2022 TOYM search launched

MANILA, Philippines — The search is on for The Outstanding Young Men and Women of the Philippines (TOYM).

Christian Clemeno, national director of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippines, said yesterday they are already accepting nominations for this year’s honorees, who best exemplify the theme “Rebuilding the Nation, Stronger Together.”

On its 63rd year of recognizing individual achievers aged 18 to 40, JCI Philippines has so far given awards to 523 distinct young citizens.

“We are now in a state of recovery from the pandemic. With annual TOYM, we hope to further inspire our youth to initiate activities that would benefit our community,” Clemeno said.

“By spreading positivity and initiating goodwill, the honorees play a vital role as inspirations for all Filipinos,” he added.

Along with official partners PLDT, Smart, Gerry Roxas Foundation and TOYM Foundation, JCI Philippines is geared to make the nomination process more accessible to underrepresented sectors and demographics.

Clemeno said a series of stakeholders’ fora would be conducted in various locations around the country in the coming weeks. “Through this strategy, the organizers expect to tap groups and individuals to highlight experts, colleagues, innovators, and professionals who would be most deserving of the awards,” he said.

He said yesterday’s event was the formal announcement of the search, but people and groups started to submit entries and nominations as early as June.

He added that entries can be submitted until September, with the awarding set in December.

Following the criteria, a TOYM nominee must be between the ages of 18 and 40 by Dec. 31, 2022, a Filipino citizen, including those born to Filipino parents in foreign countries, a naturalized citizen of the Philippines or those who in a manner provided by law have elected Philippine citizenship and those who despite living outside the Philippines as resident aliens or immigrants of another country has one or both parents who is/are citizens of the Philippines.

“The nominee must have engaged in his or her field of endeavor for a substantial part of his or her life, and must have been engaged in contributing to humanitarian causes for a substantial part of his or her life, must not be a past TOYM honoree or current national officer or paid staff of JCI Philippines and the TOYM Foundation,” the rules state.

Bienvenido Tantoco III, TOYM Foundation chairman, said one of the goals of the awards is to build on the success of the past.

“We’ve been improving collaboration with the JCI community, the TOYM Foundation, plus the involvement of the TOYM community in the form of previous winners and every year it just gets better,” Tantoco said.

“This award, in an ever-changing environment, will be transformative in a way that intentionally and strategically elevates lives. And the context in which we have that goal and that purpose is crazy. We got food shortages, inflation, an energy crisis, climate change, and mental illness. We have conflicts that are becoming more and more violent in a hyper-polarized world,” he added.

“There are lots of people who can add value, regardless of their class, wherever they come from,” Tantoco added.

In recognizing individuals, Clemeno said honorees, as distinguished members of society, would inspire the youth to be catalysts of change.

“Those who are given awards are empowered… they are further inspired to do extraordinary activities for their community. Not just in their profession, they already excel and after getting the award with these activities, the more they excel, the more they contribute to the community,” he said.