Dr. De Leon-Mendoza is a distinguished neonatologist affiliated with the Adventist Medical Center Manila, the  Manila Doctors Hospital, and with the Asian Hospital and Medical Center. She is the lead convenor of the Asia and Oceania network on Kangaroo Mother Care and is a member of the Permanent Monitoring Panel for Mother and Child of the World Federation of Scientists which is based in Erice, Italy.

After her training in KMC in Colombia in 1999, she pioneered the establishment of “Kangaroo” Mother Care at Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital and continues as a volunteer consultant up to the present. As the prime mover of KMC in the Philippines, she is committed to propagating KMC in the various regions of the Philippines with high incidences of  low birth weight babies.

Dr. Mendoza is affiliated and holds various positions with the Federation of Asia Oceania Perinatal Societies,  Institute for Reproductive Health, Philippine Foundation, Philippine Pediatric Society, The Source Foundation (Values in Health Care, A Spiritual Approach) and past president of the Perinatal Association of the Philippines. She is a member of several socio-civic organizations as a volunteer physician and is a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Ayala, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. She is also engaged in academic activities on neonatology and has published several research studies specific to neonatal care and KMC. Back to top ↑

Dr. Uy is a UP medical graduate specializing in neonatology. She obtained her neonatology clinical and research fellowships at Wayne State University Children’s Hospital in Michigan, Detroit, MI. USA. To date she is an Assistant Research Professor of the Institute of Child Health and Human Development of UP Manila, Clinical Associate Professor at UP College of Medicine, and attending neonatologist/active consultant at PGH, J. Delgado Memorial Hospital, St. Luke’s Medical Center and Mandaluyong City Medical Center.

She is active in medical researches, and Chair of Research Dissemination and Utilization Office, UP Manila; Member, Research Capacity Building Committee, UP Manila National Institute of Health; Training Officer, Neonatology Fellowship Program, UP-PGH; and Training Officer, Pediatric Residency Program, J. Delgado Memorial Hospital

Dr. Uy is a recipient of various awards and honors, notably the Wolff-Zeigler Fellows Award in Research, Children’s Hospital of Michigan -1997; American Academy of Pediatrics’ Young Investigator Award, 1997; and Balik Scientist Award-1998. Back to top ↑

Ms. Salazar is a retired public servant. She was formerly the Director of the National Integrity Center of the Office of the Ombudsman, Philippines. Prior to this role, she was Officer-in-Charge of Human Resources of Farm Systems Development Corporation.

Her field of expertise includes facilitating group dynamics & corporate planning sessions, training of trainors, assessor for integrity development review, and fact finding investigation. She also has work experiences with USAid & AusAid,

Ms. Salazar is a board trustee and chairman, scholarship committee, of the Maasinhon sa Metro Manila, Inc. and member, Alternative Dispute Resolution of the Philippines. Back to top ↑

Dr. Fay De Ocampo is a practicing Neonatologist in Metro Manila and holds a Diplomate status in both the Philippine Pediatric Society and the Philippine Society of Newborn Medicine. She obtained her medical degree from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and her postgraduate training in Pediatrics and Neonatology from the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital. She also completed the Observership program in Neonatalogy at the Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City Missouri USA. At present, she is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine-PGH, University of the Philippines, Manila. Dr. De Ocampo is also the current Training Officer for the Neonatology Fellowship program of the Department of Neonatology at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital. Additionally, she is Head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Mandaluyong City Medical Center, Metro Manila.

As a staunch advocate of KMC and breastfeeding, she is ably serving in the Board of the Kangaroo Mother Care Foundation Philippines, Inc. and Founding Secretary of the recently-established Human Milk Bank Association of the Philippines, Inc. Back to top ↑

Dr. Josefina A. Tuazon is Professor of Nursing in the College of Nursing, University of the Philippines Manila (UPM). She was past Dean of UPM College of Nursing and head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Leadership in Nursing Development from 2004 to 2010. She was appointed to the Technical Committee on Nursing Education of the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) regulating nursing education in the country in 2011- 2013. From 2013-2015 she headed the Secretariat of the Asia Pacific Emergency and Disaster Nursing Network (APEDNN) where she is a founding member and continues to be an active core member. She is currently Program Head for Research and Chair/Program Coordinator of the Graduate Program of the UPM College of Nursing.

A multi-awarded teacher and educator, she holds leadership positions in various national and international Nurses’ groups, UPM research and ethics review board as well as the national PCHRD Scholars’ Society. In the last two decades, Prof. Tuazon has focused her attention on health promotion and the prevention of non-communicable diseases, with a doctorate in Public Health majoring in Health Promotion and Education. She collaborates closely with the Department of Health and the World Health Organization on policies and programs, in particular, on tobacco control and diabetes. Her passion for education remains, however. She recently served as Consultant and content expert for the health curriculum of the K to 12 educational reform of the Department of Education. Back to top ↑

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Ms. Pimentel is a seasoned trainer-facilitator of strategic and operations planning workshops, values and team building sessions for various institutions for more than 20 years.  She currently serves as the Master Trainer of the Star Program of Coke-TESDA since 2011. She serves in the Board of various NGOs, namely the  Charity First Foundation, Institute for Reproductive Health Philippines, and the Brahma Kumaris Philippines Spiritual Foundation, Inc. in various capacities. Her multi-faceted career journey has taken her to various corporations and organizations, notably, at San Miguel Corporation- Beer Division handling promotional and marketing services activities, and the Philippine Senate serving as Chief of Staff to the late Honorable Senator Leticia R. Shahani. She has been engaged as project consultant by various private and public agencies, including the Department of Health. Back to top ↑

 Dr. Santos is a practicing neonatologist affiliated with the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Sto. Tomas. He is the Research Head of the UST Neonatology Section as well as an active staff and instructor. He heads the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and is an active medical staff of De La Salle Medical Center and San Juan de Dios Hospital.

Dr. Santos is currently the President of the Philippine Society of Newborn Medicine, former Secretary of the Perinatal Association of the Philippines, PRO of the Philippine Pediatric Society, Southern Tagalog Chapter  and National Trainer, Neonatal Resuscitation Program. He had teaching stints with Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and was chair of the Department of Neonatology of Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, where he gained experience in KMC and received recognition for invaluable service to a government institution in 2007.

He has published several journal articles on pediatric and neonatology care and is a contributor to various manuals on newborn care. 
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Ms. Gomez  is currently the President of  the Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines (IMAP), Inc. She holds a Masters Degree  in Community Health from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. Her work experiences are as instructor – facilitator, staff midwife at Manila Doctors Hospital, and member, Technical Committee on Midwifery Education, CHED.

She is a representative in various international conferences abroad, notably the International Confederation of Midwives to the WHO Asia Pacific Regional Office and Panelist to the Global Health Conference, Washington DC in May, 2007 & 2008. Back to top ↑

Dr. Charpak is a French pediatrician who is part of the original investigators of the Kangaroo Mother Care Program in Bogota, Colombia. She has held several positions in KMC – Coordinator, ISS-WorldLab KMC program at Clinica del Nino, Bogota (1989-1993); Legal Representative & Projects Coordinator, Fundacion Canguro, Bogota (1993-1999); and Scientific Coordinator, KMC Program, San Ignacio Hospital in Bogota, Colombia South America.

She has published numerous KMC studies on her experiences with the Kangaroo Mother Care Program, ranging from alternative ways of caring for low birth weight infants, bonding hypothesis, one year follow-ups, breastfeeding, protection of high risk LBW and premature infants against developmental delay; sources of delay in implementation of KMC in developing countries and many more.

For her outstanding work on KMC, Dr. Chaprak has received awards and honors such as the International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN) Prize for the most outstanding paper published during 1997-1998; the SAN VALENTINO Prize, 1999, “un ano d’amore”, of the Vatican, for proving on sound scientific basis the efficiency of KMC method and for transferring the know how to many other developing countries; SPECIAL JURY AWARD for the video tape – Kangaroo Mother Care Method, International Festival of Health Film, 1999, WHO & WAMIFH; and the BEST PRACTICES FOR GLOBAL HEALTH 2006 AWARD, Global Health Council, Washington. Back to top ↑