A staunch advocate of Healthcare Globalization and Medical Tourism, Ms. Socao has led various initiatives in the Philippines and internationally by partnering with the government and private sectors in the development and promotion of the country as a global healthcare destination and in the capability and capacity building of the country’s healthcare organizations towards global competitiveness since 2004. In recent years, she has been advocating the ASEAN Economic Community integration for healthcare trade services and promoting international standards in healthcare and hospitality towards Patient Safety and Excellent Quality Healthcare.
Ms. Socao is the Founder & President of DIGIHEALTH—the center for global healthcare management, quality accreditation and medical tourism services in the Philippines—conducting and facilitating workshops and conferences on international healthcare management that includes compliance to the accreditation standards of Joint Commission International, Temos, Accreditation Canada, Swiss Approval/ISO, NABH International, among others. In 2019, she spearheaded the creation of Health, Retirement & Tourism (HeaRT) Alliance of the Philippines – a private sector association that seeks to support the government in developing and promoting the Philippines as a global Health Tourism and Retirement destination – where she was eventually elected founding President. In 2020, she became the Patient Safety Ambassador (ASEAN Region) of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation based in the U.S.
At present, she is the Managing Director of Time Medical Philippines and CEO of Digihealth Specialists. Both companies manufacture disruptive and innovative medical technologies that aim to assist the healthcare industry to cope with the growing burdens of care.
Ms. Socao is a Certified Lead Auditor for ISO 9001:2015 and formerly National Third Party Assessor in the Department of Tourism for the official star-rating of the accommodation sector.
From 2012 to 2017, she was the President and Country Head for Philippines in the Aster DM Healthcare group headquartered in UAE, considered to be one of the largest healthcare conglomerates in Asia with 390+ establishments.
From 2008-2010, she served as International Marketing and Communications Strategist to the Philippine Department of Tourism’s Office for Sports and Wellness Tourism, had a short stint in the Philippines’ Tourism Promotions Board as Vice President, and President/Founder of HIM Communications for six years. Prior to all these, Ms. Socao spent her 11 years working for three of the biggest global investment banks in different roles, the latest of which was as Business Analyst.
Ms. Socao finished Bachelor of Science in Tourism (Cum Laude), with Master in Business Administration, and partially completed Masters in Strategic Economics in UA&P. In 2012-2013, she was Project Editor for Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Health & Wellness section and authored the Philippine Medical Tourism Compendium. Her varied skills make her a well-sought after Consultant and Speaker in many international conferences. She is Judge in International Medical Travel Journal (IMTJ) Awards since 2013 to present. Most recently, she started hosting a regular radio program in DWIZ 882 titled “Galing Mo Pinoy, Ganda Mo Pinas” sharing her expertise on current issues, healthcare and tourism. She is a part-time professor at the School of International Relations-ASEAN Study Center in New Era University and the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.
More than a strategist and educator, Ms. Socao is a passionate learner who loves to travel, try adventure, and engage with people. It was her personal life-changing experience in the healthcare system that served as a catalyst for her to become a staunch Patient Safety and Healthcare Globalization advocate.
An entrepreneur before entrepreneurship became a buzzword. Armed with 45 years worth of real-world expertise in building companies from the ground up, Ravi founded Mercatus Capital in 2006, to nurture and invest in the next generation of start-up businesses. Ravi’s other successes range from growing his own law practice into a multi-partnership firm, to building properties across the Asia Pacific region, to being instrumental in the launches of several IPOs on the Australian and Singaporean stock exchanges.
Ravi was also the Executive Chairman and President of Fisher Scientific Inc. for the Asia Pacific region. Currently, Ravi — having taken a back seat to focus on his family and personal interests — is the Chairman Emeritus of Eight Mercatus, where his philanthropic support and expertise remain vital.
Johnny is the Chairman of the Philippines-India Business Council (PIBC), a subsidiary designated “India Desk” under the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). He has been working on bringing the Philippines and India together, way back from 2002, officially beginning during his term as President for the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Philippines). He is also the appointed Country Chair for the ASEAN-India Business Council (Philippines). He has represented the Philippines in various ASEAN meets under the umbrella of the ASEAN-India Business Council and has made it his personal interest passion in furthering the business relationship between India, the Philippines, and the ASEAN Countries.
Rtn. Johnny has been residing in the Philippines for close to four decades and has also made his personal passion of watch appreciation into e-commerce with close to fifty stores nationwide, carrying a portfolio of various Swiss Brands among others with a focus on Automatic Watches. Mr. Chotrani is also a telecommunication consultant of various hospitals.
Chairman of the Board of E-HealthCore, has had an extensive experience in private sector and government service as well as in civil society organizations. Starting as a management trainee in 1968, he held various senior technical and marketing management positions at Unilever Philippines until he joined the government when he was appointed OIC Governor of the province of Bulacan in March, 1986. He went on to serve as Bulacan Governor for 12 years during which time he was elected as National President of the League of Provinces for 3 terms and founding Chairman of the League of Leagues later renamed Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines. He had also served as Chairman of the Cooperative Development Authority, Secretary of Department of Agrarian Reforms, Secretary of Tourism, Chairman of Philippine International Trading Corporation, and founding Chairman of PITC Pharmaceuticals Inc, now known as PPPI, which launched the “Botika ng Bayan” Program to promote safe and affordable generic medicines.
Governor Pagdanganan is presently also Chairman of Medicines Transparency Alliance, (MeTA) Inc., and Health Retirement and Tourism Alliance (HeaRT). He is also a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines where he has served as National President for four terms. He is also a Past President of the Rotary Club Of Manila, the first Rotary Club in Asia, and Past District Governor of Rotary International District 3810.
Gov Pagdanganan graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, summa cum laude, in 1968, and Bachelor of Laws in 1990, from Manuel L. Quezon University. He obtained a Masters in Business Administration at Dela Salle University in 1980. He was also granted a Doctorate in Education Management, honoris causa, by the Bulacan State University in 1995. He is presently a part-time professorial lecturer at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Open University System and an Eminent Fellow at the Philippine Public Safety College.
Joyce is a staunch advocate for the Globalization of Healthcare, International Trade in Health Services and Medical Tourism. She spearheaded various initiatives in the development of the Philippines as a global healthcare destination including the Philippine Medical Tourism Program that was launched in 2006. Joyce founded HealthCore in 2010 with the vision to make the country a premier healthcare and tourism destination by introducing international quality standards in the healthcare and hospitality industry evidenced by achieving globally-recognized Quality Accreditation seals.
Joyce was the former Country Head for Aster DM Healthcare (Philippines), formerly Regional Representative of Temos certification based in Germany, Representative for NABH International and by Swiss Approval International for ISO certifications in healthcare and hospitality services. In 2015, she was licensed as a National Assessor for the Accommodation Sector by the Philippines’ Department of Tourism. In addition, she authored the Philippine Medical Tourism Compendium and served as Contributing Editor to Philippine Daily Inquirer for the Philippine Health and Wellness Travel section. She worked for 12 years in investment banking where she held various positions.
At present, she is the appointed Patient Safety Ambassador for the ASEAN region by the Patient Safety Movement Foundation based in the US, Part-Time Faculty in NEU-School of International Relations, and ISO 9001:2015 Certified Lead Auditor.
Joyce finished B.S. Tourism, Cum Laude and Most Outstanding Student, from the University of Santo Tomas and completed her MBA from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.