New NAMFREL Leadership Announcement
The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) is pleased to announce the designation of CORAZON S. DE LA PAZ-BERNARDO as its new National Chairperson and EVELYN R. SINGSON and DAVID L. BALANGUE as Co-Chairpersons. As members of the NAMFREL National Council, they have demonstrated their commitment and leadership in upholding NAMFREL’s goal of helping ensure free and fair elections as well as good governance. Their collective leadership shall harness the vigilance and commitment of NAMFREL volunteers nationwide for the forthcoming national and local elections. The three are Certified Public Accountants and each had served as President of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP).
De la Paz-Bernardo, served as President and CEO of the Social Security System (SSS) from 2001 to 2008 and the first woman and first non-European President of the Switzerland-based International Social Security Association from 2005 to 2010. She is a director of two companies listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange. She was Chairman and Senior Partner of Joaquin Cunanan & (Pricewaterhouse Coopers-Philippines) from 1981 to 2001 and member of the Price Waterhouse World Board from 1992 to 1995. She was National President of the Philippine Institute of CPA’s (PICPA) in 1978 and 1979.
She is a Trustee of Miriam College, University of the East, UE Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Makati Business Club, MFI Foundation, Children’s Hour, Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation and the Laura Vicuña Foundation for Street Children, among others. She had served as President of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), The Outstanding Women in the Nations Service (TOWNS) Foundation, Fulbright Scholars Association of the Philippines, Cornell Club of the Philippines and the Rizal High School Alumni Association. In 2000, she was given The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award for Public Accounting. The Philippine Professional Regulations Commission awarded her Outstanding Professional in the Field of Accountancy in 2007. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of the East, and her Master in Business Administration from Cornell University as a Fulbright and University of the East scholar. She placed first in the 1960 CPA board examinations.
Evelyn Singson has been NAMFREL’s Treasurer since 2008. She is the current Chair of the Management Association of the Philippines’ National Issues Committee, she is an incumbent Trustee of Good Governance for Socio-Economic Enhancement, Inc., the Women’s Business Council of the Philippines, Philippine Center for Population and Development, Inc., the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA), and serves as an Adviser for ABS-CBN’s Bantay Kalikasan. Evelyn is Treasurer and Director (and Past President) of TOWNS (The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service) Foundation, and also of Women for Women Foundation (Phils.), Inc. She was former Director and Vice President of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Inc. (FINEX), Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). Currently, she is the Chair of The Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines. She taught at De La Salle University’s Graduate School of Business and Economics. Evelyn Singson earned her Bachelor of Science in Commerce (Magna Cum Laude) from Assumption Convent, and her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University.
David Balangue was NAMFREL’s Vice-Chairperson for the 2010 National and Local Elections, and the organization’s Acting National Chairperson until November 2011. He is also the current Chairman of Coalition Against Corruption (CAC). He was the immediate past Chairman of Sycip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV) & Co. He was also past President of PICPA and FINEX. He was also a Board member of Philippine Business for Social Progress, a Trustee of Habitat for Humanity Foundation, and Co-Vice Chairman of Business for Integrity & Stability of Our Nation (BISYON). Dave also writes a column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Dave Balangue earned his Bachelor of Science in Commerce (Magna Cum Laude) from Manuel L. Quezon University, and his Master of Management degree, major in Finance, Kellogg Scholar of Business, Northwestern University.
NAMFREL’s commitment is to actively participate in strengthening democratic institutions and processes, particularly the electoral process. It highly encourages the involvement of citizens in this enormous task of guarding democracy. NAMFREL believes that it is only by harnessing the power of an informed and concerned citizenry that free, orderly and clean elections, as well as honesty in government, can be achieved. Aside from monitoring elections, NAMFREL is also involved in anti-corruption and good governance programs such as medicine and textbook monitoring programs, and participation in bids and awards committees of various government agencies. Internationally, NAMFREL volunteers have worked as trainers, observer team members, election administrators and resource persons in 32 countries.
