Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna will be one of the speakers in this year’s annual Harvard College Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) Conference, entitled “Chartering New Horizon: Mapping Present and Future”, at Harvard University on 9 to 11 February 2024.

Lacuna has three decades of public service experience — from a dedicated physician to a pioneering public servant.

She broke glass ceilings in Manila politics by becoming the first female Majority Leader of the Manila City Council; the first female Vice Mayor and Presiding Officer of the City Council; and, in 2022, became the first female Mayor of Manila in 450 years

From 2004 until the present, she has been committed to prioritizing healthcare and has extensive legislative experience in addressing pressing issues in the City of Manila.

She was integral in addressing the challenging times in the city during the COVID-19 pandemic and led Manila’s healthcare program expansion.

Mayor Lacuna, currently serving her first term, is focused on bringing the city government’s services closer to the people through the Kalinga sa Maynila program and expanding its social amelioration programs.

Lacuna is the second Filipino to have been invited to speak in this conference. Former Vice President Leni Robredo was a conference speaker in 2023.