Tony Meloto

Antonio Meloto (born January 17, 1950) is the founder of Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine-based poverty alleviation movement.

Early life and career Antonio Meloto was born on January 17, 1950, in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, to a middle-class family. He took his senior high school year at De Anza High School in Richmond, California, as an American Field Service scholar.

In 2006 he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership. Gawad Kalinga separated from CFC in 2009. The CFC assessed that GK has neglected the evangelization aspect in favor of social work, a characterization Meloto rejects.

He resigned as GK chairman in October 26, 2017 after the conduct of an internal investigation. This was later explained in 2025, after two boys filed sexual abuse charges against Meloto for incidents which occurred in 2017. September 2025, the DOJ approved the filing of charges against Meloto for human trafficking after two male Gawad Kalinga beneficiaries accused him of sexual assault. He labeled the charges as a "demolition job" and a fabrication and attest faithfulness to his wife. He was arrested in Angat, Bulacan on May 29, 2026, after a warrant was issued against him by a court in Malolos.