Based in London, available worldwide

Politics, people, and the stories that move them.

I am Jio Miguel Ong, a final-year Politics undergraduate at Queen Mary University of London, working at the meeting point of community organising, strategic communications and open-source investigation.

Community Organising Strategic Communications Open-Source Investigation Public Policy Memory Politics Coalition Building Community Organising Strategic Communications Open-Source Investigation Public Policy Memory Politics Coalition Building
// About

A short introduction to who I am and what I care about.

I grew up between Cebu and London, and that movement between places has shaped almost everything about how I think and work. I am a final-year Politics undergraduate at Queen Mary University of London, on track for a First Class degree, and my dissertation examines how disinformation, voter predispositions and contested historical memory interacted to shape the 2022 Philippine presidential election.

Beyond the academy, my time has been spent organising in East London with Citizens UK, where I helped lead the Victoria and Albert Museum Living Wage campaign, chaired the Safety panel at the Tower Hamlets Issues Workshop, and supported delegate operations across borough and national assemblies. I currently serve as a Communications, Media and Public Relations Volunteer Officer for St John Ambulance, producing press releases, recruitment campaigns and human-interest editorial across regional and national channels.

For the better part of a decade I have also worked as a freelance open-source investigator, applying OSINT, source verification and structured reporting for clients across local government and higher education. Alongside this, I have spent years in professional kitchens as a Chef de Partie in London, an experience that continues to inform my organising work and my conviction that the case for the Living Wage should be made by the people who live it.

I write, film, edit, organise and investigate. I care about democratic resilience, dignified work, and communications that persuade rather than merely inform.

// Experience

Things I have built, led and delivered.

Communications & policy
Jan 2026 — Apr 2026

Civil Society Organising Intern

Citizens UK · Tower Hamlets (TELCO)

Led multi-stakeholder engagement across faith institutions, schools, universities, trade unions and councils, advancing integrated priorities including the Living Wage, Living Hours, temporary accommodation, ESOL, air quality and youth safety. Co-produced campaign communications for the V&A Living Wage initiative; coordinated the TELCO Delegates Assembly and chaired the Safety panel at the Issues Workshop.

Organising
Oct 2025 — Present

Communications, Media & PR Volunteer Officer

St John Ambulance

Delivered strategic communications support across regional and national channels, producing press releases, recruitment campaigns and human-interest editorial for multi-platform distribution. Conducted outlet mapping and journalist outreach, tailoring messaging for print, broadcast, digital and social audiences while maintaining editorial governance and safeguarding standards.

Comms
Jan 2019 — Present

Open-Source Investigator Specialist

Freelance

Delivered end-to-end OSINT investigations and social media analysis for a portfolio of clients across local government and higher education. Refined advanced information-gathering methodologies, producing actionable insights through systematic media analysis, source verification and structured reporting, with adjacent proficiency in penetration testing and operational security.

OSINT
Jan 2016 — Mar 2020

Social Media Manager

University of San Jose-Recoletos

Developed and executed integrated content strategies across multiple student organisations including the Scouts, Civilian Army and Debate Team, ensuring consistency with institutional brand guidelines while driving event engagement and organisational visibility.

Comms
Volunteering & community engagement
Sep 2025 — Present

Volunteer

St Luke’s Community Centre, Islington

Supports a high-footfall community hub through front-of-house and administrative work, signposting service users to programmes and external referral pathways, helping deliver large-scale community events and facilitating the over-55s Lunch Club within safeguarding standards.

Community
Sep 2023 — Jun 2024

PASS Mentor

Queen Mary University of London

Facilitated weekly peer-assisted learning sessions, building academic capability, examination readiness and study confidence among first-year undergraduates within an inclusive, collaborative learning environment.

Mentoring
Hospitality leadership
Jan 2025 — Sep 2025

Chef de Partie

Camino

Led section operations alongside Head Chef Nacho del Campo, overseeing preparation workflows, service execution and shift handovers across demi and commis teams while sustaining quality and throughput during peak trading.

Hospitality
Aug 2024 — Jan 2025

Chef de Partie

Ibérica

Managed a dedicated kitchen section within a high-volume service environment, working closely with senior leadership to uphold quality assurance and service-time KPIs through proactive station management and dynamic response to fluctuating cover volumes.

Hospitality
Sep 2023 — Mar 2024

Chef de Partie

The Lockdown Room and The Barre

Oversaw section operations across two adjacent high-volume venues concurrently, directing demi chefs de partie and commis chefs while administering end-to-end stock management and supplier coordination.

Hospitality
Mar 2023 — Sep 2023

Supervisor

Five Guys Enterprises

Promoted following a three-day certification programme. Oversaw front-line team performance during live service, delivered brand standards, and developed two-week forward rotas in partnership with fellow managers to meet service KPIs.

Hospitality
Operations & administration
Jan 2016 — Mar 2022

Business Operations Assistant

Taza Mia & Rapidé, Cebu

Administered payroll processing and annual leave scheduling, ensuring compliance with local HR legislation, while monitoring staff performance metrics and contributing to data-informed operational decision-making.

Operations

Reading Politics at Queen Mary.

Sep 2023 — Jun 2026

BA (Hons) Politics

Queen Mary University of London
On track for First Class
Dissertation Disinformation, Political Predispositions, and Memory Politics: Explaining Voter Perceptions in the 2022 Philippine Presidential Election. A qualitative single-case study advancing an original convergence model of digital narrative circulation, predispositional filtering and mnemonic framing.
Sep 2022 — Jun 2023

International Foundation Certificate

Queen Mary University of London · Economics & Finance
Completed

Let us build something together.

Open to conversations on community organising, public affairs, strategic communications and open-source investigation. Drop a line, send a message, or follow along.