So you want to change the world?

MANILA, Philippines - “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 who are potential future global leaders,” said Karen Davila at the presentation of the Young Global Shapers at the Ayala Museum last Jan. 13.

Having been named by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a Young Global Leader last 2010, Davila was tasked to initiate, form and introduce the 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 selected Global Leaders nominate twentysomething young professionals who have moral excellence, integrity, and professional excellence, along with project accomplishments which brought a positive impact on the community.

The nine Young Global Shapers from the Philippines are: 

•Maria Carmela Alvarez, who is, at 24, the youngest mayor in the Philippines. 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 swim to school.

•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 non-profit organizations.

•Mildred Ople, 25, is a leading advocate 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 14 years of high quality education from kindergarten to 12th grade. 

•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 five local 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.

WEF was so impressed by these Filipino change makers that they invited three of them to speak at the upcoming WEF annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland this Jan. 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 Manila hub.