15 Passionate Filipinos Whose Advocacies Will Inspire You

11. Monica Otayza (Give PH) 

(@monicaotayza)

What is your advocacy and its significance? My advocacy revolves around Filipino children and their right to education. Growing up, I witnessed how there are so many people who don’t have the same opportunity as others to go to school.

Give.PH is an NGO that aims to provide children with their day-to-day needs to keep them in school and ultimately achieve their dreams and rise from poverty. Our three main programs include our Back-to-School Program, Our Hygiene Program, and providing Customized Personal and Corporate Advocacy programs centered on children. 

How would you encourage others to do their own part? There are many ways to help keep children in school, including heightened awareness of issues regarding education in the country, donating unused/old/new school supplies and clothing/shoes, joining outreach activities in provinces or taking part in fundraising activities.

10. Reigner Sanchez (Give PH)

(FB: sanchez.reigner IG: @reignersanchez)

What is your advocacy and its significance? Our advocacy is about bridging gaps and dreams through small actions. These efforts allows people to see that with small efforts they can create great impact.

How would you encourage others to do their own part? My experience was about finding my niche. I’ve always believed that there are a lot of good people doing good efforts. Sometimes the problem would be saturated efforts. We need to look at things from the lens that allows us to be creative and practical.

9. Sarah Phoebe Lim (Give PH)

(@sarpeebs)

What is your advocacy and its significance? I believe that everyone is capable of helping and giving, in whatever way they can, no matter what and where they come from. It is really just about finding what you’re passionate and what you can do given the responsibility that you currently have — and think that’s where we come in, we give several options of how you can give back and collectively, we can inspire so much Filipino kids.

How would you encourage others to do their own part? I believe starting Give.PH is already a step in encouraging and inspiring them to be part of our advocacy. We would always update them on our plans and how they can help, whether volunteering to our programs and events, through partnerships and just helping us share the word in social media.

8. Diana Soto Dayao (Manila Street Love)

(IG: @dianasotodayao FB Artist Page: Diana D.)

What is your advocacy and its significance? My advocacy is to bring back love and joy to the streets – with focus on the homeless kids and senior citizens. There’s been a rubble of blood, hopelessness, and darkness on our streets and with Manila Street Love, we try to introduce some light and love via our mobile outreach and campaigns. Why is it important to me? I drive around the streets almost every day and I don’t really see much help is given. We forget they are people too and if we can make an impact at the moment why not? If we want to develop as a society, we need to connect and move forward together. Ultimately, I’d like to promote a culture of high uplifting the low, and love overpowering hate.

How would you encourage others to do their own part? For the past 10 outreach I’ve organized, I’ve been adopting the Pinoy value of “bayanihan.” For every outreach, I invite a handful of volunteers and donors to take part and chip in.

I encourage the young to go out there and hold your own outreach. It’s not all about material things all the time – its taking time, sharing what you got, laughing with the kids, buying from the hardworking street vendors. Leave trails of smiles, not trash.

7. Bella and Tasha Tanjutco (Kids for Kids)

What is your advocacy and its significance? We empower the youth to power the nation. At the age of 13 and 15, We, Tasha and Bella (sisters) founded Kids for Kids. Kids for Kids is a youth, charity and empowerment organization run solely by the youth, who all have a common goal in wanting to make a difference. 

We then saw the drive of the youth to want to give back and make a difference and we wanted to provide them with the platform to be able to turn their compassionate ideas for others, into a reality.

How would you encourage others to do their own part? We hope to change the world for the better as history unfolds an organization ran solely by the youth who all have a common goal. We hope to light a fire of giving in each and everyone’s soul. Within each one of us exists unique abilities and traits. A way to draw these out is what kids for kids creates. We aim to promote the value of thinking of the impossible. We want to prove to the world that anything is possible.