About Bridgewell | Learning Development and Transition Support

Some learners understand the lesson, but struggle to begin the task. Some have strong interests, but find it hard to organize their work. Some participate well when conditions are right, but may lose momentum, become overwhelmed, or need frequent reminders.

Bridgewell exists for that space.

We provide structured yet flexible learning development programs that help learners strengthen executive function, academic independence, self-management, confidence, social participation, and readiness for school, life, and future work.

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Where Bridgewell Fits

Support that becomes practical and connected.

Bridgewell may provide academic support, tutorials, workshops, coaching, guided routines, and learning programs. Academic work becomes a way to strengthen executive function, study systems, communication, self-management, confidence, and independence.

Bridgewell complements schools, tutoring, therapy, specialist care, and assessments by helping learners apply strategies in everyday academic, social, and life situations.

is founded by leaders in education, entrepreneurship, and program design with deep experience in building structured, sustainable learning systems.

Loida Flojo, LPT

Founder

Loida Flojo, LPT, serves as Vice President of Enderun Extension and Technical Vocational Head of Enderun Colleges, and is Co-Founder of the Bridgewell Center for Learning and Development (BW). Over the course of her career in lifelong learning and education, she has led the development and delivery of flexible, career-ready programs that have served thousands of diverse learners.

An educator herself, Loida has taught both locally and internationally, including as an International Baccalaureate (IB) educator. This firsthand experience informs her work at Bridgewell, where she focuses on recognizing each learner’s strengths while building the structure, systems, and support needed for greater confidence and independence.

Her work also extends to national skills development. She helped initiate the development of the Philippines’ National Competency Standards for English through the TESDA Technical Working Group and has continued to contribute to development initiatives with the National Language Skills Center.

At Bridgewell, Loida brings together her experience in education leadership, curriculum development, lifelong learning, and systems thinking to help design structured and responsive pathways for adolescents and young adults, including neurodivergent learners. Her work is grounded in a simple principle: learners thrive when their strengths are recognized and the right systems are built around them.

Nikki Escalona-Tayag, MFA

Founder

Nikki Escalona-Tayag, MFA is a licensed architect, designer, educator, and academic leader with nearly two decades of experience spanning architecture, multidisciplinary design, lighting design, entrepreneurship, and higher education.

She serves as Dean of the College of Architecture and Design at Enderun Colleges, where she leads programs across Architecture, Interior Design, and Multimedia Arts. She holds a BS Architecture degree from the University of Santo Tomas and an MFA in Lighting Design from Parsons School of Design in New York, and has built professional experience both in New York and Manila.

She is also Design Principal of 33rd & 3rd Architectural Lighting Design, bringing together creative practice, systems thinking, and real-world application.

Her approach is deeply human-centered and multidisciplinary, with an emphasis on exploration, iteration, feedback, collaboration, and translating ideas into meaningful outcomes.

At Bridgewell, Nikki helps shape structured yet flexible and individualized learning environments designed to build creativity, critical thinking, confidence, agency, and greater independence.

Bridgewell Faculty

Mayumi Gonzales-Umali, LPT

Special Education & Inclusive Education Specialist • Behavior Practitioner

Mayumi Gonzales-Umali, LPT, is a Special Education and Inclusive Education Specialist, behavior practitioner, and faculty member at Bridgewell, where she supports teens, emerging adults, and neurodivergent learners in strengthening executive function, communication, self-management, and life-readiness skills. Her expertise includes inclusive education systems, individualized education planning, behavioral assessment and intervention, curriculum development, transition programming, language and communication, and teacher and caregiver training.

She brings more than two decades of experience across educational, clinical, community, and professional settings. Her roles have included Inclusive Education Consultant, SPED Consultant, Behavior Specialist, university lecturer at De La Salle University–Manila, ESL teacher and mentor, and job coach for adults with autism at Eden W.E.R.C.S. in Princeton, New Jersey. Her practice draws from Applied Behavior Analysis, Verbal Behavior, positive and strengths-based teaching, and individualized, developmentally appropriate support.

At Bridgewell, she creates structured but encouraging learning experiences that help learners understand how they learn, communicate their needs, build confidence, manage tasks, and participate more independently at home, in school, at work, and in the community. Her professional contributions include consultancy work for the Department of Education’s Transition Curriculum and Multi-Factored Assessment Test, disability advocacy related to accessible elections and inclusive education legislation, PECS Level 1 training, TESOL certification, and the 2022 PACDLD Autism Advocacy Award. She is also completing advanced Applied Behavior Analysis coursework under a Qualified Behavior Analyst track.

Joanna Cayton, M.Ed., LPT

Founding Faculty Member • Licensed Professional Teacher

Joanna Cayton, M.Ed., LPT, is a founding faculty member of the Bridgewell Center for Learning and Development. A Licensed Professional Teacher, she holds a master’s degree in Special Education and undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Education, majoring in Guidance and Counseling with a specialization in Early Childhood Education. She has completed training in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Level I, Filipino Sign Language Level III, and international TEFL and TESOL programs, including teaching English to young learners and teaching business English.

Joanna previously served as an adjunct faculty member and language instructor at Enderun Extensions. She also worked as a Diction, Intonation, and Enunciation trainer at the Global Communications and Management Academy, facilitating programs in communication, fluency, grammar, and professional speaking.

Joanna is the Coordinator for Research Dissemination and Publications at the Social Development Research Center of De La Salle University and an Editorial Assistant and Copy Editor for the Scopus-indexed Business & Economics Review. She also represents DLSU in the Research Consortium on Children’s Rights convened by the Council for the Welfare of Children.

Her research interests include PC-TALK caregiver-led language intervention, game-based interventions for critical thinking in the artificial intelligence era, and creating rich and responsive learning environments for children.

At Bridgewell, Joanna draws on her interdisciplinary background to provide structured, evidence-based learning experiences that recognize each learner’s strengths, communication needs, and individual way of learning.

Arielle De la Costa

Special & Inclusive Education Educator • Bridgewell Mentor

Arielle De la Costa brings over seven years of experience in early childhood, special, and inclusive education, supporting learners with diverse academic, developmental, and functional needs. She holds a Professional Master’s in Special Education, with training in evidence-based practices, inclusive education, individualized learner support, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Her experience includes individualized instruction, executive function support, classroom management, differentiated learning, and close collaboration with families, teachers, and multidisciplinary teams. At Bridgewell, she also serves as one of the center’s mentors, helping learners translate goals into practical next steps through regular guidance, accountability, reflection, and follow-through.

Her approach is strengths-based and learner-centered, with particular focus on helping neurodivergent children, adolescents, and young adults build confidence, self-advocacy, independence, and meaningful pathways toward adulthood.

Alex Reyes, CGSP

Consultant, Entrepreneur & Educator

Alex Reyes, CGSP, is a consultant, entrepreneur, and educator whose work is shaped by his lived experience as a neurodivergent professional. Having once struggled in the very subjects he now teaches, he understands firsthand how traditional learning environments can unintentionally limit the potential of neurodivergent learners. Rather than viewing neurodivergence as a barrier, Alex has built his career around demonstrating how different ways of thinking can become powerful strengths when paired with the right support and opportunities.

Fresh out of college, Alex took on the challenge of managing his own hotel at just 22 years old. Determined to succeed, he taught himself Financial Management and immediately applied those principles to the business, helping transform it into one of the top-performing properties in its area.

He later brought that same perspective into higher education, where he consistently ranks among the top faculty members of De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde.

Recognized for transforming complex concepts in Entrepreneurship and Financial Management into engaging and accessible learning experiences, he combines industry expertise with creative teaching strategies that make learning both meaningful and enjoyable.

Alex’s passion for educational innovation extends beyond the classroom. His research explores the integration of Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence into education, while his work with gamification—including the use of Dungeons & Dragons to help individuals process mental health challenges—reflects his belief that meaningful learning happens when people feel safe, engaged, and empowered.

Through Bridgewell, Alex hopes to help every neurodivergent learner recognize that their differences are not limitations, but the very qualities that can help them thrive.

Janine “Jha” S. Coralejo, LPT

Program Consultant • Licensed Professional Teacher

Janine “Jha” S. Coralejo, LPT, serves as a Program Consultant for Bridgewell’s Guided Learning Blocks and Personalized Learning Sessions. She co-designs and facilitates structured, interest-based learning experiences that support the development of executive function, independence, and social participation.

With 14 years in education, Jha has worked with diverse learners from lower school through college. Her experience with self-contained and inclusive classrooms, together with her personal connection to autism, shaped her commitment to creating learning environments where every individual is recognized, accepted, and supported to thrive. She currently teaches college students and adult learners how to assess learner needs, adapt instruction and activities, and build conducive learning environments for diverse learners.

Jha encourages learners to think beyond conventional approaches by looking at the bigger picture, exploring creative and innovative ways of thinking, and working through tasks using clear analysis and structure. At Bridgewell, she brings this perspective to learning experiences that help neurodivergent learners build confidence, strengthen empathy, and develop meaningful connections with the people and environments around them.

Our Vision

To shape a future where learners are equipped not only to succeed in school, but to function with greater confidence, independence, and purpose in the real world.

Our Mission

Bridgewell provides structured learning and transition support programs that strengthen executive function, academic independence, self-management, life readiness, self-advocacy, and future-ready skills.

A different kind of structure for capable learners.