Philippine Office  Staff

Aida Pagtan

President of the Cordillera Green Network(CGN)

She is a Kankanaey tribe who grew up in La Trinidad.  She has been in charge of CGN's "Green Scholarship". Her main job is a officer of the Department of Agriculture, but she also spent her weekends as a scholarship student herself.  

Her contagious laugh always makes everyone around her happy. After earning her social worker certification at St. Louis University (SLU) and working in institutions, she completed her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in the Department of Agriculture at the Benguet State University(BSU). She has traveled all over the Cordillera for various projects of the Department of Agriculture.  


Mariko Sorimachi

She is the founder of CGN and is currently an advisor in CGN. She continues to lead CGN's environmental education programs in the field. She is considered as the backbone of the organization, she continues to lead both Japanese and Filipino staff, volunteers, and interns with outstanding planning and implementation skills. 

 

She graduated from Rikkyo University with a degree in Sociology. After working as a magazine editor and broadcaster in Japan, she moved to the Philippines in 1996 when she got married (now divorced). She was the Director of Cordillera Green Network from 2001 up until 2017. Currently, She is the C.E.O. of Kapi Tako Social Enterprise, a social enterprise established in 2017.  

Visit to Timor-Leste with coffee farmers (2016)


Lily Jamias

She is from a Kankanaey tribe from Kayan, Tadian, Mountain Province. She Graduated from the Benguet State University (BSU)- Collage of Forestry. She applied for the position when there was an open call for a forester for CGN's 2006 project in Mountain Province. However, she was not selected at that time, but she formed an NGO called LAKON together with her friends. She continued to support CGN's projects in the field as a volunteer. She has been a member of CGN since 2006 as a professional forester. Since then, she has worked in various fields such as environmental education, community organizing,  and coffee roasting. In 2017, she obtained Arabica Coffee's international evaluation qualification Q Grader Acquisition. She is now one of Cordillera's leading coffee experts.


Myra Seset

Myra is from Kibungan Town, Benguet Province. She graduated from Benguet State University  (BSU) as one of the beneficiaries of CGN's scholarship program.  As a  graduate of  the School of Forestry, she has been a key player in CGN's tree-planting CSR program, where she has performed administrative management. She is currently in charge of CGN's accounting and travels around the field as an expert in the tree planting business.


Yurie Nhel Cadangen-Balong-angey

She works as a project coordinator and facilitator for the environment education project and agroforestry project of the Cordillera Green Network.

She belongs to the Kankanaey tribe of Benguet Province, Philippines. She took up a Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Mathematics in 2012 and first worked as a teacher in Thailand, then to Germany in 2018.  However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she was forced to return home to the Philippines in 2020.

She freelances as a translator for documents and movie and/or TV show subtitles. Since 2022, she has joined CGN on several projects. With her experiences working with different cultures and people abroad, she holds the ability to speak openly and honestly with anyone. She has a good command of English as well as other Philippine and Northern Luzon languages allowing her to connect to various individuals. She has demonstrated her ability to organize the community in CGN's activities. With her humble attitude, she has been able to gain people's trust in the community and is willing to learn new areas of activities, which will help her to develop new capabilities in the future areas of CGN's activities.


Hector Kawig (Eki)

He coordinated for an environmental education program in Sabangan, Mountain Province in 2012. He is from Bontoc and an Ibaloi descent, but was born and raised in Baguio City. He has been involved in "Ubbog Cordillera Young Writers"  a group of young writers in Baguio. He is an active facilitator of environmental education programs and study tour coordinator.


CGN Japan Office

Yasuhiro Takemoto(Yasu)

He became an intern in GCN at the year 2012. He is the manager and producer of the mini-theater "AManTo Natural Art Laboratory" in Nakazakicho, Osaka. He is also a performer, appeared on many stages as a freelance actor and singer. When he got married, he decided to move to the countryside, but before that he chose to study English in Baguio. He decided to stay in Baguio for a long period of time to not only learn english but to experience the city. His wife also went to an English school in Baguio while he ran for a CGN internship.  He used his work experience in Japan to provide great support for CGN activities. After returning to Japan, he moved to Mukaishima, Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, to start a new life. While raising their children, he serves as the CGN Japan Secretary. He also supports CGN in the sale of "Big Family Coffee," in which coffee beans are deep-roasted in a hand-cranked roasting machine.

 

He published his book "Poop is the Universe," which can be obtained by bartering. His activities and works are gaining attraction for its diversity.