Veronica Gabaldon (Speaker)

Veronica Gabaldon is the Executive Director of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), where she drives the organisation’s mission to build resilient businesses and communities across the country.

A recognised leader in disaster risk reduction, she spearheaded the establishment of the nation’s first private sector–led Operations Centre and actively champions private sector engagement in crisis preparedness and response.

Her leadership has earned her recognition, including being a finalist for the 2022 WIN DRR Excellence Leadership Award in the Asia Pacific region.

Who is Veronica Gabaldon?

As the Executive Director of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), Veronica Gabaldon leads the organisation's strategic direction, programs, and administration toward achieving PDRF’s vision to build resilient businesses and communities in the country.

Recognised as one of the active women leaders in the DRR community in the country, she led the design, launch, and operation of the country’s only private sector-led Operations Centre in Clark, Pampanga.

As a strong advocate for the private sector's engagement before and during crises, she has been active on the Connecting Business initiative platform of OCHA and UNDP, where she shares her expertise and experiences.

Before being appointed as Executive Director, she acted as PDRF’s Senior Program Manager, leading the Recovery Program and the Telecommunications Cluster. For 18 years, she also headed Smart Communications’ nationwide initiatives and operations to boost customer and community relations.

She was a Finalist at the 2022 Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction Excellence Leadership Award in the Asia Pacific