Executive Profile — Board of Trustees

Professional Summary

After receiving degrees in BS Industrial Pharmacy and Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines, Dr. Leonardia began his professional career in 2005 as a Rural Health Physician under the Doctors-to-the-Barrios Program of the Philippine Department of Health where he developed his interest in public health. He proceeded to support the Province of South Cotabato in its implementation of the national health reform strategy under an EU-funded project for 2 years and by 2011, he completed his Master’s Degree in International Health at the University of Heidelberg. For the next 11 years, he was a Regional Program Coordinator under the German International Cooperation Agency’s (GIZ) Regional Fit for School Program that supported Ministries of Education in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and the Philippines with the strengthening of national policies, programs, and management processes to create an enabling program environment for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools. In 2023, he became the Lead Advisor for the offshoot project on Advancing Girls’ Rights through Improved WASH and Menstrual Health. He is currently Advisor for Behaviour Change and Youth Mobilization for the ASEAN – German Cooperation Project: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to Protect the Marine Environment and Coral Reefs (3RproMar)”.

Strategic Plan of Action

1. Leveraging Network Potential:
   • Facilitate networking opportunities for members to share best practices, exchange ideas, and build partnerships for collaborative projects.
   • Leverage the expertise, experience, and influence within the PSPHP network to collaborate with government agencies and other stakeholders within the health sector and beyond to influence policy formulation and implementation towards achieving better public health outcomes.
2. Membership Engagement and Retention:
   • Implement initiatives to engage members actively through regular communication, professional development opportunities, meaningful experiences, and involvement in organizational activities.
   • Develop strategies to attract and retain a diverse membership base, including early-career professionals and students interested in public health, and the guiding the growth and development of regional chapters.
3. Ensuring Fiscal Sustainability and Resource Mobilization Capacities:
   • Ensure prudent financial management and transparency in the utilization of resources.
   • Explore opportunities for fundraising, grants, and business models to support the organization's operations and initiatives.
4. Strengthening Local Research Capacity:
   • Through the promotion and development of the Asian Journal of Public Health Practice the PSPHP can encourage, enable, and strengthen local research capacities to address emerging public health challenges in the region and contribute to the evidence base for the contextualized advancement of public health policies and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public health systems, structures, processes, and interventions.
5. Advance Specialty and Professional Development:
   • Advance the realization and implementation of the Public Health Physician specialty track and institutionalize its role within the Philippine public health system.
   • Institutionalize the PSPHP as the premier provider of capacity development solutions to enhance the skills and competencies of public health practitioners across the country.
   • Foster partnerships with academic institutions and international organizations to facilitate knowledge exchange and skill development opportunities.