Being an OFW is hard. Every Filipino knows this. In fact, there’s a huge possibility that every Filipino family has a kin who has to fly miles away from home, somewhere across the seas, for better opportunities. This means that whether you’re an OFW yourself, or a child of one, more or less you know the struggle that OFWs face daily while they are far from everything they hold dear. Cristine, a Sales Associate in a luxury retail shop in Qatar can attest to this. But one of the things that keeps her going is her dream to live out her long-time advocacy: to support Filipino children back home.

Ever since her college days, Cristine has already been part of volunteer groups and outreach programs that support various marginalized sectors, especially children. That is why one of the things that she wanted to do after graduation was to continue finding opportunities to be of service. However, after graduation, just like every working adult in their early 20s, Cristine realized the challenges of reality and became aware of her environment’s limitations.

Soon, in search of better opportunities for her and her family, Cristine decided to leave home in 2017 to accept a job in Qatar. But true to her passion, despite her full-time schedule, she still joined a movement called the FRICH Revo, where they empower fellow OFW’s to be financially literate to help them manage their finances and secure their future. Then, when she was settled in her job, she realized that she still wanted to continue with her main advocacy. This gave birth to her campaign with BEAGIVER, called “Give Love, Give Joy, Give Kids Bag Full of Hope ”.

 

The campaign’s goal is to give school bags with raincoats to pupils whose families could not afford to buy them one. Having a school bag may seem like a simple thing, but Cristine knew that for kids who do not have bags, getting a brand new one can make them feel motivated and inspired.

Soon, after weeks of searching, Cristine found out about Langka Elementary School, a school located in one of the farthest and most remote areas in Nueva Ecija, where IP children live. The principal shared how most pupils in the school lacked basic school items especially during the peak of the pandemic when most families had to stay home and let go of their jobs.

 

Right then, Cristine knew that she had to start a campaign. Finally, after all her efforts and her family and friends’ support, Cristine finally completed her campaign, raising enough funds to give 102 school bags with raincoats to the pupils of Langka ES.

 

After over 5 years abroad, she went back home and visited the community herself last January 31, together with her loving family. She was welcomed by more than a hundred giddy kids, excited for their new gifts. Cristine would later recall how heartwarming it was to personally see the kids smile as they received their new bags. Some fiddled with their new bags’ multi-zippers and hidden pockets while the others already started wearing their raincoats just to try it on, even when the sun was high up in the sky.

Before the special day ended — as we watched the kids walk back home side by side, wearing their new backpacks, we went over to Cristine to have a little chat. She felt nostalgic and was overwhelmed with joy. When asked what her dream is for the children she said one thing, “for them to achieve their dreams and be who they want to become.”

 

Indeed, what makes Filipinos stand out wherever we are is not only our determination to be good at what we do. It is also the amount of love that each of us has in our hearts, the kind that overflows beyond ourselves and even beyond our families. It is as if we were born with the yearning to do something for our fellow Filipinos, just like Cristine.

 

Cristine is part of the BEAGIVER community, an organization whose goal is to cultivate the culture of generosity through different activities. If you are also interested in giving back to your community or inspiring children to dream, you may visit their website at www.beagiver.com.ph or contact them at beagiverph@gmail.com.

 

Here are some of the highlights of Cristine’s bag drive last January 30 produced by BEAGIVER:

by Mariah JC

“Hindi nila na-enjoy ‘yung childhood nila.” An aspiring lawyer looks back at his first memory of seeing inequality as a child – a bitter taste of reality which served as his greatest inspiration in fighting for equality through advocacy and charity.

Howard Tuanqui of Legazpi City went back to Napo, Polangui, Albay, the place that gave him the best memories of his childhood. But among all the happy moments of spending the weekends in Napo and experiencing countryside bliss as a city kid – playing with his cousins, feeding ducks and chickens, picking mangoes and rambutan from trees, eating lola’s home cooked meals, swimming in the swamp and river with their lolo, escaping in the evening to go to the perya, among others – a not so picturesque impression was left on his mind as he recalled seeing the children in town from the window of their ancestral house. They were around the same age as him, but they were working under the sweltering summer heat.

“Iniisip ko noon, bakit kaya kaming magpipinsan ang saya namin dito, hindi kami naiinitan? Pero bakit sila ‘yung mga kaedad namin, o yung mga mas bata pa sa amin, kailangan nilang gawin ‘to, na imbes mag-enjoy sila, kailangan nilang maghanapbuhay?” At such a young age, Howard could not shake off this image of inequality in his head.

Howard is now a law student. “Kung ako nga na medyo privileged na, I’ve had experiences in my life na I felt oppressed, yung boses ko pinipigilan para hindi ako makapag-express, makapag-voice out,” he acknowledged his challenges despite his comfortable social position and the responsibility of giving back by sharing his dream of being of service to those who are less fortunate. “I want to help the underprivileged and the oppressed, to fight for their rights at para maging boses nila.”

“The essence of a true great lawyer is really knowing how to administer justice through making yourself an instrument of how social justice and equity would be able to thrive in the community.” It is clear in his mind that the path to becoming a full-fledged lawyer is the answer to his lifelong desire of doing his part in alleviating his countrymen’s poverty and creating sustainable change. But Howard also knew that helping others does not require a law degree. His relatives shared how generosity is simply a core of Howard’s nature, something that runs through their bloodline

“‘Yung mga bata kasi kapag yun yung nakita mo di ba by example. Hindi yung sasabihin mo sa kanila na maging ganito ka, maging ganyan ka paglaki mo. Si Howard na-absorb n’ya kasi bata pa. Yun  ang nakikita nya, kaya yung yung nagma-manifest sa kanya,” his aunt Susan shared, noting that Howard’s eagerness to help is probably inspired by his grandfather’s stint as a dependable Barangay Captain who would start repacking relief packs as soon as the news of an incoming disaster reaches the airwaves.

“Just imagine kung deprived ‘yung mga batang ‘yon ng chance at opportunity. Who knows kung isa sa mga beneficiaries na ito ang magiging susunod na presidente ng Pilipinas o makaka-discover sa cure ng mga sakit ngayon?” Howard said he wanted to make an impact as soon as he can for he truly believes in the power of empowering the youth by starting them young. He reckoned, “Kung hindi natin sila matutulungan, just imagine the loss it would be to humanity?”

To celebrate his 27th birthday, he fulfilled his promise to himself that he will one day help the children in his beloved barangay of Napo. Through a partnership with BEAGIVER, Howard initiated a bag drive with the help of other generous fellows on October 30, 2022. More than 200 school children in Napo Elementary School received their sturdy yet stylish school bags and raincoats, which would aid in their studies and ultimately push them in achieving their dreams.

The school’s principal Trixie Santor explained how the majority of the learners belong in low-income families. Most of the households’ breadwinners are tricycle drivers, farmers, and construction workers so they rely on support from various stakeholders to provide for the children’s education. Some of them are 4Ps beneficiaries but the cash grants do not suffice in funding their needs. The children’s education is usually the first thing being sacrificed. Sometimes, the teachers would pool their extra money so they could buy school materials for the students.

Howard’s father Dennis expressed great joy in his son’s altruism, encouraging his son to keep sharing his blessings. “Sana ‘yung anak ko can continue sharing sa ibang ways ulit naman. You don’t have to be wealthy, ‘pag sinabing sharing ‘yung kaya mo lang,” Dennis said. Their other relatives pointed out that it was largely due to his parenting and teaching by example that made Howard the giving man he turned out to be. 

Howard’s 7-year old cousin Alexandra also started signing up her help in his initiatives, proving that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. “I felt good. It felt good,” Alexandra shared her experience when she donated food with her Kuya Howard.

“Marami, hindi lang ako maraming maraming maraming tao ang handang tumulong sa inyo at handang tumulong para marating at maisakatuparan ninyo ang mga pangarap ninyo and sana pagdating ng araw na kayo naman ‘yung nasa lugar namin, may kapasidad tumulong,” Howard addressed the student beneficiaries of the bag drive and humbly recognized that every person can and should do far more. 

We can all come together in common cause to tackle inequality. Bring hope and help alleviate poverty, one student at a time, by partnering with BEAGIVER, a social enterprise focused on spreading a culture of generosity by providing school bags to children in need. Visit beagiver.com.ph now to know how you can contribute.

by Mariah JC

Aside from imparting lessons from the curriculum, a teacher wears many hats – a counselor, a talent scout, a coach and a referee, the list goes on and sometimes even a nose wiper as parents entrust their young kids to teachers as early as 5 years old. This means they also serve as second parents who are able to shape the minds and characters of members of the society as most learners spend the first two decades of their lives in the hands of educators.

To some, teaching might just be a profession that pays the bills. But some teachers see it as their life’s calling – and they are willing to go above and beyond their job title and salary grade. This is the case for Jan Michael C. Sotto, an educator from Lolomboy, Bocaue, Bulacan, fondly called Sir JM by his students. Aside from the many side roles expected from being a department head in a public high school and teaching in two colleges, he also plays the role of a community development worker.

They say that the best teachers see their students as a continuum of oneself; and true enough, Jan Michael pursued this vocation wanting to pass on the optimism that teaching brings. He shared that it was because of his high school teacher Rosalinda Ventura that he pursued this career despite being fully aware of its challenges. “Everytime kasi na papasok siya magtuturo siya with costume, with props talagang namo-motivate akong matuto at nacha-challenge akong matuto sa kanya. Kaya nung time na makikita ko siya pinapangarap kong maging teacher, at pinangarap kong maging teacher,” Jan Michael reminisced some core memories from his school days as the learner.

As a college student, he started out community projects with his friend who is now also a teacher, Eljer David. After he graduated and met his workmates, he joined Junior Chamber International (JCI), a non-profit international non-governmental organization that aims to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change. Then as if fate decided for him to have more avenues for helping, he saw on his Facebook timeline a post about BEAGIVER, which enabled him to be part of initiatives such as Pasko sa Ika-apat ng Mayo and Fruitscapades, projects where they distributed foodpacks, and fruits and nutritious foods to the children of Bocaue respectively. Through the help of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, they were able to donate laptops to less fortunate students which enabled them to continue their education during distance learning. Jan Michael also manages another advocacy organization called Project Go 100 which always partners with BEAGIVER so that they could broaden their reach.

“You can help in your own way. Pwedeng yung service mo, pwedeng yung talent mo, yung ability mo, so ganun ko po ini-inspire yung mga kasamahan ko sa team na nagtutulong-tulong kami even though lack of resources darating minsan ‘yung biyaya kasi ginagamit namin ‘yung kung anong meron sa amin para mailapit ‘yung project namin sa ibang tao o sa mga taong may kaya,” he noted about the many community projects he has worked on. He may not have a lot of money but what he lacks in financial resources, he makes up for in the passion to be of service to others. This is something he also instilled in his students. “Tumutulong din po kami sa ibang mga tao though hindi naman po kami nakakapagbigay in monetary but, ‘yung act of giving po of our time para po makatulong sa iba.Nakilala po namin si Sir JM as sobrang sipag na teacher and aside from that is ‘yung willingness niya po na makatulong sa ibang tao and makapagbigay ng hope and light sa ibang tao,” one of the students who received free laptops expressed how Jan Michael lighted the fire of volunteerism in them.

Jan Michael has been with BEAGIVER as a Lead Giver and initiator. Due to the pandemic some of their activities were forced to go into a hiatus, but on September 2, 2022, the heavy rainfall did not stop Jan Michael together with his other co-teachers and volunteers to continue a much anticipated bag drive where they gave away schoolbags to 50 Grade 7 students in need at Lolomboy National High School. 

“Pangarap kong maabot din sila nung iba’t ibang mga tao para dumating yung time na may mga pangangailangan sila ay masuportahan sila, at pagdating ng araw sila naman yung gaganap sa mga ginagampanan nung mga taong tumulong sa kanila,” Jan Michael shared his greatest aspiration. A lot of people are the way they are because of a teacher that touched their lives. Sir JM is one of the best educators who treats his students like his own children and makes sure they always do their best. Through BEAGIVER, a social enterprise focused on spreading a culture of generosity by providing school bags to children in need, anyone can inspire hope and share the gift of education by helping less fortunate students in attaining their dreams. Visit beagiver.com.ph now.

by Mariah JC

In a dog-eat-dog world, some people will go to any lengths to achieve success. In a country where abject poverty is a common sight, Filipinos have the word “diskarte.” The expression which has no direct translation in English originally implied making do with what you have and being ingenious to overcome a difficult situation, but over time this expression has connoted a toxic trait of doing whatever it takes even if it means stepping on others. Poverty breeds hopelessness and desperation and it’s hard to blame people in less fortunate situations for adapting such a mindset, but people like Marlo and Gelai uphold that the only way to heal the world is through acts of kindness.

Marlo Flores and Gealdine Jorduela-Flores are truly a match made in heaven. These two kindred spirits from Makati City who found a new home for their family in Dingalan, Aurora achieved great success through their hard work and dedication with Marlo as a Sun Life unit manager and Gelai as a financial advisor in the same company. Growing up, the couple knew what it’s like to be dealt a bad hand in life. And now that they’re enjoying the fruits of their labor through their purposeful careers, they’re on a mission to spread the ripple effect of contagious generosity.

“Ako mismo nakaranas na tinulungan before, so alam ko ‘yung pakiramdam ng tumatanggap. Iba ‘yung joy, so gusto ko rin ‘yun ipa-experience sa mga bata (I experienced receiving help before, so I know what receiving feels like. It’s a different kind of joy and I also want to make the kids experience that),” Marlo said in an interview. The couple acknowledged that they would not be where they are now without the people who helped them in the past. On August 27, 2022, Marlo and Gelai celebrated their gratefulness for the blessings they have received by sharing it with 200 indigent students of Dikapanikian Elementary School and Paltic Elementary School who were gifted with school bags through a back-to-back bag drive made possible with the support of their generous friends and through their partnership with BEAGIVER.

There’s more than one way to make a dream a reality. Both Gelai and Marlo are certain that their good education was what paved their way to prosperity. This is why they want to inspire every child in the community they love to stay in school. They wanted to instill the value of education in these kids’ hearts as an empowering tool that can free them from the shackles of poverty. “Alam niyo dalangin ko sa inyong mga bata, ‘yung sigasig niyo ng pag-aaral sana umalab katulad o higit pa dun sa pangarap niyo (My wish for you is that your perseverance in learning will be as good as your perseverance in reaching your goals, if not better),” Gelai addressed the student beneficiaries during the bag drive.

The world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but Marlo and Gelai who both experienced being a receiver and a giver proved that a little help can make this place a bit brighter. You too can be a giver. Through BEAGIVER, a social enterprise focused on spreading a culture of generosity by providing school bags to children in need, anyone can inspire hope and aid students in realizing their aspirations. Visit beagiver.com.ph now.

Written by Mariah JC

“You don’t look in your neighbor’s bowl to see if you have as much as them, you should only look to make sure that they have enough.” Educator Roldan Pagaduan may have unintentionally imparted this invaluable lesson on fairness and sharing to his students when he gifted new quality school bags to over 50 disadvantaged children through a bag drive on August 13, 2022, teaching through example that no one is too young to give, and people of all abilities can change lives. This line from a sitcom might be an unlikely source of wisdom, just as Roldan’s altruism started from a heart-tugging story that happened by chance.

At 25, the natural-born giver from Tarlac who puts a premium on the role of education in uplifting one’s life, currently works as a course content developer in an e-learning company. It was in 2019 when he worked as a substitute teacher at Taguiporo-Cabaruan Elementary School that the students who normally learn from his lectures taught him something that changed his perspective forever and urged him to do something.

Roldan met a student who used a bag that was a freebie from a milk brand to carry his items to school. It was so small that the student could only carry his pencil and pad paper. Because of this, the student had to borrow the books of his classmates which made the little kids a bit irritable. Roldan gave his second hand bag to the student and other children in need heard about the teacher’s generosity. As he learned that a lot of school children are in need of bags but they don’t have access to these things due to indigence, he reached out to BEAGIVER founder Josh Maghinay. This is where his journey of sharing his blessings to the less fortunate learners started. Roldan happily continues his cause especially now that Filipino students are returning to in-person classes after a long hiatus due  to the pandemic.

“Kung nawawalan na kayo ng pag-asa sa pag-abot ng inyong mga pangarap. Lagi niyong tatandaan na ang nagbigay ng bags sa inyo ay naniniwala sa inyo. Naniniwala sila na kaya ninyong abutin ang inyong mga pangarap (Whenever you’re losing hope in attaining your goals, always remember that the people who gave you the bags trust you that you can achieve your dreams),” Roldan said in one of his speeches during the recent bag drive in the same school where he first witnessed the poverty of many Filipino students.

Roldan is a testimony that there is no barrier big enough to stop anyone from making a difference. You too can bring hope and help students reach their dreams by partnering with BEAGIVER, a social enterprise focused on spreading a culture of generosity by providing school bags to children in need. Let’s make a bigger difference this year as more students will be needing their school bags this back-to-school season. Visit beagiver.com.ph now to know how to help.

In Sitio Lipata, Camarines Sur, during a bag distribution that benefits over a hundred school children in this remote island.

Manila, Philippines – From going to school using a red-striped plastic bag during his elementary years, Filipino young social entrepreneur Josh Mahinay who founded BEAGIVER Ventures Inc., which distributes bags with raincoats to impoverished children in the Philippines through their unique and creative enterprise model gets the nod of the highly-esteemed Takeda Foundation and was selected as the Entrepreneur of the Takeda Young Entrepreneurship Award 2019 in University of Tokyo, Japan

Josh drew inspiration from his own personal journey in setting up a mission-driven enterprise that focuses on providing support to education for the poor school children. In an article published on Rappler dated August 09, 2013 entitled Leaving Los Angeles to pursue greener pastures, he narrated, “Going to school meant Going to school meant skipping a meal and walking 10 km a day. Walking had become an inevitable choice because the habal-habal (tricycle) fare can be saved for food. I have a very vivid memory of the times I had to ask for a free plastic bag from a nearby sari-sari (retail) store to put my things in. I had been a regular face in the store because the plastic bag ripped almost every day. Having a plastic bag for a school bag felt awkward for a little kid. In no time, my name had been associated with the plastic bag.”

According to its website www.beagiver.com.ph, to date, BEAGIVER has already reached out to 66,241 school children worth PHP27M in 182 communities all over the Philippines. In doing so, it has also provided livelihood opportunities to their adopted weaving communities where they sourced their raw materials, partner sewing communities who make their bags and other impact projects that support education like scholarship, water, solar, school boats and cultural preservation projects. 

The awarding is set on March 15, 2020 in conjunction with the Takeda Symposium at the University of Tokyo, with 5 other young entrepreneurs to also be awarded from India, Mongolia, Uganda and Yemen. The award-giving body aims to assist the development of young entrepreneurs who will bring well-being to people as well as cultivate entrepreneurship. This year’s selection was participated by 350 young entrepreneurs from 70 countries. 

To learn more about the inspiring things that Josh and his team are doing that brought pride to our country, and is worth supporting and emulating, check out their social media handles @beagiverph, @beagiverdreamsproject and @beagivercampaigns to see how you can be part of it.

Sources:

Link to Rappler Article: https://bit.ly/2rjV2FN

The story of Josh Mahinay (YouTube): https://bit.ly/32gRReB

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Reporter
Posted on June 19, 2015

News Article: Click here!

“All of us have something to contribute in nation-building. Nobody is too poor to give, nobody is too young to start something, nobody is too busy to serve and nobody is too ordinary to do great things.” – Josh Mahinay

Being in the media industry for two decades now, I’ve had the honor and privilege of meeting many people who truly inspire me.

Recently, I’ve had that privilege again when I met a young man named Josh Mahinay.

That meeting was pivotal. Julius and I were awe-inspired as we listened to Josh tell his story and why Bag943 is so close to his heart.

The founding of Bag943 is personal to Josh. He grew up in a poor family in Zamboanga Sibugay and came face-to-face with poverty at a very young age. In elementary, he put his school things in a striped plastic bag. He would knock almost every other day at a neighbor’s sari-sari store to ask for a new plastic bag because it would rip off. Carrying the plastic bag on a 10-kilometer walk every day to go to school became a constant reminder to him to hold on to his dreams and pursue education.

Education changed the course of his life. Bag943 is the opportunity to give back to the kids he once was. Josh wanted his story to be a source of inspiration and encouragement that there is hope in their lives, and that poverty can be overcome.

Josh tells us, Every time I hand over a bag to a kid now, I am actually handing over a bag to myself. I want them to feel the inspiration and encouragement I felt when a distant relative gave me a bag when I was in Grade 4. The simple act of giving propelled me to dream the same kind of dreams my classmate had, or even bigger.

“Today, I see myself in the eyes of impoverished schoolkids, the struggles that they are going through, and the hopes that are dying inside of them.

Not only that no poor kid should go to school without a bag (unfortunately, in remote places in the country, this is still shockingly true), the giving of bag is a symbolism of what is important and why it is important” education.

Josh’s family had health and financial problems, so he worked as an OFW in the US.

“I worked as a housekeeper, cleaning 15 rooms a day, spending 30 minutes per room in a hotel in Reno, Nevada. I remember falling asleep for a few minutes in the chute room, where you throw linens, because I was physically exhausted. But being in a foreign country, I understand that hard work is the first requirement to thrive. True enough, hard work pays off and I was able to help and provide for my family and help them start something to make them financially sustainable.

From cleaning rooms, I had the opportunity to move up the ladder and worked as executive assistant for a business consulting firm, then as seasonal marketing team member of Target Corporation.

Living in the US was a bittersweet experience. I wanted to be in my country, I enjoyed the benefit of living in a first world country. Until the reason to settle back home in the Philippines presented itself. It dawned on me that my search for a greener pasture is a journey back home. That the greener pasture is not a place you go, it is a place you cultivate to grow.”

And so the turning point came that made Josh realize that Bag943 is his life’scalling.

He says, From having nothing to having more than enough in life, I felt that my life is meant for something more and bigger than myself. I went back to my hometown in Zamboanga and I saw a kid walking on a rice paddy dike, carrying the same plastic bag that I used to carry when I was in elementary. I knew I had to do something.

I realized after that my life story is not just about a poor kid who overcame poverty. It is a message of hope and a story to tell. A well-orchestrated story that speaks of His goodness.

In 2012, I took a leap of faith and decided to settle back to the Philippines and started a social enterprise that would champion education for the poor children.

I think it is amazing that while a Bag943 giver uses his bag every day, he knows that a kid somewhere in the Philippines carries a bag, too, that he gave, trying to accomplish his dreams. In the same way, that while a kid strives every day to go to school in pursuit of education and his dreams, he knows that somebody out there actually cared and thought about him.

The reason why I am able to give right now is because I had been given. If I think about how I succeeded in life, I am reminded of the generous people who have helped me through at given moments and situations of my life.

There is a transforming power when we give to others. It transformed my life. It can transform the lives of so many kids out there. In the same way, it transforms the hearts of those who give.

If we become a community of generous people, hope becomes our universal language. Dreams cease to be a monopoly of the few and the better future we dreamt of will be sweeter because it is shared.”

The journey has been life-changing, not just for Josh but also for his young army of supporters and advocates. Since Bag943 was launched, 2,000 school bags have been given out and 17 public schools have been adopted across the country.

Bag943 founder Josh Mahinay (center) with the author and her husband Julius Babao

He says, as we grow, we hope to expand our ability to help from giving bags to awarding scholarships, building classrooms and libraries and anything in between that we think we can do to help and empower the poor children to finish school and go for their dreams.

Through its buy one, give one concept, Bag943 has now become a conscious choice of many bag and backpack lovers. It has eventually created a socially-responsible buying habit in the marketplace.

He says, Leading the team has been a humbling experience. To see the movement growing, going places and reaching out to more people is such a joy to behold.

Josh also credits The Yellow Boat of Hope (YBH) movement led by Dr. Anton Lim as his giving partner. The Yellow Boat of Hope started when they discovered kids in Layag-Layag, Zamboanga City literally swimming their way to school. Heartbreaking but true. Some kids still do not have easy access to education. YBH provides boats so that kids won’t have to swim to go to school. Now, they expanded their projects to include livelihood for the parents as well as the building of classrooms, dormitories and even bridges.

They launched a project partnership called #amBAG. In the aftermath of Yolanda, they launched an initiative to help Yolanda-affected schoolchildren. With the #amBAG campaign (Ambag means contribution), over 280 school bags were distributed in YBH communities in Samar and Leyte.

Through Bag943, we want to send this message out to the children: That they are not forgotten, that we think about them, that we are together with them as they try to rebuild their lives and dreams.

This writer would like to thank all my celebrity and non-celebrity friends and cousin Apple Peji Tan, who unselfishly helped and bought bags for the children. Thank you for supporting @Bag943 and the #amBAG project. May God bless you more. Follow and support Bag943 via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To Josh, Dr. Anton of Yellow Boat Foundation and the whole team, congratulations for the success of #amBAG. This is just the beginning.

And to you, Josh, thank you for being an inspiration to many. Anybody can just sell bags for a cause. But your advocacy is special because it tells the story of your own life. I support your sustainable advocacy. You are an exemplary youth and I wish that many youths like you would follow suit and make a difference.

News Article: Click here!

American dream

My American reality started in a hotel in Nevada where I wore the same blue collar as many professionals like doctors and bank managers from the Philippines, cleaning a minimum of 15 rooms every day. Our typical conversations were, “Doc, pakilipat yung ref.” (Doctor, please move the refrigerator.) or “Attorney, paki-vacuum ang floor.” (Attorney, please vacuum the floor.)

I was not a lawyer then but prior to coming to the States, I was a law student and working as a legal assistant in one of the country’s premier companies. The pursuit of greener pastures required giving up self-entitlement.

I had my opportunities of moving to other jobs. From someone who cleans up hotel rooms to an executive assistant in a business consulting firm, and finally to seasonal marketing department of Target Corp in one of their stores in L.A. My job description put emphasis on devising seasonal marketing strategies, but most of the time, I was lifting in the backroom and unloading boxes from delivery trucks.

When positions become just labels and expectations drown in the ocean of harsh reality, one will have no audience for ranting. In the greener pasture, hard work pays. By God’s grace, I was able to provide for my mother’s medical expenses when it was most needed and was able to help my family have a better life.

Though I did not consider myself wealthy, life in the States was comfortable. Since my feet were programmed to just tread the path from home to work and vice versa, my calendar had not much room to make a lot of friends. In the comfort of my apartment, where I waited the hours to pass me by, I took my dose of life by reading news about the Philippines online.

This simple routine saved me a reasonable amount of money which I used to fund my annual vacation to the Philippines where I recharge in the bosom of family and spend several weeks volunteering for organizations that help out an impoverished community.

BAGS. Author Josh Mahinay returns to the Philippines to give back

A life changing trip

One particular trip changed the direction of my life. While in Mindanao, I saw a little boy walking on a rice paddy dike on his way to school, carrying a plastic bag with his school stuff inside. He walked toward me and suddenly my heart started to race against frozen time. A flashback of my life started playing. The past looked me in the eye.

I grew up in a poor family of miner-turned-farmer parents. They say being the youngest is a privilege, but I tell you, not when you have 8 other siblings.

Growing up, I have had my share of obstacles. Since miners move from one location to another. I and some of my siblings had to live with relatives and even with families not related to us so we could keep going to school.

Going to school meant skipping a meal and walking 10 km a day. Walking had become an inevitable choice because the habal-habal (tricycle) fare can be saved for food. I have a very vivid memory of the times I had to ask for a free plastic bag from a nearby sari-sari (retail) store to put my things in. I had been a regular face in the store because the plastic bag ripped almost every day. Having a plastic bag for a school bag felt awkward for a little kid. In no time, my name had been associated with the plastic bag.

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Walking down the beaten path, confined to mountains all around, I saw limitations everywhere. For a child who does not ask for much, I treasured one question – “What’s behind those mountains?”

I grew up in a culture where mining families dig their dreams from the mountains. But the young dreamer in me saw those mountains as border bullies that have been placed between my fears and my greatest potential. Every step I took was one step closer to the hopes that beyond those mountains lay life’s best treasures. Dreaming of an imaginary world beyond the mountains made the daily walks less of a burden and more of an adventure.

PAY IT FORWARD. Mindanao school children are excited to receive their new bags

With the help of others

I was in 4th grade when I received my very first decent bag, a gift from a distant relative. It wasn’t new, but it made me see things in a brand new light. Receiving that bag made me realize that while I was in the midst of an almost forgotten village, someone was actually thinking about me. It made me feel like someone made an investment in me so it empowered me to do better in school.

Because someone believed in me, I started believing in myself. Having a school bag like my classmates gave me the confidence to dream the kind of dreams that they have, or maybe bigger.

The bag wasn’t brand new and eventually the wear and tear of the daily 10 km walk gave the bag a terminal stage. From 5th to 6th grade, I started carrying my school stuff with my bare hands as I learned the value of taking full accountability of my future.

I finished high school and earned a college degree with the help of relatives, friends and a teacher who adopted me into their families in support of my education. In return, I gladly offered my help in tutoring and running some errands. Because of these people’s investment in my life, I strove hard to excel in whatever I did.

Bred of hard work and my parents’ constant counsel about valuing education as our key to economic freedom, I had carried with me the dream that one day, no poor kid will go to school without a proper school bag.

After 5 years of working in the States and reaping the comforts of living in a first-world country, the image of the boy in Mindanao ignited a long-sleeping passion within me. Suddenly, the comfortable life I was living had no meaning.

Leaving America

I was gripped by the reality that the boy I saw in Mindanao was just one among thousands, perhaps millions. I believed my life would not be worth living if I did not do something for these kids. I realized I had to do something bigger than myself.

So I resigned from my job in L.A. and decided to go back to the Philippines and start a business that would champion education for the poor.

Was I afraid? Yes. Very. But I harnessed that fear into faith.

Faith made me believe what my mind could not conceive. Fear has been a constant reminder that I am not capable of doing anything without God. Fear activated faith.

I had no background in business, I didn’t have that much money to start with, and I had no security in the event of failure. When everything else was voting against me, faith voted for me. And I counted that as an advantage.

Bag of dreams

After conceptualizing the business model of the company, I shared my vision with two friends and we founded the company BAG943 in July 2012. BAG943 is a mission-driven business that incorporates social responsibility by adhering to a “Buy One Give One” promise through a social arm called Bag of Dreams Project. For every BAG943 purchase, another bag is given to an impoverished child from its pool of adopted public schools across the country.

The Bag of Dreams Project distributes bags quarterly with the help of volunteers. On its first year, the company has been able to give over 1,300 bags in 11 public schools.

What I am doing right now is a product of what people did for me.

The pursuit of greener pastures was a journey back home. It helped me rediscover my values and my deepest passion to champion education for the Filipino youth.

The greener pasture isn’t where life is most comfortable. For me, life’s greatest treasures are found when you give up your comfort zone to make a difference in other people’s lives. In doing this, I realized that the greener pasture I once knew is nothing compared to the thriving community of generous givers and kids being one step closer to their dreams, one bag at a time.

The Filipino youth is worth believing in. It has happened to me. It can happen to these kids. The greener pasture is not a place you go to. It is a world you cultivate to grow. – Rappler.com

Josh Mahinay is an ex-OFW and a returning resident from Los Angeles who “retired” at the age of 26 and founded BAG943, a social entrepreneurship venture. He is not ashamed of growing up poor, and is more proud that he changed his life because of education. Today, he is paying forward the generosity of those who helped him succeed through his young company.

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By: Josh Mahinay – @inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 11:13 PM January 25, 2014

Poverty taught me the necessity and value of education. The limitations that come with it propelled me to dream, and dream big for my self, my family and for others.

It was not easy to be the youngest in a family of eight siblings.

Growing up in Mindanao, in a remote and mountainous barangay, in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, I experienced, at a young age the realities and complexities of life, I thought I was too fragile then to handle.

But I did not hate being poor. In fact, now I realized it was necessary.

Perhaps the most astounding of all is not the fact that I climbed out of poverty, but how I was able to beat the odds and escape from the shackles of virtual penury.

Generosity of other people

Looking back, part of me is still in disbelief, and in absolute awe. I could not have overcome the hurdles in my life by merely relying on my own capacity. Reflecting on my past, I remember the selfless people who carried me through difficult times and somehow made my life a little easier.

When I was in elementary, because my miner-parents moved from one location to another, some of my siblings and I had to live with relatives and even with families not related to us so we could keep going to school.

When going to school meant skipping a meal and walking 10 kilometers a day, down a beaten path, where I saw mountains as border bullies placed between my limitations and my greatest potentials, I came home and found solace in a family, not my own, that sheltered me.

In a culture revolving around “me, me, me,” I also found compassion in the hearts of beneficent people.

They were my high school teachers, kind enough to guide me and treat me like their own son.

Ms Anlap, my chemistry teacher, spent countless times with me, sharing her inspiring story, always reminding to never let poverty dispirit me from pursuing my dreams. I saw in her the excitement and anticipation of a mother, eager to see me succeed.

My senior class adviser, Ms Sanoria, who does not have a biological child, yet treated me as her own.

She had a house rented out to students who are from far places like myself. But because she understood my financial situation, she did not mind the times when I was delayed in payments or unable to pay. Instead, she would often invite me in their house to eat with them. Though she was very strict and feared by many students at school, outside the class, she transformed into a loving and gentle mother to me. I remembered her giving me last minute advices while I was packing my things and preparing to leave for college.

Both of them were very proud of me graduating as class valedictorian, despite all the challenges they witnessed themselves and what I had to endure.

After high school, my parents told me not to go to college right away. Finances were the biggest concern. And even if I got a full academic scholarship, I still need money to buy food and spend for school requirements.

I did not heed my parents’ advice and instead went to attend university with the little money I saved from working in the mining area that summer, laboring from dawn to dusk everyday.

I must have disappointed them at that time. But now, I think they are thankful I did not listen to them.

Though college was more challenging, it was not too despairing because of the good people I came across.

I met Marlon and his wife, who was then his girlfriend. They occupied the room next to mine in the boarding house where I stayed. I easily became good friends with them since we came from the same province and belonged to the same church denomination.

Because they probably noticed that I did not eat as often, and as much, they offered to share their “kitchen” with me, even if did not equally pitch-in to the budget. In return, I gladly took care of the house chores and made time tutoring them and their classmates and helping them in their school projects.

Away from my family, I also found a father in Dr. Ong, who mentored me during my college days. Most-feared professor by many students, to me, he was a motivator, full of wisdom, giving generously when I was lacking or in need.

Even after college, when reality became more apparent, and life turned out even harder than it seemed, I survived and overcame obstacles because some people chose to invest their lives on me.

Today I consider myself a success in my own right. Though I am not wealthy, my life is way better than before, all because my faith and hard work were fueled by the support of my family and the generosity of other people.

Everyday I still wake up always thankful to God for sending them to me during crucial moments of my life.

Paying it forward

From having so little, to experiencing living a comfortable life, after working in the United States for nearly five years, my search for a greener pasture was a journey back home.

I decided to come back home in July 2012 and started a business that would champion education for the underprivileged children.

I founded BAG943, a mission-driven business that sells good quality bags and incorporates social responsibility by adhering to a “Buy One Give One” promise through a social arm called Bag of Dreams Project.

For every BAG943 purchased, another bag is given to an impoverished child from its pool of adopted public schools across the country.

Aside from the fact that there is a need to champion education for the impoverished kids, founding BAG943 was also personal to me.

While in Mindanao for a vacation in 2011, I saw a school kid walking in a rice paddy dike carrying a plastic bag with his school stuff inside. He walked toward me and suddenly my heart started to race against frozen time. A flashback of my life started playing. The past looked me in the eye.

The memory of the times when I had to ask for a free plastic bag from a nearby sari-sari (retail) store to put my things in became vivid.

I had been a regular face in the store because the plastic bag ripped almost every day. Having a plastic bag for a school bag felt awkward for a little kid.

I was in 4th grade when I received my very first decent bag, a gift from a distant relative. It wasn’t new, but it made me see things in a brand new light. Receiving that bag made me realize that while I was in the midst of an almost forgotten village, someone was actually thinking about me. It made me feel like someone made an investment in me so it empowered me to do better in school.

Because someone believed in me, I started believing in myself. Having a school bag like my classmates gave me the confidence to dream the kind of dreams that they have, or maybe bigger.

The right thing to do

We live in an age where there is not so much faith and hope felt around us. Where we seem to care less, or not care at all. Not because there is no hope, but because we’ve given up on it.

The problem about poverty in our country is the perception that it cannot be changed, that we can’t do something about it.

I figured that my story is not just a story about a poor kid overcoming obstacles in life. It’s a testament on how powerful an act of generosity is, on how far it can take someone, and what values it can create.

What I am doing right now is a product of what people did for me. If I am able to give, it is because I had been given.

I believe that in order to transform Philippines into a better nation, we need to be citizens who look after the welfare of those who have less opportunity in life. It is the right thing to do.

In a culture of generosity, we teach the value of selflessness, of giving more and taking less.

In a culture of generosity, hope is our universal language, and dreams ceased to become a monopoly of the few.

Every act of generosity transforms a heart. And every time we die to ourselves in our giving, a seed of goodness blossoms in the heart of others.

The reality that the boy I saw in Mindanao was just one among thousands, perhaps millions, made me realize that I had to do something bigger than myself. If change happened to me, it could happen to many other poor children out there who have dreams too. And I don’t have to look too far to believe it is possible.

To give back with what I have, and with what I can, is my sincerest way of thanking those people who invested in my life. And I hope I come across not as a person who succeeded, but as a message that will inspire children to go for their dreams, and challenge many of us to care more for this generation and the generations to come.

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