Filipino Youth Groups Promote Meaningful Change

 Twenty youth groups from all over the Philippines will convene at Diamond Hotel, Manila to highlight projects, programs, and advocacies aimed to bring about meaningful changes in their respective communities on February 12-16, 2017. Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards Foundation, Inc., the premier awardsgiving body for Filipino youth organizations, in partnership with the National Youth Commission, and copresenter Coca-Cola

Foundation Philippines announced the 20 youth organizations to present their entries for the National Finals week.

The National Finals week, also dubbed as the TAYO Week, is the culmination event of the Search where all the representatives of the finalist organizations will experience a series of activities and workshops to amplify their causes.

The weeklong activity will conclude at the Diamond Hotel Ballroom on February 16, 2017 for the National Awarding Ceremonies. On its 14th year of searching for notable youth groups and organizations across the nation, 20 finalists out of 443 entries that have exemplified the values of people power and volunteerism through creative social innovations are now on the last leg of the Search.

The finalists will be judged based on their projects that try to solve challenges on (1) Education and Technology, (2) Health, Nutrition, and Well-Being, (3) Environment, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Climate Change Adaptation, (4) Livelihood and Entrepreneurship, and (5) Culture and the Arts and Peace and Human Development. National judging will be held at the Philippine Senate on February 13, 2017 with Usec. Aiza Seguerra as chairman of the panel.

The winners will be announced on February 16 with Mr. Rustie Quintana, a Filipino youth leader who once represented his organization in 2012, as the keynote speaker. Organizations under Education and Technology category go beyond the models of traditional education, empowering beneficiaries to take on roles first as learners, and teachers and leaders next.

Theirs are exemplary efforts that strived for access to quality education, provision of education to indigenous communities, advancement of information technology, career For Immediate Release February 7, 2017 counselling for K12 students, and equalizing the availability of information for all. Finalists are CIT Industrial Engineering Council from Cebu, Project Kaluguran from Pampanga, Edukasyon.ph from Manila, and One Calinog Organization, Inc. from Iloilo.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Category, HiGi Energy from Tarlac, Red Cross Youth- Ligao Community College Council from Albay, Teatro de Sta. Luisa from Naga City and UP Circuit from UP Diliman made it to the nationals as their projects stood out in effective environmental protection, climate change solutions, promoting biodiversity and ecological awareness, disaster mitigation, disaster response, trainings, and such programs that sought to address the problems encountered in both rural and urban environments.

Valuable contributions in the health sector by conducting campaigns and programs that try to solve challenges and problems on food security, maternal and neonatal healthcare, HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention, and health education, Modern Nanays of Mindanao from Cagayan de Oro,

 Food Rescue ASEAN from Dumaguete, Team Dugong Bughaw from Iloilo, and UPLB Genetics Society from UP Los Baños completed the list for the Health, Nutrition and Well-being category. Economic activities capacitating communties play an important role in community development, Enactus UPLB from UP Los Baños, Go2/Virtualahan from Davao, iCare-Comission on Youth from Novaliches, and UP Industrial Engineering Club from UP Diliman, take pride with their projects that looked for unconventional ways on how to help communities by inculcating entrepreneurial know-how in members of the community to establish sustainable livelihood for themselves instead of dwelling in unfortunate circumstances.

Promoting peace and human development, in communities through the culture and the arts, the Guiguinto Scholars Association from Bulacan, Ingat Kapandayan Artist Center from Sulu, Voice of Cameleon's Children from Iloilo, and Youth for a Livable Cebu from Cebu add the final touch to the list of finalists for the Culture and the Arts, Peace, and Human Development category.

The search for Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) is the sole award-giving body that grants nationwide recognition to formal and non-formal youth organizations for their outstanding contributions to nation-building and development.

The ultimate goal of this year’s search is not only to recognize the best youth organizations in the country but also to continue the foundation’s legacy of providing avenues for young people to make positive impact in their respective communities.

TAYO 14 is sponsored by Jollibee Foods Corporation, San Miguel Corporation, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, SMART, and official I.T. partner-Lenovo Philippines.

The annual Search will once again open its doors to more aspiring Filipino youth organizations on February 16, 2017. Applications may be downloaded via the official website www.tayoawards.net. (PR/posted by Redline News Philippines)