About Me

The Story of Mel Velarde: https://melvelarde.com/story

Mel Velasco Velarde 

Austronesian Filipino by Heritage and Advocate for the Free World 

Professional Experience 

  • Chairman, NOW Corporation
    A publicly listed firm on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE Ticker: NOW) with investments in Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT). 
  • Chairman, NOW Telecom Company, Inc. 
    A key partner of the U.S. Government via the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), which funded its 5G and nationwide fiber-optic network feasibility study—completed by Bell Labs—to deliver full-service 5G telecom and broadband internet nationwide. 
  • Chairman, Asian Institute of Journalism and Communications (AIJC) 
    Overseeing a 40-year-old research institution serving UNESCO, EU-IMS, and other international organizations, with an academic arm offering master’s degrees in communications management, Public Relations, and Journalism. 
  • Chairman, Velarde Inc. (VI) 
    Founded in 1999, Velarde Inc. serves as his family holdings company. Within a decade, through his investments, Velarde Inc. was recognized as a Top Taxpayer by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in the Philippines’ financial capitals. 

 

Key Business Milestones 

  • 2024: Expanded to the U.S. market via NOWBLE Corp., a Delaware-registered company. 
  • 2017: Launched pre-5G wireless network using 5G Midband frequencies (3.5 GHz). 
  • 2014: Initiated the first wireless fiber point-to-multipoint broadband service in the Philippines using millimeter-wave frequencies (1,000 MHz in the 26 GHz band). 
  • 2009: Took NOW Corporation public on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE: NOW). 
  • 2002: Led a multinational management team in the USD 200 million buyout of Nextel Communications Philippines, Inc., previously owned by the U.S.-based Nextel International, Inc. 
  • 2000: Introduced the first direct satellite broadband internet over the Pacific to Philippine schools and enterprises from Napa Valley and Hawaii teleports. 
  • 1991: Revolutionized Philippine television and telecommunications by co-founding Sky Cable and Sky Internet—a Filipino company backed by Silicon Valley–based Hambrecht & Quist—which grew into the country’s largest cable TV and internet network. 
  • Early Career: Reorganized the ABS-CBN News and Public Affairs Department; trained as a News Director at KTLA Channel 5 News in Los Angeles, California. 

 

Government & Public Service 

  • 2003–2010: Appointed as Philippine Commissioner to UNESCO, serving as Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee. 
  • 2014: Acquired the 1734 Murillo Velarde Map from Sotheby’s in London, which subsequently served as key evidence in the Philippines’ legal victory against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) constituted under the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 
  • Chairman, Christian Social Democratic Movement (CSDM) 

 

Educational Background
  • Boston University, Massachusetts, USA
    – Bachelor of Liberal Studies, Major in Interdisciplinary Studies (Summa Cum Laude)
  • University of Asia and the Pacific
    – Master in Business Economics
  • Harvard Business School, Cambridge
    – Owners and Presidents Management Program
    – Corporate Restructuring and Business Transformation
    – Digital Marketing
  • Oxford University
    – International Human Rights Law (Master’s-Level Course)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
    – Cinematography, Film Editing, and Production
  • American Society of Cinematographers
    – Master Cinematographer Course
  • London School of Film and Television
    – Film Documentary & Directing Documentaries
  • Brandeis University
    – Contemporary Art

 

Theological Studies 

Believing that he, his countrymen, and other formerly colonized peoples require radical epistemic and theological liberation, he has undertaken graduate-level theological studies at Columbia International University (Evangelical), Jerusalem University College (Ancient Near Eastern Literature), and Vancouver School of Theology. Currently short of the required seminary residency time, he continues pursuing a Master of Arts in Theological Studies, purposefully integrating scholarly inquiry with spiritual depth.

 

Executive Education & Specialized Training 

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Social Media Strategy and Digital Learning Strategy  
  • Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania – Wealth Management 
  • University of Michigan – Strategic Finance 
  • Tsinghua University & Harvard Business School – Managing Businesses in China 
  • United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) – Broadcasting, Satellite Communications, Data & Internet Communications, Washington D.C. 
  • Critical Communication and Infrastructure, Cologne, Germany 
  • Cable TV and Satellite Communication – Tel Aviv, Israel 
  • Data Communication – Amman, Jordan 
  • SANS Institute, Washington, D.C. – Cybersecurity: Planning, Implementing & Auditing Critical Security Controls 
  • Swain Sailing School, British Virgin Islands – Advanced & Competitive Sailing Certifications 
  • Nature and Forest Therapy Guide Certification, New Hampshire
  • Multimedia Authoring, Des Moines, Iowa
  • CDi Development and Technology,  Eindhoven, Netherlands 

Personal Life & Legacy 

Mel Velarde resides in Manila. He is a dedicated father to his four-year-old son, Victor Chriscien S. Velarde. His commitment to education and historical preservation is evident through his initiative VelardePrize.com, where he awards commemorative 1734 Murillo Velarde Maps to distinguished individuals in public service. 

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