Where there is no law, there is no freedom.

Mr. Almacen has a bachelor's degree in economics from Jose Rizal University. After college, he worked in the banking sector gaining experience in real estate development financing, import and export transactions, corporate finance and credit, retail/consumer loans, and other banking and credit transactions. As a working student, he pursued his post-graduate degree in law at the Far Eastern University Institute of Law in Manila, earned his law degree (LL.B.) in 1999, took the bar examinations the same year, and was admitted as a regular member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) in May 2000. He became a lifetime IBP member in January 2003. 

Fascinated by "the Internet" and its underlying technologies in the mid to late 1990s, Mr. Almacen started using Linux and open source software (OSS) as a hobbyist, learned computer hardware, operating systems, Perl and shell scripting, networking, TCP/IP, DNS, SMTP, HTTP/HTML/XML, SQL, LDAP, data and network security, encryption, SSL/TLS, firewalls, and other foundational web technologies. Through self-study, he obtained CompTIA A+ and Cisco CCNA certifications and eventually worked for a webhosting company as a support engineer and subsequently for another private company as a web developer and network/systems support engineer. He is also an IT consultant providing guidance and insights on systems, hardware, data, and software integration.

Mr. Almacen worked on a number of pro bono civil, criminal, and labor cases under direct supervision of other lawyers starting in August 2022. His passion for the law was rekindled when he saw firsthand the dire need of pro bono litigants to have equal access to justice. This unsettling experience eventually led him to take MCLE credits for the 8th compliance period in July 2024. With such compliance, he restored his privilege to provide legal assistance and services as a lifetime member of the IBP.