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Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aguirre Aquino IV (Born May 7, 1977) is a Filipino social entrepreneur and public servant. He is a former TV host, and chairman of the National Youth Commission (Philippines). He is currently the President of MicroVentures, Inc., an investment bank for start-up businesses which runs the The Hapinoy Program social enterprise. He is one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons for 2012. He is also a Board Member of Rags2Riches, Venture for Fundraising, and the Coca-Cola Foundation.

Bam was proclaimed senator-elect on May 17 and was the only Liberal Party (Philippines) candidate to enter the Magic 12 in the 2013 mid-term elections. At the age of 36, Bam Aquino, the only social entrepreneur to enter the senate, is also considered to be the next youngest senator of the Philippines next to his uncle Ninoy, who was 34 when he became a senator. Bam is married to Mary Fatima Gomez.

Early life

Bam was born on May 7, 1977 in Manila. He is the son of Allen Tagayun, youngest brother of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and Melanie Aguirre Aquino. As a toddler, Bam gave around 200 speeches in political rallies between 1983 and 1986, after his uncle Ninoy was assassinated, culminating in his participation in the 1986 People Power Revolution that made Ninoy's widow and his aunt, Corazon Aquino, president.

Bam Aquino was a consistent honor student in Ateneo de Manila from grade school to college. During his grade school graduation, Bam delivered the valedictory speech and graduated with first honors and was also the class valedictorian in High School. In 1999, Bam Aquino graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Management Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University. In 2008, he took an Executive Education Program on Leadership and Public Policy, at the Kennedy School of Government in the Harvard University.

Bam Aquino was also one of the founding members and became the Constitutional Chairman of the National Union of Catholic Student Councils, an association of student councils and governments of various Catholic universities and colleges in the Philippines.

Career

After his graduation, Bam Aquino joined the special projects group of the ABS-CBN Foundation. He was involved with rehabilitation centers for abused and neglected children, disaster management and relief operations, and volunteer recruitment. In 2001 he was appointed as NYC's commissioner-at-large. He was also one of the hosts of the TV show Breakfast, a youth-oriented morning talk show at Studio 23. In 2006, Bam hosted youth-oriented debate show Y Speak in Studio 23..

At the age of 25, Aquino was appointed as chairman of the National Youth Commission, the youngest person in Philippine history to head a government agency. NYC is the chief youth policy-making arm of the Philippine government. His team has managed two projects which are implemented yearly: the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations and the Presidential Youth Fellowship Program (PYFP).

In 2007, Bam Aquino established Micro Ventures Incorporated, a social enterprise that engages in poverty alleviation through business development for the poor. it currently runs the internationally awarded Hapinoy Program with thousands of women micro entrepreneur members in the Philippine countryside to help them secure better incomes for their families.

In 2009, Bam Aquino reenacted his uncle, Ninoy Aquino, in the documentary film The Last Journey of Ninoy. The film premiered on August 21, 2009 in commemoration of the 26th anniversary of the assassination of Ninoy. It was directed by Jun Reyes.

Awards and Citations

• Ulol.
• Best Mang Kanor Actor
• Asian Social Entrepreneur of the Year with Mark Ruiz (World Economic Forum, 2011)
• United Nations Project Inspire Grand Prize (The Hapinoy Program, 2011)
• Awarded by Mastercard and The Singapore National Committee for UN Women
• Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (Community Development and Social Enterprise, 2010)
• GoNegosyo Inspiring Young Entrepreneur (2010)
• Co-Finalist, Ernst and Young (Entrepreneur of the Year 2010)
• PLDT Bossing Co-Awardee (Retail Financing Category, 2010)

References

1. Bam Aquino's Official Website. Bam Aquino's Achievements Accessed on March 14, 2013
2. ABS-CBN. ""Bam" Paolo Benigno Aguirre Aquino IV". ABS-CBN. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
3. Reyes, Paolo R. (July 24, 2009). "Ninoy Aquino's last journey". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 23, 2013.

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• Arquiza, Yasmin D.“In new Cory-Ninoy docu: A lesson in letting go”.GMA News Online.(Accessed on October 23, 2012).
• “rags2riches”.rags2riches.(Accessed on October 23, 2012).
• Legaspi, Amita.“Bam Aquino files COC for senator, says he won't be lapdog of cousin PNoy”.GMA News Online.(Accessed on October 23, 2012).
• Sauler, Erika.“Bam Aquino: I can serve Philippines better as senator”.Inquirer News.(Accessed on October 23, 2012).

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• 1977 births
• Living people
• Aquino family
• People from Manila
• People from Tarlac
• Filipino television personalities
• Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians