Staff
Maria Robelle Lahoz Cortezano (Belle) is the College Outreach Program Coordinator for Ugat ng Kalusugan. Belle plans, organizes, and implements the reproductive health education classes and other related activities for college students. She also trains young people on how to become peer counselors on reproductive health issues. Prior to joining Ugat ng Kalusugan she conducted English tutorial services to Korean nationals willing to learn the language.
Belle completed her Bachelor of Secondary Education in English from Palawan State University in April 2011.
Daisy Comia Ellorquez is a nurse for Ugat ng Kalusugan. Together with Joyce, Daisy provides clinical health services to women in the UnK program sites. Daisy also conducts reproductive and general health education classes for women and girls in Pulang Lupa and Little Tondo.
Prior to joining Ugat ng Kalusugan, Daisy worked as a nurse in both clinical and rural health unit settings with the Department of Labor and Employment, Medicare Hospital and Araceli Rural Health Unit (all in Palawan). She also served as a nurse in the Narra Rural Health Unit under the Provincial Health Office of the Provincial Government of Palawan.
Daisy earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Our Lady of Fatima University in Manila and passed the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination in 2008.
Susan Evangelista is the Founder of Roots of Health and currently serves as the organization’s Deputy Director. Prior to the founding of Roots of Health, Susan worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines and went on to teach at the Ateneo de Manila University for 30 years. While a faculty member at Ateneo, she also worked in Nigeria’s University of Maiduguri, in a Burmese Refugee Camp in Thailand, in Cambodia’s Royal University of Phnom Penh, and in Osaka Gaidai, Japan. She has published academic books and articles as well as creative pieces – both fiction and nonfiction – and handled various administrational jobs in the university, notably Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies. She also worked with ACELT, an outreach organization that conducts teacher training all over the Philippines.
In 2000 Susan retired from Ateneo and moved to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, where she is currently a consultant at Palawan State University. Susan is also adjunct faculty with the SAIDI foundation in Manila and Secretary of the Board of Bahatala, a local orthopedic rehabilitation NGO, funded by the British Palawan Trust in England and the international Christian Blind Mission.
Susan received her Bachelors degree from Swarthmore College, her Master of Applied Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, her Master of Asian Studies from the University of the Philippines, and her Doctor of Philosophy in Philippine Studies from the University of the Philippines.
Rhealyn Maria–as Paliza (Lyn-lyn) is the Associate Program Manager for Ugat ng Kalusugan – the local administrative arm of Roots of Health. Lyn-Lyn works with the organization’s Head Nurse and Head Teacher to oversee and manage Ugat ng Kalusugan’s activities and staff. In addition to her management work, Lyn Lyn organizes and implements the reproductive health education classes for women and girls in Ugat ng Kalusugan’s three program sites. She is also the organization’s liaison with program site community leaders. Prior to joining Ugat ng Kalusugan, Rhealyn worked at Prime Educational Support, an organization that provides review classes for the National Teacher’s Licensing Board Exam.
Rhealyn completed her Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Palawan State University in 2009.
Mariefe Lota Portuguesa (Ping) is a Child Health Program Associate with Ugat ng Kalusugan. Together with Shirene and Evetha, Ping helps plan and implement the organization’s Educational Support Program for children. Prior to joining the organization, she worked as a teacher for one year at Liminangcong National High School – San Jose Extension.
Ping earned her Bachelor of Secondary Education in English from Palawan State University in 2009.
Shirene Cabasal Saban is a Child Health Program Associate with Ugat ng Kalusugan, and heads the organization’s team of teachers. Shirene runs, manages, plans and implements the organization’s education program for children and teenagers as well as coordinating the nutritional support program sessions. Together with Joyce, she created the material and implements the organization’s outreach work with teens in UnK program sites. Prior to joining the organization, she worked as an Elementary School teacher at Fullbright College Integrated School.
Shirene earned her Bachelor of Secondary Education in English from Palawan State University in April 2009, graduating Cum Laude. She passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers in September 2010.
Amina Evangelista Swanepoel (Ami) is the Founding Executive Director of Roots of Health and the local administrative arm of the organization, Ugat ng Kalusugan. Ami provides leadership in the day-to-day running of Roots of Health and trains staff in implementing all Roots of Health programming. She is the liaison with the Roots of Health Board of Directors in the United States, and with the Philippine-based Ugat ng Kalusugan Advisory Committee. She oversees the organization’s finances and raises new funds for the organization. She is currently working with the Board of Directors in a Strategic Planning process to ensure the continued success of the organization.
Prior to this post, Ami spent two years at Human Rights Watch where she researched and documented human rights abuses in Asia. She also held a position with the Guttmacher Institute researching health and HIV issues among youth in Sub-Saharan Africa. She worked in the Program Division of UNHCR in India, where she created an HIV information curriculum currently being implemented among refugee populations in New Delhi. She also served as the Coordinating Manager at Anthony Knerr & Associates, a consulting firm specialized in strategic planning and counsel for nonprofits.
Amina received her Bachelors degree from Wellesley College, and her Master of International Affairs and Master of Public Health from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and the Mailman School of Public Health.
Marcus Swanepoel is the Media and Program Director of Roots of Health. Marcus created and maintains the organization’s website as well as Roots of Health promotional materials. He also manages Roots of Health’s online presence on various social networking websites including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube. Marcus oversees the organization’s programming in the three community sites, and oversees the creation and implementation all curriculums and their implementation. He also trains the organization’s staff in computer literacy and teaching skills. Marcus also created the Vertical Garden Program and handles the creation, distribution and maintenance of the gardens in the program sites.
Prior to joining the organization, Marcus was an English teacher and taught at Bronx Preparatory Charter School in New York City, at Fish Hoek Middle School in Cape Town, South Africa, and at the Apostle English School in Taichung, Taiwan. Marcus also conducted Media and Web activities for Sweccha – We for Change, a nonprofit environmental organization in India. He also worked for an online editing company, Edit.com in marketing and website optimization.
Marcus received his Bachelors degree from Rhodes University where he majored in English and Journalism, his Post Graduate Diploma in Enterprise Management from Rhodes University and his Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of South Africa.
Ma. Celeste Cawaling-Yacas (Joyce) is a head nurse for Ugat ng Kalusugan. Together with Daisy, Joyce provides clinical health services to women in the UnK program sites. Joyce also conducts reproductive and general health education classes for women and girls in Unang Lahi. Together with Shirene, Joyce also creates and implements modules for the UnK outreach work with teens.
Prior to joining Ugat ng Kalusugan, Joyce worked at Holy Trinity University as an Instructor for community health nursing. She also taught Science, Technology & Society and Health Economics. She gained experience working in a hospital setting as a staff nurse at Palawan Adventist Medical Center. Joyce also worked as technical staff at the City Investment Promotion Division of the City Government of Puerto Princesa. Joyce is also a dancer, and is part of the Culture and Arts Group of the Puerto Princesa City, Pangkat Kalinangan.
Joyce completed her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing at Holy Trinity University in Palawan in 2006. She passed the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination the same year.
