Shaping the Future of Higher Education in the Philippines: AI Readiness and Micro-Credentials

Dr. Cristi Ford

Dr. Cristi Ford serves as the Chief Learning Officer at D2L. She brings more than 20 years of cumulative experience in higher education, secondary education, project management, program evaluation, training and student services to her role. In this role, she offers thought leadership and direction to the academic affairs unit of the organization. Her previous roles have allowed her to have impact in education from secondary and higher education settings within North America and as part of the international landscape. Her reach has allowed her to focus on building online education in the US and in Africa.

In addition to her experience building new online learning programs and research related to online teaching and learning, Dr. Ford possesses significant experience in the design and delivery of integrated educational support, training and transition services for young adults and children with neurodevelopment disabilities.

Dr. Ford was selected by the Online Learning Consortium as the 2022 OLC Fellow (the highest professional distinction offered by the association). She is a tireless advocate for quality online education and has leveraged her passion and expertise in many realms in the education space. She is known for utilizing her leadership in extraordinary ways to help institutions build capacity to launch and expand online programming through effective faculty development, instructional design and pedagogical practices.

Dr. Ford holds a PhD in Educational Leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia and undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field of Psychology from Hampton University and University of Baltimore, respectively.

Christian Pantel

Christian was appointed Chief Product Officer in 2024. He leads global Product Strategy, Product Management, Product Design, User Experience Research and Accessibility at D2L. Christian first joined the company in 2015 and has expanded his leadership in product, design, and engineering. He has extensive experience in Education Technology and knows D2L customers well. With deep empathy for diverse learners and educators, Christian has led D2L to develop products with a world-class user experience. 

Christian has over 25 years of leadership experience building software at notable enterprise software companies including Workday, Infor, and PeopleSoft. Christian earned a Master of Science in computing science from Simon Fraser University, specializing in human-computer interaction and Web-based learning environments. He also holds a Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) from the University of Manitoba. Christian lives in Winnipeg with his wife and four children.

Benhur Ong

Benhur A. Ong is the Chancellor of De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, a leading institution in the Philippines known for innovation and inclusion in education. With over 25 years of academic leadership, he has pushed for degree programs that integrate technology, creativity, and industry relevance.

Ong holds a Master’s in Business Administration from De La Salle University and a background in Computer Science. His expertise spans curriculum development, project management, and institutional infrastructure. As Chancellor, he champions initiatives that bridge education with entrepreneurship, digital transformation, and social innovation.

He also serves as Chairperson of the Technical Panel for Hospitality Management and Tourism Management under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in the Philippines. A strong advocate for inclusive, future-ready learning ecosystems, Ong brings a regional perspective on reimagining online and blended education.

Anna Cherylle Ramos

Asst. Prof. Anna Cherylle Ramos is a seasoned eLearning leader with over 20 years of expertise in instructional technology. An alumna of the Australian Fellowship Awards, certified eLearning Specialist, and AI trainer, she is dedicated to harnessing AI to boost teacher productivity and creativity. She led the University of Santo Tomas’ Educational Technology Center (2011-2024) and spearheaded the award-winning UST Cloud Campus project at Asia’s oldest university.

As a board member of the eLearning Forum Asia (eLFA), she works with thought leaders to advance IT-driven teaching and advocate for open educational resources across Asia. As a former president and current Advisory Council Member of the Philippine eLearning Society, she has been instrumental in advancing online education in the Philippines. Recently appointed as a distinguished Zoom EDU Ambassador representing the Asia Pacific region, she is currently conducting doctoral research in integrating AI-driven adaptive learning technologies, AI Literacy Frameworks, and learning analytics for precision education  at Ontario Tech University.

Joyce Anne C. Samaniego

Ms. Joyce Anne C. Samaniego has served as the Executive Director of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities, Inc. (PACU) since January 2019, representing the association in the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations, Inc. (COCOPEA) as Associate Managing Director and Executive Director. 

Dir. Joyce is a consummate professional who helps shape the strategies, policies, and processes of the PACU Board of Trustees and the PACU Secretariat by providing proactive leadership support to the PACU Trustees, aligning with PACU’s vision, mission, objectives, and thrusts. 

Ms. Samaniego aims to shape policies that contribute to anti-poverty solutions and social mobility through access to quality, accessible, and inclusive education in the Philippines, with her expertise in the areas of Public Policy, Project Management, Public Sector Engagement, Government and Regulatory Relations, Community Engagement, Corporate Sustainability, and Youth Development.

She formerly held roles in the private and public sectors, such as Manager for External Relations and Special Projects at Ayala Education Inc. from 2014 to December 2018, K to 12 Transition Program Coordinator, and Senior High School National Task Force (SHS-NTF) Coordinator from June 2012 to July 2014 at the Department of Education; and was appointed as a Commissioner of the National Youth Commission in 2010.