Principals and Staff | IRG-P - International Resources Group - IRG Philippines | Energy and Environmental Consulting Business | Manila, Philippines

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Principals and Staff

EDGAR HAO, Chairman

Mr. Hao has over 25 years professional experience in the energy sector. An engineer by training, he started out in the field of coal exploration under the then Bureau of Energy Development (which eventually evolved into the current Department of Energy). Over the years, he has been involved mainly in mine consultancy and coal marketing and is well recognized in the country and the region for his work in these areas. As International Resources Group Philippines (IRG Philippines) Chairman, Mr. Hao is now an advocate of "clean energy" alternatives like solar, hydro, biomass, and wind energy, both for grid and off-grid applications, and has been keenly promoting economically and environmentally sustainable private sector-based applications of these technologies in the Philippines. Mr. Hao holds a degree in Mining Engineering from the University of the Philippines.

LAURIE B. NAVARRO, President

Ms. Navarro has over 20 years of experience in the field of renewable energy, including 10 years of managing the European Union-financed Decentralized Energy Systems (DES) Project for the Philippines when she was still with the Philippine National Oil Company – Energy Research & Development Center. As a result of Ms. Navarro’s excellent technical and management leadership, the DES Project presently holds the local Philippine record of having provided financial assistance for RE technology commercialization. She served as National Project Coordinator for a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Technical Assistance project called “Financing Energy Services for Small-Scale End-users” (FINESSE), which basically aimed to promote the financing of new and renewable energy options by the Development Bank of the Philippines. In addition, for the UNDP, she assisted in the preparation of the project document for a 5-year project called “Capacity Building to Remove Barriers to Renewable Energy Development (CBRED) in the Philippines” which has been approved for GEF funding in the amount of about US$ 5 million and is presently being executed by the Department of Energy (DOE). She is managing the implementation of four (4) different subcomponents of CBRED that include the establishment of a 'one-stop-shop' service provider for the RE industry called the Market Service Center. She was likewise the national team leader of the World Bank (WB) - funded DOE project on “Pre-Investment Studies for Rural Off-Grid Electrification Project” which aimed to develop a pipeline of projects for private sector investment called market packages for possible funding under the WB’s Adaptable Program Loan. Her participation in many local and international fora on renewable energy has earned her recognition locally and internationally and greatly contributed to her perspective of how to undertake a sustainable renewable energy program. Ms. Navarro holds a BS in Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, and is a Masters Candidate in Business Administration at the De La Salle University.

MATTHEW MENDIS, Vice-President

Internationally recognized for his work in promoting the development, innovative financing and implementation of alternative energy and greenhouse gas mitigation projects in developing countries. Formerly with the World Bank, he continues to advise the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), US Agency for International Development (USAID) and several other bilateral development agencies. Over the past 25 years he has applied his expertise in over 40 developing countries around the globe. Mr. Mendis has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering and a master's degree in Natural Resource Economics from the University of Maryland. Mr. Mendis is also the Corporate Vice President and Managing Director of the Energy and Environmental Management Division of International Resources Group, Ltd.

ROLANDO A. NAVARRO, Senior Expert - Renewable Energy, Management Systems and Energy Efficiency

Mr. Navarro is an expert in the installation and implementation of management systems such as the ISO 17025, ISO 14000, ISO 9001 and the ISM Code. ISO 9001 is a quality management system standard, while ISO 14001 is an environmental management system standard and ISO 17025 is a management system for testing and calibrating laboratories. The ISM Code is a Safety and Environmental Management System for the Marine Industry. He was responsible for the development and installation of ISO 17025 for the petroleum / lubricant testing laboratory of Petron Corporation in Pandacan, Manila and ISO 9001 in several private corporations including the IBM Solutions, Philippines. As the Team Leader of IRG Philippines, he developed the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework of the Winrock/AMORE Project funded by the USAID and provided capacity building for the M and E personnel. As head of the Industrial Fuels Section of the PNOC Energy Research and Development Center, he supervised the conduct of energy audits in different subsidiaries of PNOC. He implemented energy audits in different industrial sectors like cement and food manufacturing under a World Bank-funded energy audit project. Mr. Navarro has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of the Philippines.

MARIA FRITZIE R. VERGEL, Technical Assistant

Ms. Vergel is a licensed chemist who earned her BS degree and MS academic units in Chemistry from the University of the Philippines. She provides necessary technical support in the implementation, coordination and management of projects, conducts research, and is involved in project design and development. Prior to joining IRG-P, she was engaged in medicinal research under the Department of Science and Technology.

CHERRY ANNE G. SARE, Administrative Assistant

Ms. Sare is a BS Information Technology graduate from the Central Colleges of the Philippines. As an administrative assistant at IRG Philippines, she provides operational support to the company particularly in handling, keeping and maintaining important documents from completed and on-going projects.