Regular Faculty
Patricia B. Arinto
Professor
Patricia B. Arinto
Education
- Doctor in Education, Institute of Education, University of London
- Post-Graduate Certificate in Technology-Based Distributed Learning, University of British Columbia
- MA in Comparative Literature, University of the Philippines Diliman
- BA in Communication Arts (magna cum laude), University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College
Current Appointments
- Professor, Faculty of Education
- Chair, University Council – Committee on University Governance and Administration
Profile
Professor Patricia B. Arinto teaches graduate courses on the foundations of distance education, learning theories and instructional design, and research in education, and undergraduate courses on academic writing; language, culture, and education; alternative education systems; development education; vocational education; and education research. Her research interests include teacher professional development in technology-supported teaching, open education, and resource-based learning.
Professor Arinto is former Dean of the UPOU Faculty of Education and served as the UP Faculty Regent, representing the faculty in the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines (UP). She was chairperson of the UP General Education (GE) Task Force in 2015 and is a member of the UP GE Council. She is also deputy principal investigator of the multi-country Research on Open Educational Resources for Development in the Global South (ROER4D) project, and the theme adviser on MOOCs (massive open online courses) in the Digital Learning for Development (DL4D) project funded by the International Development Research Centre of Canada (IDRC).
Over the past decade and a half Prof. Arinto has designed training programs on technology-supported teaching and learning for secondary school teachers, university faculty, and teachers in the alternative learning system in the Philippines, Cambodia, and Lao People’s Democratic Republic. She is currently leading a USAID-funded technology-supported teacher professional development program in early literacy instruction for K-3 teachers in the Philippines. She has also led research programs on ICT (information and communications technologies) integration in Philippine schools, including an Australian Government-funded study on use of tablet computers for teaching and learning in nine public secondary schools in the Philippines in 2012-2014 and a USAID-funded national assessment of the state of ICT in Philippine basic education in 2012. She was part of the 2010-2012 IDRC-funded multi-country “Openness and Quality in Asian Distance Education” project.
Ricardo T. Bagarinao
Professor
Ricardo T. Bagarinao
Education
- Ph.D. in Environmental Science, UP Los Baños
- Master of Science in Environmental Studies, UP Los Baños
- Bachelor of Science in Biology, UP Visayas Cebu College
Current Appointments
- Professor, Faculty of Education
- Chair, FEd Research and Publication Committee
- Program Chair, Graduate Certificate in/Master of ASEAN Studies
- Member, UPOU University Council – Committee on Strategic Policies
- Director, Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning
Profile
Professor Ricardo T. Bagarinao joined the UPOU as a full-time faculty member on 1 June 2006. He has then served as the Program Chair of the PhD in Education. He taught courses in biology and other related fields in the Faculty of Education and Faculty of Management and Development Studies. He serves as dissertation adviser, critic, or panel member in the PhD in Education and Master of ASEAN Studies programs. He served as the former University Registrar from 01 April 2010 to 31 January 2017 and Dean of the Faculty of Education from 01 February 2017 to 28 February 2023.
Dr. Bagarinao’s research interests include studies on landscape ecology, land use and land cover changes, environmental management, disaster preparedness, risk reduction, and management, and spatial analysis (use of GIS). As an ODeL educator, he is also engaged in researches involving distance education, e-learning, and open learning. Currently, he manages a research program on the blending of multimedia approach and Satoyama-Satoumi principles for building climate smart communities and a development project in early childhood education for teachers and workers in early childhood care and development. These projects are funded by the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research fund of the University of the Philippines and Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., respectively.
His publications in the last 3 years include the following: Online Learners’ Exposure to Natural Hazards Risks in the Philippines: Implications for Student Support and Policy (International Journal of Open and Distance e-Learning); GIS and Its Role in Plant Genetic Resources Use and Conservation (Book Chapter); Developing positive climate and behavior management in a flipped classroom (International Journal of Open and Distance e-Learning); System Dynamic Modeling of Top Harvested Plant Bioresources in Northern Negros Natural Park (Book Chapter); Homegarden Agroforestry for Plant Diversity Conservation in an Urban Landscape: Practices and Prospects (Book Chapter); An Emerging Network for Sustainable Agriculture: A Social Network Analysis of Permaculture Practitioners in the Philippines (International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development); Gap Analysis of Sustainable Tourism: The Case of an LGU-Managed Ecotourism Project of Rizal, Laguna (Journal of Nature Studies); A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of the Lived Experiences of STEM Students on the Use of Online Inverted Learning Approach in Biology (Asian Journal of Education and Human Development); Morphing of the Educational Landscape: Implications on the Instructional Function of the University of the Future (Book Chapter); Flexible Learning Pathways and the Future of University Education (Book Chapter); Sustainability and the University of the Future (Book Chapter); and Sustainability Office: An important Element of the University of the Future’s Organizational Structure (Book Chapter).
Roel P. Cantada
Assistant Professor
Roel P. Cantada
Education
- Master of Distance Education
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
- Member, FEd Research and Publication Committee
Profile
Assistant Professor Roel P. Cantada joined the UPOU on September, 2011. He taught courses in education and distance education in the Faculty of Education. He served as program chair of the Diploma and Master of Arts in Social Studies Education and Graduate Certificate in and Master of Distance Education programs; and a Program Development Associate for Academic Technologies under the UPOU Information and Communication Technology Development Office from November, 2012 to August, 2017.
Asst. Prof. Cantada’s research interests include distance education and educational technology particularly research on the use of virtual reality, virtual worlds, intelligent tutoring systems, learning analytics and virtual laboratories in adaptive and immersive open and distance e-learning.
His publications in the last three years include Online curriculum mapping as a learning analytic tool for collaborative distributed curriculum development: Implications for open and distance learning (book chapter) and Intelligent tutoring systems as an approach to elearning assessment (in press; book chapter).
Joel L. De Castro
Assistant Professor
Joel L. De Castro
Education
- Master in Information Systems, UP Open University
- Diploma in Computer Science, UP Open University
- Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, UP Los Baños
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
- Program Development Associate, Quality Assurance Office (Information Systems Development)
Profile
Assistant Professor De Castro worked for a long period of time in the Basic Education institution as mathematics and computer teacher. He served also as a Registrar and Subject coordinator in the same institution. He served also as an instructor in the Department of Mathematics in IMSP, UPLB from 1992-1996. He also experienced to work in the Actuarial Department of the Social Security Systems(SSS) Head office as an Actuarial Researcher. His interest is on mathematics teaching, programming, and android app development. Asst. Prof. De Castro is currently taking his PhD in Education (Mathematics Education) at the University of the Philippines Open University.
Rameses A. De Jesus
Assistant Professor
Rameses P. De Jesus
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
Joseph A. De Mesa
Assistant Professor
Joseph A. De Mesa
-
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy in Physics, University of the Philippines Diliman
- Master of Science in Physics, University of the Philippines Diliman
- Bachelor of Science in Physics, PUP Main Campus
(cum laude)
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
- Program Chair, Diploma in Science Teaching
- Member, FEd Committee on Curriculum and Instruction
Bionote
Aurora V. Lacaste
Assistant Professor
Aurora V. Lacaste
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy (Education and Human Development), National Sun Yat-sen University
- Master of Science in Zoology (minor in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology), UP Los Baños
- Bachelor of Science in Biology (major in Zoology), UP Los Baños (cum laude)
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
- Program Chair, Diploma in Science Teaching (DST)
- Member, FEd Faculty Academic Personnel Committee
- Member, FEd Research and Publication Committee
- Program Development Associate, Quality Assurance Office
- Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for Instruction, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Bionote
Asst. Prof. Aurora V. Lacaste is a regular faculty member of the Faculty of Education, UP Open University who has taught courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her teaching and research interests include biology education, education for sustainable development, creative teaching, multicultural and comparative education, and mixed methods research. She has also published and presented a number of papers at national and international conferences on topics of open and distance eLearning (ODeL), multicultural and comparative education, biodiversity education, and biodiversity conservation.
Mark Pere Madrona
Assistant Professor
Mark Pere Madrona
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy in History, University of the Philippines Diliman (ongoing)
- Master of Arts in History, University of the Philippines Diliman
- Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of the Philippines Diliman
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
- Program Development Associate, Social Studies Education
- Member, University Library Board
- Member, UPOU Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Profile
Mr. Mark Pere Madrona is an assistant professor for the University of the Philippines Open University. He is handling various subjects under the Associate in Arts and Diploma in Social Science Education programs including Kasaysayan 1 (Philippine History) and Philippine Institutions 100 (Life and Works of Jose Rizal).
He is also a licensed professional teacher and owner of the award-winning news website The Filipino Scribe (www.FilipinoScribe.com).
Mr. Madrona is currently taking PhD in History at the University of the Philippines Diliman, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism cum laude in 2010 as well as his master’s degree in history in 2020. His area of interests includes Philippine journalism, history, and politics as well as social media.
His articles have been published in various news outlets including ABS-CBN News, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Vera Files, and Yahoo News Philippines. Last May 2022, he wrote an opinion piece for Sun Star Philippines regarding the urgent need to re-include Philippine history in the high school curriculum.
He has also been invited to talk about journalism and other social media issues on numerous TV and radio shows, including GMA 7’s Investigative Documentaries, TV5’s Reaksyon, and DZAR’s 2019 Election Day news coverage.
Mr. Madrona has earned various recognitions over the years for his written works – the first one of which is the best blog award from the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development in 2011. A former public school teacher, he received the “Gawad Primero” service award from the Department of Education-National Capital Region in 2021.
Last December 2021, his self-published book titled “RIGHT ON THE MARK: Selected articles from The Filipino Scribe” has been released by Book of Life Publications.
Lexter J. Mangubat
Instructor
Lexter J. Mangubat
Education
- Masters of Distance Education, UP Open University (on-going)
- Bachelor of Education Studies, Major in Alternative Education Studies, UP Open University
Current Appointments
- Instructor, Faculty of Education
- Program Development Associate, Bachelor of Education Studies
- Deputy Director, Educational Media Production (EMP), Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning (CODTL)
Profile
Lexter Mangubat is an instructional designer and a multimedia specialist and enthusiast. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Education Studies degree from the University of the Philippines Open University, and he is currently pursuing a Master of Distance Education from the same institution.
At present, Lexter serves as a full-time faculty member of the Faculty of Education, UPOU, teaching game-based learning, online teaching and learning, instructional design, and multimedia production courses. He also serves as the Deputy Director for Educational Media Production at the UP Open University Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning.
His field of interest focuses on educational metaverse, instructional design, educational technology, gamification, and interactive multimedia.
Ana Katrina T. Marcial
Assistant Professor
Ana Katrina T. Marcial
Education
- Master of Arts in Education (Language and Literacy), UP Open University
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts, major in Speech Communication (with Education option), UP Los Baños (cum laude)
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
- Program Chair, Graduate Certificate in Distance Education (GCDE)/Master of Distance Education (MDE)
- Member, FEd Faculty Academic Personnel Committee
- Member, FEd Committee on Curriculum and Instruction
- Member, UPOU University Council – Committee on Admission and Graduation
Profile
Assistant Professor Marcial has an undergraduate degree in Communication Arts and a Master’s degree in Education (Language and Literacy). She worked in public relations before going back to the academe to work as a full-time faculty. In UPOU, she has handled courses in the Associate in Arts (English for the Professions, Communication Skills 1, and Speech Communication), Bachelor of Education Studies (The Reading Process, Introduction to Teaching Online, and Practicum), and the D/ MA in Language and Literacy Education (Assessment in LLE, Foundations of Reading and Literacy, and Practicum) programs. Her research interests and public service work include addressing issues under Affect in Language Learning, Social media use in Higher Education, Technology and Language Learning, Intercultural Language Teaching and Learning (IcLL), among others. She’s also a part of pelikuLAB, a media arts group based in Los Baños, which advocates regional cinema and filmmaking, and has recently been a member of the Philippine Association for Language Teaching (PALT).
Maria Rowena D.R. Raymundo
Associate Professor
Maria Rowena D.R. Raymundo
Education
- Master of Distance Education (Chancellor’s List), UP Open University
- Doctor of Medicine & BS in Basic Medical Sciences – Intarmed, UP College of Medicine
Current Appointments
- Associate Professor, Faculty of Education
Profile
Assistant Professor Maria Rowena Del Rosario-Raymundo is a graduate of the UP Open University Faculty of Education’s Master of Distance Education (MDE) program. She joined the Faculty of of Education as Senior Lecturer in September 2015, and as Assistant Professor in May 2018. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in foundations of distance education, online teaching and learning, mobile learning and lifelong learning. Her research interests include distance learning, e-learning and mobile learning applications in the medical field, as well as research ethics.
Asst. Prof. Raymundo is a licensed physician and board-certified obstetrician and gynecologic surgeon, subspecializing in infectious diseases. She is a former Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and an active clinical trialist and researcher.
Charisse T. Reyes
Assistant Professor
Charisse T. Reyes
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, School of Chemistry, Monash University
- Master of Science in Chemistry, UP Los Baños
- Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, UP Los Baños (cum laude)
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
- Dean, Faculty of Education
- Member, UPOU University Council – Committee on Teaching Effectiveness
- Chair, Faculty REPS Personnel and Fellowship Committee
Profile
Charisse T. Reyes is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education, UP Open University where she is handling courses in chemistry and science education at UPOU. Her research interests include learning design for technology-enhanced teaching and learning and inclusive education, open educational resources, and learning analytics. Her previous administrative duties at the Faculty of Education (as Faculty Secretary and Chair of the AA and BES Programs) inspire her to pursue research interests in finding ways to provide support for distance education students at both the academic and administrative levels. Her contributions to the scholarship and literature in chemistry education include papers presented in discipline-based conferences and articles published in international journal publications and a book chapter.
Asst. Prof. Reyes completed her Bachelor of Science (cum laude) in Chemistry at the Institute of Chemistry, the University of the Philippines Los Baños under the DOST-SEI Merit Scholarship Program (RA 7687). She also completed her Master of Science in Chemistry from the same institution. She is a licensed chemist and a member of the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines (ICP). She recently completed her doctoral program at the School of Chemistry, Monash University through the support of the Co-funded Monash Graduate Scholarship and the Monash Faculty of Science Dean’s International Postgraduate Research Scholarship Programs.
Roja L. Rivera
Assistant Professor
Roja L. Rivera
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
- FEd Faculty Secretary
- Member, FEd Scholarships, Honors and Awards Committee
- Member, FEd Committee on Curriculum and Instruction
Hanna May F. Rosario
Assistant Professor
Hanna May F. Rosario
Education
- Master of Arts in Anthropology, Ateneo de Manila University
- Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, University of the Philippines Diliman (cum laude)
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, D/MASSE Program, Faculty of Education
- Program Chair, Associate in Arts (AA)
- Member, FEd Scholarships, Honors and Awards Committee
Profile
Hanna May Franco Rosario is an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines Open University. Among the courses she has handled are Culture and Society, Peace Education, Citizenship Education, Community Education, Gender and Education. Before joining as a full-time faculty, she worked as a project consultant on research projects focusing on developing technologies for telemedicine and learning management systems, as well as adolescent sexual reproductive health. Her research interests include medical and socio-cultural anthropology, particularly teenage pregnancies, reproductive health, and gender issues.
Celeste L. Tayzon
Assistant Professor
Celeste Laurel Tayzon
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Major in Reading Education, College of Education, University
of the Philippines Diliman - Master of Family Life and Child Development, College of Home Economics, University of the
Philippines Diliman - Bachelor of Arts in Film and Audio-Visual Communication, College of Mass Communications,
University of the Philippines Diliman
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
- Program Chair, Bachelor of Education Studies (BES)
- Member, FEd Scholarships, Honors and Awards Committee
- Chair, FEd Committee on Curriculum and Instruction
- Program Development Associate for Graduate Skills, Office of Student Affairs
Profile
Dr. Celeste Laurel Tayzon is an Assistant Professor and teaches under the Diploma/Masters of Language and Literacy (D/MLLE) Program, Bachelor of Education Studies (BES) Program and Associate in Arts (AA) Program at the University of the Philippines Open University. She handles courses on Culture, Language and Education; English for the Professions; Development of Language and Literacy Programs; Trends in Reading and Literacy Instruction; and Foundations for Reading and Literacy Education.
Dr. Tayzon is a Licensed Professional Teacher (LPT). She has a solid teaching experience in Basic Education. She is a classroom teacher for almost two decades. She was Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines Integrated School and has served as Head of the U.P.I.S K-2 Department. She was consultant of University Press First Asia on their Preschool Series books in Reading, Language, and Filipino.
Dr. Tayzon specializes in Early Childhood Education and in Reading and Literacy Education. She is Orton- Gillingham trained (for Dyslexia) under the International Dyslexia Association conducted by MSL Center, Singapore. She is a homeschooling mom, teacher trainer, speaker and consultant.
J. Aleta R. Villanueva
Associate Professor
J. Aleta R. Villanueva
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Southern Queensland, Australia
- Masters in Community Development, University of the Philippines-Diliman
- Bachelor of Elementary Education, Major in Special Education, University of the Philippines-Diliman
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
- Program Chair, Diploma in Social Studies Education (DSSE)/Master of Arts in Social Studies Education (MASSE)
- Program Development Associate, Continuing Education Program, FEd
- Faculty Representative, UPOU Academic Personnel Board
- Deputy Director for Learning Design, Center for Open and Digital Teaching and Learning
Profile
Aleta loves working with all kinds of minds in face-to-face, blended and virtual learning communities crafting research from these K-20 experiences. She has extensive K-12 teaching experiences in both formal and non-formal, community-based settings. Past engagements include co-founding a progressive school, The Builders’ School (builderschool.org), teaching at IB World schools, community development work with NGO’s and People’s Organizations, fulltime teacher volunteer work as a pioneer Gurong Pahinungod, and supervision of other volunteer programs under the UP Oblation Corps-Diliman.
Since 2007, Aleta has been an academic at the Faculty of Education of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) engaged in program development and supervision, academic advising and online teaching under the Social Studies degree program. As the current Program Development Associate of the Continuing Education Program, Aleta oversees the course development and implementation of non-formal short courses.
Aleta has published qualitative research on virtual communities, open and progressive schooling, teaching presence, inquiry learning, dual language programs and curriculum integration. Her ongoing projects include OER development and virtual learning community building, and research on epistemic beliefs of educators, teacher-researcher identities and research journeys. She is open to collaborate on classroom-based research, design-based methodology and historical, auto- and ethnographic studies. Aleta holds a Bachelor of Elementary Education (Major in Special Education) and an MA in Community Development from the University of the Philippines and a Doctor of Philosophy (Education) from the University of Southern Queensland in Australia.
Research & public profiles of J Aleta Villanueva available here:
Dennis Lee Jarvis B. Ybañez
Assistant Professor
Dennis Lee Jarvis B. Ybañez
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics Education, Ateneo de Manila University
- Master of Science in Mathematics Education, Ateneo de Manila University
- Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Mathematics, PUP Main Campus
(magna cum laude)
Current Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
- Program Chair, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education
- Program Development Associate, Master in Distance Education
- Chair, FEd Scholarships, Honors and Awards Committee
Profile
Assistant Professor Ybañez is a mathematics educator and a research-based designer. His specialization is on the areas of visualization, design science, cognitive science, error analysis, financial literacy and numeracy, and probability. He is currently a member of the Philippine Council of Mathematics Teacher Education (MATHTED) and the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (IGPME).
On the last five years, he was able to present and publish different research papers in many of the largest international conference on mathematics education: ICMI‐East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematics Education (Taipei, Taiwan), Mathematics and its Connections to the Arts and Sciences (McGill University, Montreal, Canada), International Congress on Mathematical Education (Shanghai, China), Psychology of Mathematics Education (University of Alicante, Spain). Last 2019, he was awarded as the 3rd Best Research Paper Presenter at the 7th National Research Conference in Science and Mathematics Education organized by the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute. Recently, he published a paper in Intersection, the official journal of the Philippine Council of Mathematics Teacher Educators (MATHTED), Inc.
He is committed to helping students who are not learning in school by continuously designing and innovating learning materials through research that can be used to connect Mathematics to a diverse collection of experiences.