Member
Agreement

Board of Directors

Michelle Aventajado

Executive Director

Michelle Ressa Aventajado is a teacher by trade. No stranger to working with children with IDD, she has been working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities for over 30 years.

 

Attending the first training and open house for Best Buddies Philippines in 2014 would eventually put Michelle on a path where she was encouraged to make a difference in the special needs community by collaborating with other organizations and foundations.

 

Volunteering for The Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines and for the Center for Possibilities allows her gift of collaborating for the benefit of both kids and adults of all abilities.

Nino Aventajado

Board Director

When Nino Aventajado is not working as a land development consultant, you can find him with his family enjoying simple bonding activities. His degrees in both art history and physics allow him the ability to approach his parenting with creativity, theory, & trial and error, while taking time to appreciate the beauty in even the most mundane moments.


His passion for inclusion continues to grow with the propagation of Best Buddies in the Philippines. Being part of several organizations open to furthering inclusion of individuals of all abilities like the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines and The Center of Possibilities allow him to share parts of his parenting journey while being part of something bigger.

Jessica Malca

Position

Jessica has been an Ambassador for Best Buddies Philippines since 2015. She has represented Best Buddies Philippines in two leadership conferences in the United States, has promoted Best Buddies through SENIA in Malaysia and Japan and has spoken on behalf of Best Buddies in various chapter schools throughout the National Capital Region.

 

Jessica graduated from Brent International School in 2013 and works as a teacher assistant at One World School in Makati.

Neva Arboleda Santos

Position

Neva Arboleda Santos is Regional Head of the Client Reporting Team of Partners Group, a global private equity firm with more than USD 90 billion assets under management.

 

The company is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with international offices including Manila, Philippines where she also serves as the Deputy Office Head. Prior to joining Partners Group, Neva was Executive Director of the Corporate Governance Content Team in MSCI.

 

She has over 20 years of professional experience, 15 of which have been in team and operations management roles as well as client services. Neva holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics at University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Pia Guano Mago

Position

Pia Guanio Mago is a follower of Jesus, a wife and a mother of two. She is also a tv host, a writer for broadcast and print and an endorser.

Jennifer Calipes Lagasca

Position

Jennifer Lagasca has been the HR Manager for Diversity and Inclusion for a global technology solutions company since 2018.

 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the University of the Philippines and spend almost 20 years in Quality Assurance in manufacturing before shifting to the Human Resources department.

 

Her experience having an exceptional child paved the way for this move, as she has become instrumental in establishing the inclusion process of persons with disability in their workplace.

 

She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in the field of Special Education at the University of the Philippines.

April Myla Paligsa

Position

April is currently a Senior Manager in one of the leading life insurance of the companies in the Philippines.

 

She has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry with expertise in customer service and operations support.

 

Having a son with special needs and being involved with Best Buddies Philippines led to her better understanding of and concern for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and enriched her purpose in life.

Joel D. Lazaro, MD, FPPS, FPSDBP

Position

Dr. Joel has been a Developmental Pediatrician based in the South of Manila for the past 25 years. He is currently the Section Head of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics both at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center and the De la Salle University Medical Center. He also serves as the Clinical Head of the Neurodevelopmental Center of the De la Salle Health Sciences Institute. This is a center that provides diagnosis and intervention of children neurodevelopmental disorders.

 

Dr. Joel received post-graduate medical training the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Columbus in Ohio. He is also an educator as he is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the College of Medicine of the De la Salle Health Sciences Institute. Dr. Joel is a Fellow of the Philippine Pediatric Society and a Founding Fellow/ currently Board member of the Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. He is also an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the DLSU College of Medicine.

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Best Buddies Member Agreement

To join Best Buddies, all applicants must agree to the terms set forth in the Member Code of Conduct, Acknowledgement, and General Release as laid out below.

Member Code of Conduct

As a Best Buddies member:
  • I will be respectful, truthful, and inclusive in my interactions with others.
  • I will recognize and celebrate the diversity of character and abilities of all people.
  • I will conduct myself ethically, obey all laws, and act in good faith at all times.
  • I will abide by the rules, directives, and guidelines set forth by Best Buddies International.
  • I will respect the decisions and requests made by Best Buddies staff members and chapter leadership.
  • I will NOT harass, threaten, embarrass, or insult others.
  • I will NOT say or do anything that is harmful, abusive, racially or ethnically offensive, vulgar, sexually explicit, or objectionable.
  • I will NOT make inappropriate or unwanted physical, verbal, or sexual advances.

Acknowledgement

As a Best Buddies member:
  • I agree to follow the Member Code of Conduct when participating in Best Buddies and at all Best Buddies activities and events.
  • I understand that if I am matched in a one-to-one friendship, I will do my best to honor my commitment to my Buddy.
  • I understand that a Best Buddies member acts as a friend and a peer and NOT as a caregiver or dependent.
  • I give permission to be photographed and/or filmed at any Best Buddies activity, and I understand that any photograph or videotape may be used at the discretion of Best Buddies for publicity purposes (members may opt out).
  • Prior to the commencement of my participation, I will furnish Best Buddies with any medical information that may be necessary in treating me in the case of an emergency.
  • I consent to Best Buddies’ use and disclosure of such medical information to medical professionals that may need the information in order to treat me in the case of an emergency.
  • I understand that I must have a valid auto insurance policy if operating a motor vehicle in relation to a Best Buddies activity.
  • I understand that Best Buddies is in no way obligated to assign, or match, or actively seek to assign or match me in a one-to-one friendship, and that Best Buddies makes no guarantees, assurances, or other commitments, either express or implied, as to the impact or results of a match upon any of the parties involved.
  • I acknowledge that I have completed this application to the best of my knowledge and that all information I have provided is true, and I understand that any false or misleading information given by me in connection with my application for, or my membership with, Best Buddies International may result in termination of my membership.
  • I understand that Best Buddies International reserves the right to deny entrance into our programs to anyone, for any reason, at any time. Best Buddies also reserves the right to revoke membership from our programs for any reason, at any time.
  • I understand that, in cases where appropriate and necessary, Best Buddies International may require a background check prior to participation in our programs.
  • I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the terms of the Best Buddies International privacy policy. Best Buddies considers all personal information collected to be confidential and will not sell, share, or rent this information to others.
  • I understand that I am also responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all privileged information that I receive through participation in Best Buddies.

General Release

In consideration of the benefits and opportunities afforded to me through participation in the Best Buddies organization, the participant states as follows:

 

  1. I hereby agree to release Best Buddies International, Inc., from any liability for any accident, injury, or illness suffered at, during, or in connection with any Best Buddies activities, except for any accident, injury, or illness which results from gross misconduct by Best Buddies International, Inc., or its staff.
  2. I authorize Best Buddies International, Inc., to obtain medical treatment in the event of injury or illness in connection with a Best Buddies activity and agree to pay any expense incurred for treatment.
  3. I understand that, in connection with any Best Buddies activity, if I am riding in a private passenger automobile which is involved in an accident, I may be primarily covered for bodily injury under my family automobile policy, and I agree to submit any medical bills incurred to my insurance company for payment. If my policy has been issued with a deductible clause relative to the personal injury protection, I understand that I have assumed that deductible on primary coverage.
  4. If I am being transported in a commercial carrier or other leased or rented vehicles in connection with a Best Buddies activity and an injury occurs, I understand that I shall look to the commercial carrier or owner of the leased or rented vehicle to pay any medical bills incurred as a result of such injury.

 

NOTE: The participant agrees to assume all risk of accident, injury, or illness that may occur at, during, or in connection with any Best Buddies activity.


Last updated: 2/6/2024