Announcement from Balay Mindanaw Re: Key Management and Organizational Changes

The Board of Trustees of Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. (BMFI) wishes to announce the following key management and organizational changes effective 14 July 2012:

 Ms. Rochelle “Bibing” Y. Mordeno has been designated as the BMFI Executive Director and Chief of Operations.

 Paul Richard A. Paraguya will move to Manila to set up the BM Liaison Office. We really want to call our new Manila office the Balay Mindanaw Embassy, with Paul as our Ambassador, as an affirmative action in the pursuit of our advocacy for fairer, more equitable and more meaningful relationship of Mindanao with Manila, the rest of the country and the world.  In the transition, Paul’s official status will be Executive Director on-leave.

 As we welcome, congratulate and extend our best wishes to Bibing, we also sincerely thank and congratulate Paul for his excellent and successful stewardship of BMFI since September 16, 2010.  We also wish Paul all the best as he takes on a trailblazing and very challenging new role.

Bibing Mordeno joined Balay Mindanaw on January 4, 1999.  A seasoned and deeply committed equity, development and peace worker, she has a Master’s Degree in Applied Conflict Transformation Studies (ACTS) from Pannasastra University of Cambodia.

 Joining Bibing in the new BMFI Management Team are the following: Charmaine Dagapioso-Baconga (Eks-Eks) – the Deputy Director for Administration and Finance, and Coordinator for Peace Education, Gesibelle Garcia-Hernandez (Belle) – the Coordinator of the International Center for Peace. Eileen Ipulan-Bautista (ii) – the Coordinator for Governance and Networking. All the members of the Management Team have master’s degrees in fields related to conflict transformation and peacebuilding.

We will also strengthen our three Community-Based Peacebuilding Teams with the designation of the following as Area Managers: Rosario Baldevia (Popot) for Cotabato and Maguindanao, Sabrina Garcia-Balais (Sabcee) for Misamis Oriental, and Leonardo Bautista (Bau) for Surigao del Sur.

Together with the rest of the Balay Mindanaw Family, Members of the Board, Management and Staff, the new Balay Mindanaw will continue to pursue the quest for excellence with better synergy, sustainability and solidarity – towards the shared vision of Equity, Development and Peace in Mindanao, in the Philippines and in the Whole World.

Thank you very much for the sixteen years of meaningful and fruitful journey together.

Charlito “Kaloy” Manlupig
Chairperson of the Board