Geri’s story

TIONGSON (center, back), with daughter Mimi Medina and granddaughters, Sarah and Olivia.

Geraldine Osias Tiongson, or Geri to Philwomenians, is a motivational speaker and a cross-cultural trainer in personal growth and management development.

She worked for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for 33 years—first, in New York, then Burma (Myanmar).

It was during Geri’s field assignment in breathtaking Yemen that her passion for photography intensified. Before 1990, she was based in Somalia, the “horn” of Africa, where she was captivated by the sight of the Atlantic Ocean meeting the blue sky.

Career

Upon her return to UNDP’s headquarters in New York, her career in training and development blossomed. It allowed her to travel to Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

She took an early retirement in 1999 to look after her mother. Here, she was elected president of the PWU Alumni Association while teaching Moral, Social and Civic Education at her alma mater.

She served as a board member of the Ambassadors of Light,  a choir composed of visually impaired singers. She has also organizes events, the latest of which was the Boots Anson Roa-King Rodrigo wedding.

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Join our Socsargen Photo Safari on Sept. 18-21, or the Singapore Photo Walk (with a stop at the exhibit of Annie Leibovitz) on Oct.2-5. Call 896-3208, or visit mandy-navasero.blogspot.com.