Members

Karen Alparce-Villanueva has over 30 years experience in communications & policy work in various industries: consumer, insurance, travel and pharmaceuticals, the latter of which she spent the last 20 years.

Karen is President & Managing Partner of Health Prx Communications Inc., a consultancy company with special expertise in healthcare, communications and public policy with the aim of bridging together the private and public sector to work towards common goals.

After leaving her corporate job 2 years ago, she served as consultant to the Department of Health for the Health Promotions and Communication Services unit until she was appointed Member of the Board of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth). She co-created and chaired the Benefits Committee which supported the institutionalization of a transparent and rationale process for benefits development.

She also devoted her long experience in health advocacy to advancing patient rights through her active involvement with the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO). Her most recent corporate post was as External Affairs Director of MSD Philippines handling communications, policy, commercial innovation and market access. She was previously Corporate Affairs Director of Pfizer Philippines and Corporate Communications Manager of Zuellig Pharma Corporation.

Karen was responsible for steering the companies she represented in gaining accolades in communications and corporate social responsibility from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, the Catholic Mass Media Awards, the Gold Quill Awards and People Power People Awards. In MSD, she was a three-time recipient of the Managing Directors Award and was also given a special recognition by the MSD Asia-Pacific Leadership Team for her industry work in supporting the drive for Universal Health Care. She was also always at the forefront of health policy issues and was given recognition by the PHAP for her active role. Under her leadership, MSD won the much-coveted Gold Standard Award given by Public Affairs Asia for “Babae Mahalaga Ka” – a Cervical Cancer Awareness Program in partnership with the Department of Health.

A Business Administration graduate from the University of the Philippines Diliman, she also obtained units in Master of Arts in Health Policy Studies at the UP Manila.

She is currently Chair of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and member of the Filipina Women’s Network (FWN) and the International Alliance of Patients Organizations (IAPO).

Her aspiration for her work is to be able to help realize the dream for every Filipino to have access to high quality healthcare.