Growing up on the front lines of urban and climate challenges — tell us about yourself and your studies

I grew up in Manila, one of the most crowded cities in the world and a place hit hard by the climate crisis. I saw how floods and fire can take over streets, and I saw people rebuild their homes with whatever little they had. 

When I began my degree in development communication, I started to understand these problems more clearly. As a journalist-in-training, I talked to small business owners who had to close during the pandemic and fisherfolks whose jobs were at risk because of heavy metals accumulation in freshwater catch. I also reported on lake communities trying to deal with planned renewable energy projects, and met Indigenous Peoples forced to leave their land because of conflict, poverty, and climate pressure. Many of them ended up living in informal settlements at the edges of Metro Manila.  

I realized my stories were only showing the symptoms of deeper, interconnected problems that were hitting the city hard. Because of this, I wanted to learn more about how we can change urban systems, and systems in general. This led me to pursue an MSc in Transitions, Innovation, and Sustainability (TISE) across four universities in Europe. Now, on the same path, I am doing my PhD at the Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance through the DREAM+PLAN programme. 

How does your research connect to creating climate-positive futures? 

The energy-housing-nexus is particularly hard to change because it touches so many aspects of people’s lives at once. Housing is not just a physical structure; it’s home, community, and identity. Energy systems are tightly linked to infrastructure, industries, and long-term investments.  

While the shift to greener energy systems through digital tech offers pathways to make housing more sustainable and responsive to residents’ needs, changing one without considering the other can create unintended consequences like displacement or social resistance. This makes the energy and housing nexus central to achieving climate-positive futures. 

What is something unique about you? What do you like to do outside research? 

I’m an urbanist at heart, and outside of research I love exploring cities on foot. I study urban forms, watch how people use spaces, and think about how designs, policies, and planning shapes daily life. I’ve organized walkshops to co-create these insights with others, and I also capture urban life through my camera lens. Both of which often inspire ideas I bring back to my research on cities. 

The TalTech School of Business and Governance has joined the international research and doctoral training project DREAM+PLAN (Driving Climate Positive Futures). The project is aimed at shaping a climate-positive future and supporting changemakers who connect science, business, and innovation. The programme brings together doctoral students and supervisors who wish to contribute to building a more sustainable, just and inclusive future through their work and expertise. Funded by the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND scheme, it is coordinated by RMIT University in Australia.

Read more about all four doctoral students.

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