Theme: Positive Psychology: Embracing Positivity in Life

About the Event
TEDxArellanoSt is a TEDx event organized to gather people from all walks of life at the heart of Tagum City - the University of Mindanao - Tagum Campus. Hearing from the great and positive stories of the local speakers from various aspects of life is the goal of TEDxArellanoSt.

Background
Arellano Street, which is located in the Magugpo Poblacion, is in the center of the city (Central). This is where the city's Freedom Park is located, as well as the popular Tagum City Night Market, which draws hundreds of visitors each week. The University of Mindanao - Tagum Campus, the event's location, is also nearby.

Topics
The topics that will be covered by the speakers include business, gender equality, the arts, mental health, and culture. These subjects are all influenced by positive psychology ideas.

University of Mindanao - Tagum Campus
Arellano Street
2nd Floor, Audio-Visual Room (AVR) 1
Tagum, Davao (Region XI), 8100
Philippines

Bealaura Angela Bencio

Mental Health Advocate

Bea enjoys being part of speaking engagements where she gets to share her passion and her story. She is an advocate for mental health, positive youth development, women's rights, and LGBTQIA+ rights. She is an educator in the premier science high school in the country, Philippine Science High School - Southern Mindanao Campus. As part of Generation Z, she tries her best to be an independent thinker who is socially aware. In her spare time, she loves visiting local cafes to read and drink matcha lattes.

Bia Lilia Lagunsad

Tribal Chieftain and Women and IP's Rights Advocate

"Bia Lilia Magkidong-Lagunsad is the first female tribal chieftain in Tagum City. She has served as Barangay Mankilam's Indigenous People's Mandatory Representative (IPMR) since 2014 and as Barangay Chieftain since 2003. During her time as a city tribal chieftain, the Indigenous People Structure/Indigenous Knowledge and Practices (IPS/IKP) books and documents were formulated and validated by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). It was also in this term that the NHA and LGU Tagum granted the creation of Masandag Tribal Village and the Kaimunan Festival received the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines Pearl Awards. She has also participated in the Kagikan Project, spearheaded by former Tagum City Mayor, Allan Rellon, DPA, PhD, which received the Philippine Heritage Award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)."

Bryan Cutin

Mental Wellness Coach

"Coach Bryan is a mental wellness coach who delivers keynotes presentations that challenges the audience to leverage their focus on what matters most at work and in life. Audiences love his practical and simple strategies on mental wellness that they can apply personally and professionally. With a background in Psychology and 10 years of experience in the government, his knowledge expands over several areas including mental wellness, positive psychology, industrial psychology, performance management and organizational management and has been invited to speak to different government and private organizations across Region XII. In just three years of speaking, thousands people have been inspired by his lectures and his work continues to touch audiences from every walk of life."

Ferdie James Nervida

Entrepreneur

"Ferdie James Nervida is a passionate learner and entrepreneur. He started the Blockchain Practitioners Association of the Philippines which gives virtual assistants the Web3 skills they need to be better prepared for higher-paying jobs. He is devoted to teaching people about leadership, lean thinking, and blockchain technology, while managing his consultancy at fjntraining.com. Ferdie lives in Davao City, Philippines and wants to help other people reach their full potential."

Johnruf Niño Nuñala

Educator and Researcher

Johnruf Niño C. Nuñala is a licensed professional teacher and a full-time faculty of the Lyceum of the Philippines University – Davao. He became one of the recipients of the SEA Teacher program organized by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) which allowed him to teach in Indonesia. Shortly after graduation, he pursued and finished his master’s degree in Social Studies. Currently he is teaching Social Sciences subjects, particularly in the area of History, Gender and Development, Philosophy, Politics, and International Relations at the Lyceum of the Philippines University. He is active in various international platforms such as Harvard World Model United Nations organized by Harvard University and Asia World Model United Nations as an assistant chair for UNESCO and International Monetary Fund.

Jose Elmer Oficiar

Educator and LGBTQIA+ Rights Advocate

"Dr. Jose Elmer Oficiar is a college and graduate school professor in English, Linguistics and Literature of the University of Mindanao Tagum Branch (UM Tagum College) for 15 years. His research in linguistics related to Gay Lingo lead him to be awarded by the City Government of Tagum the “Pride Excellence Award”. The same research was presented in Bali, Indonesia and became the Best Research Paper 10th ICTEL 2019- International Conference on Teaching, Education and Learning. He was invited to be the Chief Speaker for Australasia International Model United Nations and delivered a topic on “The Value of Research in International Diplomacy” in Sydney, Australia and was invited as Keynote Speaker for the 2021 International Conference on Teaching, Education and Learning in London, England and Barcelona Spain with the topic “Teaching during the Pandemic: Insights of Educational Resiliency Facing CoVid19."""

Lorenzo "LYR" Rubinos Sr.

Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

"With Php 9,000 in savings from his income as a Sales Assistant in a local store in Tagum City, Mr. Lorenzo Ysulat Rubinos, Sr., more popularly known as ""LYR"", started his small business that eventually flourished into a multi-million enterprise of financial, information technology, and security services as well as marketing, gasoline, and water refill stations. He is among the Top Taxpayers in Tagum City and is a Multiple Paul Harris Fellow for his contribution to the Rotary Club of Tagum's charitable causes where he also served as president for two terms."

Mervin Jay Suaybaguio

University Professor, Environmental Preservation and Animal Rights Advocate

In addition to his position as Provincial Information Officer for Davao del Norte, Dr. Mervin also works as a university professor, television host, author, and radio broadcaster. He has always wanted to live in a world where people treat each other and other living things with kindness. Additionally, he is a proponent of environmental preservation and animal rights.

Norman Narciso

Art Educator

Noy Narciso is an Art Educator and Multi-disciplinary artist. He teaches Arts Appreciation and facilitates and mounts theatrical/musicale productions with Teatro Humanidades and Hikut-hungihong Art collective. He writes, performs, and does illustrations for publications in the Davao Writers Guild. He explores spontaneity and improvisation using his DIY instruments.

Ryan Gersava

Neurodiverse Social Entrepreneur and Disability Champion

Ryan Gersava (Ra-yan Her-sa-va) (he/they) is a neurodiverse social entrepreneur, educator, and disability champion. He is the Founder and Chairman of Virtualahan, an online vocational school providing inclusive training to people with disabilities and other disadvantaged communities who experience employment inequality, while simultaneously empowering companies to become inclusive employers. He is also an Ashoka Fellow, an honoree of Forbes 30 under 30 and a TED speaker.