Board of Stewards

We are a community of animal-lovers who believe in the power of the human-animal bond as part of a multifaceted approach to health and healing. We believe in bringing research-driven methods towards mental health wellness to Filipinos, without compromising animal welfare. Our team of human and animal health professionals, researchers, and animal welfare advocates aim to promote mutual healing for humans and animal companions.

STEWARDS

Janine Sy

Janine is a Masters candidate in counseling psychology. She can care for animals but not plants because a cactus died on her. Her dream is to have a home with a pool so her dogs can swim. Janine is also a handler and mom of Jesuit dogs such as Blue Eyes, Jon Snow, Lau, and Mischa. Her love for rescue animal stories made her a Ninang to Keeper (a one-eyed rescue aspin), Nick Furry (a one-eyed rescue puspin), and Bubu (the first Communitails therapy dog).

Ma. Catalina Tan de Luna

Rina is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Her passion for animals and their welfare is so great, she pursued her dream of becoming a veterinarian even after having initially established a different career path in hotel and restaurant management. An advocate and key driver of animal welfare, she is involved with animal welfare education, research, and raising public awareness. She believes that animal welfare should be a shared value, a shared responsibility.

She is currently also a professor at UPLB, and cheerfully braves the traffic between ‘Elbi’ and various points of Metro Manila to answer various calls for help from both humans and animals alike. As a Communitails Steward, Rina makes sure that even in the quest for mutual healing, animal welfare does not become an afterthought. Her efforts help equip everyone with the knowledge necessary to ensure that the health and happiness of both humans and animals are a priority of HATs and Communitails Stewards alike.

Leslie Uy

Leslie is a person who likes a variety of unrelated things, but loves animals with all her heart. In this world which she perceives to be dark and disappointing, Sharah is one of the rare treasures in her life which she considers to be a precious gift from the universe. Because the grumpy pug is now 10 years old, Leslie wanted to find a way to deepen their bond and make the most out of whatever time they have. She also hopes to share the joys of having a dog and to show the power of the unbreakable bond between human and animal.

Geleen Laforga

Geleen is graduate of Psychology from De La Salle University – Dasmarinas. She is a Registered Psychometrician and has practiced in the Human Resources mostly in customer service industries. She decided to join Communitails Inc., because of her long interest and passion to learn about animal-assisted interventions and its amazing potential for every Filipinos mental health well-being. She believes that every Filipino Bantay has a role in creating that sense of safety, connectedness and belongingness which are essential in the Filipino family culture. She continues her journey in learning to become a responsible pet owner by taking good care of her 15 dogs at home. She also hopes that one day, she could dedicate most of her life to senior dogs in an owned lot or farm that will serve as their haven.

Pau Era

Pau is a cat mom of two one-eyed rescue cats that vets call malusog or “healthy.” When she’s not spending her spare time playing Slay the Spire and binge-watching anime on Netflix, she’s in bed taking 31245735 photos of her cats sleeping or cuddled up to her. She aspires to work in social development as a social psychologist with skills in counseling because she believes that social systems contribute to an individual’s mental health and well-being.

Aisha Rallonza

Aisha Rallonza graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a bachelor of fine arts degree in Creative Writing in 2020. When not writing, they are playing with their dogs, getting way too invested in their Dungeons & Dragons campaign, and trying to bike.

Randi Feliciano

Randi has always loved dogs. Growing up, she was always surrounded by them since her parents loved them as well. Now, she has a dog of her own that she spoils by buying toys, treats, and other goodies. Randi loves the beach so she tries to help her dog face his fear of the ocean. She is currently taking Philosophy as her major in college while helping out the social media team of Communitials in producing content using her creativity and design skills.

Joe Celdran

Joe was trained as a Medical Doctor but currently works in the family business—yay, ICE CREAM! He is a slave to his three rescue dogs and seven adopted cats. His interests involve animal welfare, as well as the role of animals in promoting mental health for hoomans. Although shy and quiet, Joe comes out of his shell in the presence of dogs—fine, also cats... sometimes.

Lou Cortejos

Lou Cortejos is a medical doctor training in psychiatry. Among other things, she is an advocate of mental health and encourages taking care of pets as part of maintaining well-being. During runs or hikes, she makes it a point to befriend the dogs she meets along the way. She was once asked, "How do you manage having two dogs living with you?" She answered, "We got a third one!" They also have a turtle.

Jen Abastillas

Dogs have always been a constant in Jen's life. Growing up in a household full of furry friends made her realize the positive effects of canine companionship at a young age. Jen regularly exercises to boost her happy hormones and to burn off the occasional bags of chips and chocolate bars. She tries to educate herself on how to take better care of the family pets including Hachi, a stubborn yet sweet shih tzu, who successfully underwent a pyometra surgery.

Want to join our awesome team?

Looking for a volunteer opportunity? Student in need of an internship? Aiming for a career in mental health/animal welfare?
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© Communitails Philippines Inc. All rights reserved.