PROFILE

Maria Carolina Bello, PhD

Assistant Professor 

Faculty of Management and Development Studies

University of the Philippines Open University

  • Ending Child /Early/Forced Marriage and Other Practices Harmful to Women and Girls
  • Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response
  • Women, Peace and Security
  • Gender and the Environment, Climate, DRR and Resilience 
  • Decolonial Studies
  • Feminisms
  • Communication for Development
  • Social and Behavior Change Communication
  • Communication for Health
  • Gender and Communication
  • Gender, Culture, and Communication
  • Gender in Immunization
  • Indigenous Peoples, Rights and Sustainability

Bello, M. C. (Lead Author), & Viejo, M.(Contributing Co-Author). (2025). Practices that build young Moro women’s economic and health resilience. https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=30731

Bello, M. C. (2024). Understanding child marriage through communicative practices. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 5(2). https://ijrpr.com/uploads/V5ISSUE2/IJRPR22517.pdf

Current Fellow, American Council for Learned Societies (ACLS) “Land is Life (“Ang Lupa ay Buhay”):  Decolonial Cartographies for Indigenous Land Justice in the Philippines

Bello, M. C. (2024). Understanding child marriage: A rhetorical analysis of child marriage Facebook posts [Doctoral dissertation, University of the Philippines Open University]. Faculty of Information and Communication Studies.

Bello, M. C. (2023). Understanding the nexus between child marriage and child labor in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao [Research report]. Association for Asian Studies – Cultivating the Humanities in Social Sciences (CHSS).

Bello, M. C. (2023). Community-based participatory study on practices that build young Moro women’s economic and health resilience: Search for policy recommendations [Research report]. Ideation Impact Challenge, Bangsamoro Youth Commission.

Bello, M. C., & Baclig, D. M. (2021). Gender and climate action research: Gendered barriers, parallel realities – Study on the corn value chain in Bukidnon and Maguindanao [Research report]. Philippine Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA), Grow Asia, & Lalang Hu Mga Laga Organization.

Bello, M. C. (2021). Development of the Women-Friendly Space (WFS) Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) operational guidelines in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) [Technical report]. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), & Mangungaya Mindanao.

Bello, M. C. (Technical Lead for Gender). (2021). Mid-term progress report: Protecting women and girls affected by the Marawi armed conflict in Mindanao [Technical report]. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mangungaya Mindanao, & Transforming Fragilities.

Bello, M. C. (2023). Pangutob: Bat-Aw Tu Kimukod (Tigwahanon-Manobo Tattoo: Light of the soul) [Cultural photo book]. Lalang Hu Mga Laga Organization, Inc., & National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Reyes, S., Espina, S., & Bello, M. C. (1997). How to run and win in local elections: A manual for women local election candidates. The Center for Legislative Development.

Bello, M. C., Conda, E., & Reyes, S. (1996). Increasing women’s political awareness and consciousness. Center for Legislative Development & Women’s Legal Bureau, Inc.

 

Presenter, “Practices that Build Young Moro Women’s Economic and Health Resilience,” International Forum on Sustainability Science (IFSS) 2025 with the theme Circularity, Renewability, and Regenerative Futures for Food Systems
17-18 September 2025, Negros Residences, Bacolod City, Philippines

Resource Person, “Looking Back for a Sustainable ASEAN”
“Let’s Talk it Over” Public Service Program
29 August 2025, University of the Philippines Open University
Los Banos, Laguna

Presenter, “Community-based participatory study on practices that build young Moro women’s economic and health resilience: Search for policy recommendations,”  Association for Asian Studies-in-Asia Research Conference from 1-6 June 2025, Kathmandu, Nepal. The Henry Luce Foundation funds participation through AAS. 

Resource Person, Celebrating Indigenous Women Culture-Bearers
Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority
21 March 2025, Gardens of Malasag, Cagayan de Oro City

Presenter, “A Rhetorical Analysis of Child Marriage Facebook Posts”
International Symposium on ASEAN Studies (ISAS) 2025
25 February 2025, University of the Philippines Open University
Los Banos, Laguna

Resourcer Speaker, Training on Culture-Friendly, Gender-Sensitive and Context-Oriented Communication Skills for Vaccinators
10-12 January 2025, Camarines Sur Province

Overall Resource Person and Facilitator, Integrating Gender in the Immunization Program
Training for Department of Health (DOH)- Centers for Health and Development (CHD) Immunization Coordinators, Health Promotion Officers, and GAD Coordinators, UNICEF
18-22 February 2025, Bellvue Hotel, Alabang
11-15 November 2024, Acacia Hotel, Alabang

Presenter, “Understanding the Nexus Between Child Marriage and Child Labor”
Association for Asian Studies-in-Asia (AAS-in-Asia) Research Conference

9 – 11  June  2024; Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Funded as a Grantee of AAS Cultivating the Humanities in Social Sciences (CHSS)

Resource Person, “Gender and Climate Concerns in Agriculture”
PCAF Women’s Dialogue, PCAF Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Committee
Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries
9-11 October 2024, Chalet Hotel, Baguio City”

Moderator and Speaker, Film Education Convention
Film Development Council of the Philippines
18 September 2024, DAC Theatre, De Lasalle – College of St. Benilde, Manila

ASEAN 271 -Indigenous Peoples in the ASEAN
ASEAN 281 -Gender Dimensions of Development in ASEAN

ASEAN 201 -Introduction to ASEAN Studies
ASEAN 211 -ASEAN in Transition

Strengthening Feminist Movements Fund
2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Women’s Fund Asia

Bravo Award for Arts, Culture and Heritage 2021
https://www.tatlerasia.com/power-purpose/philanthropy/security-bank-honours-8-outstanding-women-at-bravo-awards-2021

Research Grant –  Cultivating the Humanities and Social Sciences-Association for Asian Studies (CHSS-AAS)  2022-2023
https://www.asianstudies.org/cultivating-the-humanities-and-social-sciences-and-supporting-under-represented-scholars-of-asia-2022-2023-grantees/

Research Grant – Ideation Impact Challenge
 Bangsamoro Youth Commission  2022
https://web.facebook.com/share/153kkHzoLb/ 

 

Founding Director, Lalang Hu Mga Laga Organization, Inc. (www.storiesofwomencampaign.com)

Member, Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries
-Committee Membership:
-Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)
-Corn and Feed Crops
-Climate Change, Environment and Natural Resources

-Coffee and Cacao
-Fruits and Vegetables
-International Trade

 

Member, Association for Asian Studies

 “You can run away from bullets but not from floods”

Non-Moro IP women assert agenda for the Bangsamoro IP Code


 In the words of Aileen U. Hualde: “Development efforts come in when peace and humanitarian actions are practiced on the ground”

 In the words of Sittie Janine M. Gamao: “To overcome my own fears, I think of myself not as babae lang (just a woman) or bata pa (too young) but as a peace officer doing her work.”


 In the words of Police Lieutenant Colonel Melbeth Mondaya: “Protection and education for girls is especially important because they are the key to women’s empowerment.”


 In the words of Nurrunihar Mohammad: “Women’s leadership … is beginning to be recognized”

 The Voice Behind the Speech: Young Women in UN Conventions

 Security forces attend workshop to boost women’s role in building lasting peace in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao


 UN Women helps strengthen women and peace plan in the Philippines’ Bangsamoro region