Meet Our Team
Jonathan R. Matias
Executive Director
He joined Orentreich Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, Inc.(New York, NY USA) in 1977 as a staff scientist and later became director of the Biomedical Research Station between 1985 to 1990. At the Foundation he was involved in a wide range of research programs, including ageing and skin research, pharmaceutical drug development, cancer research and nutrition. He established several US and international companies in 1990 and continues until today with R&D programs on insect repellents, malaria control, marine conservation, aquaculture and biofouling research. He has been the Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer of Poseidon Sciences Group, a research and development company with laboratories and strategic alliances worldwide. He has over 130 publications both in academic journals and industry magazines, along with several awarded and pending patents. He completed his undergraduate studies at York College of the City University of New York and graduate studies at New York University.
Araceli Q. Adrias
Chairman of the Board
Ms. Araceli Q. Adrias graduated with a B.S. in Fisheries at the University of the Philippines Visayas in 1993. She joined Nova Biosciences, working on aquaculture and biosciences technology development in 1995. She joined Poseidon Sciences Group in 2001. She was involved in the re-discovery and identification of sea grape species (Caulerpa sp.) in India and organized an all-women company for fish processing business in Philippines. She currently heads the technical division of Poseidon Sciences R&D and Sulu Garden Foundation.
Kim A. Alunan
Senior Research Associate
Biosciences
Kim was a scholar of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and graduated from the University of the Philippines Visayas with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He is currently leading various innovative research projects in SGF, including fruit bat ecology, initiatives focusing on creek biodiversity mapping and conservation, as well as the medical missions and community outreach works of SGF, Inc. and the Re-Greening of Panay initiative, demonstrating his commitment to integrating scientific inquiry with practical environmental conservation and community advancement.
Julious Nieles
Chief Artist
Arts Program
He is a visual artist born in Aguiauan, Miag-ao, Iloilo. He discovered his passion for art early and nurtured it through both formal study and self-directed exploration. A drafting student at Southern Iloilo Polytechnic College, he honed his technical foundation, later branching out into various mediums including painting, digital art, and 3D modeling—all mastered through self-teaching and relentless drive.
Justin Luis Tiu
Information Technology Specialist
Information Technology
Justin is a graduate of Computer Science from the University of the Philippines Visayas serving as an IT Specialist for Sulu Garden Foundation. He manages the foundation’s digital presence and infrastructure and aids the technological implementation for the Re-greening of Panay initiative, developing proprietary software that leverages machine learning models and drone-captured images for reforestation and ecological monitoring.
Allanah J. Lorella
Coordinator
Medical Missions
Allanah Jaleel Lorella is a registered nurse from Central Philippines University in Iloilo. Through college she has been involved in SGF’s medical missions and continues this role after completing her RN. Cleft lip and cleft palate mission is the most important activity of SGF today to provide life changing free surgical operations for so many children of indigent families. Her role is coordinate with other institutional partners to bring this program into successful missions.
Pepito Miagao
Mission Coordinator, Medical mission Matters Phil’s Group Inc. (M3)
Mission Liaison Officer, Sulu Garden Foundation, Inc (SGF)
His dual role enables seamless integration between M3 and SGF as both organizations pursue the Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Surgical Missions. He coordinates with government agencies and hospitals for approvals to use government facilities to conduct missions. He manages the coordination with the Philippine Army, Face Hunters group and other non-governmental organizations. Once the mission starts, he manages the support teams for food, lodging and transportation of the medical personnel and also children and their parents.
ADVISORY BOARD
Vivian N. Abella
Banking and Finance
She holds Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Accounting. And has earned 18 units in Masters in Business Administration. With her 30 years working with Philippine National Bank (PNB), she had a wide range of experience and skills in banking operations, business and investments. As Branch Manager she consistently delivered expectations and exceeded targets on deposit generation, consumer loans, bank assurance and treasury investments. Ms. Abella fostered positive banking relationships resulting in significant growth of the PNB Iloilo Miag-ao Branch with a close to a billion pesos deposit level upon her retirement.
Salvador Acsay, Jr.
Heritage & History
As graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences in the University if the Philippines in the Visayas, he has been fascinated with history. Has worked as a Research Assistant of Prof. Henry F. Funtecha at the Western Visayas Studies Center on the historical research. This work led in the publication of the book “Historical Landmarks and Monuments,” with the specific topics on the history of Miag-ao Church, Miag-ao Cemetery, Miag-ao Taytay Boni and the Moro Watch Towers. Other historical features include those in the Municipalities of Guimbal, Anilao and other towns in Northern Iloilo. He started with the in-depth research on the history of Miag-ao after reading the work of Elias N. Failagao on his book 1979 book “History of Miagao.” Since then, has able to gather more details about the history of Miag-ao with some manuscripts written in Spanish. His advocacy is the propagation of History and Cultural Heritage by studying laws and regulations pertaining to Cultural Heritage. Has attended several seminars conducted by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the National Museum (NM) on the protection of Cultural Heritage and establishment and management of Museums. He is a member of the Alliance of Greater Manila Area Museums for Visayas (AGMAM – Visayas).
Carmelo N. Nochete
Legal Affairs
He is a lawyer by profession. After graduation from San Beda University, he worked with Rico and Associates in Makati City as a legal researcher and associate lawyer. Later, he transferred to the Public Attorney’s Office in Culasi, Province of Antique. He served as municipal councilor and vice mayor of Miag-ao municipality and later as Iloilo Provincial Board Member. He was appointed as Regional Director of Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office VI from 2023 to 2025.
Joseph Francois Masso
Technology & Innovation
He brings deep expertise in AI integration, digital transformation, and cloud infrastructure. With formal training from Wharton (AI for Business) and Harvard Business School (Launching Tech Ventures), Joseph combines strategic vision with hands-on technical execution. As the Founder of Accentecx, he has led initiatives in business process automation, IT-BPO, and AI-driven solutions for global clients. His prior role at Accenture further strengthened his operational capabilities in cloud engineering and security. In his advisory capacity, Joseph helps the Foundation harness emerging technologies to increase efficiency, scalability, and social impact.