Director of APILA, Ateneo de Davao University College of Law

Atty. Meong is engaged in various advocacy issues which include the fields of gender, sexuality, reproductive health, human rights, peace, environment, good governance, and leadership among others. He is the Director of the Ateneo Public Interest and Legal Advocacy Center (APILA), which houses the human rights programs and services of Ateneo de Davao University. At the same time, he was appointed as Assistant to the President for Advocacy and Legal Affairs. Currently, he is finishing his thesis at the De La Salle University Manila where he is taking up his Masters Degree in Political Studies. He finished his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Bachelor of Laws from Ateneo de Davao University in 1999 and 2004 respectively.

He used to be the Executive Director of Luna Legal Resource Center for Women and Children, a Non-Government Organization which promotes the welfare of marginalized women and children. He is also very active in many development organizations serving in various capacities such as BOT Member of the Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions, and Pinoy IHRTP (International Human Rights Training Program) Alumni Association, treasurer of the Apo Governance on Indigenous Leadership Academy (AGILA), and former Vice Chairperson of Amnesty Internatinal Philippines and Chair of Luna Legal Reource Center.

In 2008, he received an Award of Commendation given by the National Youth Commission to the Top 10 Youth Advocates of the Philippines for his unselfish and untiring advocacy for youth issues. He was also given a citation as an Outstanding Ateneo de Davao Law School Alumnus in 2015 for his exemplary dedication to the protection and promotion of the rights of the Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao and the Bangsamoro.

Meong is a member of several international and national alliances. He is an alumnus of the International Human Rights Training Program of the Equitas International Center for Human Rights Education, Montreal Canada. Also, he is a Fellow of the US State Department’s International Visistor’s Leadership Program on Human Rights where he spent a month of learning sessions in Washington DC, New York, Salt Lake City in Utah and Seattle, Washington. He is also a member of the Asia Young Leaders in Governance based in the UNDP Regional Center Bangkok, Thailand and a fellow of the David and Lucille Packard Foundation Institute of International Education.

Apart from all these, he is also serves as a full time instructor of the Ateneo de Davao University under its Political Science Department teaching law, history and politics and assisting the Clinical Legal Education Program of the College of Law. He is a known trainer, facilitator, resource person and lecturer on issues involving human rights of women, children, the LGBTI, indigenous peoples and other marginalized groups. He believes that he is a lawyer by profession, teacher by passion and a development worker by mission.