.................................................................................
Doing Good Great
Chapter 5: Leave No One Behind
TONY MELOTO
Country: Philippines
Organisation: Gawad Kalinga
Cause: Slums
When Tony Meloto first started working with the poor in the slums of Metro Manila, he often wondered why millions of Filipinos lived as squatters when there was no lack of land across the Philippines.
Gawad Kalinga (GK), which Meloto founded, has since transformed the lives of more than one million people through its various programs. Within the Philippines, it has worked with more than 2,500 communities to build houses and convert slums into vibrant communities. GK’s vision is to eradicate poverty and restore human dignity to five million families by 2024.
Beyond the rainbow colored houses—a hallmark of GK’s work—Meloto has invigorated the bayani (hero) spirit amongst his countrymen, inspiring a movement that has reverberated across his country and to the shores beyond.
With Meloto’s “leave no one behind” approach, GK is changing the landscape—community after community— towards a time when “there are no more slums, no more hunger, no more violence, and no more poverty in this nation.” In solidarity with the poor, Meloto is spreading a message of hope and building dreams for a better future.
Brief facts
TONY MELOTO
|
1950 |
Born in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, to Antonio Meloto Sr and Lillian Palermo |
|
1971 |
Qualified as a Full Academic Scholar of the Ateneo de Manila University, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics; started career at Procter & Gamble Philippines |
|
1978 |
Built own successful printing and trading business |
|
1985 |
Suffered mid-life crisis at the age of 35 |
|
1991 |
Left the business world to become a full time mission worker with Couples for Christ in Australia |
|
1995 |
Returned to the Philippines to work with the poor in Bagong Silang, founded Gawad Kalinga |
|
2003 |
Established GK777 vision of building 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in 7 years |
|
2007 |
Initiated expansion of GK overseas, starting in Indonesia |
|
2008 |
Launched Human Nature, a 100 percent Philippine-made range of organic products |
|
2009 |
Established GK2024, a 21-year vision that provides the roadmap towards a First World Philippines |
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
|
2006 |
Ramon Magsaysay Community Leadership Award Philippine Star’s People of the Year Award Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year Award The Outstanding Filipino Award for Community Service |
|
2009 |
Quezon City Citizen of the Year Award |
|
2010 |
Reader’s Digest Asia’s Most Trusted Filipino Ernst and Young Philippines’ Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award Schwab Foundation’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year |
|
2011 |
Nikkei Asia Prize for Regional Growth |
|
2012 |
Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship World Entrepreneur Forum’s Social Entrepreneur of the World Award |
|
2013 |
Skal International’s Social Tourism Personality of the Year Award |