Dr. Co graduated from the University of the Philippines for her MPA and Ph.D. in Public Administration. She is magna cum laude in A.B. Literature from Sacred Heart College, Lucena City. Dr. Co was a former Professor at the NCPAG. She served as the Director of the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS). She was also the Vice President for Public Affairs of the University of the Philippines under the administration of UP President Alfredo E. Pascual. Dr. Co served as College Secretary and Director of the academic program from 1999 to 2001 and had served in various committees of the university, including Chairmanship of the University Committee on Governance in 2002. She was also a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM).
She also served as consultant to various international and national development organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, UNESCAP Bangkok, EED Germany, ICCO and Novib Netherlands, Swiss Inter-church Aid, and Christian Aid London. Her specializations include campaign finance, citizenship, democracy and governance, electoral administration and reforms, organization studies, policy and advocacy, and public administration education. Dr. Co received awards such as UP Diliman Centennial Professorial Chair in 2010 and UP International Publication Award in 2004 and 2008.
