Maurice Jitty M. Villaester
Assistant Professor

Maurice Jitty M. Villaester, MDC, LPT is an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of the Philippines Cebu, College of Communication, Art, and Design (CCAD). He holds a Master of Development Communication degree from the UP Open University and is currently pursuing a PhD by Research in Data Analytics and Informatics at UP Los Baños.

His research interests include digital communication, health communication, media and information literacy, political communication, and the intersection of data science and communication. He has been involved in research, training, and community engagement initiatives focusing on digital literacy, misinformation, and inclusive communication. His doctoral research focuses on developing a data-use framework for health reporting in the Philippines, examining how journalists use, interpret, and communicate public health data, with particular attention to accuracy, transparency, source diversity, data visualization, and stigma-sensitive reporting.

He currently serves as the Chairperson of the CCAD Public Service and Extension Committee.