The TWSC Staff
The Center is run by a dedicated, full-time team of academic and administrative staff, with diverse areas of expertise and experiences.
Soledad Natalia M. Dalisay, PhD
Director
Soledad Natalia M. Dalisay is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. She has a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Her research interests cover the anthropology of disaster, gender and sexuality and the cultural ecology of health.
Jely A. Galang, PhD
Deputy Director
Jely A. Galang is Associate Professor of History at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He obtained his PhD Asian Studies (History) from Murdoch University. He currently serves as Graduate Program Coordinator of the UP Department of History and Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Studies Journal. In 2011, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts awarded him the Young Historian’s Prize. He received research grants from the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies and the Confucius Institute (Ateneo de Manila University). He was also a recipient of One UP Professional Chair for Outstanding Teaching and Research (2022-2024), UP Centennial Professorial Chair Grant (2022) and UP Centennial Faculty Grant (2021). His research interests include the nineteenth century Philippines, Chinese in Southeast Asia, and modern history of China.
The Research Staff
Joel F. Ariate Jr.
University Researcher I
Joel F. Ariate Jr. is University Researcher I at the Third World Studies Center, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of the Philippines Diliman. He started as a university research associate at TWSC in 2003. He has been a managing editor of its in-house peer-reviewed journal, Kasarinlan: Philippine Journal of Third World Studies since 2009. With academic colleagues, he started the public forums in 2013 that eventually became TWSC’s Marcos Regime Research program. He was also part of the steering committee of the research “Violence, Human Rights, and Democracy” (2018-2022). He now coordinates the Dahas Project of the Center. He studied history at the University of the Philippines Diliman and has written and done research on the history of the death penalty in the Philippines, civil society movements, religious forces and bossism, memories of massacres and mass mobilizations, and plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
Miguel Paolo P. Reyes
University Research Associate II
Miguel Paolo P. Reyes is a University Research Associate at the Third World Studies Center, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of the Philippines Diliman. He is a managing editor of the Center’s journal, Kasarinlan: Philippine Journal of Third World Studies. As a member of the Center’s Marcos Regime Research group, he has authored and co-authored numerous articles related to disinformation and propaganda in favor of the Marcoses. Among his other research outputs are publications dealing with other forms of “non-truth”: science fiction in the Philippines, intellectual dishonesty in a university setting, and online satirical news. He was also one of the lead researchers in a multi-year Philippine democracy evaluation project.
Vincent Halog
University Research Associate I
Vincent Halog, or Vince, is a University Research Associate at the Third World Studies Center of the University of the Philippines Diliman and a graduate student of philosophy at the Ateneo de Manila University. His interests revolve around social epistemology and ethics, and their application to Philippine politics and history. Vince works on the Center’s Marcos Regime Research and Dahas Project, and serves as an associate editor for its journal Kasarinlan: Philippine Journal of Third World Studies.
Aidrielle Joie M. Raymundo
Junior Research Associate
Aidrielle Joie M. Raymundo is a Junior Research Associate at the Third World Studies Center. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Currently, she is part of TWSC’s many projects, including being an Editorial Assistant for Kasarinlan and coordinating the Center’s Visiting Research Fellowship Program. Her research interests include engaged anthropology, heritage, identity, and audio-visual methodologies. She also works as a freelance cultural writer.
The Administrative Staff
Edna B. Hernandez
Administrative Officer IV
Edna B. Hernandez is an Administrative Officer IV at the Third World Studies Center, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of the Philippines Diliman. Prior to her appointment at the UPD, She was employed for almost 20 years at the National Irrigation Administration as Corporate Account Analyst at the Accounting Department and Executive Secretary at the Administrator’s Office.
Janssen Paulo D. Cusi
Administrative Assistant V
Eleven (11) years now in regular government service, Janssen Paulo D. Cusi started work at the University of the Philippines Diliman as a non-UP employee (contractual) at the Office of Legal Aide, College of Law since May 2006. He got a permanent position as Administrative Aide IV at the University Library in 2010. He also worked as the Department Secretary (Administrative Assistant II) of the Department of Broadcast Communication, College of Mass Communication from 24 January 2014 to 01 September 2019. He currently works as an Administrative Assistant V at the Third World Studies, Center, College of Social Sciences, University of the Philippines Diliman.
Rhonald D. Juanillo
Administrative Assistant I
Rhonald D. Juanillo is an Administrative Assistant I of Third World Studies Center, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of the Philippines Diliman. He started as a Record Management Assistant at the Department of Philosophy, CSSP and Procurement Assistant at the College of Mass Communication, both as Non-UP Contractual. On January 6, 2016, he got a permanent position at the Office of the Associate Dean for Administration and External Affairs (OADAEA), CSSP.
He is an enduro mountain biker.
Elizabeth Suyom
Custodian
Elizabeth “Beth” Suyom has worked at the Third World Studies Center since 2016. She is the team leader of the custodians of Palma Hall. Beth previously worked as a custodian at the Philippine Heart Center from 2012-2014, and at the Philippine Sports Commission from 2014-2016.
Feline Companions
N
N is the TWSC’s first cat. He was runt of the litter that used to roam in front of the office of the college secretary. Because of his slasher front paws—he has syndactyly—he was first given the name Norman Bates (the psycho in Psycho). But this was shortened to N, because N’s madness is often momentary and has since mellowed as he aged. Part of his morning routine is to have his saucer of milk (of a very particular brand). He has been with the Center since January 2013. N is neutered, dewormed, and has had the necessary vaccinations.
Jennifer
Jennifer is the Center’s second cat and the only female. She was a stray that used to sleep in one of the empty flower pots in front of TWSC. She befriended N. In June 2012 she joined N in living inside the Center. As she matured, she’s beaten all the other TWSC cats in a catfight. Jennifer is queen of the clowder. And she will not hesitate to drink the water in your mug. On hot days, she sits atop the water dispenser. Jennifer is spayed, dewormed, and has had the necessary vaccinations.
Henri C.S. Lewis
During the 2016 Christmas break, Henri, about a few months old, sneaked inside the Center. Hence the C.S. stands for “Christmas Spirit.” He lived a semi-feral existence inside the Center. He just ate N and Jennifer’s food, drank their water, and used their litter box. He confined himself to the stockroom without interacting with the Center’s humans for several months or until his brother, Henry, came to stay with him. Also referred to as Henry, the First. He is neutered, dewormed, and has had the necessary vaccinations.
Henry Sy
Henry is Henri’s brother. N, during those incidents when he escaped outside the Center, found the Henries (with another brother), the three of them living in front of what is now the CSSP Reading Room. Henry tracked his brother Henri at the TWSC. He was first not allowed inside the Center and was just fed outside. But his incessant meowing broke the spirit of the humans and was finally allowed in to be with his brother in April of 2017. Henry Sy, aka Henry, the Second is the Center’s biggest cat. Henry is neutered, dewormed, and has had the necessary vaccinations.
Baker
Baker used to be part of a clowder of cats, mostly kittens, that roam around the college lobby. However, in January 2024, after a couple of the college’s cats were killed by unknown assailants, Baker, then about nine-month old, was brought in to the Center for temporary shelter. The older TWSC cats were not so keen on having him around, except for Henry Sy. They became buddies. In May 2024, the Center decided to keep Baker. He is neutered, dewormed, and has had the necessary vaccinations.