Arze Glipo
Executive Director
Former Provincial Board Member,
Sorsogon (2004-2022)
Champion of Agroecology
Arze Glipo is a trailblazing advocate, policy influencer, and community organizer with over three decades of experience working at the intersection of sustainable development, rural empowerment, and social justice in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia.
From 2004 to 2022, Arze served as a Provincial Board Member in Sorsogon, where she became widely respected for advancing policies that protected the rights of smallholder farmers, strengthened local food systems, and elevated the voices of rural women. Her work in local governance was grounded in participatory and inclusive policymaking, with a focus on environmentally sound, gender-responsive, and socially just programs.
A tireless advocate of agroecology and food sovereignty, Arze helped institutionalize community-based initiatives supporting organic agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and climate adaptation in rural barangays. She was instrumental in promoting gender-sensitive budgeting, improved access to land tenure, and livelihood support for marginalized farming and fishing communities.
Beyond her legislative work, Arze is the Executive Director of the Integrated Rural Development Foundation
(IRDF), a leading non-governmental organization committed to empowering grassroots communities. Through IRDF and her engagement with national and regional platforms, she has worked with diverse stakeholders – from farmers’ associations and indigenous peoples to policymakers and international NGOs to advance transformative solutions to rural poverty, climate change, and inequitable food systems.
She has also been a vocal leader in regional policy dialogues, advocating for alternatives to corporate-led agriculture, and has participated in United Nations forums and ASEAN-level discussions on sustainable development and women’s rights.
Arze Glipo continues to inspire a new generation of women leaders, agroecology practitioners, and rural organizers by demonstrating that meaningful change is possible – when rooted in the land, led by communities, and fueled by justice.