Bea Arnela Parungo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Her major field of specialization is Agricultural Extension and Communication. She is currently pursuing Master of Science in Environmental Science at the University of the Philippines Los Baños Graduate School. She is a Licensed Agriculturist and a member of the Philippine Association of Agriculturists. She actively supports advocacies for environment and cultural preservation, indigenous people’s rights, and animal welfare causes.
Prior to engaging in development work, she used to be part of the customer care sector and handled international IT support and helpdesk, telemarketing, and financial accounts. As a Program Officer of SEDPI, she had delivered various customized trainings on Financial Literacy, Delinquency Management, Character and Capacity-based Lending, and Fundamentals and Methodologies of Microfinance among others. She also serves as a consultant to microfinance institutions and social enterprises and provides them with technical and mentoring assistance.