Former Deputy Country Representative, Philippines
Maria Isabel Buenaobra is deputy chief of party for the Pacific RISE-CTIP project.
She formerly served as deputy country representative for The Asia Foundation in the Philippines. Buenaobra has worked at The Asia Foundation for over twenty years, managing various programs, such as the women’s empowerment, electoral reform, anti-corruption, the Philippines Australia Community Assistance Program, and the Foundation’s Philippines Partnership Agreement with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Buenaobra translated publications from English to Filipino and taught at the Ateneo de Manila University, lecturing on Asian, European, and Japanese history and culture and contemporary issues, was information officer at the International Committee of the Red Cross, and editor at Solidarity Foundation.
She co-authored The Right to Vote: Filipinos with Disabilities in the 2013 Elections (2014).
Education: Master’s degree in Asian Studies from the University of the Philippines and bachelor’s degree in Education from Assumption College.
