By Raphael Moises G. Urbano
On July 1, 2016, I attended a chain of talks entitled Social Change Series: Mighty Ducks that talks about instilling the value of social entrepreneurship among Lasallian students. Moreover, it encourages students to take part in active nation-building by learning from local and foreign social entrepreneurs who used their skills and talents to come up with a social enterprise.
The Mighty Ducks talk was not my first talk on social entrepreneurship because I believe that it is a key to seeing radical change in our country. If we look beyond the four walls of our classroom, we will be able to seek better opportunities that will help us know our purpose in life.
In the first part of the talk, Tito Tony Meloto, the founder and chairman of Gawad Kalinga, gave us a clearer picture of what Gawad Kalinga is all about. He said that Gawad Kalinga’s goal by 2024 is to save five million Filipinos from poverty. This vision will be a reality if there is collective effort among us; and if there is social balance between classes in the society.
Transformational leader
In the following paragraphs, I will be sharing the insights and realizations I got from the stories of Tito Tony Meloto and Mr. Louis Faure.
First, Gawad Kalinga will not be possible without the leadership initiative and social empowerment of Tony Meloto. In the organization, he is considered the father of everyone because of his strong will and determination to end poverty by restoring the dignity of the poor. It shows that Tito Tony is using a transformational style of leadership because he continuously inspires people to become agents of social change; and he creates a vision to guide the change through inspiration.
Before, Gawad Kalinga’s Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan used to be a barren land, but because of his vision to end poverty, he decided to seek help from local and foreign companies. Eventually, Tito Tony was able to develop the land and make it a hub for social entrepreneurship.
The GK Enchanted Farm has built an ecosystem where everyone takes part in finding solutions to end poverty by utilizing the available resources in the countryside. He has achieved this kind of support system because his followers support and trust him. Also, as a transformation leader, he helps his followers develop and experience the same passion and dedication to fulfill the organization’s goals.
Discovering purpose
Second, Mr. Louis Faure, a French social entrepreneur, is one of the few people whom I first met in Enchanted Farm. Even though he is foreigner, he eventually fell in love with the Philippines. Supposedly, he went here just for a short internship in GK Enchanted Farm but because of his vision to do something more, he has been staying here for two years already. He believes that success can be measured not only by profits, but also by the sense of fulfillment and purpose you will get from doing the thing you love. Moreover, Louis is also considered a role model because he had the courage to leave his loved ones in France for him to discover his purpose, which is social entrepreneurship.
As a Lasallian and Chairperson for Community Development of the Business College Government, I believe that social entrepreneurship serves as an avenue for Lasallian students to search for their purpose in life. A purpose that is not only profit-oriented, but also socially-oriented. Getting a high-paying job after college is what most students are dreaming about, but going to a different career path, such as social entrepreneurship, is something remarkable.
I strongly believe that every Filipino has a hidden potential to become a social entrepreneur and make a big difference in the society through ‘bayanihan’. Through social entrepreneurship, we do not only measure success via profitability but also by how we impact the lives of those living in the bottom of the pyramid.
The author is a B.S. Applied Corporate Management student of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business. This reflection was written as part of the course requirement for Leadership in Organizaitons.
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of De La Salle University, its faculty and its administrators.