Rya is a communications professional for the development and humanitarian sector. She has worked on initiatives around gender, climate justice, local governance, human rights, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian crises. Rya is keen on pushing for inclusive, gender transformative, and community driven communication initiatives in spaces she works in. At present she is working as the Communications Officer for Start Network. She brings in her experience working with local communities and her expertise in managing digital platforms at Start Network. She received her degree in Communication Arts from the University of the Philippines in 2017. Rya is currently based in Manila, Philippines with her 13 dogs.