Supporters jam-pack bookstore for Brian Poe’s magazine signing event
Brian Poe during the magazine signing at National Bookstore
MANILA, Philippines – At a recent magazine signing at National Bookstore, SM San Lazaro, on April 21, 2025, over 100 attendees gathered filling the store. Brian Poe, the featured leader in the magazine, engaged with the crowd, inspiring and conversing with everyone who attended.
Brian Poe with the participants during the magazine signing event
With heartfelt gratitude, Brian Poe addressed the crowd at the magazine signing event, saying, “Maraming Salamat sa inyong lahat. I really appreciate na pumunta pa kayo dito. Alam ko yung iba galing sa iba’t ibang parte ng Manila. Marami dito mga estudyante, tama po ba? Maraming salamat din sa support ng mga Kabataan. Talagang nakakataba ng puso na nandito kayong lahat.” His words reflected the warmth and encouragement that filled the atmosphere, making everyone feel valued and appreciated.
Brian Poe
Brian Poe expressed that National Bookstore has always been a vital partner in his literary journey. His first book, titled “A Sustainable Future,” addresses climate change and sustainability in the Philippines and became a bestseller at this very bookstore. Furthermore, being featured in the April issue of the magazine is particularly special for him, as it coincides with his birthday this month, making the celebration even more meaningful.
Brian Poe
During the event, Grace Bondad Nicolas posed the question, “FPJ Panday Bayanihan, what are the objectives of the foundation?” To which Brian thoughtfully responded, “Nung 2013 nagsimula tayo bilang isang foundation na tumutulong tuwing may sakuna. Eventually, itong 2024 cinonvert naming into partylist because Senator Grace Poe, my mom, is graduating from the Senate and she can’t run anymore for another term.”
Brian Poe
He explained that transforming the foundation into a partylist was a strategic decision to ensure they could continue providing support to the constituents of Senator Grace Poe and to further their advocacy through FPJ Panday Bayanihan. Brian emphasized that they have many policies and initiatives they are eager to pursue, aiming to make a positive impact on their community.
When asked about the responsibilities of the partylist and the challenges it faces, Brian replied, “Well, yes, mahirap in a sense na siyempre ang daming Pilipino na kailangang ng tulong, pero we’ve been doing it ever since. We’ve already helped over 80,000 families and have been actively advocating for a lot of good legislations.” He underscored the importance of their commitment to aiding those in need while tackling the complexities of such a role.
Brian elaborated, “The reason why medyo malawak yung platform natin na food, progress, and justice is because bago tayo nag-file bilang isang partylist, siyempre, the responsible thing to do is to consult muna with the different sectors.” He emphasized the significance of understanding the diverse needs of various communities before formalizing their objectives, ensuring that their initiatives are relevant and effective.
“With this partylist, we decided to be a pro-poor party list, to help the different sectors because the commonality between all of them is the economic struggle that everyone faces,” he continued.
READ: Brian Poe wins Silver Stevie Award for Executive of the Year
Grace Bondad Nicolas asked, “Let’s talk about the youth, kase almost everyone here I think ranges from 17-25. Meron ba tayong mga, aside from the scholarship, ano pa yung kayang ibigay ni FPJ Panday Bayanihan dito sa ating mga Kabataan?”
In response, Brian stated, “Well for me, one of the things is I want the youth to be more involved sa national discourse. Siyempre it’s your future that we are supposed to be working for. Kaya for me, the first thing that we did was we held a national congress, two actually. One national congress was to figure out ano yung mga youth organizations nationwide na pwede nating tulungan sa kanilang mga projects and programs.
