What inspired you to enter the World NTD Day Story telling competition?

Majority of people suffering from neglected tropical diseases are poor and living in the slums. They are calling for help, and we should hear them, we should help them, because no one deserves to be neglected. This is the reason why I joined the competition, I do not have the money to help people suffering from these diseases so I wanted to share my art to move people and open their eyes about what’s happening in our world today.

Why does fighting NTDs matter to you?

There are a lot of people who have been waiting for their voices to be heard. Some of these people are suffering from NTDs. Fighting NTDs is important for me because I am one of those people whose voice remains unheard, and I hope that through my art, it will be heard.

How do you intend on continuing the fight against NTDs after this competition?

I think that the reason why NTDs are “neglected” is because of the lack of information. I would like to continue being a voice to the youth, to inspire people and encourage them to fight NTDs together. We need to help as much as we can because the most rewarding thing in this world is being able to give happiness to others.

What would be your request to your country’s leaders regarding fighting NTDs?

The Philippines continues to struggle fighting the neglected tropical diseases, some have been combated and some continue to plague the country. My request to the government would be to implement more free vaccination programs across the Philippines because as they say, “Prevention is better than cure”.