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To the Catholic Church, marriage is a lifelong commitment even if in some instances it allows annulment of marriage.
BY BABE ROMUALDEZ
NOTHER contentious issue is once again up for debate with the Catholic Church as the primary opposition to the legalization of divorce in this country. But actually, the Church allows annulment in many instances. The basic interpretation of annulment is the declaration of a marriage to be null and void, essentially saying the marriage never took place at all (even though the couple may already have several children), while divorce is technically the “after effect” of a failed marriage. To many people, however, the difference between divorce and annulment is all just a matter of jargon and semantics because in the end, both acknowledge that the marital situation has become untenable and thus the union should be dissolved or severed.
It is rather sad but the reality today is that with the modern world and the stressful life that goes with it, no one should impose or compel through legislation that two people have to live together for the rest of their lives if their relationship has become not only a source of emotional and psychological trauma, but also puts the aggrieved party under a lot of physical suffering and even danger. While many people still strongly believe in preserving the sanctity of marriage and protecting the family and the children above all from the devastating effects of a broken marriage, the fact is it is just as emotionally and psychologically shattering
DIVORCE OR ANNULMENT:
SAME DIFFERENCE
To many people, the difference between divorce and annulment is all just a matter of jargon and semantics because in the end, both acknowledge that the marital situation has become untenable and thus the union should be dissolved or severed.
A bill legalizing divorce in the country has slim chances of passing but it marks another step in the march toward eventually embracing the “sinful” idea. for children to hear or witness ties until she developed the “battheir parents quarreling day-in tered wife syndrome” where she would always rationalize her husand day-out. We have heard of so many band’s abusive behavior by thinkheartbreaking stories about wom- ing she was the one at fault, that en becoming victims of domestic she was not beautiful enough, not violence, like this poor young industrious enough, not underwoman who had absolutely no standing enough. He would fly idea that her husband was a psy- into a rage every time she asked chologically impaired man with a permission to see her relatives or horrible drinking habit. Every sin- friends, and would lock her up in gle day of her married life of five a closet. What used to be a pretty, years, she was subjected to brutal bubbly young woman became a beatings and unspeakable inani- loner who shunned the company
of others, partly out of fear and shame that people would know of her situation. She finally came to her senses when a persistent relative who knew of her situation decided to rescue her from a living hell. She is currently in hiding, having psychiatric therapy while her “animal” of a husband is still prowling the streets looking for her. Don’t kid yourselves; there are also “battered” men abused by their wives. Take the case of this man whose wife turned out to be a sex addict. She kept having affairs, sometimes even with the husband’s colleagues and acquaintances. For 10 years, he took the pain and humiliation for the sake of their three children, hoping things would change after each episode of recrimination and forgiveness until she finally got pregnant and gave birth to another man’s child. That was when he decided enough was enough but by then he had lost the respect of all his relatives, his friends and worse, even his children. These are just a few classic stories of failed marriages where the only way out is to leave instead of being trapped into a life of misery forever. While legal separation is an option, it does not allow sepa-
rated couples to remarry, depriving aggrieved parties the opportunity to make a fresh start and regain their sense of self respect. Society’s “double standard” also makes it difficult for women to rebuild their lives with a new partner because of the stigma attached to being a “separada.” Ours is a crazy “macho society” where men who separate from their wives and have another family are often not ostracized. With annulment being a costly and lengthy process (and therefore perceived to be available only to the wealthy), it’s no longer surprising to hear many horrific stories about judges (who are most likely having affairs themselves) taking money from both sides particularly when a case is very contentious and both parties want to “expedite” the process. Naturally, divorce should never be an option for philanderers and immature individuals who want to do it Las Vegas-style where couples marry after a bout of drunken carousing and seek a divorce the minute the hangover passes. If it would take a Constitutional amendment to legalize divorce then so be it, but it’s about time this country moves on to the 21st century. No one will argue against making sure that strict parameters in granting divorce are observed, like when couples have exhausted all possible ways to stay together, or when they have been separated for a number of years and reconciliation has become impossible, with both reaching a “point of no repair.” The bottom line is, it is not only unfair but more damaging to force two people and their children to live together and be miserable for the rest of their lives. (The Philippine Star) n
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BEING PROUD OF OUR OWN FILIPINOENGLISH DICTION Speaking in English is not unpatriotic. We are not less Filipinos for mastering another language. We are only making good use of our gift for languages to forge ahead. English should be the medium of instruction in schools.
BY RICO HIZON
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Rico Hizon: Proud to be Filipino, proud of our Filipino-English diction. And when we speak English, for instance, it is neither American nor British English. It is a Pan-Asian diction. It does not pretend to sound western but both Asians and non-Asians can easily comprehend what is being said. There are a variety of accents speaking the English language and there is no need for the Filipino to imitate … the American, British or whatever accent just to say it’s proper English.
Stick to our very own
VERY SINGLE day for the past 10 years on BBC World News, over 350 million people from all over the world wake up to the sound of my voice. What I say can make or break their business. How I say it, however, will affect how they will react—whether to stay calm or panic. Delivery is key. Apart from having complete, accurate and relevant information, the news must be read clearly to ensure that it is easily understood. And for that, I am grateful for my education from the Philippines. Tubong Maynila po ako! I was born, raised and educated here in Manila. Hindi po ako nagaral sa Amerika o sa UK. Hindi po ako nag Cambridge o Harvard. I learned to speak well and clearly thanks to the patience of my parents, siblings and my teachers at La Salle Green Hills and De La Salle University. My looks and my diction often leave people wondering about my nationality. On many occasions, I›ve been asked if I’m a western-educated Chinese, Singaporean, Malaysian or even Indonesian.
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We have our very own, and that is what makes us a cut above
the rest. And that’s why I am where I am. It’s because of the Filipino-English diction. People often mistake the American accent for good diction. And yet, there is no real American accent because there is the Southern drawl, the Texas twang, and a host of so many others . . . It is too, difficult to keep track ... But that’s beside the point. Someone pointed out, we are Filipinos. We don’t have to speak good English. But don’t you think it’s amazing that we do, despite the fact that we’re not? (Think about it.)
No to Taglish
During my time, English was the medium of instruction. When I graduated Grade School in 1980, High School in 1984 and University in 1988, the majority of students could carry a very decent English conversation, because during my generation we had very good teachers who encouraged us to speak the language fluently. We either spoke in English or we spoke in Tagalog. Mixing them up into Taglish was unacceptable. Even earlier, during my parents’ and grandparents’ time, the country had
They wonder because of my eyes, skin color, and the way I speak English. I guess you can say it’s Pinoy super power.
The Filipino diction
We have the gift of languages. But what sets us apart is how, with any language we use, we are able to speak it clearly. The Filipino diction is—clear, simple, neutral, easy to understand. The Filipino enunciates clearly, pronounces every syllable in a pleasant --- even --- and nonthreatening tone modulated for every ear to capture its essence….
To help our students speak English fluently, teachers should demand that students not mix English and Tagalog in school.
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citizens that were very good in English regardless of their educational attainment because English was widely and strictly used. But today when I look around me and speak with the youth, I think we are dwindling race. English as a second language of Filipinos is fast deteriorating. In fact, it has become a third language after Filipino and the more widely spoken Taglish. Not many can speak at least two or three sentences of straight English. Worse, the diction is twisted to favor a twang often taken as a sign of being sosyal or wealthy. And believe me, nothing could be farther from the truth.
Media partly to blame
The media has played a major role in the inability of many Filipinos to speak English well. TV programs these days are all in Taglish. Even the news is no exception. What do we do? How do we stop the spread of “Here na me, where na you?” and “Yes, op kors, dats rayt.” And it also does not help, that when people text or sms, the language and the writing is inappropriate. And thus their inability to learn correct spelling, impacting their ability to communicate
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You have to give it to the Pinoy, we are still the best English speakers on this side of the planet. clearly and correctly—whether it be in English or Tagalog. The key lies in recognizing that proficiency in communicating in English is indispensable. Speaking in English is not unpatriotic. We are not less Filipinos for mastering another language. We are only making good use of our gift for languages to forge ahead. English should be the medium of instruction in schools.
More English TV programs
Spoken in the presence of trained teachers, children will learn to speak fluently and clearly, because when we master one language, whether it be English or Tagalog, we prepare our youth to challenge themselves to stretch and excel in their language skills, and basically, setting the foundation from an
TV programs these days are all in Taglish, which play a major role in the inability of many Filipinos to speak English well. educational perspective. There should be more English television programs such as documentaries and talk shows on commercial/terrestrial television with at least one dedicated English newscast. Such shows these days are all on cable channels and are beyond the reach of the less privileged. It is also equally important that we Filipinos read English text more often. Doing so further improves the grasp of the language. Nowadays less
Filipinos read and enrich the mind through books, editorials or websites. And because of this, poor reading skills translate into poor writing and poor diction. Indeed, sometimes the answer truly lies in reading between the lines, as well as from cover to cover.
Speak proudly as Filipino
In this age of globalization, it is inevitable that the Filipino will interact with peers and colleagues
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in the international community. We can rightfully expect to hear even more accents, even more variations of the English language. As such, this should spur our youth to even greater heights, to cement our place in the international scene as the most skilled, in communicating in the English language. You have to give it to the Pinoy, we are still the best English speakers on this side of the planet. So I believe it is time to stand up, stand out, speak proudly as a Filipino and be heard across the globe loud and clear. I know I did! Live from the Toastmasters International Conference this is Rico Hizon reporting. Proud to be Filipino! Proud of our Filipino-English Diction! Mabuhay ang Pinoy! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! (Delivered during Toastmaster International’s District 75 Annual Conference in Manila. The author is a Filipino broadcast journalist, with BBC World News. He anchors Asia Business Report and Asia Today which is broadcast to more than 300 million households worldwide. He is the first-ever Filipino news anchor to work for two of the world›s most prestigious television news networks - CNBC Asia and BBC World News.) n
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BY KRISTINE FELISSE MANGUNAY
N A tiny house at a resettlement area in Valenzuela City, a woman recounts a scene: watching her eight children devour half a kilo of rice among themselves. Pregnant again, 37-year-old Salve Paa says she is just as hungry. But she tells herself that a mother must make sacrifices, and waits for her turn to eat. Minutes later, one of the boys starts to cry, a little finger pointing at the empty plate before him. The scene, though seemingly surreal, is typical in Salve’s life. Until recently, she has not heard of family planning and has no idea of the reproductive health (RH) bill, and admits that having so many mouths to feed has made such an episode a general norm. It’s something she laments, especially because she and Alfredo Francisco, her partner of 22 years, do not make much. (Alfredo, 64, has a first family from whom he is separated.) “It’s difficult. The little that we earn just goes to food and other expenses in the house,” Salve tells the Inquirer in an interview at Northville, where families dislocated by the North Rail project were resettled by the city government. Salve works in a plastics factory (but she is temporarily off the grind because she is due to deliver
Feeling the hardship of raising a big family, many Catholics defy the admonition and threats of the Church and support the Reproductive Health (RH) bill.
SALVE’S LIFE:
The poor and the uneducated are the biggest beneficiaries of family planning but they do not have easy and affordable access to birth control methods.
A STRONG CASE FOR RH BILL Salve does not know what the RH bill is, or what it stands for. But when asked, she says that she is not opposed to sex education. Had she known about the importance of family planning much earlier, she would not have allowed herself to get pregnant so many times, she says.
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another child this month). She is paid based on her output: On good days, she earns P1,500; on bad, P700. Alfredo earns P150 a day selling cotton candy. In all, they take home an estimated P5,200 in a month (roughly US$121). “But minus the expenses, we can barely make ends meet. We can hardly complete three square meals a day,” Salve says. She details the monthly expenses as: P200 for the house, P200 for electricity, P300 on the average for water, “which is only retailed to us,” and food for 10 people, among others. As a result, a regular breakfast for the family consists of rice porridge (lugaw) bought at P3 a cup. Small galunggong, the so-called poor man’s fish, bought at P20 a handful, are “delicacies.” “If there is enough, we have bread for breakfast, but that is very rare,” Salve says. Because of the money constraints, not one of the 37-yearold’s children has been able to finish his or her studies. Ana Liza, 21, managed to complete the sixth grade—the highest educational attainment in the family. She is married but often visits. Her brothers—Aries, 15, and Albert, 12—reached the first grade and prep school, respectively. “We can’t afford to send the children to school,” Salve says. “It’s already a struggle to put
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food on the table for them every day.” Then there’s the space problem. The family lives in a 32-squaremeter enclosed space with two tables and a makeshift wooden bed. A hole in the ground serves as the toilet. The windows consist of square holes covered with leatherette. During the rainy season, the water easily seeps through the concrete walls and onto the floor, Salve says. In the summer, the sun’s rays easily heat up the structure. “The roof has not been fixed,” she explains. At night, Salve has a hard time making the children fit on the “bed.” She says she manages to squeeze herself in. Alfredo sleeps on the floor. The situation has moved Salve to throw out two of her elder sons—Alvin and Alfred—several times in the past. She says that with the two fending for themselves, she figured that she could concentrate on feeding and caring for the rest who cannot as yet survive alone in the world. Take Angelito, the sickly 3year-old who has been in and out of the hospital in recent months. The bills for his blood transfusions alone have amounted to some P16,000, Salve says.
“When he becomes ill, I take him to the National Children’s Hospital on España. They care for Angelito there, free of charge,” she says. But despite having been driven away repeatedly, Alvin and Alfred always came back, and Salve took them in with open arms. After all, she says, she is still their mother. The family should have been much bigger because Salve has given birth to 12 of Alfredo’s children. Christian and Trisha, then 4 and 7 years old, respectively, died in 2006, followed a year later by Sarah Fe, then 10. Doctors said the three died of sepsis, or the invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms. In 2008, Alvin was accidentally run over by a bus in La Union. Salve lamented the loss of her son, also because the then 18year-old, who worked as a truck helper, was a big financial help to the family. Salve admits that her family experiences financial difficulties primarily because she has too many children. It was only when she was 26 that she learned out about artificial contraceptives. But by then, she had already borne eight children. In an effort to lessen the number of mouths they were obligated
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Poor families experience financial difficulties primarily because they have too many children. to feed, she and her partner also allowed herself to get pregnant so tried abstinence. But the attempt many times, she says. did not work. This view is in line with some “At one point, I slept at the of the provisions of the measure factory just so I could get away that proposes the integration of from Alfredo. But he followed sexual awareness in school curme there,” Salve recalls with a riculums and offers couples an chuckle. informed choice in ways to plan Salve does not know what the their families. RH bill is, or what it stands for. The proposed legislation is beBut when asked, she says that she ing debated upon in the plenary is not opposed to sex education. in the House of Representatives. Had she known about the If passed, it will be sent to the Senimportance of family planning ate, which can choose to adopt it much earlier, she would not have or pass another version of it.
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President Benigno Aquino III himself has expressed support for the RH bill. But the Catholic Church and a number of lawmakers remain firmly opposed to the measure and have vowed to block its passage. “If we had fewer children, then we won’t have most of our financial problems,” Salve muses. She says that in her community, large families are the trend because some, if not most, of her neighbors do not become aware of family planning methods until much later. She cites as an example her elder sister who, in her 40s, has seven children. Salve says that like herself, her sister has to carry on her shoulders the responsibility of feeding too many kids with very little income. “If you don’t have much money, having too many children is too stressful,” she says. “You’re always thinking of ways to get them through the day.” Because of her newfound knowledge, Salve plans to undergo tubal ligation to avoid getting pregnant again. Her ninth (or 13th) child is due, but she says she cannot even think of celebrating. “Our earnings are better spent on food on the table,” she says, smiling weakly. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) n
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put more thought into their ruse. Pelia said the government now coordinated with sports bodies to verify which athletes were heading overseas, after some workers made it to Japan by claiming to be volleyballers bound for an Asian Games there in the 1990s. Immigration officials are also constantly on the lookout for Filipinas seeking to head abroad for work as prostitutes who travel with fake boyfriends, Pelia said.
Beating the system
Those without proper documentation such as a legitimate overseas job contract present themselves at the airport as tourists in order to sneak out of the country.
Desperate for decent jobs, many prefer to pay off illegal recruiters to help them leave the country even if a darker prospect awaits them in foreign shores.
BY MYNARDO MACARAIG
IX WOMEN dressed as nuns stood anxiously in a queue at Manila’s chaotic international airport, unaware their shoes were about to end their dreams of an illegal job abroad.
At the immigration counter, an official looked up after stamping a genuine traveller’s passport and surveyed the women. “People were wondering, if they were nuns then why was one nun in rubber shoes and another in red shoes,” said airport immigration chief Lina Andaman Pelia. “And all six just had one bag. You could tell they weren’t real.” Under questioning, the “nuns” admitted they were not heading to a religious seminar in Hong Kong as claimed, rather to Lebanon to work illegally as maids.
Tricks to get out
And so -- just like thousands of desperate Filipinos before them who have tried to use a dizzying array of tricks in an effort to head overseas for a higher paying job -
DESPERATE EFFORTS TO SNEAK OUT OF COUNTRY Despite the real risks of being exploited by employers or landing in jail overseas, many Filipinos continue to try every trick in the book to sneak out of the country. With illegal recruiters often setting up the scams, the workers become willing victims.
- their journey was over before it had begun. Deep poverty in the Philippines has for decades driven Filipinos abroad and about nine million -- or 10 percent of the population -- currently work legally and illegally in
a wide range of jobs overseas, according to government data. While the Philippine government allows its citizens to work overseas, it requires them to have guaranteed labor contracts and to register with state-approved recruiters.
The government says these measures are needed because Filipinos who go abroad can easily be exploited in many ways and, at worst, be forced into crime or prostitution. Sometimes the country they want to work in has been blacklisted completely, such as was the case with the fake nuns, with the Philippines banning people from working in Lebanon in 2007 due to security and labor concerns there.
Willing victims
But many Filipinos seek to circumvent these rules, with illegal recruiters often setting up the scams. “We have economic problems in this country and sad to say, they become willing victims,” Pelia said, referring to the Filipinos who sneak overseas to work illegally. Pelia said many prospective illegal workers simply presented themselves at airports as tourists, and it was up to the immigration officials to determine their real motive for travelling overseas. At the immigration desk, staff look for signs to distinguish the illegal workers from legitimate tourists. Pelia said the give-away could be a bare passport indicating the person had not travelled abroad before, or a plan to “holiday” in areas of the Middle East not normally known to attract Filipino tourists.
Immigration screening
She said illegal workers were sometimes caught out by being unable to answer the simplest of questions, such as: “Where are you going?” or: “Who is providing for your tour?” But on other occasions, they
“Carlos,” a 35-year-old laborer, said he beat the system three years ago when he entered Japan to escort his mother on a vacation there. When his mother returned home two months later, Carlos did not come back. Instead, under a plan hatched by his family, he was sheltered by his sister, who already had permanent residency in Japan. “We were always terrified that Japanese immigration would track me down to her house and burst in at any time. But they never came,” said Carlos, who spoke to AFP by telephone on condition his real name was not used. Carlos said his sister helped him find a job as a construction worker in Japan, and he now earns the equivalent of about 26,000 Philippine pesos ($600) a month, three times what he could earn at home.
US watch list
The problem of Filipinos being exploited saw the US State Department place the Philippines on its “tier 2 watch list” for human trafficking in 2009. This meant the US government believed the Philippines was failing to comply with “minimum standards” on stopping human traffickers. The government says it has since sought to tackle the problem more seriously. About 25,000 would-be illegal workers have been stopped from leaving the Philippines since a crackdown began in August last year, according to Chrissy Avila, a lawyer with the government’s anti-trafficking task force. And 28 traffickers have been convicted since the start of last year, with some of them being sentenced to life in jail, according to the task force. But Avila said the prospective workers, who are not punished if caught, often remain determined to try again because of the deep social problems and poverty at home. “What they have in mind is that they are going abroad to have a better future, to earn dollars. They don’t mind the fact that they might be victims of illegal trafficking,” she said. (Agence FrancePresse) n
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The author says the “better life” is not as obvious back home simply because you have to put more effort to achieve it.
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Moving has always been part of human history. People move all the time—and people ought to move, ought to grow and ought to learn. We Filipinos are no first-timers when it comes to moving. Filipinos left for Hawaii in the 1920s, and from there, to California and the rest of the world. Up until now, Filipino doctors, nurses, nannies, construction workers, caregivers, teachers and technicians are scattered across the globe.
Two faces of migration
HOME IS WHERE
THE GRASS IS GREENER Going home makes sense to me. There is so much potential in our country. The opportunities are there for those who are willing to take the risk. BY TAMARA T. AZAÑA
T SEEMS as if everyone just wants to leave. People are leaving the provinces for Manila or Manila for elsewhere in the world (even if it means going to the very rural communities of another country). The grass is greener over there (or so we’ve been told), the streets are paved with gold, and there is more of whatever it is we seek. Moving makes sense if what we seek is opportunity, if there are more jobs, better jobs and a better quality of life waiting for us on the other side, if there are better benefits, better public transportation and better choices for us there, if there are better chances for our children out there. These are all valid reasons to move to a place far from home.
Much has been written about the exodus of Filipinos to foreign shores in search of a better life. But little has been said about the waves of balikbayans who came home permanently.
Having so many Filipinos around the world has its pros and cons. The remittances of our workers keep the economy afloat, and yet, you have different organizations and the academe scrambling to correct what seems to be a social mistake with repercussions on the family as well as the brain drain and human rights violations. Migration has had some mixed results, but still millions long for the golden ticket to leave. There is a difference between leaving because one wants to explore and grow and leaving because there is nothing at home that allows you to provide for yourself and the people you love. It is heart-wrenching to see families separated because there are “better opportunities” abroad. It makes one wonder if there really is no chance for those who remain at home.
Coming home
It makes you wonder even more when you have already made it abroad and then you are thinking of moving back. If moving is normal and there are millions of Filipinos leaving because there is seemingly no green grass left in the country, why would anyone want to go back? Not much is said about balikbayans who come home permanently but I believe there have been waves of them because my family was caught in one in the 1990s. After 15 years in the United States, my parents decided that they had their fill of the American dream and took us all home. After college we could choose whether to stay or go. I shuttled between the United States and Manila and eventually chose Manila as my home. But as fate would have it, I got married last year and moved to Vancouver where my husband works. I was no stranger to migration. We knew we were going to move back home eventually. But a few months into our marriage, my husband decided it was time to regain his Filipino citizenship and come home for good.
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Tapping our potentials
Friends and family are shocked to learn that we are going back to the Philippines. It makes no sense to many of them. Moving from Canada to the Philippines. Moving from Vancouver to Manila and then to Naga. It is some sort of reverse migration. While everyone else seems to be scrambling to get out, there are a few crazy ones who are going back. But we aren’t alone in making that choice. My parents did it 20 years ago. Going home makes sense to me. There is so much potential in our country. The opportunities are there for those who are willing to take the risk. The “better life” is not as obvious back home simply because you have to put more effort to achieve it. One needs to work harder and invest more in making home worth staying in. The country won’t become a “better place” without people making it what it should be. There won’t be better jobs if people don’t create better jobs. The Filipino won’t be better educated if there are no more good teachers. There won’t be a better anything if people don’t start to believe they can make it better. With balikbayans trickling in, and with the focus of other friends on the provinces, I see much hope in this new kind of migration There is a new move-
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Grass is greener back home
The country won’t become a “better place” without people making it what it should be. There won’t be a better anything if people don’t start to believe they can make it better. ment going on—one that is no longer driven by desperation, but by a new sense of adventure and optimism.
Opportunities at home
We see opportunity in the idle land of the countryside. Opportunities exist in the men and women actively trying to be productive. There is opportunity in every-
thing, even in what we think as the most negative aspect of what we have as a people. We have raw materials and raw talent, giving us a million and one opportunities to process and produce whatever it is we want. There is opportunity if we are willing to define it ourselves, risk it and make it something fruitful. There is opportunity because we
see the beauty of what we have and hope that there can be something even more beautiful. In our young lives, we have had the chance to cross oceans, travel the world, work in the West, and yet met our destiny where we least expected it: at home. Our first meeting in itself told us of the opportunities that can really be anywhere.
People move all over the world in search of many things. They leave the country to find themselves or make something of their lives. And it’s great if they succeed. But we believe it is also okay to go back to one’s country, because in going back to your roots, you may find yourself as well. And you may find success, or in our case, your life partner. We know we can find more back home, so we are packing our balikbayan boxes for the last time. It wasn’t the easiest decision to make. We could have waited another thirty-something years, growing our pension and retiring comfortably back home. But our youthful idealism started to see something practical and profitable as well. Investing our time and the little that we have now may grow into something not just for us to enjoy, but something the community can share as well. So we are leaving Canada and moving back home to the Philippines. We are going to live in Camarines Sur because we know we can make the grass greener over there. (The author, 28, has an AB Social Sciences degree from the Ateneo de Manila University. She hopes to be a social entrepreneur at the Center for Social Innovation.) Philippine Daily Inquirer n
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