Teach Forward Manila

Dr. Finaflor F. Taylan

Dean, Faculty of Management and Development Studies, University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU)

A social worker by profession, Dr. Finaflor F. Taylan is an Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS) at the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). Bridging her two decades of experience in social work and development with Open and Distance E-Learning (ODeL), she champions educational equity and flexible learning pathways for diverse learners including working professionals in collaboration with industry partners and organizations such as the Civil Service Commission, Unicef, and Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD).

As the Program Chair for UPOU’s Social Work programs, she pioneered distance education models for human service professionals and now leads multi-sectoral initiatives to establish national frameworks for microcredentials, drawn from developing and offering microcredentials and massive open online courses for diverse learners.

Globally and regionally recognized for her intersectional advocacy, she serves as the President of the Asian Association of Women’s Studies (AAWS), Vice President of the National Association for Social Work Education, Inc. (NASWEI), and former Director of the UPOU Office of Gender Concerns. Dr. Taylan holds a Doctor of Professional Studies from the University of Southern Queensland and Masters and Bachelors degree in Social Work from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Dr. Arturo J. Patungan Jr. LPT, Ph.D.

Assoc. Professor, University of Santo Tomas (UST) & Council Advisor, AI Association of the Philippines

Arturo J. Patungan Jr., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Program Coordinator of the BS Data Science and Analytics program at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). He also teaches quantitative and advanced statistics at the graduate level. His work focuses on the use of artificial intelligence, learning analytics, and data science to support education, policy, and institutional decision-making, with particular emphasis on closing the gap between AI capability and education systems in developing contexts.

He serves as a Data Specialist Consultant for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, contributing to the Voluntary Local Review of the Sustainable Development Goals through data analysis, indicator development, and reporting for local governments. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Computational Innovations and Analytics, supporting scholarly work in analytics and data science. He holds a Visiting Professorship at Universiti Utara Malaysia, where he collaborates on research in analytics and quantitative sciences.

At UST, he leads faculty development initiatives in data science, analytics, and AI, and supports university offices in implementing data-driven strategies. Dr. Patungan is one of the current National Board members of the Philippine Council of Mathematics Teacher Educations (MATHTED) Inc., and he is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Association of the Philippines, and a regular speaker and trainer on AI and analytics in education.

Dr. Eric Chua

Associate Professor and Director of SIT Teaching and Learning Academy, Singapore Institute of Technology

Dr Eric Chua is an Associate Professor and Director of the SIT Teaching and Learning Academy, where he leads institutional efforts to redesign learning around competency-based education, industry-aligned micro-credentials, and AI-assisted curriculum development. As an educator, he teaches research methods and data analytics across engineering and health sciences and is a recipient of SIT’s university Teaching Excellence Award. His research asks how skills credentials can be designed to drive employer recognition, and how institutions can move AI adoption into the core of how curricula are built and delivered, and his work spans faculty development, curriculum innovation and applied research in service of that agenda.

Dr. Hyunkyung Lee

Head of Digital Transformation & AI Advisory Board, Far Eastern University

Dr. Hyunkyung Lee is a Professor and University Research Fellow at the Institute of Education, Far Eastern University (FEU), where she leads initiatives in digital transformation and AI in education. As Head of Digital Transformation and a member of the AI Advisory Board for FEU schools, she works at the intersection of educational technology, AI integration, faculty development, and institutional change.

Dr. Lee has also served as a Resource Person and Consultant for the SMART Nation 4.0 project funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), contributing her expertise in digital transformation, emerging technologies, and education (https://www.feu.edu.ph/ched-partners-with-feu-for-national-symposium/). Her research focuses on the thoughtful integration of generative AI into teaching, learning, and assessment, with particular attention to preserving educator judgment, making student learning visible, and fostering responsible AI use.

Through her research, teaching, consulting, and institutional leadership, Dr. Lee advocates for an approach to AI in education that strengthens teaching and learning whil

Dr. Samson Tan

Chief AI Officer, Institute of Adult Learning

Dr. Samson Tan serves in a dual capacity as the Director of the Learning and Professional Development Division (LPDD) and Chief AI Officer (CAIO) at the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL). In these leadership roles, he drives the strategic transformation of adult education, champions workplace learning frameworks, and accelerates the integration of Artificial Intelligence across the Training and Adult Education (TAE) sector. As CAIO, he leads IAL’s strategic roadmap for AI governance, capability development, and innovation, positioning the Continuing Education and Training (CET) ecosystem to thrive in a techempowered economy.

Prior to his appointment at IAL, Samson spearheaded regional growth and educational solutions at Civica, orchestrating high-impact business strategy, edtech innovations, and enterprise learning architectures. His career spans key leadership positions across Singapore’s tertiary and national education landscape, including serving as Head of the Centre for Innovation in Learning at the National Institute of Education (NIE) and driving digital transformation and continuing education strategies at Republic Polytechnic.

Samson holds a Doctorate in Education (EdD) from the University of Western Australia, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Hull, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) from the National Institute of Education, and a Bachelor of Science (Double Major in Physics) from the National University of Singapore.

Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo

President and CEO, Mapua University

Dr. Dodjie S. Maestrecampo is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mapúa University, a leading Philippine institution in engineering, technology, and digitally enabled education. With almost four decades in higher education, Dr.Maestrecampo has focused on connecting academic excellence with the changing needs of industry and society. Under his leadership, Mapúa has advanced a career readiness approach that combines disciplinary depth, cross-disciplinary capabilities, real-world experience, and industry credentials—reflecting the University’s commitment to producing graduates whose competencies are demonstrable beyond the traditional degree. Mapúa has been an early mover in microcredentials in Philippine higher education, launching its Microcredential Program in 2019. Through Mapúa’s lifelong learning platforms and Academies, learners can earn focused, industry-relevant credentials in areas including project management, cybersecurity, data science, digital transformation, energy, artificial intelligence, and other emerging fields. These credentials are designed to be stackable and, in many cases, can contribute
toward formal academic qualifications.

More recently, Mapúa has strengthened the link between learning, credentials, and employability by integrating industry microcredentials into its curriculum and
developing stackable AI fluency credentials as part of its institution-wide AI Fluency Strategy. At the D2L Executive Forum: Manila, Dr. Maestrecampo will share Mapúa’s experience in building an education model in which credentials are not merely evidence of completion, but signals of relevant, verified, and continuously evolving
capability.

Adriel Cid C. Tandoc

3rd Year Student, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy and International Affairs

Adriel Cid “AC” Tandoc is a third-year student majoring in Bachelor of Arts-Diplomacy and International Affairs at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. AC is a student leader at the School of Diplomacy and Governance. He has maintained a strong academic record and has participated in Model United Nations activities as both a delegate and an organizer. Recently, he has served as the Chairperson of the Economic and Social Council of the 27th Benilde Model United Nations conducted in February 2026. AC has also supported school events as an MC, moderator, volunteer, and performer, with him recently finished hosting the start of ASEAN Week in Benilde, where the College hosted His Excellency Thiphasone Sengsourinha, Ambassador of Laos to the Philippines. AC is inspired by his dreams of becoming a future Philippine diplomat and his zeal for a humanistic, equitable public service. He is able to communicate in several languages, including English, Filipino, German, Russian, Vietnamese,
Mandarin Chinese, and French. In his free time, AC is a musician – He is a pianist, guitarist, and opera singer who has composed his own songs, which are to be planned for release soon, and he spends his time operating his YouTube channel which is dedicated to the research, performance, preservation, and education of historical music.

Dr Cristi Ford

Chief Learning Officer, D2L

Dr. Cristi Ford serves as the Chief Learning Officer at D2L, bringing more than 20 years of experience in higher education, secondary education, project management, program evaluation, training, and student services. In this role, she provides strategic leadership and thought direction, ensuring that D2L remains at the forefront of innovation in learning, teaching, and academic affairs. Her work extends across institutional, corporate, and global landscapes, driving impactful change in digital learning environments.

Dr. Ford has held key roles across secondary and higher education, as well as on the international stage, where she has played a pivotal role in expanding online learning in both the U.S. and the African continent. Her expertise includes building and scaling online education programs, faculty development, instructional design, and pedagogical best practices.

Dr. Ford’s contributions to the field have been widely recognized. She was selected as a 2022 OLC Fellow by the Online Learning Consortium—the highest professional distinction awarded by the association—in recognition of her dedication to advancing quality online education. Known for her visionary leadership, she is committed to helping institutions build capacity, scale digital learning, and enhance student success. And in In 2024, she received the Mildred and Charles Wedemeyer Award, recognizing her as an outstanding practitioner in distance education.

Jack Pinette

VP, Product Strategy, D2L

Jack has worked in Ed Tech for more than 20 years, on both the institutional and industry side. He currently leads product strategy at D2L, helping to build Brightspace. Jack has the great privilege of working with an amazing set of institutions helping tens of millions of learners meet their educational goals, and with a smart, capable and caring group of professionals dedicated to advancing education. D2L’s company mission is to transform the way the world learns, and a big part of that is helping absolutely everyone to create and deliver amazing, engaging learning experiences – full of video and audio, interactives, and now AI as well. Jack helps direct that from his home in San Diego.