Ma. Aileen Alcos Garcia is the manager and project coordinator of stakeholder advocacy at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), where she has worked since 2011.

Prior to joining IRRI, Aileen spent more than 13 years working on communication programs for government projects related to animal health, poverty alleviation, research and development and socioeconomic research. She has also worked in Singapore with a food and beverage trade association advocating for sound policies that promote public health, food safety and trade harmonization.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in development communication from the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Aileen said that the GLFP will provide a perfect opportunity for interaction with other biotech advocates around the world, providing a platform for sharing local experiences and lessons learned by others while creating a global perspective to the issues surrounding biotechnology.