Victorino Aquitania

Regional Director

Vic serves as the Regional Director of ICLEI Southeast Asia. He brings more than three decades of professional experience working with local governments in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand on various urban development issues. He manages a team of experts and consultants within the Southeast Asia region--dealing with urban development issues focusing on environmental sustainability.  Vic works directly with external support agencies and national governments to develop and deploy ICLEI's Pathways and advocacy in the region.  During his career as a civil servant and as Regional Director, he has been involved in more than 30 international projects. Prior to joining ICLEI, he has worked with the City Government of Baguio as Project Development Officer and Development Management Officer in the local planning department, particularly working on urban planning focusing on environmental and socio-economic sustainability.

Areas of Expertise: Sustainable Development, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Institutional and Policy Development, International Cooperation, Project Development, Urban Planning and Law

Education: M.A. Public Administration; Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science in Forestry

Mary Jane Alvarez

Regional Program Manager

Jane's demonstrated expertise is gathered from working in the development sector for more than a decade with particular focus in the area of sustainability, climate change, environment, and natural resources. In ICLEI SEAS, she assists the Regional Director in developing, strategizing, and overseeing the implementation of programs and projects under the different portfolio across Southeast Asia. She provides technical advice and strategic guidance in the design and delivery of project activities. She manages program and project teams to ensure efficiency and initiate collaboration among the team and external partners.

Prior to joining ICLEI, she served as OIC-Supervising Economic Development Specialist of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). She had extensive training and involvement on the conduct of national and sectoral development planning, policy review, and investment programming to achieve the country’s development objectives particularly on climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable development, and the environment sector.

Areas of expertise: national and sectoral development planning, policy review, investment programming, climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable development

Education:

  • Master of Science in Sustainability, United Nations University (UNU) and University of Tokyo (UTokyo)
  • Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology, major in Human Settlements Planning, University of the Philippines Los Baños (cum laude)

Zenaida Ranario-Tagolino

Operations Manager

Zeny joined ICLEI in 2005 as the Administrative and Finance officer. Prior to working with ICLEI, she was an Administrative Assistant in a real estate company and a Reservation Officer in a travel agency for two and a half years. She has been trained in different areas including logistics preparation, financial reporting to funders for various projects, and administrative support in the organization’s operations.

Areas of Expertise: Administration and finance

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Holy Name University, Tagbilaran City, Philippines (formerly Divine Word College-Tagbilaran)

Alfredo Bernarte

Senior Officer – Project Administration and Acquisition
 
Al has been working in the development field for more than 15 years focusing on social and sustainable development of the fisheries and urban poor sectors; his work with the latter providing him the opportunity to oversee engagements in urban disaster risk reduction and management and urban resilience. He handles acquisitions and contract management at ICLEI, providing operational support to various projects such as the Ambitious City Promises.
 
Before ICLEI, Al worked for SIKAT, a local non-government organization doing community-based natural resources management (CBNRM) in several coastal municipalities in the Philippines. He also managed several urban development and infrastructure projects funded by the  Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Areas of Expertise: project management, project monitoring, and evaluation (M&E), administration, community engagement, participatory capacity, and vulnerability assessment 

Education:

  • Master of Public Management, University of the Philippines
  • Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman

Pamela Cabacungan

Senior Project Officer – Mitigation

Pam handles the conceptualization and implementation of climate change mitigation projects. She also supports local governments in the region in utilizing the CDP-ICLEI Unified Reporting Platform,  a reporting tool for local climate actions being managed by ICLEI and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). She handles the capacity building training for cities and municipalities, particularly those which are focused on climate change science and the Global Protocol for Community-Scale GHG Emissions Inventory (GPC). As such, she also provides technical assistance in conducting city-level GHG inventory for numerous Philippine cities. She is the cCR focal for Southeast Asia; responsible for the management, coordination, training, and technical support concerning the platform. 

Areas of Expertise: climate change mitigation, GHG inventory, project management, climate advocacy

Education:

  • Masters in Environmental Planning (ongoing), Miriam College, Philippines
  • BS Environmental Planning and Management major in Corporate Environmental Management, Miriam College, Philippines

Ricardo Marfiga, Jr.

Senior Project Officer – Membership, Governance, Partnerships, and Special Projects

Ric oversees ICLEI SEAS’ membership and governance operation, recruitment, and services to local governments in the region. He also handles partnerships with various organizations including the implementation of projects in climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and the sustainable development agenda. He also serves as the coordinator for local and international activities. Prior to his work in ICLEI, Ric is part of the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD) of the Quezon City Government as an Industrial Inspector which ensures the business sector's compliance to environmental laws of the City. He also served as a Planning and Research Assistant- evaluating project proposals from different institutions to be implemented in the City. 

Areas of Expertise: Climate change mitigation and adaptation, DRRM, GHG

Education:  

  • BS Electronics and Communications Engineering, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines

Anna Dominique Ortiz

Project Officer – Energy and the Built Environment

Nikki is a Human Ecologist with experience in managing and promoting sustainable development initiatives. In ICLEI, she oversees projects related to energy and green building including the Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA) and Clean Energy Living Laboratories (CELLs). She is involved in building the capacities of local government partners in energy audit and efficiency. She also conceptualizes activities and projects on energy-related themes for the organization.
 
Prior to joining ICLEI, she managed grants and special funds for USAID-funded projects pertaining to advancing low emission development in the Philippines. She also worked for the Department of Science and Technology where she handled and harmonized international cooperation initiatives with donor agencies.
 
Areas of expertise: project management, renewable energy, energy efficiency, policy and program analysis, capacity building, community development
 
Education:
  • Master of Science in International Cooperation Policy, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan
  • Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños

Jose Bernardo Gochoco III, EnP

Project Officer – Adaptation

BJ has been working with local governments in the areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation and disaster risk reduction and management through various development assistance projects funded by international organizations. Most notable is his work in Guiuan, Eastern Samar where he assisted in the formulation of their recovery and rehabilitation plan and ecological profile after Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the municipality.

In ICLEI, BJ oversees the implementation and monitoring of various climate change adaptation and mitigation projects of the organization. He performs the technical aspects of providing capacity building activities to local governments units. He is also a licensed Environmental Planner. 

Areas of Expertise: Urban planning, climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, disaster risk reduction and management, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), area profiling, Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Vulnerability & Risk Assessments

Education:

  • Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Philippines Diliman
  • Bachelor of Science in Economics, University of the Philippines Diliman

Kristianne Jemi Santos

Project Officer

Jemi supports in project coordination and implementation of climate change mitigation projects to the project team. As such, she supports logistical and information management with various city departments as well as in providing technical assistance in conducting city-level GHG inventory in the collection of relevant activity data and support in the completion of GHG emissions inventory report in partner cities. She also supported in a research and served as a research associate. She serves as Project Officer in the implementation of Ambitious City Promises in the Philippines including coordination work with cities, national ministries and other relevant stakeholders and assists in the conduct of C40 Cities Climate Action Planning Programme activities in the Philippines.
Education:
  • Masters in Environmental Planning, Miriam College
  • BS Environmental Planning and Management Major in Urban Planning and Green
    Architecture, Miriam College

Katrina Toliongco

Project Assistant

Kat supports the implementation of the Active City-Community Engagement to Leverage Emissions Reduction through Activities that Transform Energy-Use (ACCELERATE) project including coordination with local governments, project partners, and other key stakeholders and involvement in the development of EE&C related materials for the project. Kat has also provided capacity building training and technical support to the local governments in utilizing the CDP-ICLEI Unified Reporting Platform for the One Planet City Challenge project.  
 
Education:
  • Masters in Environmental Planning, Miriam College
  • Bachelor of Science in Environmental Planning and Management Major in Urban Planning and Green Architecture, Miriam College

Kenneth Bernard Hizon, EnP

Project Assistant

Kenneth is an environmental planner with experiences working with multiple stakeholders in the fields of climate change, local planning, and sustainable development. In ICLEI, he is tasked to assist in the technical operations of the ASEP-Clean Energy Living Laboratories (CELLS), the NDC MRV Plan, and KASpaces of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Prior to joining ICLEI, through the extension program of UPLB Department of Community and Environmental Resource Planning, he worked closely with local government units in assisting them in formulating their local plans and assessments such as the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Local Climate Change Action Plan and Climate and Disaster Risk Assessments. He also worked for the Climate Change Commission as a technical staff handling the operations for the People’s Survival Fund, Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund.

Area of expertise: Environmental Planning, Climate Financing, Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment, Climate Change Adaptation, Geographic Information Systems, Capacity Development.

Education:

  • Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning (ongoing), University of the Philippines - Diliman
  • Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology major in Human Settlements Planning, University of the Philippines Los Baños

Russel James Andrade

Project Assistant

Russel is a Geographer who has experience working in several development and research projects of the government. He has also engaged in the formulation of policies for adaptation and mitigation programs of the Philippines. As a Geography graduate, he utilizes the holistic approach of the discipline to formulate solutions on different problems of society. In ICLEI, he supports the 100% RE, Urban LEDS II, and other sustainable development projects.

Russel also actively engages in voluntary works related to environmental conservation and protection, health, and good governance. Recently, he completed his training as a Climate Reality Leader through the Climate Reality Project. He was trained by former US Vice President and founder of the Climate Reality, Al Gore.

Area of expertise: Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Urban and Rural Geography, Transport Geography, Physical Geography, Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
 
Education:
  • Bachelor of Science in Geography, University of the Philippines Diliman
 

Chris Hidalgo

Communications Officer

Chris specializes in various facets of marketing and communications, including campaign planning, creative execution, strategic rollout, and everything in between.

He started his career as a technology and business journalist, writing about consumer and green technologies for a Philippine-based tech lifestyle magazine and various Southeast Asian business magazines. His work in the development sector includes being a training assistant for a leadership training program for students around the Philippines.

Most recently, he served in the marketing and communications office of one of the top engineering schools in the Philippines. In addition to his social media management role, he also wrote speeches for the school’s executives; created feature stories for the school’s applied research projects; led production and served as quality control for internal and external communication materials; and led the development of institutional marketing strategies.

At ICLEI, Chris is at the helm of communications and advocacy and also leads the Secretariat’s partnership and networking activities.

Areas of expertise: marketing, branding, social media management, communications, creatives, writing, publication, sound recording, photography, videography, directing, audiovisual post-production

Education:

  • Master of Arts in Communication (ongoing), University of the Philippines - Diliman
  • Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Communication, University of the Philippines - Diliman

Jennifer Maducdoc

Accounting Assistant

Jeng underwent systematic capacity building and mentoring on financial and administrative management organized by her previous organizations, partner NGOs, and funding partners. At ICLEI, Jeng supports the Administrative and Finance Officer in all financial matters of the organization.

Edu Virata

Administrative Assistant

Edu joined ICLEI in 2018 and he is primarily concerned with assisting the administration and finance team in managing the office's day-to-day operations. He assists the whole team with matters of logistics.

Indonesia Office

Ari Mochamad

Country Manager

Ari serves as the Country Manager of ICLEI Indonesia. He is an Environmental and Climate Governance expert with 24 years of research and advocacy experience in the fields of environmental policy, climate change adaptation (CCA), and disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Indonesia. He has extensive experience working with international development projects and coordinating with government partners at the local and national levels. In the last 15 years, Ari has focused on building awareness of the importance of CCA and mainstreaming CCA into the programming and budgeting of local governments from the provincial level down to the village level.Ari serves as the Country Manager of ICLEI Indonesia. He is an Environmental and Climate Governance expert with 24 years of research and advocacy experience in the fields of environmental policy, climate change adaptation (CCA), and disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Indonesia. He has extensive experience working with international development projects and coordinating with government partners at the local and national levels. In the last 15 years, Ari has focused on building awareness of the importance of CCA and mainstreaming CCA into the programming and budgeting of local governments from the provincial level down to the village level.

Prior to joining ICLEI, he has worked as Advisor for Climate Adaptation Governance on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Project (USAID Adaptasi Perubahan Iklim dan Ketangguhan (APIK)). He focused on activities related to Climate Adaptation Governance on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Programs. Through all preparations of policy and technical instruments and the involvement of stakeholders on the National level and three other provincial-level including East Java, Southeast Sulawesi, and Maluku.

Area of Expertise: climate change adaptation and mitigation, disaster risk reduction, environmental policy, resilience programs, government relations, international relations, project developments.

Education:

  • Doctor of Environmental Science, University of Indonesia

Selamet Daroyni

Senior Project Officer – Ambitious City Promises

Selamet has nearly 15 years of experience in advocating environmental conservation and climate change in urban areas, focusing on air quality issues, waste management, green open spaces, and sustainable transportation. He served as the Director of the Indonesian Forum for Environment, Jakarta Region from 2000-2009. He was heavily involved in passing the legislation for waste management in Indonesia. Due to his efforts, he was appointed as the members of the Board of Directors and Considerations of National Waste Management. The board's task is to give advise and input to the Minister of Environment and Forestry for waste management programs implemented in Indonesia.

He joined ICLEI in 2015, handling climate change adaptation and mitigation projects. He was the lead for the ACCCRN (Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network) in 10 cities and OPCC (One Planet City Challenge; was Earth Hour City Challenge) project since 2016. At the moment, he is supporting the implementation of the Ambitious City Promises program, working with DKI Jakarta (national capital), Bekasi, and Tangerang City.

Areas of Expertise: climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency, waste management, local government, community engagement, climate advocacy

Education:

  • BSc in Syariah Law (UIN Syarif in Hidayatullah, Indonesia)
  • Social Capacity Development and Environment Management and Policy Evaluation Training (Hiroshima University, Japan)

Suryani Amin

National Coordinator – Urban Shift Project

Suryani serves as National Coordinator to UrbanShift Indonesia, leading the project and serving as the focal point between cities and the global resources team. Suryani was previously a City Advisor to Jakarta with C40, assisting the city tackling climate change through robust climate and resilient planning. Prior to ICLEI, Suryani worked with Mercy Corps to build more resilient communities in vulnerable districts in Jakarta; with USAID to enhance Indonesia's government and community resilience to climate change and weather-related natural disasters; and with the World Bank Jakarta Office to shape disaster risk reduction and broader adaptation measures.

Suryani holds an M.Si in Sociology from the University of Indonesia with a research focus on Environmental Sociology. She is a senior research fellow at the Resilience Development Initiative.

Areas of Expertise: Environmental Sociology

Education:

  • M.Si in Sociology, University of Indonesia

Happy Tiara Asvita

Project Assistant – Ambitious City Promises

Happy supports the Ambitious City Promises project in ICLEI Indonesia Office. She has a background on urban planning and climate change. She provides technical support in project implementation including coordination with partners such as local and national governments and other relevant organizations. She also supports in data analysis and report writing.

Prior to joining ICLEI, Happy worked as a Junior Planner at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. She worked with the spatial planning and strategic area of economic teams to provide a comprehensive analysis in formulating policy recommendations for accelerating the implementation of infrastructure and strategic economic projects.

Area of Expertise: Urban Planning and Development, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Change Action Plan, Policy Analysis.

 
Education:
  • MSc in Urban Management and Development, with specialization in Urban Environment, Sustainability, and Climate Change - Institute for Housing and Urban Development (IHS), Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherland 
  • BSc in Urban and Regional Planning – Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia

Yheni Mulyaningsih

Project Assistant – 100% RE

Yheni is a Project Assistant at ICLEI Indonesia Office and she is responsible for assisting the implementation of the 100% Renewable Cities and Region Roadmap project in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

Prior to joining ICLEI, Yheni worked as an intern for ASEAN-German Energy Program at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, conducted desk-research for ASEAN Energy Country Profile 2021. Other than that, she is an active research team member at Sampoerna University Energy Research Center, performing research in alternative energy.

Area of Expertise: Renewable Energy, Energy, Project Management

Education:
  • Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, The University of Arizona

Arfiana Khairunnisa

Membership and Communications Officer

Arfiana serves as ICLEI Indonesia's Membership and Communication Officer. Her role involves engaging with stakeholders and communicating the sustainable urban development efforts in Indonesia to various target audiences.

She has experience working in communication since 2009 as a journalist at Radar Jogja, Jawa Pos Group. Her passion for communication and networking inspired her to build a professional career in the field. She then joined the Centre for Orangutan Protection as Communication Coordinator, where she started focusing on environmental issues. She also worked with the Indonesia Climate Change Center (ICCC), an organization under DNPI (Dewan Nasional Perubahan Iklim), where she saw deeper involvement with climate change issues.

Areas of Expertise: writing, communication strategy, journalism, photography, videography, social media campaign, website management, environmental issues

Education:
  • Durrell Conservation Academy, Jersey, United Kingdom - Durrell Endangered Species Management Graduate Certificate
  • Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia - Bachelor’s Degree, English Department

Hikmatul Pasaribu

Finance and Operation Officer

Hikmatul P Pasaribu is a Finance and Operation Assistant, with a background in finance and administrative management. Prior to joining ICLEI, she has worked with various international Non-Governmental Organizations to support finance and administration in the organization. Joining ICLEI Indonesia in 2017, Hikmatul is responsible for accounting and finance records, assisting in the preparation and monitoring of ICLEI Indonesia Office budget, and drafting financial statements and reports. She also provides support to the Project Management Team.

Areas of Expertise: administration, finance, book-keeping,

Education:

  • Bachelor of Agribusiness (University of North Sumatera, Indonesia)

Marwan

Administrative Assistant

Marwan fell in love with the environment when he became part of an organization focusing on peat restoration.

Education:

  • Bachelor of Computer Science, Telematics Cakrawala School of Technology, Indonesia