WE have been fortunate to host, together with the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco and the Department of Tourism (DOT), Mr. Thomas “Tom” Graham, Founder of MAD Travel, author of the book The Genius of the Poor: An Englishman’s Life Changing Journey in the Philippines, and an advocate for social tourism.
I first bumped into Tom during my business development trip to Los Angeles as I was finishing up my meeting with the Los Angeles branch of the DOT for alignment and collaboration that focus on tourism and trade. As brief as the introduction was, one would already see the passion and affiliation of Tom for Filipinos. He shared with me his book with a personal note “Time for adventures that matter in the Philippines. Walang iwanan.”
Where did such love for the Philippines come from, more so from an Englishman? Curious, I took on his challenge and started by reading his stories of the Filipino communities that changed his outlook in life and even did a 360-degree turn on his career.
A British journalist assigned to explore and produce business reports on one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia, Tom visited the Philippines in 2012. Tom’s impressions of the Philippines were a view from the top and the scene before him seemed to say it all—a booming metropolis, with impressive new towers. But, his eye also captured the “growing pains” of a developing country and delved deeper in search of the “missing middle.” That led him to Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga, who brought him to an incredible journey through the eyes of the Gawad Kalinga communities that forged forward in making better lives for themselves in partnership with the Gawad Kalinga volunteers.
I emphasize partnerships that led to the discovery of the Filipino’s capacity for fun, resilience in adversity, strong sense of family, the gift of hospitality, a propensity to collaborate and resolve to overcoming the odds. These are Filipino characteristics that we as Filipinos often take for granted. It is humbling to have this sense of pride rekindled by Tom’s stories.
Tom’s journey inspired him to establish Make a Difference (MAD) Travel, a social enterprise that creates opportunities for and with marginalized communities through sustainable social tourism. MAD Travel creates alternative travel experiences that bring together people from different walks of life, immerse them in local culture and inspire them to make a difference.
We have seen the potential for synergy between the DOT and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on trade and tourism. I have met many foreign business owners in the Philippines sharing with me their stories of visiting the Philippines as a tourist. Enamored by its beauty, they decided to set up their businesses. They stayed on as business owners sharing the Philippines’s growth story.
There is also much alignment with advocacies on Filipino cuisine and the creative economy. But social tourism is a collaboration we are all excited about. Social tourism is a platform that foster social entrepreneurship. MAD Travel is a concrete example of how a social immersion inspired an individual to engage in social entrepreneurship.
I believe that social entrepreneurship is a concept better understood through the stories of those who engage in such endeavors like Tom’s. Human Nature, now the Philippines’s leading brand of natural, locally sourced and processed health-care products; Bayani Brew which thrives through partnerships with farming communities and is now in mainstream grocery stores in the Philippines; Gourmet Keso, whose local and natural ingredients are enjoyed even by Gawad Kalinga’s cheese-loving French interns, referring to it as “French-approved” cheese; and Plush and Play, which offer quality stuffed toys and the source of income for 500 families by 2017, are among the stories of transformation through social entrepreneurship.
More and more people are beginning to see the Philippines as a viable destination to discover their purpose and passion as social entrepreneurs. Since its inception, MAD Travel has arranged visits for 1,500 visitors mostly from France, the United Kingdom and other Asian countries that contributed to between 200-percent and 300-percent income increase for the 18 livelihood sources.
Through the DTI’s Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) “OFIs [overseas Filipino investors] as Catalysts for Growth” program and the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco’s Spark Connect Empower (SCE) Movement, the 3.7 million Filipinos in the United States and Filipino-American organizations can all be catalysts for growth and transformation. I now echo Tom’s call to action to our TNK and SCE partners “time for adventures that matter in the Philippines.”
TNK is a new government blueprint for decent job creation through employment and entrepreneurship. It was a joint effort of the DTI and the Department of Labor and Employment. The DTI and DOLE’s advocacy is to create 7.5 million jobs in 2016 to 2022 and support income-generating opportunities.
Spark Connect Empower or SCE is a movement intended to spark love and passion among all Filipinos (including those of Filipino lineage)—both at home and abroad—about their Filipino culture and heritage; connect them with one another, and in the process, empower them as individuals and as a community.
For comments and questions, you may reach out to siliconvalley@dti.gov.ph. Know more about MAD Travel at https://madtravel.org