“The strength and courage Manuel has displayed in the course of overcoming such tremendous obstacles has instilled in me the determination to make our county a better place. This humble man, who once recycled cans and bottles from the garbage in order to eat, now recycles hope for an entire generation of impoverished youth. Despite living amongst the poorest of the poor, Manuel is the richest man I know.”
—Cecilia Martinez-Miranda
Manuel Manarang
Manuel has spent over 20 years working directly with those living in severe poverty in the garbage dump of Smokey Mountain. In fact, Manuel and his wife Victoria began their own lives in extreme poverty, working as scavengers in Smokey Mountain, picking through the trash on a daily basis in search of recyclables they could sell for money to meet their basic needs. Fortunately, Manuel was helped by missionaries working in the Smokey Mountain area, and he was able to gain access to education and training. He then began working with an outreach group as a translator and assistant. Since then, Manuel and his wife have worked tirelessly to develop their own community service projects for children in the Smokey Mountain area.
Victoria currently operates a day care center for malnourished children in the garbage dump. Manuel has been working with Young Focus International and has helped to open a student center that provides children from Smokey Mountain access to technology, educational resources, counseling, workshops, and English language learning. Manuel wholeheartedly believes that WE International Philippines can mobilize the greater community to make a positive difference in the lives of the Filipino people through a cooperative effort to create educational and economic opportunities for those in need. Manuel is truly a living testimony of hope and inspiration to the people of Smokey Mountain, and he is at the heart of the development of WE International Philippines’ mission and vision.
