Filipino-South African activist dies of 'sudden illness' while helping the poor in Mindoro

A young Filipino-South African activist has passed away of "sudden illness" while working to build homes for poor communities in Mindoro.

22-year-old Amado Khaya Canham Rodriguez's death last August 4 comes two years after moving to the Philippines from the United States to further pursue his advocacy.

"Amado would not have wanted us to stop there," they said. "He would have said that if he died from food poisoning it is because the Filipino people — especially the indigenous — despite being inheritors of incredibly fertile, life-giving land, live under conditions such that local landowners and foreign companies own that land."

"And because they do not own that land, most people can barely produce enough food to eat. Amado would have said that if his death was compounded by COVID-19, it is because the Philippines — and even the United States, the country of his birth — has a health system that put profits over people," they added.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Amado had roots in the Philippines and South Africa. At some point in his childhood, he lived in both countries briefly, before moving to New Jersey, and then returning to the city of his birth, Oakland.

Studying in California High School, his status as a biracial Black student "seemed to marginalize him," which impassioned him to reactivate the Black Student Union with the birth of Black Lives Matter in response to the 2012 killing of Tayvon Martin. After graduating, Amado became involved with the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Amado made the decision to move to the Philippines when he was 20. Prior to that, he had already stayed in the country for an extended time after high school to work directly with marginalized people.

His parents said that their son "truly lived up to his name."

"His Filipino name, 'Amado' means beloved, and his South African name, 'Khaya' means home. He died doing the work of literally building homes for the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. That was preceded by work of fighting to preserve affordable homes in his city of birth," they said.

"Though his life was short-lived, it was a life well-lived. Amado serves as a shining example of the kind of ethos, the kind of commitment that today's world so desperately needs," they added.

A Go Fund Me page was set up to support his family, so they can cover medical expenses, bring his remains home safely, and organize a memorial for him. Additional funds raised are to be used to support causes and communities that Amado dedicated his life to.

After raising $39,221, the fundraising campaign ended, but his family continues to carry on his legacy.

—JCB, GMA News