Ariel Hernandez, known as Ayi to his friends and colleagues, has been a social development professional for more than 28 years.

His exposure and continuing understanding of the root causes of war and conflicts in Mindanao generated his strong commitment to peace and development work.

Ayi’s lifelong passions are combating rural poverty and promoting peace, and as Senior Director of Balay Mindanao Foundation, a nonprofit organization, he directs those passions toward promoting equity-based development and sustainable peace.

A former congressman, Ayi has extensive on-the-ground experience in local participatory governance and development planning, peacebuilding and conflict management, and security sector engagement and partnerships.

These areas of expertise over the years have provided him a solid network among civil society groups, government including police and military institutions, business organizations, and academia in the Philippines, ASEAN countries and in some parts of Europe and the United States.

He received the Bayanihan Civilian Award of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 2016 and was a 2017 Distinguished Eisenhower Fellow. Currently, he works in the Office of the President Advisers on Peace Reconciliation and Unity and serves as the GPH Chairperson on the Joint Normalization Committee.