Steering Committee

Melisa Anne B. Bautista, M.Ed  | Co-Chair, Steering Committee

Melisa (she/her) is a 2nd generation Pinay (Filipina American) and Ilokana (Paoay, Illocos Norte; Narvacan, Illocos Sur; Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya) born and raised in Southern California. At UCSF, she serves as the Assistant Director of the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC), Office of Diversity and Outreach where she builds relationships and supports learners in growing their critical consciousness as emerging healthcare practitioners; as well as, develops/executes social justice and culturally responsive programming for members of the UCSF community. Melisa enjoys cooking, hxstory, being in nature, learning about and making ancestral medicine.

Adrienne Hidalgo Esguerra, MA  | Co-Chair, Steering Committee

Adrienne (she/her) was born and raised in San Francisco (Ohlone Ramaytush Territory) and born at UCSF Parnassus. She is the eldest daughter of generation 1.5 immigrants from Manila and Calbayog City, Philippines. Currently, Adrienne is a Child Life Teacher in the Marie Wattis School Program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital where she serves pediatric patients, their siblings and families, primarily in the Pediatric Dialysis Unit. Serving on UFA honors her family’s involvement at UCSF that spans generations and the presence of Filipinx across all campuses. Adrienne enjoys spending time with her 5 kids, eating delicious food cooked by her Kampanganan family and being near the ocean.

Fe Mikey Damian | Advisor

I was born in Cavite, Philippines, and moved to California in 1976. I am the middle child of a big family with 7 sisters and 2 brothers. It’s always been my desire to be a midwife but unable to afford to take the course. I still get the chance to work with children in my current role as Practice Manager for Primary Care Pediatrics, Acute Care and Adolescent Medicine Practice. It is a great pleasure to be part of UFA, the UCSF family of Filipinos standing for our roots and culture with the opportunity to celebrate where we stand.

Jody A. Diala, BA | Programming

Jody (she/her/hers) is heavily involved in mission-driven nonprofit organizations in the Bay Area that addresses several cultural and systematic conditions among historically vulnerable and neglected communities because as an Oakland, CA native with family roots from Pampanga and Ilocos regions, she seized opportunities to enhance her knowledge and skills to make a positive impact in others’ livelihood. As a Public Health Specialist at UCSF, she contributes operational efforts for the Technical Hubs of UPIEA dept., SFDPH, and CDPH, such co-developing and leading alongside the UPIEA Technical Hub Director a learning collaborative series for local health jurisdictions on school reopening plans during the COVID-19 pandemic and more! She also looks forward to contributing and expanding her networks and skills as one of UFA’s newest Steering Committee members. In 2016, she received her BA in American studies, with an emphasis in Public Health and Education at the University of California, Berkeley.

Maria Jaochico, M.Ed | Advisor

Maria (she/her) was born in Quezon City, Manila and moved to the US when she was seven. Maria grew up in Georgia, then moved to the Bay Area for a job opportunity at UC Berkeley. She has worked at UCSF since 2016 and Maria serves as the Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities, overseeing student conduct, Student of Concern Committee, and Student Life’s Restorative Justice Practices program. Maria is a proud ilocana and when she first moved to the Bay Area, she was excited to hear her family’s native language whenever she would go out. Serving UFA is a great opportunity to honor my roots and celebrate our culture.

Ernesto Llamado, BA | Communications

I am an SF State alumnus and a former music industry professional turned lab operations manager for UCSF’s Dermatology Research department.  I am also a native San Franciscan who loves sunny days (rare in SF) and in my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family traveling to different parts of the world.  I enjoy eating good food, bike riding, and trying to perfect my golf swing even after playing for over 20 years. 

Darlene Mergillano, MS | Communications

I grew up in the Central Valley, and my roots are in Zambales and Pangasinan, Philippines. Growing up, I did not see as many faces who looked like me, and I found myself gravitating to learn more about my Pinay identity in college by joining the Fresno State Magkaisa Filipino Club and in my professional career as a club advisor for UC Berkeley’s Pilipino American Alliance (PAA) through the Pilipino Information Network at Cal ([email protected]).  At UCSF, I currently serve as the Graduate Affairs Officer for the Institute for Global Health Sciences. Becoming a part of UFA is another opportunity for me to embrace my culture and be inspired by my UCSF Filipinx family.

Henry Ocampo, MPH | Events/Programming

I am the bunso in my family and grew up in the Bay Area. My career has spanned over 30 years in minority health beginning with managing HIV prevention programs targeting Asians and Pacific Islanders in San Francisco. Eventually, I led national minority health initiatives for over 14 years at the Office of Minority Health Resource Center in partnership with community-based organizations, regional and state health departments, and federal health agencies throughout the US and US Pacific territories. Currently, I serve as the Program Manager on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. In my free time, I enjoy new adventures, whether it’s eating at new restaurants, traveling the world, scuba diving, hiking, or meeting new people. 

Kristan Olazo, MPH | Communications

Kristan (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Pittsburg, CA (Bay Miwok Territory) and has been living in Daly City/SF for the past 11.5 years. Her ancestral roots are in Pampanga (maternal side) and Batangas and American Samoa (paternal side). Currently, Kristan is a Research Data Analyst in the UCSF Division of General Internal Medicine at ZSFG supporting research in health information technology in the safety-net setting. Kristan’s intersecting identities (e.g. 2^nd generation Pinay American) have shaped how she moves and views the different spaces she’s in.