Our Events 2025 Network - Philippines Community Connect...

Description

We invite Community Business Network members, Community Partners and invited guests based in Philippines to join us in person for the 2025 Philippines Community Connection on Tuesday, 8 April 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM (UTC+8). 

'Community Connections' are in-person Community Business Network events that bring together members of the Network community and invited guests. These sessions aim to delve into pertinent Diversity Equity & Inclusion topics and challenges relevant to Philippines and the organisation within the market. 

For this Community Connections session will spotlight the efforts of NGOs, civic groups, and local organisations in building inclusive support systems for household caregivers – those who provide unpaid care for family members, dependents, and others.  We will hear real stories from the community, understand the intersectional nature of caregiving, and explore how corporate organisations can play a role in supporting and amplifying these efforts. 

Through the panel discussion and organisations' booths, we will spotlight the efforts of NGOs, civic groups, and local organizations in building inclusive support systems for caregivers. 

A heartfelt thank you to Shell for being the venue sponsor for this important discussion.  

What to Expect: 
 - Expert Insights – Learn from professionals with diverse caregiving backgrounds. 
 ️- Lived Experiences & Best Practices – Hear real stories and discover actionable ways to foster inclusive caregiving support systems. 
 - Community Engagement – Meet and connect with local organisations dedicated to caregiver support. 
- Networking Opportunities – Build connections with corporate leaders, DE&I practitioners, and community partners who share a passion for making a difference. 

Who Should Attend?  
We welcome HR professionals, DE&I leaders, NGO representatives  and those interested in caregiver advocacy. Join us for an evening of meaningful discussions and connections. 


Each Network Member organisation can nominate three representatives on a first-come, first-served basis. This is your chance to connect, learn, and contribute to the conversation. 

If you would like to know more about the network or join the network, reach out to us dian@communitybusiness.org 
 

Register

Event Speakers

Erlinda "Dang" Uy Koe

Chair Emerita, Autism Society Philippines

Erlinda Uy Koe was named the winner of the inaugural ASEAN Prize at the opening ceremony of the 33rd ASEAN Summit in Singapore in 2018.

*The ASEAN Prize aims to recognise inspiring achievements and contributions that foster the ASEAN identity, promote the ASEAN spirit, and champion the ASEAN way. Ms. Koe is the Chair Emerita of the Autism Society Philippines (ASP). Under her leadership, including serving as National President, ASP, now with 103 chapters nationwide, has become one of the most vibrant disability organizations in the Philippines.

At the regional level, Ms. Koe served as the Chair of the ASEAN Autism Network (AAN), and presently continues to work with the AAN Executive Committee. *AAN comprises autism family support organizations from ten ASEAN Member States. AAN is a platform for member countries to cooperate and unite in developing non-discriminatory strategies and intervention programmes to support persons living with autism and their families.

Over the years, Ms. Koe’s efforts have inspired autism awareness, acceptance, accommodation and appreciation, not just in her native Philippines, but among the ASEAN member states. Under her stewardship, the Autism Society Philippines spearheaded the Angels Walk for Autism, which gathers more than 20,000 participants in Metro Manila and other cities every year. After retiring as a corporate executive, Ms Koe volunteered to take on the additional role of ASP’s Executive Director. Her son on the autism spectrum, Gio, is now 30 years old.

Pamela Magdaluyo

Project Coordinator at Duyan Program by Project Red Ribbon

Pamela Magdaluyo is a devoted mother of three biological children and a foster mother to two orphaned children living with HIV. Her advocacy journey began in 2015 when she took in a four-month-old orphaned child diagnosed with HIV. For the past nine years, she has served as the coordinator of Project Duyan under the Project Red Ribbon Care Management Foundation, dedicating herself to supporting 73 indigent children living with HIV in the Philippines. Her tireless efforts were recognized in 2022 when she received the Ripple of Inspiration award from Love Yourself. She is widely regarded as a mother figure to children living with HIV across the country.

Precy “Peachy” S. Cruz

Dean of Nursing, De, Ocampo Memorial College & Board member, ADAP

Precy “Peachy” S. Cruz, RN, MAN is a committed advocate for caregivers of people living with dementia. With a background in gerontology and dementia care, she has spent her career supporting both patients and those who care for them. She holds a Master of Arts in Nursing from Arellano University and completed a Basic Management Course at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). Currently, she serves as the Dean of the College of Nursing at De Ocampo Memorial College. Before this, she worked as the Nurse Manager of the Memory Center at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, where she focused on improving dementia care services.

Beyond her professional roles, Peachy is actively involved in advocacy and education. She is a Board Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Association of the Philippines (ADAP) and a core group member of the Dementia Society of the Philippines (DSP). She also helped establish the Gerontology Nurses Association of the Philippines (GNAP) to strengthen geriatric nursing in the country. As a member of the Asian Society Against Dementia (ASAD) and a WHO Mental Health Gap (MHGap) trainer in dementia since 2017, she continues to contribute to dementia awareness and support both locally and internationally.

Jeiz Robles

Director of DE&I, Community Business

Jeiz Robles is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) at Community Business, where she is committed to driving impactful change for underrepresented and underserved communities. With over 10 years of experience in the DE&I field, Jeiz is a subject matter expert in three key areas: the DE&I landscape in Asia, localizing LGBTQ+ inclusion programs and benefits, and creating and sustaining AAA+ employee networks.

As a certified Design Thinking coach, she excels in building empathy and extracting community experiences to inform corporate DE&I strategies. Jeiz has played a significant role in developing important resources such as the Philippine Financial & Inter-industry Pride Playbook, Sasin's Inclusion Toolkit for Thai Businesses, and Open for Business's Economic Case of LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Southeast Asia.

Her approach includes a range of frameworks from strategic advisory (benchmarking, policy review and audit, focus groups, and program design), ideation through empathy mapping, mentoring, workshops, thought leadership (whitepapers, toolkits), and storytelling through speaking engagements.

As a cisgender, bisexual, neurodivergent Filipina, Jeiz brings lived experiences from various intersecting communities. She has had the privilege of collaborating with numerous organizations across Asia to amplify voices that are often unheard. Fluent in both English and Filipino, she is dedicated to fostering inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive authentically.