The 2024 recipient of the Country Leadership Award for the Philippines is Professor Lucita Lazo. 

Lucita’s work is a testament to the immense impact that can be made when someone dedicates themselves to serving the most vulnerable among us.

Lucita has spent decades working tirelessly for marginalized groups, from impoverished women and rural workers to migrant laborers and survivors of gender-based violence. Her work has touched the lives of children, disaster survivors, and Indigenous people, as well as those affected by war both within the Philippines and internationally.

Beginning her career as a Professor of Psychology at the University of the Philippines, the country’s leading institution for higher education, Lucita went on to hold key roles in both national and international organizations. She served as Chief Technical Advisor to the International Labour Organization’s Asia-Pacific Regional Office, became the first woman to be appointed Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and held the position of Undersecretary of Labour and Employment in the Philippines. Her expertise was further recognized when she became Regional Program Director for East and Southeast Asia at UNIFEM, overseeing critical programs across ten countries, addressing poverty, gender inequality, and public health crises like HIV/AIDS.

In recent years, Lucita has returned to her roots in mental health. She currently presides over the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR) – Philippines and has played a pivotal role in defining the Philippines’ Mental Health Research Agenda. Her current work on digital mental health systems has been transformative, especially through the Mental Health Information System (MHIS), which aims to digitalize mental health data across the country. Moreover, she is a co-investigator on the ATIPAN+ telehealth program, a digital mental health initiative funded by Canada’s International Research Development Centre.

Lucita’s influence has been profound, spanning both government and international agencies, and her work in digital mental health and AI continues to inspire future generations.

Congratulations Lucita!