Dr. Irene De Villa

Dr. Irene R. De Villa (PhD, MBA, REB, CGSP, PPA, FRIM, AFBE, CTMP, CMP) is an accomplished Filipino academic administrator, educational strategist, and certified marketing executive. She currently serves as Dean of the College of Management and Tourism at the University of Batangas Lipa Campus, where she is also an Associate Professor III and Graduate School Lecturer.

A prominent figure in regional business and tourism education, she holds leadership positions in major professional organizations, including Vice President for Luzon of the Council of Deans and Educators in Business (CODEB), Committee Chair for Linkages of the United Tourism and Hospitality Professionals, and a former VP for South Luzon of the Philippine Association of Collegiate Schools of Business (PACSB). Her background spans more than two decades of institutional administration, global business frameworks, licensed real estate brokerage, and cross-sector strategic partnerships. She is known for driving institutional development and academic excellence while aligning tertiary curricula with international professional benchmarks and contemporary regional market shifts.

Dr. De Villa’s academic credentials reflect a strong commitment to lifelong learning. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management (Magna Cum Laude) and BS in International Hospitality Management from the University of Batangas, as well as a Master in Business Administration (Summa Cum Laude) and BS in Commerce from St. Paul University Manila.

She also holds a Diploma of Leadership and Management from the Australian Skills Institute. Her professional certifications include Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP) through the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Certified Tourism Management Professional (CTMP), Professional Property Administrator (PPA), Fellow of the Royal Institution of Management Singapore (FRIM), and Associate Fellow in Business Education (AFBE).

As a recognized authority on academic leadership and quality assurance, Dr. De Villa frequently serves as an accreditor, consultant, resource speaker, and panelist for academic conferences. Drawing on years of steering university policies and leading college departments, her work encompasses agile curriculum design, multi-disciplinary institutional governance, faculty mentoring, and rigorous academic quality assurance. Her expertise in accreditation and quality standards is reflected in her roles as a CHED Regional Quality Assessment Team (RQAT) Member, accreditor for both the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) and the Association of Local Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (ALCUCOA), DTI-Philippine Quality Award (PQA) Assessor – Completer, Department of Tourism (DOT) Accredited Trainer for the Academe of the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence, and Academic Consultant and Board Member for Metro Global College.

Beyond administrative leadership, Dr. De Villa is an active researcher, international panelist, and former editorial board member whose scholarly work focuses on sustainable tourism, environmental audit frameworks, curriculum integration, and disruptive innovation in education. She has served as an Associate Editor and Panel Reviewer for the Interdisciplinary Circle of Science, Arts and Innovation (ICSAI) and as Editor for Elsevier’s Tourism Management Perspectives. Her research has been presented at international platforms, including the 2nd Australia and New Zealand Conference on Advanced Research (ANZCAR) in Melbourne and the International Conference on Language, Culture and Education in Hanoi. Among her recognitions, she received the Best Research Paper Award for her work on environmental sustainability and was named Most Outstanding Innovative Leader and Educator by the International Organization of Educators and Researchers Inc.

A strong advocate for cross-sector synergy, Dr. De Villa actively bridges classroom learning with practical economic drivers. In real estate, she is a licensed Real Estate Broker, Owner/CEO of IDEV Realty, Managing Partner of ICON Property Specialists, and Consultant of Vanolato Realty – Paseo Residences II. In tourism and hospitality, she serves as Owner and Travel Consultant of MINT Travel and Tours, former Secretary of the Batangas Tourism Council, and holder of multiple TESDA NCII/NCIII qualifications. Her initiatives, including university-industry partnerships promoting financial literacy and structural community agreements with national organizations, remain grounded in real-world metrics, regulatory standards, and sustainable community growth.

Grounding her extensive executive and academic endeavors is her primary and most essential role as a dedicated mother to three children and a loving wife to a physician, effortlessly balancing the demands of high-level professional leadership with a deeply fulfilling family life.

She is a member of Yaman Advocacy Cooperative.