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Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, the visionary founder of Build Initiative and a leading advocate for inclusivity and sustainable development, has been honored with a nomination for the Volunteer of the Year Award by the London School of Economics (LSE).

Anne Mae Yu Lamentillo is a Filipina who pioneered the creation of Night Owl GPT, an artificial intelligence that aims to preserve the Philippine languages.

Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, founder and chief officer of Build Initiative Foundation and Chairman of the Build, Build, Build (BBB) Committee of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under Secretary Mark Villar, is a 33-year-old Filipina Juris Doctor, academic, author, opinion columnist, philanthropist, and civil servant.

In a bold move to protect these linguistic gems and facilitate their integration into the digital age, former Information and Communications Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo has introduced Night Owl GPT, an AI platform incubated under London School of Economics and tailored for the Filipino people, especially those belonging to various ethnolinguistic groups.

“Magandang araw! I am Anna Mae Lamentillo, a proud daughter of the Philippines, a country celebrated for its vibrant cultural tapestry and the incredible diversity of its people,” announces Anna Mae with enthusiasm. As the Chief Future Officer of Build Initiative Foundation, she stood before an international audience at the IMPACT-WB24X at George Washington University. Being part of the Karay-a community, one among the many ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines, Anna Mae is intimately aware of the linguistic treasures that define her homeland, as well as the hurdles faced by indigenous language speakers in embracing digital innovations.

“Hello! My name is Anna Mae Lamentillo, and I am proud to hail from the Philippines, a nation rich in cultural diversity and natural wonders,” shares Anna Mae, the dynamic founder and Chief Future Officer of Build Initiative Foundation. Speaking at IMPACT-WB24X at George Washington University, she highlights her roots in the Karay-a ethnolinguistic group, underscoring the unique challenges faced by non-English speakers in leveraging modern technologies.