What makes a modern-day hero?

While other countries recognize a diverse list of heroes in the hundreds, in the Philippines, we struggle to find individuals whose stories resonate with today’s generation. This is because most of our heroes are old or have passed more than 50 years ago. This makes it difficult for us to find sources of inspiration that lead us towards our ambitions.

Lately, the subject of heroes has come up again, allowing us to re-evaluate the qualities needed to be deemed worthy of being called a hero. At the heart of every hero is ambition and Johnnie Walker wants to inspire this sense of heroic ambition through the Keep Walking Philippines campaign.

“Keep Walking Philippines recognizes the ambition that sparked the great journeys of ordinary individuals we now consider modern-day heroes,” shares historian and campaign consultant Ambeth Ocampo. “Being a hero doesn’t always require grand gestures, but rather the ability to inspire and provoke others to dream and make the world better.”

All around us are ordinary individuals whose journey to personal progress began with ambition. The stories of Xyza Bacani, former overseas domestic worker turned internationally acclaimed photographer and NYU scholar despite financial limitations; Aisa and Raphael Mijeno of SALt who created an alternative power supply for local communities using salt water amidst the lack of resources; and Brillante Mendoza, the Cannes-winning filmmaker who continues to reinvent Philippine cinema though often criticized for his choice of subject matter, become our inspiration to stretch the limits of our ambition.

The story of Johnnie Walker’s own rise as a global icon for personal progress also began with great ambition. “The story of John Walker resonates well with present-day Filipinos,” says Vanee Gosiengfiao, General Manager of Diageo Philippines. “It is one of humble beginnings undaunted by circumstances.”

John Walker started a small grocery at the age of 14. He dreamed big and wanted to make a name for himself. He made his first blended whisky as a way of offering his customers a unique and consistent product. His whisky eventually became the world’s number one blended Scotch whisky brand.

After 200 years, John Walker’s legacy of ambition is still celebrated worldwide. The brand’s “Keep Walking” mantra has been adopted and embraced globally as a rallying cry for progress. To this day, Keep Walking continues to inspire people from all over the world.

Johnnie Walker now calls on all Filipinos to keep walking towards their greatest ambition. The Striding Man, the logo of a man who is moving forward, has been redesigned with the colors of the Philippine Flag, to symbolize the Filipino’s journey to pursue their ambition and to achieve greatness as individuals and as a nation.

“Johnnie Walker recognizes the ambition of every Filipino,” says Gosiengfiao. “The campaign brings us together as a nation and inspires all us to keep walking towards our ambitions, no matter how daring and bold they may be.” says Gosiengfiao.

To bring these stories of ambition forward, Johnnie Walker has created a three-part mini-series that will give Filipinos an in-depth look into the lives of Bacani, Mendoza, and the Mijeno siblings, who despite the daunting challenges they’ve faced continue to Keep Walking. Theirs are but only three stories of countless Filipinos who have achieved success because they followed their ambition.

For more information on the Keep Walking Philippines campaign, you may view the visit Johnnie Walker’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JohnnieWalkerPhilippines.