Founding Members & Steering Committee (2024-2027)

Dr. Maria Cristina G. Bautista worked with a children’s charity in New Zealand for five years as its programme coordinator for Africa.  A trained economist, she completed degrees in London (MSc and PhD) and the Philippines (MA, AB). Her career brought her to live and work across the globe as an international development specialist, notably in Pakistan, Cambodia, Kenya and Fiji, usually with regional remit, for employers such as WHO, USAID, AusAID. ▶️ 

Dr. Sarah Jane D. Lipura is the lead convenor of the Philippine Studies Network Aotearoa New Zealand. She obtained her doctoral degree from the University of Auckland and currently works as Research Fellow at the New Zealand Policy Research Institute and co-leader of the Philippine Studies Hub at Auckland University of Technology. Sarah is passionate about integrating interdisciplinary research, community engagement and public policy to promote transformative outcomes for marginalised communities, and is committed to advancing Philippine Studies in New Zealand. ▶️

Dr. Harold Aquino holds a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Massey University School of Built Environment and serves as a Professional Teaching Fellow specializing in Disaster Management and Resilience at the University of Auckland. Prior to this, he was an Associate Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of the Philippines Diliman and was director of the university’s Building Research Centre. ▶️

Joeven R. Castro, a PhD candidate in Communication at the University of Auckland, researches on Filipino teachers’ intermediary functions in crisis communication during COVID-19. Before his PhD study leave, he was Vice President for Academic Services at Far Eastern University Manila, leading transformative student experience programmes. ▶️

Dr. Eunice Faustino Gaerlan is a Senior Lecturer in AUT’s School of Education and leads their Master and Postgraduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning programmes. Eunice is passionate about supporting pre-service teachers in their journey to becoming registered teachers in Aotearoa. ▶️

Dr. Maileenita Peñalba is the current chairperson of the Department of Economics and Political Science at the University of the Philippines Baguio. She holds a PhD in Politics and International Relations from the University of Auckland. Her dissertation is focused on building a grounded theory of citizen competence informed by indigenous knowledge and experience. ▶️

Louise Anne M. Salas is a PhD candidate in Art History at the University of Auckland. Her research titled Women Movement Dwelling explores the works of Filipina and wāhine Māori visual artists, 1970-2000. Louise is a faculty member (on study leave) of the Department of Art Studies, University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. ▶️