ENTREPRENEURS FIELD OR EXPERTISE

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS

SENATOR CYNTHIA VILLAR

Cynthia Aguilar Villar is a Filipino politician and wife of billionaire

businessman Manny Villar. She was a member of the House of Representatives for
the Lone District of Las Pias from 2001-2010 and is currently a senator.

She was raised by her grandmother who sold betel nut at the local palengke and a
public school teacher mom, the senator is not only the strong woman behind her
real-estate developer and public servant husband; more recently, shes at the
frontline of national development.

I know that being a senator is legislative

work. But in addition to lawmaking, I want to create practical projects that can
help the country, Sen. Villar notes. In 1995, she founded the Villar Social Institute of Poverty Alleviation
and Governance (Villar SIPAG), a non-stock, non-profit foundation built to complement the entrepreneurial
and agricultural development measures she and her husband Manny have introduced in Congress.

We have three major advocacies: helping OFWs, environmental protection and of course creating
livelihood opportunities to reduce poverty, she explains.

Why she became a social entrepreneur?

Senator Cynthia Villar creates livelihood opportunities for women through Villar Foundations
community enterprise projects, spotting opportunities to improve lives and further help
people.

ANNA MELOTO-WILK

Anna is a daughter of Antonio Meloto, the founder of Gawad Kalinga, a

Philippine-based poverty alleviation and nation-building movement. As a
daughter of someone who has responsibility in his shoulders to somehow do
something to level the playing field and provide more opportunities for the poor,
she grew up in a village where the middle class and poor were neighbours. Their
family only had enough or just the basics for a dignified life. They were exposed
to the realities of poverty and inequality in the Philippines at a
young age. This experience helped shape their values and taught
them to interact with people from all walks of life and treat
everyone with dignity and respect.

After college, she decided to enter the corporate world instead of joining Gawad
Kalinga as she felt the need to find her own path and step out of her father's shadow. She fell
in love with the art of brand-building and communications. She worked in media, advertising
and a multinational food brand where she learned the skills she find useful in leading Human Nature.
 She is currently the President of Gandang Kalikasan, Inc., the makers of Human Nature, a brand of
natural personal care and cosmetic products. She is in new product development, promotion of social
entrepreneurship and Gawad Kalinga partnerships.
Why she became a social entrepreneur?

Human Natures promote advocacies that are Pro-Philippines, in which they use local ingredients whenever
possible so made in the Philippines can mean world-class; Pro-poor, to empower rural and urban
communities by buying raw materials and finished goods at fair trade prices and lastly Pro-environment,
biodegradable and at least 95% natural-safe to earth, kind to animals and good for you.