Meet Our Team

He is the founding chairman of the HOPE Foundation, providing the pastoral vision, moral leadership, and spiritual guidance that shaped its mission of healing, dignity, and hope. As the former shepherd of the Diocese of San Jose, he discerned the urgent need for a faith-based response to addiction, poverty, and human brokenness—one rooted in compassion, responsibility, and community.

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Under his leadership, the HOPE Foundation was established as a Church-led, community-based initiative that integrates psycho-spiritual recovery, formation, and reintegration, affirming that persons struggling with addiction are not problems to be discarded but lives to be restored. Bishop Mallari’s vision emphasizes mercy with accountability, healing with discipline, and hope translated into concrete action.

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As Founding Chairman, he continues to inspire clergy, lay partners, professionals, and volunteers to build healing communities where the wounded can recover, families can be restored, and society can rediscover compassion grounded in truth.

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His leadership embodies the Church’s conviction that hope is not merely proclaimed—it is lived.

He is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the HOPE Foundation, where he leads the vision, design, and implementation of its holistic recovery, formation, and reintegration programs. A Catholic priest with a strong interdisciplinary background, he brings together theology, psychology, pastoral care, and addiction studies in responding to the complex realities of substance use and human brokenness.

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He earned his Bachelor of Arts major in Philosophy with a minor in Psychology from University of La Salette – Silang Campus, and completed his Master’s in Sacred Theology (Historico-Canonico-Liturgico-Pastoral Studies) at San Carlos Seminary Graduate School of Theology. Deepening his professional engagement in recovery work, he obtained an Executive Master’s in Addiction Studies from Asia Metropolitan University.

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Ordained to the priesthood on June 21, 2014, Fr. Lagos has since dedicated his ministry to psycho-spiritual healing, addiction recovery, clergy and lay formation, and community-based rehabilitation. As Executive Director, he continues to shape HOPE Foundation as a place where mercy meets structure, faith meets science, and hope is translated into concrete healing—especially for the most vulnerable.

His leadership reflects a conviction that recovery is not only possible, but sacred work.

He is a priest of the Diocese of San Jose who generously serves as a Volunteer Counselor at the HOPE Center, offering pastoral presence and psychological accompaniment to persons in recovery. His ministry reflects a deep commitment to healing that is both pastoral and evidence-informed, attentive to the emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of the human person.

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Alongside his priestly ministry, Fr. Valente is a candidate for the Doctorate in Psychology at Central Luzon State University, strengthening his capacity to serve individuals and families affected by addiction, trauma, and mental health concerns. His academic formation enriches the HOPE Center’s psycho-spiritual approach by integrating sound psychological insight with compassionate pastoral care.

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As a volunteer counselor, Fr. Valente embodies the HOPE Center’s mission of accompaniment, dignity, and hope, walking with residents as they rediscover meaning, resilience, and the possibility of renewed life.

He serves as the Community Guardian and Program Manager of the HOPE Center, where he plays a vital role in safeguarding the integrity, discipline, and pastoral spirit of the healing community. As Community Guardian, he ensures that daily community life remains safe, structured, and values-centered, fostering an environment where recovery can genuinely take root.

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As Program Manager, Fr. Teope oversees the day-to-day implementation of the HOPE psycho-spiritual recovery pathway, coordinating formation activities, community routines, staff collaboration, and resident accompaniment. His leadership bridges pastoral care and program management, translating the Center’s vision into concrete practices of discipline, compassion, and accountability.

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Through his steady presence and servant leadership, Fr. Teope helps residents experience community not as control, but as care that heals—guiding them toward responsibility, inner freedom, and hope-filled reintegration into life beyond the HOPE Center.

Rainier Manalang serves as the Administrative Assistant of the HOPE Foundation, supporting the day-to-day coordination and administrative needs of the Center with diligence and commitment. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education major in English from Central Institute of Technology (CIT), bringing strong communication and organizational skills to his role.

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Deepening his engagement in recovery work, Rainier attended a Recovery Summit in Malaysia (2023), enriching his understanding of addiction recovery and community-based support. He is an active youth leader in the Diocese of San Jose and at the Shrine of the Holy Face of Jesus, where his service reflects a growing passion for ministry and accompaniment.

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His participation in World Youth Day further strengthened his vocation to serve the Church and the marginalized. Through faithful service and youthful zeal, Rainier contributes to the HOPE Foundation’s mission of healing, organization, and hope-filled outreach.

Bro. Florence Liwanag is responsible for the Livelihood Program of the HOPE Center, where he guides residents in rebuilding dignity, discipline, and self-reliance through meaningful work and skills formation. His role focuses on preparing recovering individuals for productive reintegration by cultivating work ethics, practical competencies, and a sense of purpose essential for sustainable recovery.

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He is a member of the Missionary Disciples of Our Lady of Hope and is currently a missionary priest-on-process, bringing a missionary spirit to livelihood formation that integrates service, responsibility, and hope. Through patient mentoring and hands-on guidance, Bro. Liwanag helps residents rediscover confidence in honest work and envision a future grounded in dignity and contribution.

She is a member of the Missionary Disciples of Our Lady of Hope (MDH) and serves as the person responsible for the Psycho-Spiritual Program of the HOPE Center. A Registered Guidance Counselor, she brings together professional competence and deep pastoral sensitivity in accompanying persons on the path of healing and recovery.

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She completed her Master’s degree in Psychology major in Guidance and Counseling at De La Salle University and is currently a candidate for the Doctorate in Psychology at the University of Santo Tomas. Her academic formation strengthens the Center’s integrative approach, where psychological care and spiritual formation mutually enrich one another.

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At the HOPE Center, Sr. Helen oversees the design and implementation of psycho-spiritual interventions that nurture self-awareness, emotional healing, spiritual discernment, and inner freedom. Through her leadership, the program ensures that recovery is not only clinically informed but also deeply rooted in faith, meaning, and human dignity, helping residents rediscover hope and purpose in their journey toward wholeness.

Fondly known as Coach April, is a volunteer partner of the HOPE Center and a Registered Guidance Counselor with more than a decade of professional experience in mental health and wellness. She brings to the Center a compassionate, strengths-based, and clinically grounded approach that supports the psycho-spiritual recovery of individuals and families affected by addiction.

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She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology (2006) and Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling (2010) from Miriam College. Over the past 10+ years, she has worked extensively in counseling, coaching, and mental health advocacy, accompanying individuals through emotional healing, self-discovery, and personal growth.

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As the Founder of AYO Philippines, Coach April is deeply committed to promoting mental health awareness, resilience, and holistic well-being, especially among vulnerable and underserved communities. Her partnership with the HOPE Center strengthens its commitment to professional care, dignity-centered recovery, and sustainable healing, where science, compassion, and hope meet.

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Her service reflects a conviction that healing begins when people are seen, heard, and supported with competence and care.

He is a member of the Missionary Disciples of Our Lady of Hope (MDH) and holds the distinction of being its first professed brother. He previously served as Community Guardian of the HOPE Center, where he helped uphold the discipline, pastoral spirit, and values-based structure of the healing community.

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He is currently pursuing his theological studies at the Divine Word School of Theology while residing at the Focolare Movement, deepening his formation in communion, dialogue, and ecclesial life. Alongside his studies, Bro. Guerwela serves as a full-time Catechist and Liturgist at the HOPE Center and the Shrine of the Holy Face of Jesus in Nampicuan, Nueva Ecija, contributing to the spiritual formation and sacramental life of the community.

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His academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Education from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo and a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Philosophy from Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Seminary. He also underwent specialized training and seminars at Asia Metropolitan University, where he obtained Certification as a Family Recovery Coach, strengthening his capacity to accompany individuals and families affected by addiction.

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Through his ministry, formation, and service, Bro. Guerwela integrates catechesis, liturgy, recovery accompaniment, and community life, embodying the HOPE Center’s conviction that healing is sustained by faith, formation, and loving presence.

Arnold serves as a Resident Monitor and Companion at the HOPE Center, where he plays a vital role in accompanying residents through their daily recovery journey. A product of the HOPE Center’s recovery program, he embodies the possibility of transformation and stands as a living witness that recovery is real and attainable.

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As a resident staff member, Arnold helps maintain order, safety, and accountability within the community while offering peer support grounded in lived experience. Having walked the same path of struggle and healing, he relates to residents with empathy, credibility, and hope—encouraging them to persevere, stay disciplined, and trust the process.

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His service reflects the HOPE Center’s belief that those who have been healed can become healers, and that recovery flourishes best in a community where guidance is offered not only by professionals, but also by companions who understand the journey from the inside.

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