Rose Eclarinal
Executive Producer and EditorPresenter
At the helm of our team of passionate volunteers is Rose Eclarinal. A seasoned and renowned journalist in her own right, Rose grew from writing and producing for award-winning shows in the Philippines to becoming ABS-CBN News Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Bureau Chief.
She has reported on important stories spanning the European continent, all in the quest for truth and the pursuit of public service. As Executive Producer of Juan Eu Konek, Rose feels she has come full circle in her career, taking her back to where she started many years ago, as a News and Current Affairs producer. She is passionate about championing the causes of overseas Filipinos. In 2022, she’s been bestowed the prestigious Presidential Awards, under the Banaag category.
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Jay Montelibano-McLeod
Associate Producer and Composer
Jay was based in Sri Lanka, Singapore and the Philippines before moving to the UK and has previously worked in the hotel, cosmetics and recruitment sector. She is currently Operations Manager for WEConnect International, a global network that connects women-owned businesses to qualified buyers around the world.
Her corporate background lends some useful administrative, marketing and communications skills to the team and she is also the musical composer in the group, having written the programme’s theme song and the tribute song to fallen frontliner heroes which was used in Juan Eu Konek’s National Lottery-funded docuseries, “Kontra Corona.”
Gene Alcantara
Editor and Presenter
Gene Alcantara has worked tirelessly for the Filipino community in the UK for decades and is considered a well-respected community leader. He has published community newspapers, actively championed racial equality in various civic groups, and became one of the earliest correspondents for Balitang Pinoy (Europe) under The Filipino Channel. He honed his socio-civic work as founding chair of the Philippine Centre charity and as a former chair for European Network of Filipino Diaspora (ENFID). He is also a British Community Honours Awardee.
He is one of the leading immigration advisers in the UK and is the owner of Alcantara Consultancy Services, which provides immigration advice and services to migrants.
Crystal Dias
Editor and Presenter
Crystal Dias is the founder of Dias Solicitors, becoming the only Filipino woman solicitor who runs her own law firm in the city of London, handling cases in Corporate, Immigration and Family Law, and takes pride in servicing the legal needs of the Filipino community and working with vulnerable clients, including children, victims of domestic abuse, the elderly and those with learning disability and trafficked women.
She was awarded one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by the Filipina Women Network (FWN) and is also a mentor to young women who wish to pursue law under the Cherie Blair Foundation.
Kiara Gregorio
Presenter and Content Creator
Kiara is a Law graduate currently pursuing her Legal Practice Course and Masters Degree at the University of Westminster, with particular interest in Immigration Law and Entertainment and Media Law.
She is also a TV presenter for The Filipino Channel, subsidiary of ABS- CBN Broadcasting. Kiara is a beauty queen and model. She is part of Juan Eu Konek as a mentee
Salvador “Thirdy” Ado
Director of Photography
Known for his creative style in news, documentary films, wedding and editorial high-end photography, Thirdy is a former seafarer who further developed his innate talent in snapping photos when he enrolled in a photography school in Chiswick. Since then, he has worked as a freelance news and documentary cameraman, covering prestigious events and headliner stories whilst at the same time working as a health care assistant in the NHS.
Thirdy’s behind-the-camera talents are invaluable to Juan Eu Konek’s story-telling mission.
Post-production team
We also have a team of freelancers scattered around Europe and those based in Manila who handle post-production and editing work for our programmes.
With the varied range of skills and talents of our team members, we are best placed to carry out our project because we have both the technical and creative abilities as well as the passion and dedication required to serve our community. We have also gained the trust of the Filipino-British community as they know this is a labour of love and our way of giving back to the community that we are so proud of, rather than for any material gain. We have the commitment and drive to ensure that we produce the best quality content possible and will always have their best interest in mind.