Antonio La Viña
Encyclopedia
Antonio G. M. La Viña is a Filipino
lawyer
, educator, and environmental policy
expert. He is currently dean of the Ateneo School of Government
in Makati City
, Philippines
.
, where he graduated in 1980 with a bachelor of arts
degree in philosophy
. He then taught philosophy at the Ateneo de Manila and Xavier University
.
He then took up law
at the University of the Philippines College of Law
, where he finished with a Bachelor of Laws
degree, and placed third in the 1989 Philippine Bar Examination
. La Viña spent several years as a professor of law at UP in the 1990s, and as a human rights
and environmental attorney serving indigenous peoples and other local communities.
In 1992, La Viña attended Yale
Law School
in New Haven, Connecticut
, where he specializing in international environmental law and policy and writing a dissertation on climate change. took up his Master of Laws
and Doctor of Juridical Science
degrees. At Yale, he focused on international environmental law and policy and wrote a dissertation on climate change.
While a professor at UP, he co-founded the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan, a human rights organization.
In 1996, at the age of 36, he was appointed Undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), where he recruited, mentored, and led a team of 25-30 young lawyers and scientists that implemented legal and policy reforms in the Philippines. They emphasized the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, efficient and fair access to justice in administrative decisions, public participation and stakeholder consensus building in environmental decision-making, and innovative programs in environmental regulation. He served as Undersecretary until June 1998, and mostly served as the DENR's crisis manager.
From 1998-2006, before returning to the Philippines from the United States, he was director of the Biological Resources Program and senior fellow in Institutions and Governance of the World Resources Institute in Washington D.C., with several offers for plum posts in international organizations. He also served as the Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs and Attached Agencies of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). He continues to be the Philippine representative to Ashoka
: Innovators for the Public, an international network of social entrepreneurship advocates.
In 2006, La Viña accepted an invitation to become Dean
of the Ateneo School of Government, succeeding Antonette Palma-Angeles who was Acting Dean from April 2005 to May 2006.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, educator, and environmental policy
Environmental policy
Environmental policy is any [course of] action deliberately taken [or not taken] to manage human activities with a view to prevent, reduce, or mitigate harmful effects on nature and natural resources, and ensuring that man-made changes to the environment do not have harmful effects on...
expert. He is currently dean of the Ateneo School of Government
Ateneo School of Government
The Ateneo School of Government or ASoG is the graduate school of public affairs of the Ateneo de Manila University, a private, Roman Catholic university established by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines.-History:...
in Makati City
Makati City
The City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Education
La Viña attended the Ateneo de Manila UniversityAteneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
, where he graduated in 1980 with a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He then taught philosophy at the Ateneo de Manila and Xavier University
Xavier University (Cagayan de Oro)
Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan is a private, Roman Catholic university run by the Society of Jesus in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.It was founded on June 7, 1933 as the Ateneo de Cagayan by an American Jesuit missionary, Fr. James T.G. Hayes, S.J., who later became the first Archbishop of...
.
He then took up law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the University of the Philippines College of Law
University of the Philippines College of Law
University of the Philippines College of Law or UP Law is the law school of the University of the Philippines. Since 1948, it has been located at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City, the flagship campus of UP's seven constituent universities. Until the 1970s, night classes of...
, where he finished with a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree, and placed third in the 1989 Philippine Bar Examination
Philippine Bar Examination
The Philippine Bar Examination is the professional licensure examination for lawyers in the Philippines.It is the only professional licensure exam in the country that is not supervised by the Professional Regulation Commission...
. La Viña spent several years as a professor of law at UP in the 1990s, and as a human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and environmental attorney serving indigenous peoples and other local communities.
In 1992, La Viña attended Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
in New Haven, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, where he specializing in international environmental law and policy and writing a dissertation on climate change. took up his Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
and Doctor of Juridical Science
Doctor of Juridical Science
Doctor of Juridical Science, Doctor of the Science of Law, Scientiae Juridicae Doctor , abbreviated J.S.D. or S.J.D., is a research doctorate in law and equivalent to the PhD It is offered primarily in the United States, where it originated, and in Canada...
degrees. At Yale, he focused on international environmental law and policy and wrote a dissertation on climate change.
Career
La Viña has held teaching posts at the Ateneo de Manila University and Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro, as well as the University of the Philippines College of Law.While a professor at UP, he co-founded the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan, a human rights organization.
In 1996, at the age of 36, he was appointed Undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), where he recruited, mentored, and led a team of 25-30 young lawyers and scientists that implemented legal and policy reforms in the Philippines. They emphasized the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, efficient and fair access to justice in administrative decisions, public participation and stakeholder consensus building in environmental decision-making, and innovative programs in environmental regulation. He served as Undersecretary until June 1998, and mostly served as the DENR's crisis manager.
From 1998-2006, before returning to the Philippines from the United States, he was director of the Biological Resources Program and senior fellow in Institutions and Governance of the World Resources Institute in Washington D.C., with several offers for plum posts in international organizations. He also served as the Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs and Attached Agencies of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). He continues to be the Philippine representative to Ashoka
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
: Innovators for the Public, an international network of social entrepreneurship advocates.
In 2006, La Viña accepted an invitation to become Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the Ateneo School of Government, succeeding Antonette Palma-Angeles who was Acting Dean from April 2005 to May 2006.
International policy positions held
Some of his international policy positions include:- Trustee, International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (since March 2005)
- Vice-Chair, IUCN Commission on Environmental Law, (since 2004); Member since 1997;
- Legal Expert/Consultant, UNEP-GEF Project on Development of National Biosafety Frameworks, (since 2004)
- Vice President, Bureau of the Working Group on a Biosafety Protocol under the Biodiversity Convention, (1995-98)