MANILA -- Nine young changemakers in the Philippines have the chance to contribute to improving the world on a wider platform, and on a global scale, when they were chosen by the World Economic Forum as the Young Global Shapers of the Philippines.
The World Economic Forum is an independent, international organization whose mission is to improve the state of the world by engaging leaders from the business, political and academic arenas to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Now, through this new community, they are joined by philanthropists, doctors, and social entrepreneurs from the Philippines, who have the idealistic mindset and the active initiative to make an impact on the lives of others.
Having been named by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader last 2010, News Reporter Karen Davila has been tasked to initiate, form and introduce WEF’s newest project to the Philippines: the Young Global Shapers Community. The Global Shaper Community is in every city all over the world, where twenty-something young professionals who have moral excellence, integrity and professional excellence along with project accomplishments which brought a positive impact in the community, have been nominated and selected by the leaders of the prolific non-profit institution based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Held at the Ayala Museum last January 13, 2012, a cocktail reception presentation shared the stories of these soul-searchers and active-doers who are changing the world, starting from their own little worlds.
“I feel very proud as a Filipino to be able to showcase and show the world that we have great, talented, excellent young Filipino leaders are potential future Global Leaders,” said Davila. “I want the world to see that, even if we are a developing nation, we have young people that are very talented that are serious advocates, that are very passionate and driven to make a difference in the world we live in.”
The nine Young Global Shapers from the Philippines are: Maria Carmela Alvarez, who is, at 24, the youngest Mayor in the Philippines. After taking her Master’s Degree in Massachusetts, and giving up an opportunity to work at Chanel, she is currently developing social initiatives and environmentally sound developments in her town of San Vicente, Palawan. Jay Michael Jaboneta, who is the designated Young Global Shapers Team Leader, started the Yellow Boat Project which gives boats to communities where children swam to school. He was the first and former New Media Head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office under President Benigno S. Aquino III. Anna Oposa, 23, co-founded the Save Philippine Seas movement to protect the world’s richest marine life, and Isko Cleans UP, a waste management program in her university. Ponce Samaniego, 21, is a Co-Founder and CEO of Outliers, a social enterprise that serves as an outsourced business expertise for nonprofit organizations. He co-founded Outliers on his senior year in the University of the Philippines in Diliman, now supported by the Starbucks Foundation, and the Global Changemakers Programme, among others. Mildred Ople, 25, is a leading dvocate of countryside development through the adoption of innovative agricultural technology with profitable business concepts and ideas. Eleanor Pinugu, 26, is the founder of Mano Amiga Academy, Inc, a non-profit school that provides underprivileged Filipino children access to fourteen years of high quality education (Kindergarten to 12th grade), plus all other support they need to have a better life. After two years of raising funds for the students’ scholarships through private donations and corporate partnerships, Eleanor decided to establish a social enterprise that would generate a steady income for Mano Amiga, and at the same time give employment opportunities to the mothers of the students. Dr. Bryan Albert Lim, 27, is a practicing general physician in San Pablo Laguna. He is a program consultant of the Asian Institute of Management Zuellig Center for Asian Business Transformation, a Research Associate of the UP Universal Health Care Study Group, and the proponent of the Quisumbing-Escandor Film Festival for Health, and serves as adviser in various health-related projects. Bianca Gonzalez, who is a TV host for 5 Philippine TV shows, was recently appointed as Special Advocate for Children for UNICEF Philippines. Alexandra Amanda Eduque, 21, is the Habitat for Humanity Philippines Youth Council Founder, Chairperson and Ambassador. Taking up Urban Studies with a focus on Political Science at Columbia University, Alex is heavily involved in the strategy and sustainability of Habitat for Humanity, Philippines. She has been working with the organization since she was 16, and in 2010 started the Habitat for Humanity Youth Movement that involves thousands of Filipino youth in fundraising and building housing. Habitat recently launched the Alex Eduque Legacy program which aims to find and foster 200 young leaders like Alex towards supporting Habitat for Humanity and reaching their own leadership potential.
WEF was so impressed by these Filipino change makers that they invited three of them to speak at the upcoming World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, this January 25 to 29. Anna Oposa, Carmela Alvarez and Lyn Pinugu are excited to travel to Davos with their mentor and organizer, Karen Davila who is also an Ambassador for World Vision and Habitat for Humanity, and was assigned by the WEF to be the curator, mentor and lead organizer for the YGS Manila hub.
“What I wanted to do as the founding curator is to mentor these young people, make sure that the hub grows, have an inaugural project and make sure that the Filipinos involved in the hub are active in the WEF, so that the ideas of the Filipino youth will be heard and our ideas will be put in a global platform. There will be more opportunities open for Filipino youth and for me, that puts us on the map.”
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