31/08/2026
๐ ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐, ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐: ๐๐น๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ทโโ๏ธ
Fellow engineers and advocates, as I wrap up a truly transformative season of my career, Iโm announcing my departure from the International Road Federation Young Professionals Programme and the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety.
Taking our local perspectives to global stages, from consulting work to engagements in Istanbul and Marrakech, has been a massive privilege. Serving as the IRF Young Professionals Programme Leader for five long years was all about amplifying the voices of young professionals in transport policy. I am especially proud to leave on a high note, having organized and conducted the leadership interviews to successfully onboard our next incredible cohort of transport advocates.
My time with YOURS through the Global Youth Leadership Board and as their first and only Filipino Global Youth Mobility Ambassador has been equally fulfilling. We didnโt just talk about road safety on a macro scale; we fought for localized action plans. A standout achievement for me was our collaboration with Ligtas na Kalsada for All (LinK4All) generously supported by DEPDev Region VI and Iloilo Business Club, Inc. It proved that unified global efforts translate to real, life-saving impact right here at home. It ultimately helped to reduce road crash fatalities in our region by an estimated 5.0 percent in 2025.
None of these milestones would have been possible without the remarkable teams I worked alongside. While there are simply too many individuals to name, I am deeply grateful to the visionary leadership, the foundational mentors, and the seamless transition team at the IRF. To my fellow Young Professional Leaders scattered across the globe, and the incredible Yours - Youth for Road Safety team who always pushed me to believe in myself: thank you for your shared dedication and for becoming a true family.
๐๐ค, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐ฃ๐๐ญ๐ฉ?
A major reason for stepping back from these global roles is to dedicate my focus to an expanded role within the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev). I am now based in Bacolod City. While my primary time and energy will now be channeled into my full-time government work, The Ilonggo Engineer isn't going anywhere!
I will continue maintaining this blog and social media page as a dedicated space for objective, evidence-based discussions on transport, policy, and engineering. Please note: this platform remains strictly separate from my public service duties. Though I will share some parts about my work, ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ง๐ญ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ด ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฆ๐น๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ท.
If youโre a young engineer or professional looking to step into global advocacy, I strongly encourage you to join organizations like IRF and YOURS and earn your spot on the top. They offer unparalleled professional development and the chance to collaborate with diverse minds worldwide. You wonโt just build a network; youโll build a family while designing a safer, more connected world.
The transport sector needs our energy, our insights, and our voice. Letโs keep moving forward! I am still your Ilonggo Engineer, from the City of Love, for the future we'll love.
