‘Formidable team’ of young Cebu movers

Mel Yan, Anya Lim, Fancis Soltano Franco Soberano, Carlo Delantar, Ken Onazawa, Anna Maris Igpit and Maria Gigante at the hiub’s laucn at Radisson Blu Hotel

Eight young Cebu leaders, including four entrepreneurs, were presented yesterday as core members of the first Global Shapers Community – Cebu Hub.

Jay Aldeguer, founding curator of the hub, said he selected them as dynamic individuals with a common passion for change, leadership potential and a “sense of altruism”.

“This is a formidable team,” said Aldeguer, president of the Islands Group, who was invited by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to assemble a group of 20 to 30 year old achievers with great ideas, leadership, and a passion to change the world.

The group was launched in a press conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel.

The Cebu hub, the first outside of Manila, is part of a worldwide network arising from the WEF, which will hold an East Asia Regional Summit in Manila on May 21 to 23, the first time the summit will be hosted in the Philippines.

The eight Cebu youth leaders, will take part in a post-summit event called the inaugural Open Collaboration with the East Asia New Champtions (OCEAN) 2014 Summit in the Movenpick Resort in Mactan on May 23 to 25.

Among those chosen are entrepreneurs Jose Franco Soberano, Carlo Delantar, Anya Lim, and Ken Angelo Onozawa.

Soberano is chief operating officer of real estate firm Cebu Landmasters Inc. and president of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Alumni Association.

Delantar is the COO of Floreia, a firm specializing in eco-fashion accessories.

Anya Lim is co-founder of textile company Anthill Fabric Gallery which advocates Filipino hand-loomed fabrics made by Philippine ethnic tribes as well as an urban community in Tisa, Cebu City.

Onozawa is CEO and creative director of Spectrum Lifestyle Experience Inc, an entertainment and events company. He also works as a branding and communications head of the Cebu Islands group.

The other core members are former beauty queen Anna Maris Igpit who formed Oplan Bangon Bohol to lead relief efforts after the October earthquake and typhoon Yolanda; student leader Maria Gigante of the University of San Carlos; and visual artist, eco-fashion designer Francis Sollano of Youth for a Livable Cebu, and Mel Yan, co-developer of the Young Minds Academy of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. where he is senior program officer for citizenship and leadership governance.

Aldeguer said the Global Shapers represent the “millennial generation”.

While youths of today can be “self absorbed and self-entitled” they are also more involved in global issues compared to past generations, said Aldeguer.

The Global Shapers Community is built upon this principle to provide a platform for the youths’ voices to be heard.

Aldeguer said he had two important criteria in selecting the core members.

“First is the sense of altruism, someone who is a catalyst for change who is doing it not for any personal agenda.”

Second, is their character as a team player.

“As a group, they must be able to create an environment and an atmosphere for a hub that will sustain for many many years,” he said.

Aldeguer said the group has met at least three times and was drafting a main project to pursue for Cebu — an integrated system to match people who want to volunteer with projects or organizations looking for volunteers.

Gigante, a former runner-up of Miss Cebu and chairperson of the Student Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy, said people often complaining about society issues but are apathetic and don’t do something to solve the problem.

“You see all the rants in the social media. My father always tells me that when you see garbage in the street pick it up. If you want change, the change has to start from you. Be the change you want to see,” she said.

Igpit on the other hand said “it took a 7.2 magnitude earthquake and a killer typhoon” for her to wake up and realize her passion for volunteerism.