Gawad Kalinga founder Tony Meloto hit for alleged sexist remarks at Hawaii university

(Updated 6:45 p.m.) The Center for Philippine Studies of the University of Hawaii has criticized Gawad Kalinga founder Tony Meloto for supposed sexist remarks during his speech at the institution's international conference to celebrate its 40th anniversary.



In a statement posted on Facebook on Saturday, CPS explained what they found objectionable in Meloto's speech to an audience that included academics from all over the world. The institution stressed on how disturbing his sexist remarks were.

"His belief that the 'greatest asset of the Philippines is our beautiful women,' and that the future of the nation can be advanced by using them to attract the 'best and brightest' men from the West, and enticing them to invest in the Philippines, was outrageously sexist and deeply offensive to everybody in the audience, as well as patronizing and disrespectful to Filipino women in particular," it said.

In an e-mail to GMA News Online, CPS Director Dr. Vina A. Lanzona said that the statement was collectively drafted by the center's Executive Council after serious discussions and deliberations.

"Please note that our statement pertains only to the words/statements uttered by Mr. Meloto during his speech. It was not intended to address the broader issues around Mr. Meloto's work with Gawad Kalinga," she added.

CPS also blasted the Gawad Kalinga founder's views on mixed race Filipinos and emphasized that his opinions were ideas that the institution rejected.

"Mr. Meloto went on to share his views on the need for Filipino women and their white husbands to produce what Mr. Meloto (apparently humorously) called 'cappuccinos,' and appeared to present such a policy of seduction and reproduction as a solution to the problems of economic development in the Philippines," the statement went on.

The center also said that Meloto's speech put them in a "very difficult position."

"We at the CPS are releasing this statement in order to acknowledge our own responsibility for the invitation extended to Mr. Meloto, and to apologize to those who were offended by his views.

"But we also wish to make clear our disavowal of these views; views that do not respect, and indeed violate, the values and ideals for which we've been fighting all these years," CPS said.

As the founder of Gawad Kalinga, Meloto has received a number of honors and awards. These include Social Entrepreneur of the World at the World Entrepreneurship Forum in 2012 and the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 2006. -NB/BM, GMA News