Roxas Kalaw Foundation
Established by leading economic and sustainability experts Dr. Sixto Roxas and Maximo T. Kalaw, the foundation was originally branded with the illustration of a Rufous Hornbill, a large species of hornbill endemic to the Philippines and locally known as 'kalaw'. We were tasked to modernize the kalaw to visualize the organization's confidence and bold vision. The geometric 'bird' features the signature red bill atop a deconstructed monogram.
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The mathematical symbols-turned-graphic elements – minus, divide, degree, greater and less than, percentage – equate to the ECSOM, an economic accounting tool created by the foundation.
The Roxas Kalaw Foundation for the Eradication of Poverty (RKF) is a non-profit organization that is committed to eradicating poverty in the Philippines through its Ecosystem-based, Community-centered, Sustainable and Organization Management (ECSOM) approach, which manages and measures the delicate interdependence of the economic, ecological and social elements of a community. Our approach drives a paradigm shift towards community-centered sustainable development, while ensuring the sustainable use of the community’s natural resources.
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The Roxas Kalaw Foundation was founded by former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General and President of Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and Dr. Sixto K. Roxas, the pioneer of ecosystems-based, community-centered sustainable development in the Philippines.
why are the majority of Filipinos
poorer?
Traditional development models usually
focus on a trickle-down effect, where
development is an outcome of strong
economice performance, typically in the
urban areas. In the Philippines, much
of the economic activity of the country
occurs in Metro Manile, Cebu, and Davao,
all of which are large urban zones. Many
infrastructure projects are done to cater to
and sustain the activities in these areas.
Furthermore, any economic activity done
outside of these cities usually contributes
towards sustaining the activities of these
areas; farms deliver food, nearby towns
provide labour, and yet these rural areas
remain ignored.
what if we told you there was a
better metric?
a national economy should be a community of sustainable
local economies
not a community of enterprises & corporations
Is the GDP an appropriate
indicator for growth?
just because
corporations thrive
doesn't mean people do
A GDP-centric framework fails to reflect
how much we are depleting our resources
nor how communities or households fare.
It inhabits the communities from creating
their own local industries which leads to a
lack of opportunities.
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A GDP-centric framework is all about
consolidated profits.
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But it’s not all about profit because profit
does not always mean wealth.
profit does not
always mean welfare
The Looming Crisis:
urbanization > destroys biocapacity
pollution > destroys nature
consumerism > erodes society
overpopulation > exceeds resources
Organization and management
Coordinate. monitor. improve.
The primary goal is to attain atability of community
welfare and wealth (CWW). CWW is a performance
metric that measures the income and producitvity of
individual households and of an entire community,
the consolidation of such ultimately measures
the economic performance of a community.
Furthermore, households are developed and
function as “prosumers”, both producer and
consumer thus, establishing mutualism between and
among households.
Supply
demand
co-creating a
sustainable future
what we offer
The Roxas Kalaw Foundation for the Eradication of Poverty works with both national and local governments, civil society and business sectors to engineer sustainability systems that will eradicate poverty by engaging communities to sustainably co-create their local economies.
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Our team and network of consultants bring years of work experience from diverse
backgrounds, including economics, environment and natural resources, agriculture, area development, community development, social enterprise development, land use planning, public policy, and business management.
if the economy is stronger
why are filipinos
poorer?
THE BASELINES
your support
enables communities
For donations and partnerships, contact actnow@eradicatepoverty.ph
households
php 8,778
Monthly income (about Php 292 daily or USD 6 for a family of five) of Filipinos below the poverty threshold. (PSA)
25.8%
Percent of Filipinos remain below the
threshold, despite 6.4% GDP GROWTH sustained for several years.
0.46%
Gini coefficient of the Philippines since 1985 which indicates high levels of inequality (IMF). (A coefficient closer to 1 means equitable distribution of wealth.)
LOCAL INDUSTRIES
70%
Of Rural Poor are Farmers and Fisherfolk (PSA)
62%
of Filipinos not connected to the internet (McKinsey & Company)
THE ECOSYSTEM
6%
of coral reefs in the Philippines remain intact. (UP-MSI)
8%
of Philippine forest cover remain in good condition (DENR-FMB)
OUR FARMERS
AGE
DAILY WAGE
EDUCATION
57
Php 270
Grade 5
6,000 Filipinos a day look for opportunities in other countries due to lack of jobs at home,
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10% of our GDP are remittances from overseas worker