On April 16, the AIM Alumni Relations Office (ARO) hosted MDM 2027 students in a thought-provoking Alumni Hour session held via Zoom, featuring Ken Lerona from MIB 2024. The session offered a deep dive into the realities of development work in the Philippines, grounded in both global frameworks and hyperlocal insight.
Ken, a seasoned business and innovation leader with over 20 years of experience, shared his journey from the corporate boardrooms of Metro Manila to the grassroots communities of the countryside. As Founder and Principal Consultant of Cornelius Magnate Engagement and Consulting, he has worked extensively with businesses, local government units, and national agencies—championing strategies that are not only theoretically sound but also culturally and contextually relevant.
At the heart of his talk was the concept of “Pamamahalang Filipino”—a framework he developed to localize strategy execution by anchoring it in Filipino values, social dynamics, and lived realities. Ken emphasized that while global frameworks provide structure and rigor, successful development work depends on their translation into approaches that communities can understand, adopt, and sustain.
Drawing on real-world case studies across industries and government sectors, he illustrated a recurring challenge: development initiatives often fail not because of a lack of strategy but because of poor fit. Programs designed in centralized environments may falter when applied uniformly across diverse local contexts. To address this, Ken highlighted the importance of relational immersion, behavioral observation, and adaptive execution, all rooted in Filipino psychology (Sikolohiyang Filipino).
The interactive session also sparked meaningful dialogue with students, covering topics such as regional diversity, stakeholder ownership, and the complexities of implementing development programs across diverse cultural settings. Ken underscored the need for leaders to bridge perspectives between the “boardroom” and the “ground,” ensuring that solutions are co-created with the communities they aim to serve.
Closing with a powerful message, Ken reminded participants that the future of development lies in translating strong ideas into locally adoptable action, with innovation sharpening execution and cultural understanding ensuring impact.
The session reaffirmed Alumni Hour’s role as a platform for knowledge-sharing and inspiration, connecting AIM students with alumni who continue to shape industries and communities across the Philippines and beyond.
words by Janelle Erika Santos, ARO
