Through the wonder that is Twitter, I recently found out about PhilAmTHropy, a crowd funding site for Filipino projects, started by Filipinos all the way from America – California to be exact.
Every single time I’ve been out of the country, one thing I’ve always been sure of is that wherever I was going, there was gonna be a lotta Filipinos. And I was never wrong. Almost every trip abroad has left me with a unique, touching experience of a fellow Filipino helping me and my family/friends out, going way and beyond whatever help we asked of them. And upon being on the receiving side of all this goodness, I always thought, “I wonder if there’s a group out there who’s helping these people along. I wish there was.”
So imagine what a pleasant surprise PhilAmTHropy is 🙂 Their name, a witty combination of the words “philanthropy,” and “Phil Am” or Philippine Ambassadors, is pretty self-explanatory. They help fund Filipino projects of all kinds, hoping that by “providing someone with the tools on ‘how to fish'”, they’ll be able to push people towards doing things they’ve always wanted to do. Being situated abroad, a big part of what they’re trying to build is community, connectedness, and pride. Filipinos are creative, ingenious and endlessly innovative, and as ambassadors of their country, they want to represent.
They call it “a new kind of People Power,” and by some definitions they’re correct. For Filipinos overseas, connectedness and support mean the world. In a way, PhilAmTHropy is a statement saying that you are not alone. Seeing the support that the projects have gained so far, there’s no doubt that the statement is true.
If you’re a Filipino away from home, or even if you’re based here in the Philippines, submit an idea! There’s a community waiting to back you up 🙂
You have just provided us a much needed dose of affirmation. Thank you for taking the time to feature PhilAmTHropy on your blog. We truly believe in the Filipino spirit.