Born on January 6, 1994, Councilor Carissa Mariz S. Manalo is a lifelong resident of Mandaluyong City, a true “Batang Mandaleño.” Her formative years were spent in the city she now serves, attending Don Bosco School Manila for both her elementary and high school education.

Councilor Mariz Manalo is a distinguished alumna of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, where she graduated as a Dean’s Lister in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts Major in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs. Her academic pursuits extended internationally as she participated in the National Model United Nations (NMUN) Conference in Washington, D.C. She was also an exchange student in the Spanish Language and Cultural Immersion Program at Alcalingua Universidad de Alcalá in Madrid, Spain. Prior to her career in public service, she gained valuable experience working as a Secretary for Political and Administrative Affairs to the Ambassador and Consul Officers at the Embassy of Argentina in Manila.

Councilor Mariz Manalo’s journey into public service began in 2018 when she was elected as SK Chairman, following in the footsteps of her uncle, Barangay Captain Marlon Manalo. Demonstrating her commitment to community welfare, she co-founded a “Community Pantry” with her family and friends in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative provided essential relief, including rice, fresh produce, canned goods, sanitary kits, and medicines, to over 20,000 residents across various cities in Metro Manila (Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasig, Manila, Rizal, Caloocan) and even the province of Bulacan. At the age of 28, Councilor Mariz Manalo secured a seat on the 12th City Council of Mandaluyong, having successfully run as an independent candidate in the 2022 election. Her commitment to public service continued as she joined Team Performance for her subsequent successful campaign, and she currently remains a dedicated member of the 13th City Council.

Her core advocacy focuses on improving the well-being of Mandaluyong’s senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs). Her initiatives include increasing senior citizen birthday gifts for financial relief, providing free monthly maintenance medicines such as Losartan, Amlodipine, Metformin, Aspirin, Vitamin B Complex, Telmisartan, Gliclazide, Atorvastatin, Metoprolol, Simvastatin, Carvedilol, Allopurinol, Omeprazole, Febuxostat, Clopidogrel, Paracetamol, Ascorbic acid, and others, and supplying essential mobility and medical aids like wheelchairs, walkers, and nebulizers. These efforts aim to create a more supportive and dignified environment for these vulnerable populations.