Avelino D. Tolentino III joined SPURS in 2018, after years of practicing law, licensed planning, and civil service. Most recently, he served as assistant secretary for policy development and the supervision of attached shelter agencies at the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council in the Philippines. He played a crucial role in developing the Philippine New Urban Agenda, which was presented at the UN conference HABITAT III in Quito, Ecuador. Tolentino has also been involved in disaster response and rehabilitation through Bangon Marawi (Rise Marawi), a task force created by the Philippine government to lead recovery efforts in Marawi City, which was devastated by armed conflict in 2017.
