Keynote Speakers
Dr. Jo Mark Libre
Dr. Jo Mark Libre is President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's newest appointee to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as Commissioner, effective February 2022. He formerly served as the Vice President for Communications and External Affairs at the Jose Maria College Foundation, Inc. in Davao City. Dir. Libre’s areas of specialization encompass Political Science, International Politics, Global Governance, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Conflict Resolution, Political Methodologies, Public Administration, Public Policy Analysis, Public Administration, Public Administrative System, Political Parties, and Interest Groups, and Philippine Administrative System.
Dr. TIRSO A. RONQUILLO
Dr. Tirso A. Ronquillo is the University President of Batangas State University and President of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges. Armed with a Master’s degree in Electronics Engineering and Doctorate degree in Management, Dr. Ronquillo was appointed President of Batangas State University in July 2014, and was uninamously reappointed for a second term in 2018. As a university administrator, Dr. Ronquillo rose from the ranks, holding various administrative positions prior to his appointment as President: Dean of the College of Engineering, Architecture, Fine Arts; Executive Director of BatStateU Alangilan campus; Vice President for Academic Affairs; and Vice President for Research, Development and Extension.
Mr. Emmanuel M. de Guzman
Mr. Emmanuel M. de Guzman (Manny) was the Commissioner of the Philippine Climate Change Commission from Aug 2015 to Feb 2022 and concurrent Vice-Chairperson and Executive Director (department secretary). He led the Philippines' climate diplomacy and negotiations on the Paris Agreement at COP 21 in 2015 and the Philippines' presidency of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, 2015-2016. Mr. Manny M. de Guzman has been a policymaker on climate change adaptation and mitigation and disaster risk reduction and a public health specialist in the Philippines.
DR. ROWENA CRISTINA L. GUEVARA
Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevera is the Undersecretary for Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Dr. Guevara is seconded from the University of the Philippines Diliman where she is Professor XII at the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, specializing in speech and audio signal processing, time-frequency analysis and synthesis, and artificial intelligence. Prior to her appointment as Undersecretary, Dr. Guevara served as Executive Director of DOST-PCIEERD from July 2012 to 2015. She was the youngest and first female Dean of the UP College of Engineering and was Executive Director of the UP National Engineering Center from 2004 to 2010.
Dr. Napoleon K. Juanillo, Jr.
Dr. Napoleon K. Juanillo, Jr. is the Assistant Secretary for Competitiveness and Innovation of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-OACIG). He recently served as Director IV, Office of Planning, Research and Knowledge Management at the Commission on Higher Education.An entrepreneur, he is President/CEO of the AccessHealth Hospital, the AccessHealth Catheterization Laboratory and Heart Institute, and the Institutes of Wellness and Disease Prevention, Bicol AccessHealth Centrum; Founder, The NewFields STEM Schools, and Founder/CEO of The Institutes for Research, Innovation and Scholarship (The IRIS).
Dr. Melvin B. Carlos
Dr. Melvin Carlos has distinguished himself in the field of Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Technology Transfer. He is a Career Executive Service Officer with the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resource Research and Development (PCAARRD) where he has risen to his current position of Deputy Executive Director. His most cited researches are on Rapid Appraisals of Fisheries Management Systems, including Community-Based Coastal Resource Management (CBCRM) programs in the Philippines. Dr. Carlos is the President of the Philippine Association of Research Managers (PHILARM), the immediate past President of the Philippine Agricultural Economics and Development Association (PAEDA), and the former National Vice President of the Philippine Association of Agriculturists (PAA).
Dr. Caro B. Salces
Dr. Caro B. Salces is the Deputy Executive Director III for Finance and Administration of the Philippine Carabao Center from 2018 up to present. He is the former Center Director of the Philippine Carabao Center at Ubay Stock Farm (PCC@USF) in Bohol that supervises Bohol and Cebu operations. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Salces was the center director of PCC@USF since 1994 and one of the pioneers during PCRDC (a precursor of PCC) years. He became the “most outstanding center director of PCC” in 2016. Under his leadership, he helped turn the PCC@USF as the “Best Performing Center” in 2015 and “Outstanding Regional Center” in 2018. The center was issued ISO certification in 2012 and has thus served as a driving force towards the envisaged transformation of the Province of Bohol, as the “Dairy Capital of the Philippines”.
Dr. Allan L. Poquita
Dr. Allan L. Poquita (MS Environmental Science 2000; PhD Environmental Science 2011) is the Director for Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Region 7. He was awarded as 2020 Outstanding Alumnus of University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) for Government Service for championing the application of environmental science concepts in advancing major aquaculture and fisheries programs and projects of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Region 7. For over 35 years in the government service, he was able to wear many hats assigned in different divisions and locations to an extent as working outside his comfort zone.
Engr. Jesus F. Zamora Jr.
Engr. Jesus F. Zamora Jr. is the current Regional Director of the Department of Science and Technology Region 7 (DOST-7). Engr. Zamora obtained his Master’s degree on Environmental Studies at the University of the Philippines in Los Baňos Laguna, his expertise is on Solid Waste Management and Cleaner Production Assessment. He obtained his Agricultural Engineering degree from the Visayas State University (formerly the Visayas State College of Agriculture) and ranked 5th place during the Agricultural Engineering Board Examination given by the Board of Agricultural Engineers of the Professional Regulation Commission. For the past 30 years of serving the Department of Science and Technology, he has been part of so many important breakthroughs of the department.
Dr. ernesto J. guades
Dr. Ernesto “Nestor” J. Guades is a Professor in University of Guam- School of Engineering. He became the 1st Filipino recipient of the highly prestigious European Union’s Marie Sklodowska Curie post doctoral fellowship in Civil and Structural Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). The fellowship was under the H.C. Orsted Postdoc programme, co-funded by Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) to support experienced researchers regardless of nationality. The MSCA has also been known to house foreign researchers and create strategic partnerships with leading institutions worldwide.
ERNIE DONDON "DON" VACAL
Mr Don Vacal is behind the founding of a licensed Operator of Payment System, ALTPAYNET. Currently, ALTPAYNET has registered offices in the Philippines, Australia, United Kingdom, USA, Hong Kong, Malta and Malaysia . ALTPAYNET is a multi-SaaS payment solutions provider for banks, financial institutions, payment providers and merchants with clients and processing capabilities in all continents. ALTPAYNET has gained significant traction over multiple jurisdictions through regulatory compliances and authorizations as a principal member acquirer of Diners, Discover and Unionpay International and as payment facilitator to partners banks and eMoney Issuers of major markets. Previously, he was also the founder of a successful start-up providing managed services and consulting to payment providers around the world. The company is called, PAYRETO which later became a multi-million Euro company.