Ann has over five years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She earned her Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of the Philippines and received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of Santo Tomas. Formerly, Ann was the Policy Officer of NGO Forum in ADB. The Forum is an independent network of over 250 civil society organizations in Asia based in Manila, Philippines. The network champions the rights of local communities adversely affected by the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) large scale infrastructure projects and policies. As the Policy Officer, Ann had the opportunity to be involved in the safeguards evaluation process of the Bank, and to work with its local partner, CSOs to institute affected communities in filing complaints for ADB’s Accountability Mechanism. Prior to joining the Forum, her inclination to local governance and development work led her to join the Leagues of Cities of the Philippines for three years as Junior Program Officer. LCP is the mandated organization of all cities in the country that tackles local governance agenda at the forefront of the country’s national development. As the Junior Program Officer, she was able to handle projects on improving the state of maternal health in the country, like its governance and making cities resilient among others. Through these experiences she had developed strong skills on project management and policy advocacy. Therefore, Ann is interested to further work directly with local communities, be immersed on issues of local governance, human rights, urban planning and advocacy targeting international financial institutions.
Host Organization: International Accountability Project
Role at Host Organization: Annabel will serve as the IAP Smitu Kothari Fellow. The Smitu Kohtari Fellowship is a unique work and learning opportunity for young advocates created in honor of IAP founding board member Smitu Kothari. The aim of the Smitu Kothari Fellowship is an opportunity to continue growth within the movement for global justice and to strengthen their abilities as activists, critical thinkers and change-makers.