20 GLOBAL PINOYS

EVERYTHING IN THE PHILIPPINES IS A POPULARITY CONTEST. OR SO WE'RE OFTEN TOLD.

NOT IF YOU LOOK AT THIS LIST OF 20 GLOBAL PINOYS. POPULARITY IS NOT THEIR END-GOAL. ALL OF THEM HAD TO GO AGAINST GREAT ODDS AND EMERGED MORE COMPASSIONATE,

WORLDLY AND ALSO MORE ROOTED TO

THE PHILIPPINES.

IN SELECTING PEOPLE FOR THIS YEAR'S LIST, OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM WAS HOW TO FIT IN SO MANY ACCOMPLISHED NAMES. IT WAS A GOOD PROBLEM AND, THUS, WE CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT WHEN YOU TURN THIS PAGE, YOU ARE SEEING THE FIRST OF A NEW TRADITION IN OUR JUNE PINOY PRIDE ISSUE.

THEIR WORK IS REWARDING AND EMPOWERING.

A PESO SAVED CAN TURN INTO A MILLION IN THE FUTURE. FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS BEING FILIPINO IS NOT SO MUCH A BIRTHRIGHT, IT IS A RESPONSIBILITY, EACH OF THEM CONTINUES TO HAVE GENUINE INFLUENCE AND REAL SUCCESS

AND THIS DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN HAVING A MILLION FOLLOWERS ON TWITTER.

WHILE THE PHILIPPINES IS KNOWN FOR SUPPLYING

HARD-WORKING PEOPLE TO THE WORLD, WITH THESE 20 NAMES IN OUR LIST, IT'S EVIDENT THAT SUPPLYING WORLD-CLASS TALENT, BUSINESS

ACUMEN AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE CAN BE FOUND AT HOME TOO. THEY PROVE THAT HAVING A GLOBAL AMBITION DOESN'T REQUIRE UPROOTING, THEIR EYES MAY BE TRAINED ON THE WORLD BUT THEIR HEARTS ARE ALL-FILIPINO.

THEIR STORIES ALL CARRY THE SAME HEADLINE: THAT NO MATTER HOW HUMBLE THE ROOTS, WE CAN REACH AS FAR AS WE DREAM.—MY