Its Roots: iamninoy

The iamninoy campaign was launched on August 21, 2008 to introduce Ninoy to new generations of Filipinos in commemoration of his 25th death anniversary. Using Ninoy’s trademark eyeglasses as visual symbol (inviting the young to view the world “through Ninoy’s eyes”), the campaign was embraced by the youth. They came out in great numbers to buy and wear iamninoy merchandise, thereby contributing to the various advocacies of the campaign’s retail partners.

The campaign was so resonant that some retail partners ran out of stock within a month or two after the launch. It kindled a fresh sense of selfless heroism among many young Filipinos who posted all sorts of user-generated content on the Web, formed iamninoy communities, volunteered for projects, and participated in iamninoy-sponsored events. Not surprisingly, the number of iamninoy retail partners increased from six in August 2008 to 18 to date.

Phase 2: iamninoy-iamcory

With the enthusiastic response to the campaign, the Aquino Foundation made a strategic decision to elevate iamninoy into a movement that would constitute its centerpiece youth program. With the passing of President Cory Aquino, BSAF deferred the launch of the campaign’s second phase to January 25, 2010, her 77th birthday, as the iamninoy-iamcory Movement.

Animated by the democratic vision of Ninoy Aquino, the movement retains his iconic eyeglasses in its logo, adding the iamcory graphic element and a yellow ribbon—symbolizing the spirit of sacrifice—at the center of the frame.

5 Levers of Change

Ninoy and Cory Aquino embodied the spirit of sacrifice and the commitment to democracy and people empowerment, which are demanded of every Filipino. In this spirit, the the iamninoy-iamcory Movement aims to engage the youth on a deeper level. In addition to helping disadvantaged fellow Filipinos indirectly by buying the iamninoy-iamcory merchandise and to sharing expressions of self-sacrifice in the media and on the Web, they can choose to participate directly in initiatives along five levers of change:

• governance – because democracy can flourish only if selfless public servants, empowered citizens, and strong institutions are nurtured;
• livelihood – because long-term solutions are required to address the persistent cycle of poverty and outmigration that is sapping the strength of the nation;
• education – because only equitable access to a world of opportunities can empower marginalized Filipinos to uplift their quality of life;
• the environment – because more responsible stewardship of the country’s natural habitat is needed to ensure adequate resources for future generations;
• health – because no nation can flourish if its people remain weak and unproductive due to malnutrition and disease.

BSAF is now exploring modes of engaging the youth—as volunteers or as technical and creative resources—with various groups and networks with existing programs and advocacies along these five levers of change.