Mr. Ronnel Del Rio first gained notoriety as a broadcast journalist in 1996 with his public affairs radio program, “Good Morning Southern Luzon”. On air, he discussed daily issues of the community and integrated concerns of persons with disabilities, advocating for accessible services in his area.
In 2001, Mr. Del Rio initiated a housing initiative, Villa sa Riles, giving 1,500 families the opportunity to own their own land. Ten years later, in 2011, he was appointed as a Housing and Homesite Regulatory Affairs Officer. Subsequently, he formulated the Viable Socialized Resettlement Program, which identified idle lands with the hope of converting them into a housing project for the poor in the Province of Batangas.
Mr. Del Rio is a member of the Rotary Club of Lipa South District 3820. He is also a member of Philippine Coalition on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Furthermore, he is the President of the Philippine Chamber of Massage Industry for Visually Impaired and founding President of Punlaka, the leading advocacy group in Region IV, Philippines, on the concerns of persons with disabilities.
Mr. Del Rio was the first blind Filipino to graduate in a Master’s program in De La Salle, completing a Master’s degree in Management Technology in 2003.