Outstanding youth groups honored

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino lauded the country’s 10 most outstanding youth organizations for this year, which expressed willingness to help in nation building and support the government’s policy of treading the straight and narrow path.

Aquino commended the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) in awarding ceremonies held at the Heroes Hall in Malacañang recently. He said the organizations hold the time, knowledge and talent to solving the nation’s problems.

The TAYO Awards is an annual search and recognition program for outstanding groups of young Filipinos that contribute to the development of the country through humanitarian projects in their respective schools and communities.

TAYO is organized by the TAYO Awards Foundation headed by its current president Bam Aquino IV, the President’s cousin, who is among the 12 senatorial candidates of the Liberal Party-led coalition in the May 2013 midterm elections.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, a former youth leader, expressed his gratitude to the youth for their dynamism.

“We once again thank our TAYO winners for being the shining light amidst the darkness of the world. Thank you for being the break of dawn that signifies the start of a new, changed day,” Pangilinan said.

“Thank you for showing us with your work that indeed, we have every reason to be hopeful; that in fact, genuine change is now before us, is now happening, is now becoming a reality,” he added.

Bam, former chairman of the National Youth Commission, recalled what he and Pangilinan started way back in 2002.

“We thought that we would soon run out of organizations and the youth will continue coming up with the same projects as before.

“But we are continuously surprised with the variety of projects and the number of organizations and their locations. It seems that in every corner of the country, and for every issue that our countrymen have faced, there is a youth organization working to alleviate the problem,” Bam said.

Georgina Nava, chair of the TAYO National Organizing Committee, said that “based on the project entries that we went through during the national judging, we witness the growth of agriculture and social entrepreneurship-related projects.”

“Whenever our youth encounters a problem in their community, they are able to come up with various innovative solutions that address the issue,” she said. 

One of the recipients, Meryl Grace Agudelo from I CAN Make A Difference Inc., reaffirmed the youth’s commitment in helping solve the problems of their communities and, in effect, the entire nation. 

“TAYO awards paved the way to gather 20 young people who wish the same things — progressive and empowered Filipino communities. Gone are the days of band-aid solutions to social problems,” Agudelo said.

“We further address constant bottlenecks of our communities through innovation, creating more opportunities through social enterprises, education, tourism and health. We employed frameworks that are sustainable with measurable impact. We do this only because we love our country,” she added.

This year’s batch of TAYO awardees come from diverse backgrounds, offering alternative approaches to seemingly similar problems.

First up is the problem of the lack of electricity in remote areas. One Million Lights Philippines (NCR) tied up with an international organization to access thousands of solar lamps that its members distributed to needy communities all over the country.

On the other hand, the Ramon Magsaysay Technological University-Electrical Engineering Society saw the same problem in a village in Zambales, provided a solar power charging station and solar lamps to Aeta families and are now looking into providing a more sustainable renewable power source in the area.

To respond to the needs of their communities to recycle trash and generate income, two organizations have implemented similar projects, using discarded tarpaulins to make bags and other materials.

I CAN Make a Difference, Inc. used “fusion” technology to provide differently-abled young Zamboangueños a way to earn a living, while the Mandaue-based Cebuano Youth Ambassadors gave out-of-work mothers in the slum areas the ability to earn extra income to provide for their families’ needs.

Other organizations saw the need to maintain the livelihood opportunities of people in their area.

Monte Verde 4-H Club from Zamboanga City helps young farmers and their families improve their earnings not only through agricultural training for better yields, but processing their crops for better earnings.

The CBA-Kalipunan Marketing Junior Executives from the University of the Cordilleras aims to encourage organic farmers in Benguet by providing them with greenhouses, ensuring produce year-round even through extreme climate changes to enable them to earn enough profit.

Meanwhile, the University of Luzon Students in Free Enterprise in Dagupan provided fisherfolk in Pangasinan a chance to regain lost income from environmental degradation through the technology of Aquaphonics, which allows, them to form fish condominiums that can also support crops like mushrooms.

The remaining three organizations focused on improving the way of life of the people around them. Angat Kabataan in Taytay, Rizal caused the awakening of hope and renewal of cooperation from various sectors in their town in Rizal by cleaning up and revitalizing a dead creek.

Dire Husi Initiatives from Cagayan de Oro not only encouraged street children to stay away from vices, but also to turn their lives around by going back to school and earning through arts education and livelihood trainings.

The La Salle Debate Society put the Philippines on the map of the international debating scene by organizing the World Universities Debates Championship, the largest academic gathering of students in the world, amassing not only income from tourism but fostering friendships and encouraging local support in the field of debate.

Winning groups each received P50,000 and trophies specially handcrafted by internationally awarded artist Toym de Leon Imao.

Special awards were also given out: the Coke Barkada award to the Cebuano Youth Ambassadors; Project SMART Awardee to the RMTU-Electrical Engineering Society; Lenovo Innovative Tech Award to the University of Luzon Students in Free Enterprise; and the CEMEX Youth in Nation-Building Award to Angat Kabataan.

All organizations that reached the national finals received gift certificates from Jollibee.

Other organizations that joined this year are: the Mu Sigma Phi Sorority and Phi Kappa Mu Fraternity, both from the UP Manila College of Medicine; Tingug-Cagayan de Oro; Students in Free Enterprise-Sultan Kudarat State University; Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers-Student Chapter of West Negros University; Hayag Youth Organization in Leyte; Development Communication Society of Benguet State University; English Society of Aklan State University; Kythe Ateneo from NCR; and Iloilo’s John Lacson Foundation Maritime University Molo Community Extension Service Society. TAYO Year 10 is organized by the TAYO Awards Foundation, Office of Sen. Pangilinan and the National Youth Commission. Presented by Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, it is sponsored by Cebu Pacific, Jollibee, SMART, Cemex, and Lenovo.