# Matthew Parra **Founder and Executive Director · Manila, Philippines** A dedicated policy researcher and digital media professional with a focus on Southeast Asian economics and geopolitics. Experienced in leading international initiatives and developing AI-powered research tools. Profile: https://path.cv/seanmatthewparra *Last updated: July 2026* --- ## Experience ### Founder and Executive Director at The Southeast Asia Pacific Frontier *Mar 2026 – Present* Founded a policy platform dedicated to advancing analysis on the economics and geopolitics of Southeast Asia. Leads strategic direction and convenes discussions on regional challenges. ### Senior Digital Media Executive & Editor at Value Chain Asia *May 2024 – Present* Researches and authors articles on supply chain and policy trends while leading SEO-driven content development. Contributed to a 70 percent increase in monthly readership. --- ## Skills SEO · Content Strategy · Policy Analysis · Artificial Intelligence · Data Analysis · Public Speaking · Strategic Planning · Research --- ## Projects ### Thomas An AI research tool built for university use. Thomas helps students engage with academic documents through PDF parsing and document Q&A, using Socratic questioning rather than direct answers to support genuine learning. It also logs AI interactions automatically to meet university compliance requirements around AI use in academic work. Built end-to-end in Python, with a modular design that lets the underlying model swap between local Llama 3.2 (via Ollama) and the DeepSeek API. [View Project →](https://github.com/matthew-345/thomas-ai-research) --- ## Education ### Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Asian Studies *University of Santo Tomas* Aug 2023 – Present --- ## Awards - **Quezon Leadership Award** — University of Santo Tomas (Jul 2026) - **Grand Champion** — PTT OR Seeding the Future Program (Jul 2025) - **Leadership Award** — ASEAN Foundation East Asia Summit (Jan 2025) - **Grand Champion & Best Finals Speaker** — Debatable (Jul 2024) - **Best Delegate** — Adamson Model United Nations (Jan 2024) - **Grand Champion & Best Finals Speaker** — African Debate Tournament (Jan 2024) --- ## Publications - **[At Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung briefing, experts chart supply chain resilience amid South China Sea disputes](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/geopolitics/fes-experts-south-china-sea-supply-chain)** — Value Chain Asia (Sep 2026) - **[The Philippines’ road to becoming Asia’s logistics hub: A 2025 progress report](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/logistics/philippines-2025-asia-logistics-hub)** — Value Chain Asia (Aug 2026) - **[How the 60-day oil reserve countdown misreads the Philippines and Southeast Asia’s energy crisis amid the US-Iran War](https://www.seapacificfrontier.org/p/how-the-60-day-oil-reserve-countdown)** — The Southeast Asia Pacific Frontier (Jul 2026) - **[90 Days to Talk Inside the US-China Tariff Pause: What has happened so far and what comes next?](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/geopolitics/us-and-china-tariff-truce-what-comes-next)** — Value Chain Asia (Jun 2026) - **[Beyond relocation: Can SEA capture more than manufacturing?](https://www.seapacificfrontier.org/p/southeast-asia-manufacturing-value-chain)** — The Southeast Asia Pacific Frontier (Jun 2026) - **[Stablecoins and the peso: The BSP’s new monetary challenge](https://www.seapacificfrontier.org/p/coinsph-qrph-stablecoins-bsp-dollarization)** — The Southeast Asia Pacific Frontier (May 2026) - **[Why Singapore held to principle while SEA negotiated for survival in the Strait of Hormuz](https://www.seapacificfrontier.org/p/strait-of-hormuz-crisis-asean-energy-security-singapore-response)** — The Southeast Asia Pacific Frontier (Apr 2026) - **[Two ASEANs and the politics of crisis management beyond consensus](https://www.seapacificfrontier.org/p/two-aseans-and-the-politics-of-crisis)** — The Southeast Asia Pacific Frontier (Mar 2026) - **[Southeast Asia’s LNG expansion may lock regional supply chains Into structural risk](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/sustainability/sea-lng-supply-chain-risks)** — Value Chain Asia (Feb 2026) - **[How passenger recovery masked Aviation’s supply chain fragility](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/logistics/passenger-recovery-aviation-supply-chain)** — Value Chain Asia (Feb 2026) - **[Can COMAC mirror BYD’s growth trajectory amid aviation’s Boeing–Airbus duopoly?](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/business-and-economy/can-comac-challenge-airbus-boeing)** — Value Chain Asia (Feb 2026) - **[SEA startups grow amid corporate giants and tech advancements ](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/business-and-economy/sea-startups-grow-amid-corporate-giants-and-tech-advancements)** — Value Chain Asia (Jul 2025) - **[Southeast Asia’s response in a second Trump presidency: Exclusive insights from Moody’s Analytics](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/geopolitics/southeast-asia-trade-supply-chain-risks-trump)** — Value Chain Asia (Jul 2025) - **[Balancing cost and speed: Is airfreight a viable alternative to sea freight](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/logistics/air-freight-vs-sea-freight)** — Value Chain Asia (Jul 2025) - **[What Lunar New Year 2025 means for Asia’s dual role in supply chains](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/geopolitics/what-lunar-new-year-2025-means-for-asias-dual-role-in-supply-chains)** — Value Chain Asia (Jul 2025) - **[Shein’s digital-first supply chains set the stage for fashion retail chains: Will others follow suit?](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/technology/sheins-digital-first-supply-chains-set-the-stage-for-fashion-retail-chains-will-others-follow-suit)** — Value Chain Asia (Jun 2025) - **[Temu supply chain expands in Southeast Asia amid Indonesian ban: Will others follow?](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/supply-chain-and-manufacturing/temu-supply-chain-expands-in-southeast-asia-amid-indonesian-ban-will-others-follow)** — Value Chain Asia (Jul 2024) - **[Chinese companies turn to SEA amid China’s economic, regulatory challenges](https://valuechainasia.com/articles/supply-chain-and-manufacturing/china-plus-one-southeast-asia-supply-chain)** — Value Chain Asia (Jul 2024)