Ma Theresa Carampatana

Ma. Theresa Carampatana, former National President of the Homeless Peoples' Federation Philippines, is a dedicated community organizer and social activist with over 20 years of experience advocating for the rights of slum dwellers. Having grown up in a marginalized urban slum, she has firsthand knowledge of inadequate housing, insecure livelihoods, and limited access to basic services. Her leadership has significantly shaped the movement for community-led development and resilience, focusing on community mobilization, settlement mapping, housing upgrades, and access to essential services. Carampatana's work emphasizes collaboration between local communities, government authorities, and civil society to improve housing conditions and develop more inclusive policies for the urban poor. She has been instrumental in building secure homes and advocating for better services through partnerships with both local and national governments.