Art and Culture. He was a past president of the National Association for Philippine Psychology.
Dr Felipe Mendoza de Leon, Jr. served as Commissioner at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and was eventually elected as NCCA Chair. A musician and composer, Dr Felipe Mendoza de Leon Jr. as NCCA Commissioner chaired its National Committee for Music. He became Head of the Sub-Commission for Cultural Communities and Sub-Commission of the Arts for several terms and was mainly responsible for setting up the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasures Award). He is also a former Commissioner at UNESCO Philippines where he served as Chairman of its Committee on Culture. His works are mainly on cultural issues which include cultural creativity and diversity, worldviews and values, and culture and development. He was the main author of the ASEAN Declaration for Cultural Heritage. Dr Felipe Mendoza de Leon, Jr. is currently the President of the Asian Social Institute.
Philip Emmanuel Penaflor
Board Chair
Philip Emmanuel Penaflor is an international humanitarian and development professional. He has worked with various organizations in several countries as monitoring and evaluation specialist including South Sudan, Timor Leste, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Iraq and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines. He develops Monitoring and Evaluation frameworks, conducts capacity building on results-based M&E and conducts project evaluation activities. His M&E work encompasses several sectors such as environment, agriculture and natural resources management, food security, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), nutrition, disaster risk reduction, livelihoods, basic education, child rights, and recently on urban resettlement. He obtained his PhD in Applied Cosmic Anthropology from the Asian Social Institute where he also obtained his Master’s Degree in Sociology. He is currently teaching the course “Accompanying People’s Movements for Social Transformation” for PhD students in Applied Cosmic Anthropology at the Asian Social Institute. He also obtained a master’s course in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines and is a commissioned Lieutenant Colonel at the Army Reserve Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
IMELDA E. PEREZ
Board Secretary-Treasurer
Imelda ‘Emy’ Perez prides herself as Manggagawang Panlipunan or Social Worker. She has extensive experience in development work in various fields , including environment and climate resiliency, social protection of communities in the extractive industries, and brief stint in the academe.
Emy’s work had been in the CSO/NGO sector, and believes that collaboration and engagement with government, business and other stakeholders is key and core in promoting people’s and community welfare. She currently is engaged with a regional NGO based in the Philippines advancing Social Accountability. As Community Development and Training Adviser, and using Social Accountability as an approach and framework, she provides technical assistance, through training and facilitation in participatory development planning, citizen-led monitoring and advocacy for mainstreaming development outcomes in policy and practice. Emy also does consulting work, doing training and facilitation, monitoring, evaluation and documentation (development of knowledge and learning products).
Jennifer Gutierrez (Baltazar)
Executive Director
Jenny has been volunteering and lecturing about environment conservation, climate change, water chemistry, and pollution for more than a decade. She has organized numerous community projects with some NGOs. Her successful and well-attended previous national tree-planting projects paved the way for recognition by the DENR in 2017.
She is the Humanist Innovator awardee for the year 2015 of the Foundation Beyond Belief Organization, an umbrella organization of secular groups existing worldwide that is based in the USA, for her environment and humanism advocacies.
A climate reality leader trained in Canada under the Climate Reality Corps of former US VP Al Gore. Her day job as a science division manager of a private company for the past 20 years, gave her extensive experience in water and analytical sciences.
She finished her Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and Ecosystems management at De La Salle University - Manila and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.
ZENO " NONOY" ZUNIGA
Board Member
Nonoy Zuniga is an Original Pilipino Music Icon that is still active in the Philippine music scene. He is a Person with Disabilities Advocate, also having served as the Executive Director of the National Council on Disability Affairs from 1989 to 1995.
A humanitarian, he has been with Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko from 1988 to 2000. His environmental advocacies involved helping in promoting local products and crafts from various small-scale producers.
Jahziel Tayco Ferrer
Board Member
Jahziel Tayco Ferrer is a licensed teacher and educator who worked with different organizations, spearheaded educational projects, and volunteered in tree planting campaigns.
She graduated with a degree in Mass Communication from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and taught in different schools which include the Lyceum of the Philippines University-Cavite and De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, where she obtained her certificates in Professional Education and Early Childhood Education. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in Educational Management at the same university.
James Mangun
Board Member
With a passion in grassroots projects and environmental causes, James brings his wealth of knowledge in starting grassroots-led projects as well as his love for trees and local fauna into the organization.
James Mangun has over a decade in experience in advocacy work in various causes and organizations. Among the projects he’s initiated include Operation Freedomland which provided relief goods and supplies to Philippine troops and residents in Pag Asa Island, planting 100 trees in the Sierra Madre Range among others.
ONI C. DELA CRUZ
Creative Director
Oni has always been passionate about creativity and ideation. He studied Computer Systems Analysis and Design and continues his passion as he obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Multimedia Arts from iAcademy in 2023 when he graduated magna cum laude. Oni also took a 5-session class from the Federation of the Philippine Photographers Foundation. While pursuing his passion, he professionally works at the Supreme Court of the Philippines as an Executive Assistant. Amid full-time employment, he still practices his multimedia expertise with Finders Ads Newspaper and The Wedding Digest Magazine.
Oni is also committed to the greater good; his organization advocates the sovereignty of the West Philippine Sea. He creates creative decks and interactive e-books showing the Philippine stand on the issue. He also serves as a photographer during his organization's lectures and events across the country and the globe. Oni's objective is to utilize his skill and art for the best interest of his country.