22 July 2014 - Ten (10) young Filipino-Americans from all over the United States, selected for their outstanding leadership and demonstrated involvement in their respective communities, are gearing up for the prestigious Filipino-American Youth Leadership Program (FYLPro) to be held in the Philippines from July 24 to 28.
This year’s delegates are:
1. Edward Aparis (Chula Vista, California) – Consultant at the Strands Group
2. Ryyn Chua (Gardena, California) – Founder and CEO of Double Y Entertainment
3. Rommel Clemente (Milpitas, California) – Supervising Senior Associate for the Connor Group
4. Adette Contreras (Brooklyn, New York) – Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi, Co-Founder and Partner at Tinsel & Twine
5. Michael Dahilig (Lihue, Hawaii) – Director of the Department of Planning at the County of Kauai in Hawaii
6. Rafael Diokno (Washington, D.C.) – Project Lead at SGT, Inc.,
7. Abbey Eusebio (Lincolnwood, Illinois) – Constituent Advocate at the Office of US Representative Jan Schakowsky
8. Jan Paul Ferrer (Tinley Park, Illinois) – Associate Vice President at Morgan Stanley
9. Ryan Letada (New York, New York) – CEO and co-founder of Next Day Better Inc.,
10. Jason Tengco (Washington, D.C.) – Senior Advisor at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
They were selected in recognition of the work they are doing to advance the welfare of their respective Filipino-American communities, among other criteria.
FYLPro is an annual week-long immersion program in the Philippines, which is designed to give the delegates a chance to interact with government, industry and thought leaders in the country, and get hands-on experience in development initiatives.
The program, the brainchild of Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and his wife, Vicky, was a direct result of the Ambassador’s efforts to engage and interact with young Filipino-Americans, who, he observed, had begun to take groundbreaking initiatives that were raising the profile and awareness of the unique needs of the Filipino-American community and Filipinos in the United States.
“I firmly believe it is vital that the next generation of Filipino-Americans be involved in the affairs of their communities,” Ambassador Cuisia said. “I have always advocated that they have a stronger voice in policy discussions and the political process, as well as the economic domain of both countries.”
Launched in July 2012 in partnership with the Ayala Foundation, FYLPro taps the Philippine Embassy and Philippine Consulates in the United States to identify 10 outstanding young Filipino-American leaders who have great potential in pushing Philippines-US relations forward. The program links up with the annual Ambassador’s, Consuls’ General and Tourism Director’s Tour (ACGTDT) which will run from July 28 to 30. Among this year’s corporate sponsors are Philippine Airlines, Chevron Philippines, General Electric Philippines, Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines and Security Bank.
Following the program, the delegates are expected to maintain ties with the Philippine Embassy or the nearest Consulate, to work on projects that will elevate awareness of the Philippines, and strengthen the Filipino-American communities in their areas, and champion Philippine initiatives in the US.
Past FYLPro delegates have gone on to undertake cultural and tourism promotion programs, social entrepreneurship activities, education innovations, Filipino-American heritage projects, voter awareness and education programs, political advocacies and some have even launched political campaigns of their own.
“I have always anticipated much from the delegates, and they often exceeded our expectations,” Ambassador Cuisia declared. “The Embassy and Consulates General in the US look forward to closely collaborating with them, as we pursue interests of members of the community.”
The FYLPRO 2014 delegates will be sharing their experiences through social media. To track their progress through this year’s program, search for #FYLPRO2014 and #FYLPRO. END