1. Isko Moreno
From living on the streets of Manila to the city’s youngest elected mayor
As a child, Isko Moreno would rifle through garbage to find his family’s next meal, eking out an existence in the alleyways of Manila’s Tondo district. After being discovered by a talent scout at a neighbour’s wake, he began an acting career, making a name for himself in teen-focused movies before graduating to more serious roles. But Moreno felt the call of public duty, and in the Philippines, where celebrity often carries political cachet, he felt the jump to elected office was within reach.
After a couple of unsuccessful runs at the Senate, last year he became Manila’s youngest ever elected mayor, building a nationwide profile. A shining light in the country’s scandal-prone politics, Moreno is admired for his everyman style, inspiring millions with his “If it happened to me, it can happen to anyone” refrain, and avoiding the trappings of his office. His only indulgences, he says, are the cups of Starbucks coffee he drinks to get through his packed schedule. “This is my pat on the back,” he says. “Every cup reminds me to be grateful because now I can afford to spend 120 pesos for coffee, when once upon a time I could not.”