Dr. Razel Nikka M. Hao is currently the Director IV of the Office for Sectoral Strategy and Standards of the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, Public Health Services Team under the Department of Health. She also oversees the divisions on Evidence Generation and Management, Health Systems Strengthening, Child/ Adolescent/ Adult/ Elderly and Special Populations, Cancer and Mental Health, and COVID-19 Policy.

Dr. Hao has held various positions under the DOH. She has been a Senior Policy Research Associate for the Policy Division of the Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau; Project Co-Lead for the Evidence Summaries for Access to Medicines Framework; Medical Specialist II for the Field Implementation and Management Cluster; Lead Technical Specialist for the Health Facilities and Infrastructure Development Team; Deputy for the COVID-19 Surveillance and Quick Action Unit; and most recently, OIC-Director III for Policy and Planning.

Outside of the DOH, she has also worked as a Research Associate for the Alliance for Improved Health Outcomes, an Occupational Health Physician for various health management organizations, a Medical Specialist III for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and a Research Assistant for Health Systems for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Dr. Hao graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology. She received her MD-MBA Degree from the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health in 2013. She was also a recipient of the UK Government’s Chevening Scholarship for her MSc in Health Policy, Planning, and Financing from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine of the University of London. From 2019 to 2020, Dr. Hao did her Fellowship in Global Health Equity (Atlantic Institute) at the George Washington University - Milken Institute School of Public Health in Washington D.C where her project focus was on developing an equity framework for resource allocation in the DOH.

Juan has been living with Pompe's Disease for the past 30 years. He first showed symptoms at the age of ten but was officially diagnosed at the age of sixteen. Due to Pompe's Disease, he slowly lost his physical abilities.

Despite the challenges, Juan managed to complete his degree in Industrial Design at the DLS College of St. Benilde. He worked for several companies including iAyala and Vinyl Interactive. Currently, Juan works as a freelance Web Consultant for clients including the Asian Development Bank.

Juan is a patient advocate for the Philippine Society for Orphan Disorders, a non-profit that aims to help Filipinos with rare diseases.

Mrs. Cynthia K. Magdaraog is president and board member of the Philippine Society for Orphan Disorders, Inc. (PSOD), a non-stock, non-profit organization, since it was established on July 4, 2006.

PSOD was established as a patient support group for persons living with a rare disease (otherwise known as orphan disorder), that is genetic, heritable and of low prevalence in the country.

PSOD’s acts as the central network for the advocacy and effective coordination of all viable efforts to sustain a better quality of life for individuals living with a rare disease, or otherwise known as, orphan disorders.

She is mother of a young man, Juan, now 44 years old, who has been diagnosed and living with a genetic metabolic late onset rare disease (known as Pompe Disease for the past 30 years).

She is also a Charter member of the Inner Wheel Club of Makati North (District 383), a socio-civic organization established in Y1978, and served as its Club President for IW year 2008-2009, and currently appointed as International Service Officer (ISO )for IWY 2022-2023.