Arvin C. Diesmos is Senior Director at the ASEAN Centre For Biodiversity. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Science in Wildlife Studies from the University of the Philippines Los Baños and a Ph.D. in Biology from the National University of Singapore. He is an Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines.

His research focuses on the ecology, systematic biology, biogeography, and conservation of amphibians and reptiles of the Philippines and the biodiversity of Southeast Asia. He has co-authored over 180 scientific papers and is the co-discoverer of around 80 species of frogs, lizards, snakes, insect arthropods, and a bird species. He is a recipient of the 2008 Outstanding Young Scientist Award from NAST and the 2015 Achievement Award in Biological Sciences from the National Research Council of the Philippines.

Neil Aldrin D. Mallari is a Filipino ecologist and biodiversity conservation scientist recognized for his extensive work on island biodiversity, and conservation planning in the Philippines. He earned his PhD in Ecology, Conservation, and Management from Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. Currently, he serves as the President and Chief Scientist of the Center for Conservation Innovations Philippines and as an Associate Professorial Lecturer at De La Salle University. Dr. Mallari’s research focuses on the effectiveness of protected areas, habitat ecology, and the conservation of threatened wildlife species, bridging scientific research with practical strategies for biodiversity management and policy in the Philippines.

Camila Meneses is a doctoral student at the University of Kansas, under the supervision of Dr. Rafe Brown, where she studies the evolutionary diversification of Philippine forest frogs. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biology from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, where she gained extensive experience in field research. Following her undergraduate studies, she spent a year as an instructor at Cavite State University–Silang Campus, and later served as an extension associate at the UPLB Museum of Natural History. Her current research integrates genomic, ecological, acoustic, and morphological data to investigate species boundaries, biogeographic patterns, and diversification processes in the Philippine archipelago. She has conducted extensive fieldwork documenting amphibian and reptile diversity, with a particular focus on Sibuyan Island, where she worked with the late James Alvarez and continues to collaborate with Dr. Nina Ingle on conservation initiatives in the island. Her work aims to advance understanding of evolution, ecology, and endemism in the Philippines.

Justin Bernstein as a postdoctoral fellow at the American Museum of Natural History, where he is studying the evolutionary history and diversification of reptiles and mammals around the world. With a strong focus in Southeast Asia, most of Justin’s work has centered on studying systematics and biogeography of snakes to understand what factors have given rise to today’s biodiversity patterns and species distributions. For his research, Justin has led and been involved in field expeditions to study reptiles and amphibians (mostly snakes) in the Philippines since 2019. In collaboration with faculty and students from numerous institutions in the Philippines, he has used a combination of field data and molecular data to better understand the diversity of Philippine snakes and their evolutionary histories, leading to six publications that include species from the Philippines. Justin’s work in the Philippines continues through collaborative research, and workshops and seminars, to enhance our knowledge of the country’s fauna, Southeast Asia’s biodiversity, and the conservation of species.

Andrie Bon A. Flores is a PhD Candidate in Biodiversity at Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) in Taipei, Taiwan, and an adjunct herpetologist with the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (PhilBio). His research mainly focuses on the breeding ecology, bioacoustics, ethnoherpetology, and conservation of Philippine amphibians and reptiles, revealing the hidden complexities of herpetofauna. He has published studies on herpetofauna diversity, ecology, and natural history, and has presented his work at international conferences. Recognized for his contributions, he was named NTNU’s Most Outstanding Biodiversity Student and has received several travel grants supporting his research and collaborations. His current presentation, “From Moon Dragons to Croaking Cuisine,” explores how folklore, traditional knowledge, and conservation intersect in the ethnozoology of Philippine herpetofauna. Andrie believes science is a lifelong pursuit of curiosity and persistence, where even small discoveries can create lasting impacts in biodiversity research and conservation.

Sabine Schoppe is a German biologist who started working in the Philippines in 1995. She first worked on community-based marine resource management in Leyte, followed by a 6-year guest-professorship at the Western Philippines University in Puerto Princesa City. She is a founding member of the Palawan-based NGO Katala Foundation Inc. (KFI) and since 2007 the Director of the Palawan Freshwater Turtle Conservation Program and the Palawan Pangolin Conservation Program. She is a member of the IUCN specialist group and since 2000 working with the Palawan Forest Turtle Siebenrockiella leytensis. She dedicated her life to the conservation of this and other highly threatened wildlife species of Palawan.

I am a wildlife biologist with over a decade of experience in Philippine biodiversity conservation. I earned my undergraduate degree in Biology, majoring in Ecology, from the University of Southern Mindanao, where I developed a strong foundation in ecological research and field biology. I am a master’s degree candidate in Wildlife Studies at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, specializing in Herpetology. My work focuses on amphibian and reptile ecology, habitat, and species conservation in different types of ecosystems. At present, I serve as a Program Officer and one of the Wildlife Biologists of the Philippine Eagle Foundation, where I contribute to raptor monitoring, biodiversity surveys, and community-based conservation programs across Philippine Eagle territories. I am passionate about integrating herpetological research with landscape-level conservation to strengthen habitat protection for the Philippine Eagle and other threatened wildlife.

Vhon Oliver Garcia is an alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas College of Science and of the UST Graduate School. He completed his Master of Science degree in 2013 with his work on the Lake Taal sea snake. After completing a second Master’s degree in Canada in 2016, he pursued doctoral research on sea snake evolution and population genomics at the University of Queensland Australia and was conferred his PhD in 2023. Vhon is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide where he collaborates with government and industry partners to establish a population monitoring program for Critically-Endangered sea snakes found in commercial fishing grounds in Western Australia. When he is not at sea catching snakes, Vhon likes to spend time in nature, preferably hiking or camping in the mountains, taking a break from being sea sick.

Gerrie Mae A. Flores, is a wildlife biologist deeply interested in biodiversity conservation, education, and advocacy. She was the former conservation education officer of Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc., (PhilBio), she has worked closely with DENR, LGUs, and academic institutions on field surveys, species monitoring, and conservation planning. She has conducted herpetological studies in Negros, Siquijor, Antique, Dinagat, Mindoro, Tablas, Busuanga, and SOCCSKSARGEN region. She is now a faculty member at Davao del Norte State College (DNSC), where she continues to advocate biodiversity conservation, community engagement, and capacity-building toward sustainable resource management.