Officers


Meet your dedicated and passionate PASP Officers for 2022-2023!

Tinnah Marie B. Balazuela, CSP-PASP

President 

 

Tinnah Marie, known more as “TM," received her degree in BS Speech Pathology from the College of Allied Medical Professions (CAMP) in the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila in 1998. She attended graduate coursework in Communication Disorders (Nova Southeastern University) and in Educational Administration (UP Diliman). Additionally, she has a master's degree in management from the UP Diliman Extension Program in Olongapo.

TM's practice focuses on pediatric language and literacy. She served as a school-based speech-language pathologist (SLP) in California, USA and in Shanghai and Beijing, China during the last 10 years. In addition, she was the Professional Standard and Ethics Committee Chairperson from 2020 to 2021 of the Philippine Association of Speech Pathologists (PASP). At present, she maintains a private practice in Cabanatuan and Olongapo. She has also been of service to various organizations within and outside the profession in Pampanga, Cebu, Nueva Ecija, and Zambales over the last two decades.

TM advocates for wellness and enjoys watching movies, working out, and meditating. She is a good conversationalist whom you would surely appreciate spending your coffee time with.

Julie Anne Christine Garcia-Rimando, CSP-PASP

Secretary 


Julie completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology at UP Manila in 2002. She also received certification for Rainbow Kids Yoga (Urban Ashram) in 2015, PROMPT Level 1 in 2015, PROMPT Level 2 in 2016, Hanen More Than Words Program in 2017, DIR/101 DIR Model in 2019, and Advanced Practitioner in Developmental Play (Applied Practice Level 3) in 2019. 

Over the years, her practice has focused on both pediatric and geriatric clients. She has been affiliated with Aces Center (Pangasinan) and Dong In Tulay Center (Bataan) since 2005, Medical Centrum Dagupan since 2019, and Child Advancement Center Helping Hands (Davao) since 2015. She also provided services at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Communicare Therapy Center, Center for Goals Alabang, and Neurodevelopmental Center Perpetual Las Pinas. 

Julie advocates for the important role of speech pathologists in the healthcare and educational systems of the Philippines. Likewise, she believes that speech pathologists should be given ample benefits for the services that they provide for every client that they cater. She is also an avid supporter of parent empowerment as she believes that anything can be achieved as long as the primary caregivers are part of the management team. 

During her free time, she likes watching the television, making diamond paintings, and spending time with her family. Julie describes herself as a very positive person who smiles even at adversaries.

Ma. Carmela Castillo-Go, CSP-PASP

Chair, Membership Committee


Carmela is a Batch 2007 graduate of the BS Speech Pathology degree program at UP Manila. She is also a Hanen-Certified Speech-Language Pathologist. She received her certification for Hanen’s It Takes Two to Talk program for parents and children with language delays last 2012 and for LSVT Loud last 2010. 

At present, her practice is focused on the special education school setting and the private practice setting in her province. She has previously worked as a consultant speech-language pathologist at the Makati Medical Center (2007-2009), Independent Living Learning Center (2007-2009), and Helping Hands Pediatric Therapy Center in Batangas (2008-2010). Currently, she is the long-standing Center Director for Early Start Therapy Center in Tanauan City, Batangas and the Program Director at Sunhill Developmental Education-Tanuan, both since 2007 to present. In addition, she was recently affiliated to De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute last July 2021 as a clinical supervisor for the SLP interns rotating at Bright Beginnings Therapy Center in Marikina.

Carmela proudly advocates for the role of family dynamics in intervention, family empowerment, access to therapy services for all, interprofessional collaboration within and outside the allied medical professions, and private practice in the province. Apart from her professional practice, she is a proud mother of Cedric, a 4-year old boy with Down Syndrome. She enjoys traveling with family and friends, participating in outreach programs, and managing their family business.

Ferdiliza Dandah S. Garcia, MD, CSP-PASP

Chair, Professional Standards & Ethics Committee


Ferdz is a BS Speech Pathology graduate from UP CAMP in 1998. She attained her Doctor of Medicine degree in 2003 from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center and is currently taking her Doctor of Social Development from UP Diliman College of Social Work and Community Development. Ferdz also received certification for WHO Wheelchair Service Training in 2015 and SPEAK OUT!® & LOUD Crowd® from the Parkinson’s Voice Project in 2021.

Disability-inclusive health policy and program development, as well as community-oriented rehabilitation, are Ferdz’ foci of practice. She was affiliated with the Philippine Coordinating Center for Inclusive Development and had served PASP from 2008 to 2014 as chair for various committees, vice-president, and president. Presently, she is an assistant professor at the UP CAMP Department of Speech Pathology and the current head of the UP CAMP CBR Program. She is also the current president of the Philippine Society of Wheelchair Professionals. 

Ferdz’ advocacies include the following: disability-inclusive health and development; gender, disability and development; disability-Inclusive disaster risk reduction; appropriate assistive device service provision in less resource settings; and integration of rehabilitation in the health system, especially in universal health care. Her hobbies and interests include food tripping and travelling while providing service.

Bea Angela T. Lozada, CSP-PASP

Chair, External Affairs Committee


Bea received her BS Speech Pathology degree from UP Manila in 2015. That same year, she completed PROMPT Level 1 from The PROMPT Institute. In 2017, she completed PROMPT Level 2 from the same institution, as well as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) certification from UP CAMP. 

Bea’s work is centered on the pediatric and adolescent population, focusing on language disorders, motor-speech disorders, hearing impairment, and AAC. She has been affiliated with Communicare Therapy Center for Children and Kidspeak Therapy Center from 2015 to present. Her advocacies include promoting awareness about the profession, building connections with other professions and organizations, and providing everyone access to speech-language therapy services. 

Singing, traveling, and going on food adventures are Bea’s interests and hobbies. She is also an active youth leader in their church community.

Aileen F. Matalog, CSP-PASP

Chair, Public Relations Committee


Em completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology at UP Manila in 2006. She has also been taking steps to further her education by pursuing a master’s degree in Health Professions Education at the same institution.

Em’s focus of practice is on acute care hospital-based practice, mostly working with patients that have dysphagia, aphasia, dementia. She also handles cancer patients with dysphagia needing end-of-life-care and feeding intervention for neonatal care. Her past affiliations include Therapy Works, Inc., Activity Works, Inc., and Medical Center Manila. She also has experience working in Singapore at the Alexandra Hospital back in 2009 to 2010. However, the majority of her professional career was spent as a clinical practitioner, supervisor, and mentor in the PGH Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (DRM). Her stay in a tertiary hospital care facility has provided her with a rich experience in clinical practice, hospital administration, and program development. At present, she practices as a speech-language pathologist at St. Luke’s Medical Center - Global City under the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Em is passionate about CBR and acute hospital based practice. She renders most of her time to serve PWDs in the community-based setting as a consultant of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council, designing programs and training teachers, trainors, and barangay health workers to provide better child care services in our country. One of the recent initiatives of the council that she contributed to was the Guidebook for ECCD Service Providers and Parents Managing Zero (0-) to Four (4-) Year-Old Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities in Early Learning Programs. Another interprofessional collaboration experience that she truly enjoyed was working with the Department of Health to develop the Manual of Operations for the Health and Wellness Program for Senior Citizens. Policy and program development for hospital-based practice and safety guidelines development and implementation for the COVID-19 response in the speech-language pathology practice are among the other advocacies that she upholds. In her spare time, she enjoys coin collecting, cooking, archery, and playing the guitar and ukulele.

Maria Carisa Relova-Lacson, MHPEd, CSP-PASP

Vice President 

 

Caysa completed her bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology (1996) and master’s degree in Health Professions Education (2016) at UP Manila. She also received certification for PROMPT Level 2 in 2017. Caysa has previously worked for the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and is currently serving in HELP Therapy Center and UP CAMP Alumni Association’s  Teletherafree. 

Aside from administrative duties in the clinic, Caysa’s practice primarily focuses on improving the speech and language skills of the pediatric population. Her levels of expertise include language development, speech sound development, apraxia, clinical training, and report-writing.

Caysa is an avid coffee fan who enjoys traveling with her family, food tripping, learning about different cultures, and engaging in wellness activities, specifically working out, coloring, and watching on Netflix.

She looks forward to helping the association as she advocates for information dissemination about the profession, Professional Regulation Commission licensing of SLPs, referral system updating for easier access to the public (i.e., databases according to specialized groups as well as geographical areas), and member participation.


Iric Kevin P. Santos, CSP-PASP

Treasurer

 

Iric is a graduate of BS Speech Pathology from UP Manila in 2011. He also completed postgraduate certification courses such as Dysphagia in the same institution in 2013, PROMPT Level 1 at The PROMPT Institute in 2020, and Oral Placement Therapy Level 2 at TalkTools in 2021. 

Iric’s focus of practice is on pediatric and geriatric language, swallowing, and motor-speech disorders. Aside from being the outgoing treasurer of PASP (2020-2021), he co-owns a private pediatric clinic in San Juan, Manila (Move and Think Therapy Specialists [MATTS] Therapy Center). He also loves teaching, which pushed him to serve as a clinical supervisor to UP and UST interns at the Alternative Learning Resource School Philippines in 2013 and at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center - Speech Section from 2013 to 2017. He was also previously affiliated with HOME Therapy Center and Chatter Therapy Center. 

Aside from being passionate about interprofessional collaboration within the rehabilitation team, he also advocates for parent and caregiver empowerment to achieve optimum results in intervention. His extra-curricular activities include being an alumnus of the UP Singing Ambassadors since 2007. He also graduated from the Every Nation School of World Missions in 2018 and worked as a full-time cross-cultural missionary from 2017 to 2019. During his pastimes, he likes to sing, draw, and travel.

Sheryl A. Sibug-Wong, CSP-PASP

Chair, Finance & Special Projects Committee

 

Sheryl, known more as “She,” graduated from the UP Manila BS Speech Pathology degree program in 2001. She also received her certification for the VitalStim Therapy Provider Program at St. Luke’s Medical Center in 2015. 

Her practice has focused on adult and geriatric patients with dysarthria, dysphagia, aphasia, cognitive-communication disorder, dysfluency, and dysphonia. She also sees children and adults with cleft lip and/or palate.

Currently, she has been working at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City since 2002 and in Global City since 2009. She is also the Clinical Directress of Hope Speaks Therapy Center in Quezon City.

Previous work experiences also varied from clinical practice in Cardinal Santos Medical Center and Therapy Works in Parañaque City to clinical supervisor of Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) program of UP-CAMP.

Additionally, she has been active in PASP over the years as a previous treasurer of its Board of Directors and as head of Finance and Information Campaign Committees. 

Excellence, accessibility, and decentralizing speech-language pathology practice from major cities to rural areas are the main advocacies She upholds as a professional. As she takes further steps in her vision with her co-PASP officers, she hopes that the association will be able to support Filipino SLPs and contribute to their confidence and competence, as well as help regulate the profession’s standards of practice. 

Apart from her professional interests, She spends her free time working out and doing charity work. She has also been volunteering at Operation Smile since 2002.

Vincente Mikael A. Garcia, MSc., CSP-PASP

Chair, Continuing Education & Research


Vincente, better known as “Vito”, obtained his bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology from UP Manila in 2016. He completed his masters degree in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition at Oxford University in 2020. Vito also received certification for Filipino Sign Language (Levels 1 and 2) from the College of Saint Benilde, School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies in 2018-2019.

Vito’s practice focuses on research in language development, speech pathologists' experiences with the Deaf community, and assessment and (re)habilitation of language-related difficulties or differences. These reflect his advocacies on Deaf Culture awareness and multilingual and mother tongue education. He has previously served in UP CAMP (2016-2017) and in Center for Autism and Related Disorders (2016-2019). At present, he works at Enfuego Christian Academy, Trails Center for Children, and The Speech Clinic. 

In his free time, he enjoys swimming and reading. He has recently taken interest in Filipiniana and South American fiction, as well as philosophy, history, and area studies or human geography.

With his position in PASP as the chair for Continuing Education and Research, Vito aims to increase the organization’s capacity as a research dissemination, generation, and encouragement body. 

Davilin Avelina D. Quilantang, CSP-PASP

Chair, Legislation & Public Policy Committee


Dav graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology from UP Manila in 1996. She also has certification for Postgraduate Intensive Course in Dysphagia Diagnosis and Management in Canterbury University and Van der Veer Institute, New Zealand in 2010. She then completed certifications for Introduction to PROMPT Technique Workshop, Bridging PROMPT Technique to Intervention, Introductory and Advanced Training on Early Start Denver Model, Langmore Foundation FEES Course, and The McNeill Dysphagia Therapy Program Certification Course. 

Her work is focused on pediatric and geriatric dysphagia cases as well as on speech and language cases associated with developmental conditions. She has been providing services as a speech therapist and clinic owner at the Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopmental Center (Brokenshire Hospital Davao City), a part-time consultant at the Southern Philippines Medical Center, a speech therapist volunteer of Operation Smile Philippines and International, and a speech project volunteer at the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines (Davao Chapter).

Dav’s advocacies include the following: literacy for indigenous children through partnership with Rotary International, bringing of SLP services to the grassroots through the media service partners (Mango Radio and Philippine Information Agency, Operation Smile Philippines and International, Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines - Davao Chapter, and other partner educational institutions), and professional development for SP practitioners in the provinces. Aside from her professional interests, Dav likes farming, gardening, hiking, reading, and music.

Jonah Jerome P. Katalbas, CSP-PASP

Chair, Convention Committee


Jay is a graduate of BS Speech Pathology at UP Manila in 2008. He received a certificate for Basic and Advanced FEES in 2009. He was then certified as a VitalStim® provider in 2018. He completed his UST Research Center on Social Sciences and Education Statistical Consulting certification in 2020.

Education, swallowing, and fluency disorders are Jay’s foci of practice. His affiliations include the Sigma Kappa Pi Fraternity Alumni Association, PASP, Philippine Stuttering Association, and the College of Rehabilitation Sciences of the University of Santo Tomas. He was also affiliated with PGH DRM from 2009 to 2014.

Jay’s interests and hobbies include gaming, cooking, coding and automation, statistical consulting, and digital art creation. He describes himself as “a techie who looks for ways to incorporate new tech in teaching and practicing SLP.”

Drop here!

Social Media Links

© 2014 - 2016 Philippine Association of Speech Pathologists