Programme of Activities
Profile of Speakers I Day 1 I Day 2 I Opening & Closing Programs

Profile of Speakers

Dr. Manoel Sobral Filho
Dr. Manoel Sobral Filho is the Executive Director of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), based in Japan. Forestry has been his focal concern since his university days. His masteral studies centered on Wood Utilization and his doctorate dwelt on Forestry, Wildlife and Range Services.

After a two-year internship in the Brazilian Forestry Agency in his hometown, Dr. Sobral joined the Forest Products Lab of the Brazilian Institute of Forestry Development. He moved on to become director for Forest Products Research Center of the National Institute for Amazonian Research and ITTO Assistant Director. A prolific author and resource speaker, Dr. Sobral continues to address issues on tropical forest development and conservation.

Mr. Patrick B. Durst
Patrick Durst has been the Senior Forestry Officer for Asia and the Pacific of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations since 1994. He coordinates the FAO’s forestry programs and gives technical support to countries in Asia and the Pacific region.

Mr. Durst has a wealth of experience in in the forestry sector. As Coordinator for the USDA Forest Service, he initiated technical input and support for US government agencies involved in forestry-related projects in the Near East Asia region. He has also been affiliated with the USAID, and the US Peace Corps, through which he once worked as a volunteer agroforestry extension expert in Bohol. A graduate of Forest Management, with a masters degree in Forest Economics, Mr. Durst has written, co-authored and edited more than 80 books and scientific articles on Asia-Pacific forestry.

Prof. Rex Victor Cruz, Ph. D.
Professor Rex Cruz currently teaches Forest and Watershed Management at the University of the Philippines College of Forestry and Natural Resources in Los Baños, Laguna. He is concurrently Director of the Environmental Forestry Program, the research unit of UP Los Baños, which carries out research and development projects in areas like climate and land use change and watershed management.

Prof. Cruz is also a consultant for the Laguna Lake Environmental Action Planning for Los Baños – Mt. Makiling and Sta. Rosa Microwatersheds. He is also a key technical resource in the Review of the Master Plan for Forestry Development in the Philippines, the Review of Forestry Management and the Review of Independent Forest Monitoring, among others. A holder of undergraduate and masters degrees in Forestry and a PhD in Watershed Management, Prof. Cruz has organized and presented a number of lectures on sustaining and developing the environment.

Dr. Priscila Dolom
Dr. Priscilla C. Dolom is a researcher at the Forestry Development Center based at the UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources. She earned her degrees in Bachelor of Science in Forestry, Master of Science in Forestry and Ph. D. in Forestry from the UPLB-CFNR. She has been undertaking forestry research projects. She was the national consultant in the drafting of the Philippines Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management and consultants/team member to several forest-related projects. She has authored and co-authored several publications on issues relative to sustainable forest management.

She is affiliated with, among others, the Philippine Society of Filipino Foresters, the Forest and Natural Resources Society of the Philippines, the Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources, the Forest Development Center and Philippine Forestry Education Network.

Forester Ricardo M. Umali
Forester Ricardo Umali is a former Undersecretary of the DENR. His global grasp of forestry issues makes him a valuable resource person for the conservation of Philippine forests. His expertise extends beyond the forestry sector. His extensive experience in the local and international arenas has made him an expert in management and consultancy in various fields.

Mr. Umali is currently President and CEO of Sustainable Ecosystems International Corp. and Macrohard@technologies Corp. He is also the Chairman and President of Biocore Inc and the Sustainable Ecosystems Foundation, Inc.

Mr. Antonio Avelino
Mr. Antonio Avelino is one of the principal Filipino experts in lumber. His involvement within the forestry sector lies mainly in his professional stints with various companies, such as Sodaco Agricultural, Sirawai Plywood and Lumber Corp, and Davao del Sur Agro-Industrial Corporative, Inc.

An active member of the banking industry, Mr. Avelino has devoted most of his life’s work in the lumber industry. Born and raised in Davao, he pursued college and postgraduate studies in Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University and at the University of Asia and the Pacific, respectively.

Cong. Rodolfo Q. Agbayani
Congressman Rodolfo Agbayani of the lone district of Nueva Vizcaya focuses on non-infrastructure projects like environmental conservation and local governance. He has devised a strategic plan to direct the use of the province’s land resources over the next 30 years, obtaining financial assistance from foreign donors in the process.

He was also able to unite the province to pursue a strategy focused on agricultural development. while building on nature-based tourism. Cong. Agbayani’s vision for the province of Nueva Vizcaya outstretches the limits of other public servants. While most are focused on promoting the commercialization of their areas, he has built his agenda around a well-managed natural environment.

Forester Romeo T. Acosta
Forester Romeo Acosta is a former Director of the Forest Management Bureau of the DENR. His expertise encompasses Forest Management, Forest Resources Assessment, Monitoring and Reporting, Forest Biometry, Environmental Economics, Environmental Laws and Administration, International Forestry, Governance and Trade. A recipient of various awards in the field of forestry, he has frequently represented the Philippines in International Tropical Timber Organization gatherings, the UN Forum on Forests and other international forums and lectures.

Mr. Acosta is currently an Assistant Professor, De La Salle Araneta University Graduate School, teaching courses on Forest Biometry, Environmental Economics, and Environmental Laws and Administration. A founding member of the Philippine Association of Environment and Resource Economists, he is also affiliated with the Philippine Society of Filipino Foresters.

Dr. Florentino O. Tesoro
Dr. Florentino Tesoro is a specialist in planning and management of Philippine and Asian forestry development projects. His expertise extends to forest products research and development, community forestry planning, watershed management planning, institutional development and training n forestry development, non-wood forest products, marketing of forest products, and evironmental impact assessment, among other fields.