He earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of the Philippines Diliman, a Master of Science in Geological Sciences from the University of Illinois Chicago, and a PhD in Earth Sciences from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego.

Before becoming DOST Secretary, he served for many years in the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), where he rose through the ranks and became Director in 2003. He later served as PHIVOLCS Officer-in-Charge and as DOST Undersecretary for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, before being appointed DOST Secretary in 2022.

He has authored over 175 peer-reviewed research articles in WoS/Scopus indexed journals, conference proceedings, and book chapters. Dr. Raza has authored/edited 20 Books published by leading international publishers such as Springer-Nature, Elsevier, and CRC Press. He has a Cumulative Impact Point of over 400. Dr. Raza currently serves as an Academic Editor of PLoS ONE and BMC Artificial Intelligence, and as a Guest Editor for several prestigious journals, including npj Precision Oncology, Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry, Natural Product Communications, and Frontiers in Systems Biology. He has an active collaboration with the scientists from leading institutions of India and abroad, including AIIMS (New Delhi), ICMR-NIP, CSIR-IGIB, DRDO-INMAS, NIPGR, CCRUM, DPSRU, UFMG (Brazil), UCSI (Malaysia), and several research centres of China.

He has received funding for multiple government-sponsored research projects and has served as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI). Currently, three externally funded projects supported by ICMR, ANRF and CCRUM (India) are ongoing in his research laboratory. Dr. Raza has been featured in the list of World's Top 2% Scientists for four consecutive years (2022-2025) released by Stanford University (USA) researcher in collaboration with Elsevier. He is also a recipient of prestigious Clarivate’s (Web of Science) India Research Excellence Citation Award 2025 for his outstanding research contributions in the field of Interdisciplinary Sciences.

Dr. Leah J. Buendia is the Undersecretary for Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the Philippines, where she helps steer the country’s science, technology, and innovation agenda. She has a rich background in agriculture and holds a Ph.D. in Community Development, giving her a blend of technical, policy, and people-centered expertise.

She has been active in promoting partnerships that connect research, government, industry, and international collaborators, including work related to innovation, startup support, and applied science initiatives. In 2024, she also represented the Philippines in international science and technology forums, including serving as Vice Chair for the Asia Pacific Group at the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development.

His work spans cybersecurity strategy, incident response, computer forensics, and board-level advisory, with a strong emphasis on protecting critical systems and improving organizational resilience. Public profiles also describe him as a cybersecurity advisor, international speaker, and trainer who has delivered extensive training across multiple regions. He is also noted for bridging technical and business decision-making, especially around crisis preparedness and cyber governance.

His earlier positions include Deputy Director of the Asia and Pacific Center for Coastal Disaster Research from 2012 to 2014, Research Director of the same center from 2010 to 2012, and Research Director of the Tsunami Research Center from 2007 to 2010. He also worked as Principal Tsunami Researcher, Head of the Storm Surge and Tsunami Division, and Senior Research Engineer in Japanese government research institutions before joining Nagoya University. His academic career at Nagoya University also includes earlier service as Associate Professor from 1992 to 1996 and Lecturer from 1996 to 1997.

His profile is associated with disaster mitigation, especially tsunami and coastal disaster research, along with engineering fields connected to environmental and civil infrastructure. Nagoya University’s materials also show his involvement in coordinating teaching on disaster prevention and mitigation across structural engineering, materials, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, planning, environmental studies, and land design.

In parallel, she has published various academic publications, textbooks, and industry handbooks on Machine Learning, Public Data Analytics, Information Communications Technologies, and Global Technology Policy Topics.

In 2016, she received the iCOUNT Award from the PACT and UN-AIDS, for her work in gamification of the data collection of youth AIDS cases. In 2018, she received the European Union’s Civic Technology for Democracy award in Brussels, Belgium; the 2017 Global Climate Best Practice Award from the International Center for Climate Governance in Italy, and the World Justice Project recognition for Anti-corruption and Open Governance in 2021 in The Hague, Netherlands.

In 2022, she was handpicked by the US Department of State for the IVLP Program, its premier professional exchange program recognizing the top women world leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. In 2023, she received the CREATE award for Digital Media conferred by the Philippine Congress/House of Representatives.

Frei completed her graduate studies at the University of Liverpool with research and dissertation on counter-terrorist financing, and currently studying the Sustainability of Emerging Technologies in developing contexts, in the University of the Philippines.

Born in Cagayan de Oro City in 1973, Dr. Apag earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of San Carlos (1995), an M.Eng. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan (2006), and a Doctor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering, Robotics) from Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology, where he was a DOST-ERDT scholar. HisDr. Desiderio R. Apag III is a distinguished engineering professional, academic leader, and Commissioner at the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in the Philippines, recognized for his contributions to robotics, higher education policy, and international engineering collaboration.

Born in Cagayan de Oro City in 1973, Dr. Apag earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of San Carlos (1995), an M.Eng. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan (2006), and a Doctor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering, Robotics) from Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology, where he was a DOST-ERDT scholar. His doctoral research included a DOST-funded sandwich program at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and Saarland University in Germany (2017), culminating in his 2020 dissertation on “ROBOLIGHT: An Intelligent Lighting System for Hospital Operating Rooms.”

Dr. Apag’s career blends academic leadership with public-sector innovation. As former Chief Administrative Officer of CHED Regional Office 10, he introduced digital systems such as the Queueing Management System, e-CAVS, and e-SOMS, earning multiple DEKA-10 Research Awards and repeated CHED Most Outstanding Employee honors. He has been recognized as an Island Innovation Ambassador (2023) and received the DOST In Touch with Excellence Award (2022).

He has held prominent roles in engineering and academic organizations, including National President of the Institute of Computer Engineers of the Philippines (ICpEP), where he championed the CpE Bill and established the Computer Engineering Certification Board, and National President of the Philippine Society of Engineering Educators. He also chairs the Southeast Asia Green Network (SEAG-N) and previously led the Association of United Filipinos Trained in Germany. His expertise is further supported by ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor and Data Protection Officer certifications, and he serves as a scientific reviewer for the International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation. Beyond engineering, Dr. Apag is a musician and choir trainer, reflecting his commitment to lifelong learning and the advancement of technology, education, and professional development across local and international communities.

He has also worked with the Asian Institute of Technology and several universities and educational institutions in Thailand and Russia. His areas of expertise include English for Academic Purposes, English language teaching, intercultural communication, learner-centred education, digital learning, and professional communication.

Aleksei is a certified teacher trainer from the University of Sheffield and holds certifications in TESOL and Cambridge Teaching Knowledge Test modules. He has presented papers, conducted workshops, and served as a resource speaker, keynote speaker, and trainer in international conferences and educational programmes across Asia. His recent professional interests include technology-enhanced learning, learner agency, critical language awareness, and the use of literature and digital tools in education.

His current research spans measurement science, artificial intelligence governance, bioengineering, public health engineering, and social technology. He has proposed the Extended Kelvin Principle, linking trust infrastructure, trust, measurement, and understanding, as well as approaches to verifiable AI output governance. In biomedical and public-health engineering, he has proposed “PAPR for Everyone,” extending positive-pressure respiratory protection to the general public. His current work explores “PAPR for Everyone” as a preparedness strategy for future pandemics and the integration of AI, sensing, and verifiable trust infrastructure for future biomedical and public-health applications.

Dr. Oreta’s work spans structural and earthquake engineering, disaster risk reduction, infrastructure resilience, concrete engineering, and computer applications in civil engineering. He has served as a consultant to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) under the One Million Safe Schools and Hospitals Campaign and has led or contributed to research initiatives on resilient cities, school infrastructure, cultural heritage resilience, and AI-enabled smart cities.

Among his recent recognitions, he was named one of the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) Most Outstanding Structural Engineers in September 2026 and received the UP Alumni Engineers 2025 National Achievement Award in Civil Engineering Education. He is also an RD Leader for Northwestern University under the National Research Council of the Philippines RDLead Program.

Dr. Oreta is a Fellow of ASEP, a member of the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), and a member of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP). He is likewise a Founding Member of the Philippine Academic Society on Climate and Disaster Risk (PASCDR) and a Fellow of the Philippine Public Safety College.

He is a graduate of Nagoya University in Civil Engineering (M.Engg. in Civil  Engineering) and holds a PhD  in Urban and Regional Planning obtained from the  University of the Philippines. He has contributed to projects led by Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative, Inc. (EMI), an international scientific non-government organization focused on disaster risk reduction and management planning and resilience building in megacities of Asia.

His main research fields are coastal ecosystem conservation, integrated coastal zone management, and coastal oceanography and engineering. Through many international projects, and in close work with stakeholders, he has introduced transdisciplinary approaches aimed at sustainable and resilient socio-ecological systems, using an integrated terrestrial-coastal-marine framework known as Green-Blue Linkages.