Fellow Bios

Our Fellow Bios

Our fellows share our vision of transforming learning and teaching. 

We select fellows who share our vision of transforming learning and teaching.  Our fellows advocate for digital literacy and conduct training sessions that echo their digital learnings from the ISTE summer academy.The fellows volunteer their expertise from 4 to 12 months.

TRICIA 'TRISH' ANN CASTRO

Trish has a bachelor’s degree in General Humanities and a Masters degree in Development Education, both from the University of Asia and the Pacific. She has since discovered the wonders of how technology can aid teaching and learning. She eventually became an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2015 and a resource speaker in the field of Education Technology. Recently, she has been tapped to deliver webinars on Emergency Response Distance Learning and Parent-Teacher Partnership in Online Distance Learning. She is also the recipient of the first ever Outstanding DLSU-IS Faculty Award. She is currently the EdTech Director of DLSU Integrated School.

She is a Kaisipan fellow because she shares the same vision with the organization that education through technology is a very powerful means to promote positive change in the country. Through her engagement with Kaisipan, she wishes to reach out to other educators in the Philippines and make a case for the use of technology in teaching and learning through webinars. Sadly, it took a pandemic to get more educators on the EdTech boat. Technology doesn’t have to be expensive. With the right infrastructure, bringing technology to all is within reach—hopefully sooner than later. 

She is essentially an introvert. She took the 16 Personalities test to prove to her friends and colleagues that she is indeed an introvert. True enough, her result was INTJ—“I” for Introvert. When you meet her for the first time, she will put on her best serious face, but when comfortable, she shows her true bubbly colors which may strike others as extrovert qualities. 

As an introvert, she really would rather spend her time alone. She enjoys the kilig and the subtle seriousness of KDramas, and singing KPop mondegreens. She has recently become a furparent to Boston, a Labrador Retriever, and has taken much of her KDrama time. Still, as an introvert, she enjoys solo traveling. During the pandemic, she found solace in mastering ordering online and giving 5-star reviews, and shifted interest to baking, something she would never try to do. She keeps herself awake by her love for freshly brewed coffee and has invested in different coffee-making contraptions from spill-protected mugs to a real-deal espresso machine. She values her faith in God as her source of strength amidst the stress work brings. In aspects where KDramas and coffee fail to satisfy, God never fails. 

MARIA VIANCA JASMIN ANGLO

Maria Vianca Jasmin Anglo came from a simple family from Tarlac City, Tarlac. She took up a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and graduated as a Magna Cum Laude at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She was also a graduate student in the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) where she learned to imbibe the principles, purposes, and activities of the international communities to ensure peace, dignity, and equality on a global scale. She took up a part-time job as an assistant to the UP Diliman Psychosocial Services (UPD PsycServ) and helped students with mental conditions, such as ADHD and ASD, cope with their education and manage mindfulness exercises. Vianca was also a field researcher for the World Health Organization Philippines in her studies and worked on research projects related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). These engagements led her to be more passionate about quality public service and human rights.

She became a KaISIPan fellow because she wants to initiate positive change by giving back to her community and to create a more inclusive, tech-savvy, and safe learning environment that promotes love for life-long learning for all students. She plans to positively transform primary public education in her community by having access to internet connectivity, technology for learning materials, and conducive learning spaces to be implemented to assure quality education and holistic growth. Vianca was also a Philippine Delegate and Head of the Cultural Committee in the ASEAN-Russia Youth Summit where she managed and lead by presenting the Philippine culture to the ASEAN and Russian delegates. She was a country representative in the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2018, and she represented the youth of the Philippines in the Cultural and Arts sector. She is a passionate, endlessly curious, and reliable individual who has the heart to serve the vulnerable communities and her nation. She wants to take up higher studies in International Relations and positively impact the world through quality education, public health, good governance, and civil society. 

Vianca plays Kendo during weekends and aims to become a national Women’s player for the United Kendo Federation of the Philippines (UKFP) in the near future. She loves reading books about feminism and altruism. If you see her anywhere please proceed with caution because she is easily frightened by loud noises and crowded places! 

Niña Maria Belizar-Estudillo

Niña Maria Belizar-Estudillo, an independent professional with 27 years of work experience is simply Niña. She has developed a personal advocacy in building and sustaining a culture of performance excellence through training, consultancy and research, mindful of how she can help organizations and individuals strengthen their own capacities by putting in place tools and techniques that drive productivity and quality improvement in the pursuit of their goals and objectives. More specifically, Niña provides training and consultancy services in the area of Productivity & Quality (P&Q) leading to Total Quality Management (TQM) alongside Organizational Development (OD) across all sectors.
Niña looks back at more than two decades of professional journey with gratitude to someone up there who is the source of everything. He who mapped out before her certain major events meant to be fulfilled in her life. For one, she is a pioneer in the design and implementation of the 1st Master in Productivity and Quality Management (MPQM) program under the Institute of Productivity and Quality (IPQ) of the Development Academy of the Philippines’ Graduate School of Public Development and Management (DAP-GSPDM). Niña served as Director of the IPQ before she took her early retirement. Also, she was tapped by the Asian Productivity Organization’s (APO) DON (Development of National Productivity Organizations) Program as a Technical Expert/Resource Person, through the conduct of training modules on productivity and quality improvement with the objective of developing productivity practitioners around Asia in line with the overarching goal of strengthening NPOs towards contributing to national economic development. This opportunity brought her to countries like Fiji Islands, India, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Africa (Mauritius and Namibia). 
To learn, re-learn and un-learn things keep Niña motivated to adopt and adapt to new technology and innovative tools. She believes that in training and education, one cannot give what he/she does not have. Thus, she considers being an ISTE Scholar and Fellow KAISIPAN Inc. as another providential thing being fulfilled in the most recent phase of her learning-to-serve journey. She looks forward to sharing her learnings with public school teachers in her residential city in Pasig and home province in Borongan City in Eastern Samar. 
Beyond her professional career, Niña is simply a mother and wife who does the household chores and singing with guitar during chillax moments. She now enjoys the flexibility of being an independent professional as she is able to coach her unico hijo, Isaiah amid learning challenges in school. Above all, here’s a woman who puts premium on the gift of Faith passed on by his parents to 12 siblings in a devout Catholic environment. Yes, that’s how productive her parents were, literally and figuratively. (LOL). Hey, Niña occupies the comfy 12th spot! Finally, it is interesting to note that Niña has reached a point in her life where working is not just about financial viability but being of service to others through sharing God given talents and persevering to always enter into His Will together with her family and community. 

Ruth Abella Peñano

Ruth Abella Peñano is a licensed professional teacher. She completed Masters in Education Major in Educational Management and Bachelor in Elementary Education Major in Preschool and graduated with Cum Laude honors at the Philippine Women’s University.
She pursued a career as a General Manager, Alumni Director, TESOL Trainer, Image Consultant, Event Organizer and Host, Head Teacher, International Kindergarten Teacher, Project Director, Guidance Counselor, and Mentor.
She worked as an International Kindergarten Teacher in Singapore, Cambodia, and the UAE. She lived in Tanzania, Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia Bangladesh, and the United Arab Emirates and traveled in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.
She has a great passion for teaching and learning. She agrees with the saying that teachers plant seeds of knowledge that will grow forever. She believes that every educator has the potential to be great when he/she has the right support and opportunities to develop, to inspire great students. That is why along with our students, we should never stop learning.
Being a KaISIPan fellow allows her to be a high-quality 21st-century teacher, creating educational excellence as well as sharing her knowledge and experiences with fellow teaching professionals.

Paul Ray Mark N. Salsag


MR. PAUL RAY MARK N. SALSAG is a College Instructor and Senior High School Faculty at the Colegio San Agustin Bacolod teaching courses on curriculum development, educational technology and general education courses from the senior high school to the undergraduate level in face to face and online modality. He has been the Discipline Officer of the Basic Education Department. He is currently pursuing his Master of Arts in Educational Administration at the Ateneo de Manila University. He just recently finished month long online courses on Blended Learning Practice and Introduction to Technology Enabled Learning from the Athabasca University, Canada. As a Certified Apple Teacher he is an advocate of e learning, literacy, teacher education, student affairs program development, and curriculum development. He is currently a fellow of the Curriculum Studies Association of the Philippines, Inc. (and Philippine Educational Measurement and Evaluation Association Inc.)

REYMON N. SANTIAÑEZ

Reymon M. Santiañez is a graduate from Saint Paul University Philippines (SPUP) Tuguegarao City Philippines with a degree of Doctor in Information Technology. He is currently working as an instructor in Biliran Province State University (BiPSU), Naval Biliran, Philippines. He teaches computer and information technology subjects on the different programs including Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) and Bachelor of Science in Information Systems (BSIS). He is also the designated System Administrator of the university handling the Student Information and Accounting System (SIAS) and other Management Information Systems of the university.

As an academician, was he is also active on the different ICT related researches and presented it to international conferences in the Philippines and other country. He also develop software and web applications using different kind of programming tools and framework. Mr. Santiañez is expecting to learn more knowledge and ideas related to transforming other people on the use of digital educational technology. His accomplishment on sharing to the learners his knowledge, ideas, experts services relevant to the ICT field helped the vulnerable and less privilege become successful professionals and skilled person during extension community services.

He is happy a person, approachable, and easy to be with. What makes him motivated is that he came from a poor family. Living with the goal to become a successful professional in the ICT field, he dream on accomplishing best output and attaining great outcome as a practitioner and a teacher of a state university. With his success, this just proves to everyone hardwork pays off despite being poor.

JECHELLE KATE TORRES 

Jechelle Kate Torres is a young educator specializing in English with international pre-service teaching experience. She and six of her colleagues volunteered to tutor a small group of children in Tuyen Quang, Vietnam during their stay and organized an English Club for Vietnamese and Lao Students in Hung Thanh Secondary School and Tan Trao University in 2019. She is not just a teacher but also a leader who encourages learners and fellow teachers to become more innovative and curious in implementing technology to her teaching-learning process. She desires to extend her knowledge about digital literacy to teachers in their city with the help of Kaisipan Team and fellows. Joining the Kaisipan inspired her to be more of who she is as a teacher, as a Filipino, and as a lifelong learner. Her life does not revolve around teaching and education only, she loves spending quality time with her family during weekends and plays online games, watch movies or continue a series during her free time. 

Here is part of her essay. "Moreover, my thirst for knowledge will not be limited to those that surround me. If I am given the chance by Kaisipan, I would love to cooperate with the organization in improving the Filipino digital literacy by becoming part of the members that will influence the teachers to become more creative and innovative for better education. Organizing activities for Kaisipan’s mission is one of my ideas of giving back to the organization and the people behind it. I will make good use of the chance and the opportunity given to me. Aside from having a similar mission with Kaisipan, it is also my personal interest as a teacher for Filipinos to catch up with the technological advancement of other countries around the world in their different schools." 

FREVY T. ORENCIA

Ms. Frevy T. Orencia is currently the Director of the Institute of Information Technology in Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines. She is also the current Philippine Society of Information Technology Educators-Cordillera Administrative Region (PSITE-CAR) Chapter. She finished Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and Master of Science in Information Technology at Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines. She’s involved in both local and national initiatives for ICT for education. Some of which includes: BSU IT Department’s ICT for Education-related Extension Programs where she gives ICT for education talks about the use of technology in teaching and learning for partner high schools in the region; eSkwela Project where she was tapped to be part of the team to develop learning modules for Bureau of Alternative Learning System; and iSchools Project where she was tapped as resource speaker for various ICT for education topics for high school teachers in Regions 1, 2, and CAR. She is also involved in some of the researches pertaining to blended learning, eLearning, and ICT for education and was able to present the outputs in some international conferences. She was also a peer reviewer in the Philippine elearning Society Journal and also in the International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning which is an open access journal.

Here is part of her essay: Should I be given a chance to participate in the ISTE Summer Learning Academy, whatever I’ll be learning in terms of expertise and knowledge will be included in the Extension Program of the Institute and also in partnership with the Kaisipan, Inc. We have a standing MOA with DepEd-Benguet and with this I, through the Institute, will include re-echoing of the training to the Benguet K-12 Teachers. Furthermore, thru PSITE-CAR and the Kaisipan. I will conduct training for Higher Education Teachers especially since the Commission on Higher Education passed an advisory that all HEIs will conduct flexible learning. This abrupt change of modality made HEI faculty members as well as K12 teachers face a difficulty in transforming their print instructional materials to online. Thus, the re-echoing of what I have learned may be of help in transforming their classes in an online modality. 
Joey Suclan


WILBERT C. VENZON

WILBERT C. VENZON is currently studying Doctor of Philosophy in Management at Angeles University Foundation. A graduate of Master in Business Administration at President Ramon Magsaysay State University, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and Associate in Computer Technology at COMTEQ Computer and Business College, Bachelor in Secondary Education at St. Joseph College – Olongapo City. He is the President/CEO of Philippine Alliance for Open Educational Resources, Inc. (PAOER,Inc.). A Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, Microsoft Education Ambassador and a National OER Core Leader of the Department of Education. He organized and conducted different seminar-workshop in the use of Blended Learning APPS, Lego Education and Robotics of Felta Multimedia, Inc. and Microsoft Office 365 Productivity Tools, a Researcher and a dynamic Public Senior High School and a College Professor.

DR. IMELDA GADIANO-PARCASIO


Imelda Gadiano-Parcasio graduated with her BS in Education major in History and minor in English from the University of the Cordilleras, formerly Baguio Colleges Foundation, Baguio City; MA in Social Studies and Doctor of Education major in Educational Management at Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet. At present, she is a full-time professor of the College of Teacher Education of BSU. She held key positions like Student Government Adviser, Extension Coordinator, Department Head, College Secretary, BSU- GAD Focal Person and College of Teacher Education Dean. She is a researcher, extensionist, writer and a resource speaker in her area of expertise. She is a member of the Philippine Commission on Women National GAD Resource Pool and an officer/member of various professional organization for teachers. Recently, she was added to the list of kaISIPan Fellows.

Jovelyn Lao-e


LIVING THE PURPOSE and CALLING

Believing that each individual is created for a purpose by the Creator, Ms. Jovelyn P. Lao-e works for her calling. As she thought of escaping the world of ‘teaching’, she took up the newest course available in Benguet State University and graduated Bachelor of Science in Information Technology in 2004. After graduation, she landed on her first job as a substitute teacher in Baguio Vision Christian Academy, a non-stock non-profit secondary school for visually-impaired students. She was then given a regular status as she handled subjects such as Integrated Math, Integrated Science, Biology, Physics, Algebra, Geometry, MAPEH, TLE, and Orientation and Mobility. At the same time of teaching, she was managing the school and was in-charged of fixing the curriculum based on the needs of the students especially on their visual impairment and had been engaging them to the outside world with several exposures on computer skills training, dancing, sports, social development, family relationship development, and other significant activities. In 2009, after having two batches of graduates, Ms. Lao-e decided to leave BVCA and took the challenge of teaching full-time in college. She was actually absorbed on November 2008 at Eastern Luzon Colleges-Benguet, now King’s College of the Philippines, specifically in the College of Information and Computing Sciences. From there, she had been teaching with passion and advocacy for student individualization and progressivism until she already gave in to the truth that she was called to be a teacher but with an exposure to technology. To be able to impart better knowledge to her students, she took up Master of Arts in Education major in Educational Administration and Supervision and finished another master’s degree vertical to her bachelors. 

She handled Professional Education subjects such as Educational Technology, ICT application in Teaching, Social Dimension, Facilitating Learning, and Special Topics for Teacher Education. She also handled Computer-related subjects from other courses such as IT Concepts and Systems Analysis and Design, Business Spreadsheets, Word and Internet application, Database Management System, File Organization, Computer Graphics, Public Administration, Computer Applications, Statistical Analysis Software, Business Process and Information Systems, Desktop Publishing. For ITE subjects, she taught and facilitated students on Systems Analysis and Design, Computer Organization, Operating Systems, Software Engineering, Principles of Teaching, Human Computer Interaction, Research Methods, Systems Integration Administration, Software Development Management, Project Study, Professional Ethics, Social and Professional Issues, and Business Process. 

As an advocate for student development, she was designated to handle some student organizations such as student publication and college student council. She also helped in putting up the chorale/G.L.E.E. Club and the Theatre Arts staging its first production and had been exposing students to community involvement and development programs. She had been involved to several activities inside and outside the academe as she believes that we existed not just to work for our own but to live the purpose we are created to be with her principle of paying it forward and ‘Adi Taku Bukudan Nan Gawis’. 

Thus, she does not get tired of improving herself in any way that she can. Holding on to these principles, she seizes every opportunity that comes her way in honing her skills and sharing it to others. One of which is the KaISIPan. She believes that being a part of the program is a blessing and there is a reason. She looks forward to what she can do for KaISIPan as she learns from other fellows and is pumped up to sharing what she can in building a better nation on Knowledge workers especially to those who are neglected and the roots. 

Eleanor San Jose Modesto


Eleanor has always enjoyed drawing. She started drawing when she got hold of crayons and drew everywhere - mostly corrugated cardboard boxes, paper bags and used coupon bonds that she found at home. She had a curious mind and discovered that she can buy candy and sell them for a profit to her classmates. This business mindedness followed her to Malate Catholic high school where she drew and sold hand-made cards and book

marks while she studied on a working scholarship. Eleanor was the eldest of 7 children so she worked her way through 4 years of high school - in the library, working at the school canteen during recess for free food and worked through the school holidays. “I like to work. I like to idea of earning my education and helping my mother and father” she recalls.

She passed was accepted in the College of Fine Arts of the State University on 2 scholarships - Pura Kalaw Ledesma and the American Women’s Club Scholarship. She also maintained a 1.5 grade average which made her a consistent UP college scholar. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a major in Visual Communications. Her parents were proud and she was raring to go to work. She taught in CFA for a year and discovered she enjoyed teaching but it was not sustainable. So she worked as a Sales trainor in Philamlife Insurance. But her heart yearned for advertising and she worked in a small local agency. She moved to Ace-Compton (now Saatchi and Saatchi) and then worked in Lintas Manila (Mullen Lowe Group) as Creative Director. In 1986, she joined Lintas Jakarta as Co-Creative Director and moved to Indonesia in with her husband, artist Fernando Modesto. Indonesia, the 4th biggest market globally proved to be exciting and challenging to Eleanor, the office’s first Asian expatriate. She became CEO of the country’s No. 1 Agency and launched the new divisions and business units where she launched many award winning Ad campaigns. After more than 2 decades and 2 daughters (Paola and Roxanne), Eleanor decided it was time to return to Manila. It was 2008 and digital was in its infancy, so together with some friends, they found PURE Digital, which was later sold to Publicis Manila. She also taught Marketing and Global Communications in the University of Asia

and the Pacific. “Teaching and meeting young people kept me updated with the fast moving world of marketing and advertising. She also conducted and facilitated workshops around Asean and is a top-rated lecturer at the Ateneo Center for Continuing Education. She reconnected with her former teacher, Dr. Marie A. Beebe at their high school’s Golden

Homecoming. Dr. Maria invited her to be a KaISIPan Fellow to take an online course on “Open Educational Resources” and it’s time to share what she has learned with fellow teachers across the Philippines.

Vida Mercader-Laus


Vida is currently taking her Phd in Pagpaplano sa Wikang Filipino at University of the Philippines Diliman. Vida is a section editor in the Division of Pasig City Official Publication, also associate editor in chief at Cluster 8 Publication, She has been a Language Validator, Educational Material and Assessment Writer, Panel in a research presentation. SPA/ Trainer of young journalist who won in International Level of competition.

Cheerybelle A. Rellegue, Ed.D.

Cheerybelle is a Master Teacher, Subject Head, and research coordinator at Tapinac Senior High School, Olongapo City. She is also a DepEdTV Teacher broadcaster and scriptwriter for SHS Earth and the Life Sciences (ELS) and DepEd ETulay QA for SHS ELS. More. . .

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