For nearly a decade, Lord Leomer Bayong Pomperada lived the quintessential “Global Filipino” dream.
From the cold streets of New York City to the halls of the United Nations, and across 60 countries as the global president of the World Youth Alliance, Pomperada’s life was a whirlwind of high-level diplomacy and multicultural leadership.
But in October 2021, the man who once managed gala dinners at the Harvard Kennedy School and negotiated with European delegates made a choice that defies the traditional “brain drain” narrative: he came home.
Pomperada’s return to his home province of Antique marks a significant personal milestone, but it also reflects a broader strategic pivot in the Philippines’ diaspora engagement.
The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), under its mandate to strengthen the ties between the motherland and its diaspora, has increasingly focused on “brain gain”—the idea that Filipinos abroad possess skills, networks, and “grit” that are vital for local nation-building.
“I moved back to the Philippines two years ago because I wanted to help take care of my mom and our family businesses,” Pomperada shares.
“But it was more than that. I knew that God had given me these skills not just for myself. We complain about the Philippines—the corruption, the traffic, the lack of leaders—but that happens because our potential leaders have left.”
Since his return, Pomperada has been a whirlwind of civic activity, treating his province with the same professional rigor he applied at the UN. His leadership journey, which began with a single teacher believing in him in high school, has come full circle through several “institutional firsts” for Antique.
Among them are the Kinaray-a Conference, the first high-level conference dedicated to elevating Kinaray-a from a “dialect” to its rightful status as a language and cultural identity; the candidates forum which allowed congressional and gubernatorial candidates to present their platforms and face public accountability and the construction of Antique’s first public children’s park in San Jose.
“I asked myself, why don’t we have a playground? We complain that kids are addicted to social media, but we forget to create spaces for them to be kids,” he says.
Pomperada’s story embodies the CFO’s mission to transform the diaspora into permanent partners in Philippine development. As a 2021 Pamana ng Pilipino Presidential Awardee, he represents the highest level of excellence recognized by the Philippine government for Filipinos overseas.
His message to the millions of Filipinos still abroad is clear: you are the country’s number one ambassadors. “Going back is not just saying thank you,” Pomperada explains. “It’s about building a new generation who will foster hope. Even if you can’t move back yet, you can help financially or through your expertise. Your presence shows the next generation that you believe in them.”
Today, while managing a boutique hotel and a human dignity curriculum, Pomperada continues to inspire through his book, You’re Never Too Young to Lead. Translated into four languages, the book serves as a roadmap for youth—especially those in the provinces—to realize that their geography does not define their destiny.
“The most painful thing I heard was a young person saying, ‘Lord, we’re just from the province,'” he recalls. “I want to break that. Whether you’re from Manila or Antique, we are given the same opportunities. You are the only one limiting yourself.”
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