Trash to Treasures, Pera at Basura, Hanap Buhay Bangsamoro ! Recalling post-World Economic Forums OCEAN , Maria Ressa: Power of Passion and Courage to Dare Marawi - In the past week, have been in close contact with palapa makers, farmers (Salapidao) and other income-seeking groups. I am inspired after visiting Cebuano furniture designer Kenneths showcase at Greenbelt where rattan seats (some of which have been displayed in Hollywood movies ) take on a modern setting. Also following thru on the SWM Anniversarys cascading of the pera sa basura concept in turning leaves into fertilizer. Notice too the meals of Vice President Binay on his Marawi trip, they are on leaves. Slowly, the work towards economy and environmental empowerment is taking some turn. Sharing the Mactan experience months back in reliving the aspiration for a self-reliant Bangsamoro economy. I may have been the only Bangsamoro in this important even where Young Global Leaders and Young Global Shakers converged for OCEAN in metro Cebu convened by Karen Davila, digital analyst Winston Demarillio and Senator Bam Aquino (of Hapinoy) . When Senator Bam Aquino told me to share Bangsamoro notes, I didnt know how or where and the best way I could is to reach out to as many participants as I could so that a query on what I wear and where I was from would build bridges. The CAB was too serious and is still to be filed in Congress for me to tackle in a just a few minutes of chatting with global thinkers. What for me was valuable is how Muslim traders and the natural and indigenous blessings of ARMM can be highlighted so that visitation and possibly investment can happen? After all, everyone needs a job, including Muslim-Filipinos who account for an estimated some 10 million in the Philippines. Did you know that 2.5 billion are not in the financial system (do not have bank accounts ) world-wide ? Informal economy is a major undocumented contributor and Bangsamoro are very much part of this phenomenon. I belong to a group called Young Moro Professionals Network (YMPN) which launched a website bangsamoro in 2000 at Glorietta, Makati to reach out to the world. We could relate to the need for expanding efforts at doing social good in the digital age. In a ballroom at Movenpick Resort Hotel , we maximized reaching out to the 230 energies (calling cards circulating), heads of NEC, SMART/PLDT, Rags2Riches, Gawad Kalinga and other social leaders such as Cebu-based enterpreneur Kenneth who brought bamboo and rattan furniture sets to European 5 star hotels , Hollywood sets and Brad Pitts home. Networking in the spirit of YMPN brought the native baur/box and islands tourism to the ears of the Nestle representative, ANC , Rags2 Riches and other participants in the hope that companies set up branches in Zamboanga and Cotabato City. There were many insights to inspire. One of the highest-paid information technology (IT) consultants gets about 2 million pesos yearly for his work and is from Gingoog City. And the speaker on the Governments ICT (info communication technology) program is Mon Ibrahim, partly from Pualas, Lanao del Sur who speaks Meranao. Sunday was the last day of a World Economic Forum alumni event called OCEAN (Open Collaboration for East Asian ) for the youthful energy that abounded. Some 240 participants, more than 40 speakers, calling cards and networks shared all around should ripple into more expanded efforts at doing social good. Former ABS-CBN top news boss Maria Ressa who started her own rising news online, rappler, summarized the take-away lessons from the Champions event. Passion and courage to dare. Because Filipinos are emotion-driven by nature (as found out by research), touching their heart is key to making things happen. At the digital age session at the post-World Economic Forum OCEAN in Mactan were speakers from various companies NEC, SMART/PLDT, Digirica etc. Indeed the digital medium through cyberspace is a fluid space for extremist thoughts to harness but it has its strategic networking value too for peacebuilders . Digital age would democratize space for peoples to be reached by a centralized form of government and include voices of minorities by the sheer power of voices uploaded online . Inclusive growth is the way and an aspiration for a Bangsamoro woman who faces multiple layers of discrimination . Policies that would involve the minorities would spell positive bounds for opportunities to ripple into needy communities. One speaker described the energy in the recently convened World Economic Forum (WEF) was that instead of lengthier pointing at problems, there was exchange for collaborative futures . WEF alumni talk about WEF here in the Open Collaboration session . Creating opportunities for everyone needs everyone . But with an A , attitude of innovation and creativity . With heads of groups who make things happen (NEC, BDO , Gawad Kalinga etc ) in Mactan , Cebu. Philippines is FUN because we can overcome . Together as Filipinos , we rise, despite the worst ever tragedies that struck in 2013. Heres a rap we tried to share : Yo everybody, OCEANs time to shine Get more to join, D Movement Against Whine Julia, Damon, Pitt came before They starred in OCEAN but heres the REAL FLOOR Hear us, fb GVSPs and fight for the deaf to be one with us Ye its fun, but yo get it done... Participating in the Makers Laboratory, my group (which had a guy from Massachusetts Inst of Technology) which brainstormed on the deaf communitys entry into the public education system , was asked to present before the Ballroom. Los Angeles-based data analysis executive Mia Umani and I shared time but she did most of the report on People, Program and Policy which are key in making things happen. Without a powerpoint to back us up, I rapped my part seeing that most of the lively speeches didnt use any entertainment. The audience got amused of a Muslim woman expressing in rap song hehe . Around various conversations, some of the executives and young managers I got to talk to around the energy-packed Ballroom of Movenpick had fond memories of Marawi City. It is cool, the place is lovely. The Nestle representative was impressed with the tourism review and revenues by ARMM. I am hoping many of the companies around would consider opening branches in the region, Zamboanga and Cotabato. The ICT guy , Mon Ibrahim, is definitely going to invest energy in his home region after much work in Manila inshaallah. Talk is not cheap, it costs because it can make or break confidence that can open up an opportunity here. English for one is a competitive advantage of Marawi, where MSU campus products are aplenty thus BPOs could actually come in in the future. Private-public partnerships are also in the pipeline and competitiveness index being measured for local governments units of the country. And the climax that capped all inspiration was interior designer and furniture visionary Kenneth of Cebu who brought ecology and indigenous design into Hollywood sets, red carpets and hotels of Europe. Whereas OCEAN showed bright ideas, analysis and actions on display ( a bike with bamboo seats was one concrete visual there) , I remember the World Social Forum (WSF) too in Mumbai where hundreds of advocacies were housed on tents and stalls to raise awareness. Maria Ressa expressed it better, the power of a collective and movement comes from these types of awareness. Rappler in this instance is one concrete effort to raise the level of media reporting and is now rated highest online. The OCEAN brought power of passion by individuals who cared enough to travel all the way from Japan, USA or other parts and carry the torch for a collaborative future.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 22:16:06 +0000
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