Story by John Laurence L. Teologo, Communications Officer
For years, John Erick Manese worked behind the figures that help development programs move forward.
Of his six years in the development sector, Erick has spent the past two with Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI). He first served as Finance Officer for Statutory, reviewing documents, checking liquidations, and helping ensure that resources were managed transparently and responsibly.
It was work grounded in numbers and accountability. Yet over time, Erick came to understand that no figure stands alone.
Behind every peso is a program. Behind every report is a community. Behind every carefully managed resource is an opportunity to change a life.
Today, as PSFI’s Resource Development Specialist, Erick continues to work with numbers. This time, however, he is helping turn them into partnerships and possibilities that can bring PSFI’s mission to more communities.
A step beyond the familiar
Moving from Finance to Resource Development was not something Erick had necessarily planned. He accepted the opportunity because management placed its trust in him, and because he recognized that he had more to contribute.
“I accepted the role because of the trust that management gave me. I saw something in myself that I could contribute to the organization.”
The transition also required him to step beyond what felt comfortable.
Erick describes himself as an introvert who can be hesitant to initiate conversations. In Resource Development, however, building relationships, engaging potential partners, and exploring opportunities are essential parts of his work.
“As an introvert, mahiyain ako. I’m scared to start a conversation. But I challenged myself. Since this is a new role, I have to be brave—and I’m enjoying it.”
What makes his transition meaningful is that Erick did not leave his experience in Finance behind. Instead, he carried its lessons into a role that allows him to see more clearly how resources become real opportunities for people.
Kapag nasa Finance ka, malayo ka sa real work. Checking lang ng papers, every peso or liquidation or report. Pero may face, may tao behind it. Alam naming may natutulungan talaga. That changes the way you look even at the smallest transaction.
A report, he realized, was never merely a report. A peso was never just a peso.
Each transaction could help sustain a program, reach a family, or create an opportunity for someone working toward a better future.
From numbers to conversations
Resource Development has given Erick a new vantage point. While his previous role focused largely on supporting teams within PSFI, his current work allows him to help build the partnerships and mobilize the resources that enable programs to continue and grow.
“Dati, programs lang ang kausap. Ngayon, we can bring in more support. It’s still a mix of numbers, but now I get to talk to more people.”
For Erick, sustainability is more than securing funding. It is an expression of responsibility toward the people and communities PSFI serves.
“Sustainability is a form of care—to make sure may funding and support sa communities.”
This became more tangible when he participated in a Shell LiveWIRE workshop. Away from his desk, Erick found himself engaging directly with community entrepreneurs, listening to their experiences, explaining ideas, and finding ways to meet them halfway despite differences in language and communication styles.
Among the people he met was Miss Evangeline, a community entrepreneur who had spent around 15 years creating and selling souvenir and pasalubong products. She had largely managed the work on her own, receiving occasional help when she needed it, until she was connected with a city livelihood office.
At 54, she remained eager to learn, develop new skills, and strengthen her livelihood.
Her story reminded Erick that development does not end when assistance is provided. At its best, it opens doors for people to recognize their abilities, create opportunities for themselves, and eventually help others do the same.
It also brought to life a principle shared by PSFI founder Cesar A. Buenaventura: people should not simply be given fish; they should be taught how to fish.
For Erick, this captures the difference between giving and empowering.
Beneficiaries or communities we serve, hindi lang sila tumitigil as beneficiaries. They’re becoming leaders. They’re helping their associations, their neighbors. Humbling experience iyon—because the true measure of success is when they’re able to help others, too.
The people behind every figure
Meeting community members like Miss Evangeline has changed the way Erick approaches his responsibilities. Knowing that organizational decisions can affect real lives has made him more thoughtful about even the smallest details of his work.
“Mas ginawa akong passionate ng story na ’to sa lahat ng ginagawa ko. I’m more careful because I know I’m affecting someone because of our decisions. It inspired me to think about how we sustain these programs.”
Behind the scenes, it can sometimes be easy to lose sight of the larger purpose. Reports must be submitted, figures reconciled, resources accounted for, and plans carefully developed. Yet every number ultimately points to a person.
“Madaling makalimot kapag nasa office ka lang. But stories like that remind me to be humble and grateful in life.”
For Erick, this deeper understanding has affirmed that he is where he is meant to be.
Gusto ko talaga yung work ko beyond a job. It has a history of empowering communities. I’m in the right place.
What has left the strongest impression on him is not only the scope of PSFI’s programs, but also the sincerity of the people behind them. He has seen it in his manager and teammates, in the functional and program teams he has worked with, and in the care with which colleagues speak about the communities they serve.
“I’m grateful first for the people. Sobrang saya kasi because of my manager and the team, and because I was able to meet the functional and program teams. I saw heart. I saw purpose.”
He has also learned that PSFI’s commitment to people extends inward to those carrying out its mission.
“Di lang sa communities ang tinitingnan natin. We also look at our people.”
For Erick, this culture of care gives life to the Foundation’s work. Resources and programs are essential, but it is the purpose and compassion behind them that have allowed PSFI to remain alongside communities for 44 years.
“The heart of the people is behind the programs. May mga organizations na may resources and programs, but here in PSFI, puso ang nasa likod ng programs. Pinag-isipan, pinag-aralan. Kaya 44 years na ang PSFI. Kung ginagawa lang siya for compliance purposes, hindi ito tatagal. Ginawa siya from the heart.”
Keeping the legacy alive
Erick sees his work in Resource Development as part of PSFI’s continuing story.
His responsibilities may involve proposals, partnerships, resources, and numbers, but each of these serves a larger purpose: sustaining programs that help communities build better futures for themselves.
“Everything we do has a why. We’re not just working basta-basta. There is a purpose.”
At the center of that purpose are people.
“Kahit gaano kaganda yung plano, kung walang tao, walang mangyayari. The people move us, and we move because of people and for people.”
The perseverance of the communities PSFI serves also inspires Erick to give his best. Their willingness to learn, work, and pursue change challenges the people supporting them to demonstrate the same dedication.
“Kapag todo-bigay yung mga tao sa paligid mo, di puwedeng paiwan. Dapat ikaw din.”
As Resource Development Specialist, Erick now helps connect people, partners, and resources so that more possibilities can take shape. He hopes these connections will allow PSFI to reach more communities while deepening the impact it creates with them.
Sana mas maraming ma-reach. Now we have the Resource Development team—more support, more partners—para walang community na left behind. Mas lumawak at mas lumalim ang impact natin sa communities.
To the partners and individuals who continue to place their trust in PSFI, Erick offers a simple message:
“Thank you for the trust. I’m grateful for the support you give. Every support is like adding to change.”
To the communities PSFI serves, he wants to make one thing clear. They are not merely part of PSFI’s story. They are at its very center.
“To our beneficiaries, I want to highlight that they are at the center of stories here at PSFI. We’re just here for them—pero sila ang bida.”
A life spent creating opportunities
Erick’s journey from Finance to Resource Development is more than a career transition. It is a journey from seeing figures on a page to understanding the lives, aspirations, and possibilities they represent.
As PSFI celebrates 44 years of being Driven by Purpose and Powered by People, his story reflects the care that sustains its mission. It is found in resources responsibly managed, partnerships patiently built, and opportunities created so that communities can rise on their own terms.
Every peso has a story. Every partnership carries a possibility. Every program has a person at its heart.
For Erick, choosing purposeful work means helping ensure that more people are given a fair opportunity to move forward. Even when his contribution happens behind the scenes, he knows that becoming part of another person’s journey can give lasting meaning to his own.
I’m driven by purpose, and I chose this work because I believe walang buhay na hindi karapat-dapat sa pagkakataon. At kung kaya kong maging bahagi, kahit maliit lang, ng pag-angat ng isang tao or community, then that’s a life well spent.
