ALEX EDUQUE

Educational Change Maker

Alex Eduque is the founder and chairperson of MovEd, a program committed to providing quality preschool education and facilitation of supplementary early childhood development care in the marginalized communities in the country, where there is lack of access and opportunity.

She began her advocacy during her senior year in university and opened the first classroom in Brgy. Tanza, Novaliches City on November 19, 2012 as part of her work for Habitat for Humanity. Currently, her movement has spread to five sites around Luzon. Eduque believes that fundamental education should start in preschool “especially at the ages of 3-4 because those are the ages where values are formed.”

In a country where 2.9 million children are out-of-school and 65% present in rural areas (Philippine Institute of Developmental Studies, 2008), the matter is even more pressing. Eduque believes the gift of education should be given during the earliest possible occasion. “You are able to mold one’s mindset and enlighten them [with education]. If your parents gave you your roots, education will give you the wings to enable you to fly.”

As a proud Filipino forging the way to better education (both in quality and literacy rate), she compels others to help in any way they can—that no action is too little. And although it will not always be perfect, she urges everyone to “create the Philippines that you are happy with. You have to be proud to be a Filipino. The country is what you make of it.”—KS