LaVerne David C. de la Peña
Verne is the Director of the UP Center for Ethnomusicology and former Dean of the University of the Philippines College of Music He received his PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa as a degree fellow of the East–West Center. He has conducted extensive field work in Northern Philippines, and in the southern part of Luzon . He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in composition, and occasionally presents new works for various media. He is also currently the Vice Chair for the UNESCO National Memory of the World Committee.

Marian Roces
Marian Pastor Roces is an independent curator, critic of institutions, and policy analyst whose abiding research and activism interests are: the continuous reproduction of violence through cultural infrastructure in place today in specific parts of the world; and the persistence of medievalisms and modernisms during times that need to be posthuman. In 1992, she founded TAOINC, a Philippine corporation curating the establishment of museums, responsible for the creation of 2 museums at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1 at the University of the Philippines Manila, the Bangsamoro Museum, and the Information Center on the Marawi Siege. She curatored 4 Philippine Pavilions for the Aichi, Zaragoza, Shanghai, and Dubai World Expos, 2 of which were awarded the Grand Prix for Best Design. Roces' work in criticism and cultural theory is published internationally. Among others, the publishers are The MIT Press (Massachusetts), Harry Abrams, Inc. (New York City), Actes Sud (Paris), Tokyo (Japan Foundation), Fine Arts Press Ltd. (Sydney), Jameel Arts Center (Dubai), Singapore (Singapore Art Museum), Bergen Kunsthalle (Bergen), etc. Her next book is on the ilaga killings of the late 1960's and early 1970's in Central Mindanao. Her on-going curatorial project is the creation of the museum complex of Isabela de Basilan City. 

Romina P. Beltran-Almazan
Fondly known as Teacher Phoebe, is a faculty member, the GAD Committee chair, and a cluster coordinator at the College of Education, University of the Philippines, Diliman. She has earned a bachelor's degree, a Certification Program in Education, and a master’s degree in Curriculum Studies from the same institution, and she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies from the same institution. As a licensed interior designer and professional educator, she has extensive experience as an art teacher and has served as a principal at a progressive international school. As an accomplished artist-educator, Romina has authored textbooks, conducted research in art education, and showcased her artwork in international exhibitions. She is the founding president of the Art Ventures and Advocacy Network (ARTVAN) and a founding officer of the Philippine Pastel Artists Inc. Her significant contributions to art education have been recognized with several awards from the Philippine Art Education Association (PAEA). Furthermore, she spearheads The Artbox Project, which facilitates the donation of art materials to rural schools.
She is actively affiliated with multiple art groups and has provided consulting services to diverse institutions, including DepEd, UNICEF, UP Pahinungod, the National Academy of Sports, and the Philippine Tax Academy, focusing on curriculum and instructional design, module development, and teacher training.

Fernando Cruz Josef (a.k.a. Nanding Josef)
Nanding Josef is a highly respected actor, playwright, director, and cultural advocate whose work has significantly shaped the Philippine arts and cultural landscape. Beginning his career as an instructor in Zoology at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Josef transitioned to cultural advocacy and the performing arts, dedicating himself to education and artistic development. His pivotal roles include serving with PETA as an actor, director, and teacher, leading the Coordinating Center for Dramatic Arts at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and chairing the National Committee for Dramatic Arts at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. He also served as Executive Director of the Philippine High School for the Arts and has been the long-time leader of Dalubhasaan para sa Edukasyon, Sining at Kultura (DESK), an organization committed to arts education and cultural empowerment. As Vice-President and Artistic Director of the CCP and now as Artistic Director of Tanghalang Pilipino, he has developed transformative theater productions and nurtured generations of artists. In addition to his leadership, Nanding remains a dedicated actor in theater, television, and film, earning numerous accolades, including Best Actor at the Gawad Urian and Best Supporting Actor at Cinemalaya. With decades of creative and administrative contributions, his work exemplifies a lifelong commitment to the growth of Philippine arts and culture.

Leah Abayao
Leah Abayao is a Professor of History and the Director of the Cordillera Studies Center at UP Baguio. She teaches in the PhD Indigenous Studies Program and the MA History Program, focusing on Indigenous knowledge, community heritage, and Cordillera studies. She has held research fellowships at institutions such as The Frick Collection in New York, the Linden Museum in Stuttgart, the University of Michigan, and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. She has received multiple awards, including the One UP Professorial Chair Award for Teaching and Public Service and the Gawad Chancellor Award for Best Junior Faculty. Her recent publications explore customary forest management, Indigenous knowledge in disaster risk reduction and management, and Indigenous Peoples’ education. She traces her ancestry to Mayoyao, Ifugao, and has been active in international cultural networks, including the International Network for Cultural Diversity (INCD), which contributed to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Lisa Ito-Tapang
Lisa Ito is the curator of the UP Fine Arts Gallery (Parola), the exhibition site and creative compound of UP Diliman’s College of Fine Arts (CFA). She is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Theory, where she has been teaching art history, theory, and criticism since 2012. She currently chairs the CFA’s Gender and Development Committee and is a member of the UP President’s Committee for Culture and the Arts. She is the Vice-Chairperson of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) and is a member of the Young Critics Circle Film Desk. Prior to the academe, she worked with non-government organizations on labor and environmental advocacy and education. She received her B Fine Arts and Master of Arts in Art Studies (Art History) from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Her work centers amplifying and making visible marginalized, interdisciplinary, and socially-engaged art practices and practitioners.