Scam Watch Pilipinas co-founder recognized

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The Philippine Star

January 11, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Scam Watch Pilipinas Anti-Scam Quad Model has landed its co-founder, Jocel de Guzman, on the Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards (MAIA) global Top 50 Change Makers 2025 list, which recognizes individuals whose work advances financial literacy, inclusion and consumer protection worldwide.

MAIA is a global awards program that recognizes individuals and organizations making measurable contributions to financial literacy, financial inclusion, and consumer protection. Its annual Change Makers list is intended to highlight impact across regions and sectors and is not a ranking, according to MAIA founder Michael Gilmore.

De Guzman is the only Filipino included in the 2025 cohort, and one of six Asians among the 50 change makers selected globally, based on the list released by the MAIA.

According to MAIA’s published description, De Guzman was included for his role in co-founding and leading Scam Watch Pilipinas, a citizen-powered anti-scam movement focused on public education, media engagement, volunteer mobilization, and cross-sector collaboration to address online fraud and financial harm.

De Guzman said he was grateful for the recognition, noting that it reflects collective work rather than individual achievement.

“This acknowledgment belongs to Scam Watch Pilipinas volunteers, partners, media practitioners, policymakers, and ordinary Filipinos who believe online scams should not be treated as an unavoidable part of digital life,” De Guzman said.

De Guzman added that the recognition helps amplify advocacy against online fraud and opens opportunities for deeper collaboration with the government, various sectors, and communities. “I hope this contributes to the wider adoption of the Scam Watch Pilipinas Quad Model,” he said.

The Scam Watch Pilipinas Quad Model, authored by De Guzman, is a citizen-powered, cross-sector approach that brings together behavioral change, volunteer watchers, institutional cooperation and technology-enabled reporting to make digital safety a shared responsibility.

The MAIA Change Makers 2025 list features individuals from Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and Oceania, with countries represented including the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and several European states.