Philippine Taxonomic Initiative Inc. Team
John Altomonte
John is currently the Executive Director of the Philippine Taxonomic Initiative, leading conservation research on threatened species in forests around the Philippines, with a particular focus on members of the Pandanaceae family. As a career entrepreneur, John has juggled multiple leadership roles across private, public, and civil society, including SunFund, WWF-Philippines, and the GHG Protocol. John holds a Master in Environmental Management and a BSc in Environmental Science, both from the Ateneo de Manila University, where he continues his research on conservation policy and nature-based solutions as Adjunct Faculty.
Jayson Mansibang
Jayson is serving as the Research Director of the Philippine Taxonomic Initiative since 2026 and is a Ph.D. student in Biology at the University of the Philippines Diliman. His research focuses on the genera Aeschynanthus, Saurauia, and Elatostema, as well as other understudied groups of Philippine plants. He is also an advocate for native trees and a botanical illustrator.
R.B. Bustamante
Rene is the Founder, current Chairman (2026–present), and former Executive Director (2017–2026) of the Philippine Taxonomic Initiative (PTI). His research interests focus on the genus Amorphophallus and the family Orchidaceae, as well as the ecology and conservation of diverse Philippine habitats, particularly karst limestone ecosystems and tropical moist broadleaf forests.
Maverick Tamayo
Maverick is currently pursuing his PhD Biology at Texas Christian University. His focus include the heath family Ericaceae and the aroids (Araceae, esp. Amorphophallus). He is currently doing phylogenomic research on the Asian Tribe Vaccinieae (tropical blueberries).
Yu Pin Ang
Yu Pin specializes in Begoniaceae of the Philippines. He is interested in improving local awareness, and influence other passionate individuals to contribute in this field. He is also a Botanical Illustrator.
John Paul Collantes
JP is currently interested in documenting the flora of Bicol Region, Luzon Island, Philippines.
John Patykowski
John is a plant ecologist and botanist and a member of the Philippine Taxonomic Initiative. He is currently an Adjunct Research Fellow at the School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Australia. He holds a PhD in Plant Ecology and has a research background in plant community ecology, disturbance ecology, rare and threatened species, and biodiversity conservation. He has also contributed to taxonomic research in the Philippines, including the description of new plant species.
Mark Gregory Rule
Greg is an environmental science instructor at MSU Marawi. His interests are in the ecology and conservation of plants in limestone and ultramafic forest ecosystems, particularly in Mindanao Island. He also trained in the rehabilitation of denuded forest ecosystems using Rainforestation technology.
Adriene Tobias
Adriene is a forester and biodiversity researcher whose work bridges plant systematics, ecology, conservation, and environmental management. His interests include forest and mangrove ecology, biodiversity assessment, natural capital, nature-based solutions, and climate resilience. He is currently a faculty member of the Department of Biology at Ateneo de Manila University, with particular interests in threatened and medicinal plants and Philippine biodiversity conservation.