Firestarters and game-changers in 2012

Alex Lacson, who just celebrated his birthday yesterday, continues to inspire our people through his works at the Kabayanihan Foundation. From his monumental work, 12 Little Things Every Filipino Should do to help our country, that smash hit propelled  other versions of this little book. Lacson has published several other inspiring books for the Overseas Filipino Workers and for little kids. You might want to check these out at the National Bookstore.

Jay Jaboneta, this creative firestarter, continues to work hard for his foundation, the Philippine Fund for Little Kids, a non-governmental organisation that helps kids go to school. I just heard that a European institution invited him to speak before them in France and talk about change. Congratulations!

Other firestarters I know of...

Josiah Go, an inspirational speaker and entrepreneur, is also a great firestarter. He helped Jay and continues to help others discover their passions.  He is an inspiration to all entrepreneurs.

Fred Mison, who now serves government as Associate Commissioner, is really making a big dent in cleansing the Bureau of Immigration of misfits and grafters. His honest-to-goodness campaign against erring and corrupt men inside the bureau, has boasted the morale of most BI employees who want nothing more than see their bureau as a graft-free one. There should be more like him serving government.

General Danilo Lim continues to fight grafters and big time smugglers inside the Bureau of Customs. His crusade for good governance inspires others.

Susan "Toots" Ople flew to Dubai to help several distressed Filipinos. This small dynamo in the OFW NGO sector continues to keep the hallowed name of her father sanctified. Inspite of her poverty, Toots remains very rich in terms of friends and supporters. She spends her own money for others to be able to regain their shattered lives.

How about game-changers? Who will be the game changers this year, 2012?

BBDO Guerrero and Fleishman-Hillard are two outstanding agencies that are sure to change the advertising and PR landscape not just here in the Philippines but abroad. Fleishman-Hillard remains as 2011's Agency of the Year (Holmes Report). Right now, many companies are relying on Fleishman-Hillard to help them promote their products. 2012 will see Fleishman-Hillard attaining greater heights!

How about you? Are you a firestarter or a game changer? 

Jay Jaboneta, Josiah Go and the Philippine Dragon Boat---Kabayanis all

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the Philippine Dragon Boat team for a job well done. Five gold medals and two silvers--they clearly dominated the opposition during the World Dragon Boat Championships. 


Their feat proved that we are better without government. Don't wait for the government to resolve the minor and major problems of this country. Let us start uniting ourselves and let's do the work ourselves. 


Jay Jaboneta is doing just that, together with Marketing expert Josiah Go. The two are going around the country, visiting depressed rural communities and helping send children to school. This is a small feat, but worthy of our emulation. Imagine, if Jay and Josiah do this for a year, think of how many children they would be able to send to school. 


Jay and Josiah are on the quest for helping depressed children reach the school grounds by helping or giving them boats. Yep, boats. Many of our kababayans in far flung areas are being prevented from going to school because they have to cross rivers and seas just to study. Most of them tread those treacherous river or sea crossings and put themselves in harm's way. Others, well, live in mountain tops and don't have jeepneys or tricycles to transport them to the nearest school.


Jay and Josiah want nothing more than give these children the chance of transforming their lives. They believe that education is our country's great equalizer and I am a living testimony of that. I belonged to a poor family and now, enjoying the fruits of my hard won struggle. 


I know of some groups who are helping other fellow Filipinos cope with poverty. Instead of spending their time in gyms, they spend it with the rural or urban folks, helping them and trying to share with them their knowledge. This may be small things, but when an entire community of like minded people do these things, it becomes a bold, and major enterprise.


I am thinking of setting up a weekend school to give impoverished high school graduates the chance to get a diploma. The most daunting challenge of this project is the cost of paying for teachers. I am encouraging civic-minded professionals to spend their time teaching these students. 


Let us be like Saint Ignatius de Loyola who spent his whole time teaching the poor and helping them achieve their self-worth and accomplishments.