Ron de Vera

Hi! I'm Ron de Vera, LGBT activist, technophile, writer, educator, photographer, poet, and sports fanatic rolled into a small frame of 130 pounds but towering at 6'2". I currently work as Human Rights Education Program Coordinator at Amnesty International Philippines where I am also the National Coordinator for its LGBT campaign. On the side, I report LGBT-related news and write op-eds on LGBT issues at Digital Journal. Recently, the editors at Filipino Freethinkers have welcomed me as a contributing writer on LGBT topics (Yay!). I am also currently involved in integrating gender and diversity into the Peace Education Program of Teachers Without Borders. In my free time, I play volleyball with my friends from UP Volleyball Club. I take photos with my Nikon D90 but I have also completed a 365 Photo Project using my now-retired Nokia N96. I write poetry and have a special liking for the haiku. Lately, I've been dabbling with writing for the stage and making short films. Prior to joining the human rights community, I was a learning professional in the corporate world. I set up the first team in the country to offer directory assistance in a foreign language. I've taken on various roles and moved up several steps on the corporate ladder but everything I did was always connected to learning. At one point, I was managing the learning portfolio of all the Philippine accounts along with the emerging Latin American market. My last position involved taking care of the learning needs of a business vertical that had sites in the US, Canada, Costa Rica, UK, India, and Australia. Upon reaching the proverbial fork in the road, I abandoned the opportunity to move even higher on the corporate ladder and chose to face my past. Questions about the disappearance of my father, the torture of my mother during martial law, and coming to terms with my sexuality all contributed to a life-changing decision to leave the corporate world. So here I am today without a bone of regret and doing the things I'm actually passionate about. If you want to get to know me better, you can read my life-defining articles "Salamat Ondoy" and "Getting Married, Finding Home, and Becoming a Free Spirit (Or How Singapore Changed My Life)." If you want to know more about my thoughts on the disappearance of my father, check out my photo essay "Fatherless Figure" or my article "Vanishing Act." You can also follow me on Twitter or add me on Facebook but you have to promise you will look at photos of my cats. Just kidding! Welcome to my world!