In conferring the Pamana ng Pilipino Award to Emmanuel Crisanto Liban, the President recognizes his expertise and invaluable contributions in the fields of transportation, environment, and sustainability, which have greatly served the County of Los Angeles and the Filipino American community through his introduction of technological advancements, creative financing, and leveraging of non-traditional partnerships to effect social change in the communities.
AS transportation promotes mobility, accessibility, and connectivity, one must also consider its safety and sustainability. Serving as the executive officer for Environment and Sustainability, Emmanuel Crisanto Liban oversees the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation (Metro) environmental compliance, environmental remediation, energy and renewable energy, climate change management, and water and resources management efforts while supporting the agency’s $40 billion transportation infrastructure expansion program
Leading the implementation of various programs at Metro, Liban uses technological advancements, creative financing, and non-traditional partnerships to effect social change in the communities the agency serves throughout the County of Los Angeles. Together with his staff, he has accelerated Metro’s use of innovative technologies in energy and water efficiency and resource management. He has collaborated closely with its vehicle technology group to advance the use of renewable natural gas and reduce environmental impacts across planning, construction, and operations. These efforts have generated millions of dollars in cost savings and currently displace more greenhouse gas emissions, thereby significantly advancing the region’s clean air goals. He likewise authored some of the Metro’s most sweeping Board-approved policies, including the Green Construction Policy, Water Use and Conservation Policy, Environmental Policy, Renewable Energy Policy, and Recycling and Reuse Policy. These policies have changed the way construction and infrastructure work are done in the Los Angeles region and other cities.
Liban has consistently achieved small-business participation in all of his projects by including both environmental and sustainability consulting and construction contracts. Working with the Philippine Consulate, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center, and local Filipino Chambers of Commerce, Liban has increased the number of Filipino American and Filipino businesses participating in LA Metro’s procurement opportunities since 2012. He has also supported the community’s active participation in the Business Advisory Council and has increased the number of minority and disadvantaged small businesses participating in the environmental and sustainability space. In addition, he holds a quarterly “Kapihan” with these small businesses to discuss business opportunities and promote networking. He has tirelessly worked with many members of the Metro community to get alternative and innovative funding mechanisms to build, operate, and maintain many of its sustainability infrastructure programs. Partnering with other government agencies and private partners, Metro has been at the forefront of technology innovation and implementation, ahead of many transit agencies across the country.
Liban has consistently increased the number and availability of electric vehicle (EV) chargers throughout Los Angeles County. Beginning with just 20 chargers, up to 100 chargers were installed at about 30 park-and-ride locations throughout the Metro System. He has consistently supported economically disadvantaged areas across all his sustainability infrastructure construction efforts, particularly in renewable energy installations and green infrastructure jobs. He has over $100 million in planned procurements that could employ workers from the said area.
In addition to his duties at LA Metro, Liban also currently serves as a Commissioner of the Los Angeles Board of Transportation Commissioners and the Los Angeles County Beach Commission. His recent appointment by the US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology will further take his local solutions and policy recommendations on environmental and sustainability challenges to the federal government stage. This is in addition to the numerous national-level contributions he has made as chair or member of various panels at the Transportation Research Board and his leadership roles in the American Public Transportation Association.
Liban has also been very active in the Filipino-American community, having served for many years as a Board Member of Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (Fasgi). As current Fasgi Board Chair, he ensures that disadvantaged community members, specifically in Los Angeles’s Historic Filipino town, have a social safety net through Fasgi’s transitional housing and preventative care center. The organization’s Immigration Outreach Program has increased the number of permanent residents who consider, apply for, and obtain US citizenship, thereby playing an active role in shaping the policies that impact the Filipino American community. He also plays an active role in enhancing safety on Temple Avenue by installing pedestrian lights at all 18 bus stops within the thoroughfare’s Historic Filipino footprint. Filipino artwork will be incorporated into the poles and light fixtures to reflect three themes — Kapwa, Lakbay, and Kapayapaan — the major traits that describe the Filipino community in the US. Liban and his fellow community members are using this opportunity to introduce and simultaneously create pride in Filipino arts, as this installation will be the first of its kind in the country.
Liban earned his bachelor’s degree in Geology from the University of the Philippines, master’s in Civil Engineering from Loyola Marymount University, and doctorate in Environmental Science and Engineering at the University of California.
