Tony Meloto
Antonio "Tony" Meloto (born January 17, 1950) is the founder of Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine-based poverty alleviation movement.
Meloto was named 2006 "Filipino of the Year" by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.[1]
Early life and career
Antonio Meloto was born on January 17, 1950 in Bacolod, Negros Occidental to a middle-class family.[1] He took his senior high school year at De Anza High School in Richmond, California as an American Field Service scholar.[1] He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics degree from Ateneo de Manila University, studying as a full academic scholar and graduating in 1971.[1] He then took a job as a purchasing manager for Procter and Gamble.[1]
Couples for Christ and Gawad Kalinga
Meloto became an active member of Couples for Christ in 1985 and quickly rose in leadership, having a key role in establishing CFC Family Ministries in 1993.[1] In 1995 he began a youth development program for juvenile delinquents in Caloocan City.[1] The program evolved into Gawad Kalinga, a global movement for building sustainable communities within slum areas.[1]
In 2006 he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership.[1]
Criticism
In May 2015, Meloto generated controversy for allegedly sexist remarks made at a conference at the University of Hawaii.[2]