Global Filipino

MANILA, Philippines - Former US President Clinton convened his 5th Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting in New York City from Sept. 22-25 and I was very fortunate to attend as a delegate and a moderator.

This was the second time I was invited to this prestigious event. The first was in Hong Kong last December, when the former US leader hosted the first ever Clinton Global Initiative Asia. I moderated the Climate Change discussion back then – an extremely relevant issue in the region especially with the catastrophic natural disasters that have been hitting the Asia-Pacific region in the recent weeks. 

This year in New York, I was invited by the President to moderate the Emerging Markets session. In his letter dated September 1st, he said, “You were such a wonderful addition to our program in Hong Kong and we hope you will be able to join us once again, this time in New York, and serve as moderator at the Emerging Markets dinner at the Rockefeller Center, scheduled for Tuesday, September 22 from 8:30-10:00 pm. We’d be delighted if you could lend your voice to this timely discussion.”

While there, I received a first class education, listening as some of the world’s brightest and most committed people argued and agreed on new ways to solve the most pressing problems, from global education to climate change. 

I spoke with activists, policy experts, generals, CEOs and everyday people working tirelessly with and for non-profit organizations and NGOs in countries around the world. From them, I learned about ways we can all assist in reducing the obstacles to creating systemic change. 

Admittedly, it was quite difficult to get a chance to talk to President Clinton during these events because he was always surrounded by numerous admirers and Secret Service agents. But I was fortunate to have been able to exchange a few words after our session. During our chat, he thanked me once again for being part of the CGI, and said that it was great to have an Asian voice in the discussions.

And after such a successful event, I was told by the CGI organizers that I was the only moderator flown in from Asia, and the only Asian to moderate a plenary or a sub-plenary session.

I felt really proud for not only being a Filipino but also representing Asia during the event because I was among respected news personalities in the US broadcasting industry. Present were ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer, NBC Meet the Press host Tom Gregory and CNBC’s business news anchor Maria Bartiromo.

And during the time I was there, I had the chance to personally meet and exchange ideas with some of Hollywood’s top stars – from Jessica Alba to Matt Damon and Michelle Yeoh, to basketball great Dikembe Mutombo. 

I spoke with Jessica Alba in between plenary sessions, and she shared with me her 1GOAL: Education for All advocacy, of which she is the US co-chair. She said she would like to help work for a breakthrough on global education, and to speak out about the 75 million children denied access to education around the world. And she stressed that you don’t have to be a Hollywood star to help children reach their dreams.

I also spoke with Matt Damon after he launched his non-profit group, Water.org. He said this commitment would help provide clean water and sanitation facilities to 50,000 people in Haiti. He added the group hopes to also provide the developing world with access to safe water and sanitation. 

I crossed paths yet again with Michelle Yeoh, for the second time, as she was also one of the major participants at the 1st Clinton Global Initiative in Hong Kong last December. She is one of Asia’s most versatile actresses, having starred in acclaimed hits such as James Bond’s “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon,” “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Mummy 3.”

Yeoh has devoted a major part of her time to charitable and social endeavors, as a patron of AIDS Concern Hong Kong and amfAR (The foundation for AIDS research), Force of Nature, Hong Kong Cancer Fund and Love Faith Hope Charitable Foundation.

Yeoh is also Global Ambassador for the Make Roads Safe campaign, which advocates for road injury to be recognized as a global public health and development priority. And during the New York conference, she made a commitment to launch a $10-million scheme to help the International Road Assessment Program improve the safety of road infrastructure in developing countries. 

What makes the Clinton Global Initiative fulfilling is that it is an action-oriented endeavor to effect positive changes on a global scale and create an “integrated global community of shared benefits, responsibilities and values.” The annual meetings have brought together former and present heads of states, Nobel Prize laureates, CEOs, philanthropists, non-governmental organizations, and international media organizations resulting in 1,400 commitments valued at $46 billion and impacting 200 million lives in 150 countries. 

For me, both as an individual and in my professional capacity, this is one event I will never forget. It was indeed an honor and a privilege to be invited again by the former US President. And not only was I representing BBC World News, but more importantly raising the Philippine flag in this prestigious event.

The author is business news anchor for BBC World News based in Singapore.