Editor – Angie Quadra-Balibay
Angie is a self-confessed reformed news critic who vows she has finally found infinite value in delivering the good news. She teaches media classes in the day while managing the university radio station of the De La Salle University-Dasmariňas, and is an online journalist at all times.
Social Media Manager – Atom Pornel
Atom Pornel is a tourism and broadcast journalism major who loves local art and heritage and is passionate about anything good news from the Philippines. Born from a Bicolano-Odionganon father and Waray mother, he has grown appreciation of our diversity as nation.
Website Administrator – Michael Haydn Bagtas
Haydn is a technology and software expert based in Sydney, Australia. He has been the webmaster of GoodNewsPilipinas.com since its inception in 2006.
Contributing Writers:
Abigail Adsuara
Abi is trying her hand at working outside of her comfort zone by joining a promotions team producing promotional videos, commercials, and events. She is keeping in touch with her journalism training at the university by contributing stories to GNP.
Jean Denzel C. Almanzor
Denzel is a senior student on her way to her dream career. Her coverage of a US state visit, the Papal trip, and a State of the Nation address earned her nominations at the Gawad Radyo awards of 95.9 Green FM.
Lucille Mabasa Barrios
Lucille is global traveller and writer who lived in Austria and served in the United Nations and her home province in Aklan. She recently joined the internet industry, providing content and VA services.
Martha Mae Cabansag
Martha is now working on perfecting her marketing skills while staying true to her love for the news media by contributing to GNP.
Maria Clarisse Joy A. Ednacot
Clarisse is an educator/formator who believes in the happily-ever-after for as long as one “prays, hopes, and does not worry” (St. Pio of Pietrelcina). She is editor of the Xavier School website and chairs the Grade School English Department.
Jasmine Gonzales
Jasmine sees journalism as a lifestyle. She breathes, eats, and lives her journalism studies at De La Salle University-Dasmariňas.
Erika Bianca Balce Lasay
Erika is basically someone who loves to continuously learn about the world she lives in. She has always been into writing, first as a student journalist in high school and then taking up Broadcast Journalism.
Mark Bryan Manantan
Bryan is a UP CMC alumni who works the advertising and public relations circuit. Bryan profiles inspirational figures.
Margo Hannah De Guzman Quadra
Margo is the youngest contributing writer of GNP. She studies Psychology at San Sebastian College Recoletos. Margo refers to herself as a voracious reader and an aspiring writer. She believes in equality, the good in humanity, and that writing can be a useful tool.
Abraham Tayao
Abe writes with a brand of charm and wit. His work will definitely provide you with the positivity you need. A good guy with good stories to share on Good News Pilipinas, Abe is an anchor on GoodNewsPilipinas.com radio.
Ghessa Mae Toldoya
Ghessa’s interest revolves around public service. She currently works with a local organization advocating women’s concerns.
Margie T. Logarta, is a veteran lifestyle and travel journalist. She is the Editor of the prestigious and widely read regional publication, Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Magazine. Margie known in the industry as “The Dean of Travel Writers” is based in Hong Kong.
Tina Arceo-Dumlao is a multi-awarded journalist and desk editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. She has a Journalism degree from the University of the Philippines, and is paying the public back for her free college education by engaging in community service.
She organized the GoodNewsPilipinas Kapihan with Pacita Juan of Figaro Corp. and is founding director of Solidaridad para sa Makabuluhang Balita, which helps non-government organizations and people’s organizations bring their good news to mainstream media.
Willy Arcilla is the President of Business Mentors and Regional Director of ZMG-Ward Howell. He has a 25-year career in various Marketing, Sales and General Management roles across Asia-Pacific, managing as many as 50 brands in 25 categories. He was a recipient of the Philippine Marketing Association’s Agora Award for Marketing Excellence in Asia-Pacific. He has a B.S. Business Administration degree from UP and an M.S. in Industrial Economics from the Center for Research and Communication. He is a Professorial Lecturer and a regular contributor to newspapers, magazines and online sites like GNP. He is a GK advocate.
Jef Menguin is a Filipino inspirational speaker, leadership consultant, social entrepreneur, and personal development blogger. He is the president of Growth Orientors, a management consultancy group. He designs and facilitates transformational leadership workshops for school principals, government leaders, and corporate managers. He writes a personal development blog (jefmenguin.com).
Christine Dayrit, is the Chairperson of the Cinema Evaluation Board and the International Film Festival of the Film Development Council of the Philippines. She is also a Travel Writer for the Philippine Star Newspaper and a Contributor to the Asian Spirit Airline Magazine.
Carissa Villacorta, has been working, living and writing in New York since January 2002. From 9 to 5, she works at the Community and Cultural Affairs Section of the Philippine Consulate General on Fifth Avenue. On nights and weekends, she writes articles on Filipino personalities and events for publications like Filipinas Magazine. In October 2006, Carissa became the first Filipino author to have a book launch and signing at the the Park Avenue flagship store of Borders, the world’s largest book and music retailer, with 1,200 branches across the US, Asia, and Europe. For information about her book, ‘Surreality’, visit carissavillacorta.com ‘Surreality’ is currently available at Amazon.com, National Bookstores or Powerbooks.
Yvette Fernandez, a producer for Bloomberg Television in New York. She works with teams in Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney on two shows: Bloomberg International and Moneycast Asia that are aired on Bloomberg networks around the world.
She’s been with Bloomberg for over a decade: as a radio producer for two years, as television anchor for five years, and in her current position for the last two years.
Yvette grew up in Manila and went to school at the University of the Philippines. She was named the Most Outstanding Student in Journalism, and received the best thesis award for her investigative report: “‘Envelopmental’ Journalism: Corruption in the Philippine Print Media.”
She worked for the Manila Times, first as “People” columnist, and then as Lifestyle editor. She moved to New York in 1992 to take her masters’ degree at Columbia University’s graduate school of Journalism.
Alfred ‘Krip’ A. Yuson, is one of the most distinguished writers in the Philippines. His work includes novels, poetry collections, short fiction, essays, children’s stories, biographies and coffee-table books. He has also edited numerous other titles, including several literary anthologies.
His numerous distinctions include the prestigious SEAWrite (SouthEast Asian Writers) Award lifetime achievement and inclusion in the Hall of Fame of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippines’ most prestigious literary distinction.
He is a founding member of the Philippine Literary Arts Council, Creative Writing Foundation, Inc. and Manila Critics Circle, and is currently Chairman of the Writers Union of the Philippines. He serves as Philippines Editor for MANOA: A Pacific Journal of International Writing, published by the University of Hawaii. He writes a literature and culture column for The Philippine Star, and teaches fiction and poetry at Ateneo de Manila University, where he held the Henry Lee Irwin Professorial Chair.
Prudencio “Dengcoy” Miel, an award winning illustrator currently working as an Assistant Art Director/Cartoonist for Singapore’s Straits Times Newspaper. His works have been published regularly by global publications such as the International Herald Tribune, Newsweek, Asiaweek, Foreign Policy and Japan Times to name a few.
In 2002, he was presented with the Reuben Award for newspaper illustrations. The prestigious award is given by the New York based National Cartoonists Society, the world’s largest and most respected organization of professional cartoonists.
Sonnie Santos, a Motivational and Self Help Resource Person, Human Resource Generalist, Trainer and Volunteer Worker. He has authored several anecdotes on work issues and career development in the context of life principles.
Vincent T. Lazatin, is the Executive Director of the Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN), a network of organizations working for greater transparency and accountability in Philippine governance. For the last 5 years he volunteered his time at TAN, serving the last 2 and a half years as its chairman while holding a full time job as a fund manager with a Makati-based company. This May, Vincent resigned from his job as a fund manager to concentrate full time as the executive director of TAN.
Susan de Guzman, a freelance journalist and book editor. She is also Managing Editor of Art Sentral Manila (artsentralmanila.net), the only on-line art magazine on Philippine art.
Giselle Kasilag, lifestyle, art, culture and business journalist. Regular contributor of the Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Business World and various magazine publications. Currently the Managing Editor of Art Sentral Manila (artsentralmanila.net), the only on-line art magazine on Philippine art.
Lia Mañalac considers herself to be a Journalist at heart. At 26, Lia has worked as a Broadcast Journalist for local stations RPN-9 and GMA-7. She graduated with a degree in AB Journalism, Cum Laude, from the University of Santo Tomas. In October 2005, she was recognized as the Best TV Field Reporter by the Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP). At present, Lia is pursuing her Masters degree in Marketing Communications from the De La Salle University. She took a leap of faith in early 2008 and left the media industry to build a career in the corporate world.
Claude Tayag, an accomplished painter, sculptor, fine furniture maker, a handy chef and food and travel writer for the Philippine Star. He will soon launch his new book entitled FOOD OF PLACE, published by Anvil Publishing. It’s a compilation of his travel and food reviews with recipes.
Dr. Wilfrido Villacorta, Deputy Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Former dean of De La Salle University’s Liberal Arts Department and Chairman of the Alfonso Yuchengco Foundation.
Yasmin Ortiga, she likes to see herself more as an observer than an artist. Often, she’s just thankful that she grew up a country where there is simply so much to draw. Her quirky sketches can be seen in ATSIBATSI, a regular column about the daily life of Filipino youth in the YoungSTAR section of the Philippine STAR. Currently, she is working as a Research Associate for the National Institute of Education in Singapore and missing home very much.
Lester Ledesma, happiest “out in the field”, writing and photographing stories that have appeared in international publications like COLORS Benetton, Silverkris and Asian Geographic. He is the 2002 ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) awardee for Excellence in Photography, and the Philippines’ 2001 Kalakbay Travel Writer of the Year. His work has been exhibited in Singapore, Brunei, China and the Philippines.
Photographs on Proud to be Pinoy and Big Beautiful Country screen flashes courtesy of Lester Ledesma.
