Jason Roy Sibug: National president of Tuklas Katutubo, champion of indigenous peoples, 30

MANILA, Philippines - • “When you go to different tribes, you learn from different tribes.  You become an entire Philippine indigenous person composed of different tribes. Our community is our school. Our ancestral land is one big school. One big hospital. One

big food basket. It is the place of our church, spirituality, meditation. This is where our language, culture and values are derived. Tribu is not individualistic. ‘Pag sinabing communal, hindi kami kanya-kanya. We are

all datus and bae. Our ancestors fought for our land. Now, it’s our turn to help the next generation of Manobos.” 

• “What do you want to be when you grow up? When you were young, you didn’t expect you’ll be doing this in the future. But you begin to question. When you return to your native land, the trees disappeared from your childhood playground. Your playground became a

Micro management: Erika Tatad, who works with microfinancial institutions, believes that God really can be found in small things.

commercial project.”

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Erika Tatad:Director of operations at Microventures, Inc., social entrepreneur, 31

 “Our mission is to be the primary partner of micro-enterprises and microfinancial institutions in the Philippines by providing business development services. We’re more known for the Hapinoy Sari-Sari Store program, which is a partnership between us and microfinancial institutions so that we can help their borrowers who own sari-sari stores and help them basically increase their profit so they can provide better for their family.” 

“It is kind of my dream job. When you go to the field and you visit the nanays, you hear them say, ‘Oh, di namin kailangang mag-abroad, okay na kami with the business. My husband quit the factory kasi lumalaki na ung store namin so kailangan na namin ng tulong.’ That means a lot to me. You see where your work goes, even when it’s sending emails, doing follow-up

Micro management: Erika Tatad, who works with microfinancial institutions, believes that God really can be found in small things.

calls, meetings. It was just marrying a lot of the things that I was passionate about and trying to find the skills that would help drive the passion and hopefully help me the most.” 

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Johnpierre Montilla: President and CEO, Kabataang Gabay sa Positibong Pamumuhay, reproductive health advocate, 33

• “Before 1998, I lived in the streets because I ran away from home and left my family. I engaged in everything: prostitution, drugs, etc. In the ’80s, news spread that HIV and AIDs had no cure. That triggered me to dream. I said to myself, ‘I want to find the cure for HIV.’ That was what I wanted to do, to become a researcher and a doctor.”

• “Noong 2003, nanalo kami sa Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations dahil wala pang nag-o-organize ng young male sex workers especially since prositution sa girls lang usually. Sa kultura natin, ‘pag lalaki, walang mawawala dyan. Pero marami sa kabataaan, as young as seven years old, may mga STD dahil ‘di nila alam na ’yung oral sex pala is sex. Noon, tinatago ko ‘yung past ko. Di ko matanggap ‘yung nangyari sa akin. But later on, na-realize ko na kung ‘di mo matanggap, you are determined to repeat it. So, kailangan i-confess mo siya. Hindi sa priest kundi sa public para mag-expect ang mga tao sa ‘yo.”

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Other recipients of Asia Society’s Philippines 21 Young Leaders Initiative are Business Fair Trade Consulting managing director Regina Irene Gaza, Rags2Riches president Therese Clarence Fernandez, Lipa City Councilor Maria Concepcion Hernandez, Dr. Bryan Albert Lim (NCR) of the UP-Philippine General Hospital, Libertad Councilor Jed Christian Sayre, Alicia, Isabela Mayor Cecilia Claire Reyes, and Seaoil Philippines CFO Mark Anthony Yu.