A licensed environmental planner and educator with extensive experience in energy research, climate change and sustainability, and policy development. She is a certified climate report transparency expert reviewer and GHG inventory preparer. Currently the Chief Science Research Specialist at the Department of Energy (Philippines), she contributes to initiatives that advance transparency, accountability, and climate equity in the energy sector. Her areas of expertise are stakeholder engagements, environmental management, monitoring and planning, MRV of climate change mitigation actions and adaptation measures, resiliency and just energy transition. Ms. dela Cruz leads the Department’s teams responsible for GHGI, BTR, NDC and carbon market development. She is one of the country’s negotiators for Mitigation, Article 6 and Technology Development and Transfer workstreams during intersessional and COP meetings. She also serves as focal person for various inter-agency TWGs on JCM, CDM and GEF project evaluation, climate finance engagements, market and non-market mechanisms, formulation of climate related laws/issuances and standards for low carbon development of key cities.