Sheilah Vergara

Goal and outcome oriented; experienced in Program and Project Management, Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction, Monitoring and Evaluation, Small Enterprise Development, Value Chain Analysis, Child Protection, Gender Mainstreaming, Food Security and Livelihood, Health and Nutrition, Child Education, Values Formation, and Partnership Development with local government units, national government agencies, and private institutions.

Her work in program and project development and management started in 1995 when she was hired as Project Development Officer and Coordinator of a DGIS funded program entitled, Barangay Integrated Development Approach in Nutrition Improvement (BIDANI).  She monitored and evaluated the progress of activities of 43 state universities and colleges who have implemented the program and visited most of BIDANI’s 781 villages and 82 municipalities around the country. She was also involved in BIDANI’s livelihood and micro-credit projects.

She then became the Program Manager of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) in 2006 up to 2009. She managed the Community Agricultural Technology Program which aimed to encourage farmers to adapt and test research findings on improved agricultural technologies to increase their income. She formed strategic  partnerships and collaborated with NGOs, several state colleges and universities, research institutions like PCARRD and SEAFDEC, PACAP (an AUSAID Program) and several other international non-government organizations.

She had a brief stint as Training Officer of the Aboitiz Power Renewables Incorporated in 2010 and returned to IIRR in 2011. She became the Program Manager for  Applied Learning of IIRR's Regional Center for Asia.  She provided technical assistance to IIRR's various partners in Asia and Africa in the areas of Value Chain Development, Monitoring and Evaluation, Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction, Food Security and Livelihood and Gender Mainstreaming.

As Program Director of Food for the Hungry Philippines, she oversees the smooth implementation of various programs and projects that are focused on Education, Livelihood, Health and Nutrition,  Disaster Risk Reduction, Church and Community Leaders Development, and Child Sponsorship activities. She also ensures that cross cutting themes of Gender Mainstreaming, Child Protection and Environmental Management are considered. 

PhD units in Environmental Science and Management (2000-2002)
Master in Management major in Agribusiness Management (1989-1992)
BS in Development Communication (1983-1988)