PH Consulate General in Chicago Meets with Distinguished Fil-Am Youth Leaders in U.S.

(From left) Consul Ryan Francis Gener, Dr. Melissa Palma, Mr. Jan Paul Ferrer, and Mr. Noly Dulay. (Chicago PCG photo)

CHICAGO 29 March 2019 – The Philippine Consulate General in Chicago met with distinguished Filipino-American youth leaders in the U.S. Midwest on 22 March 2019 to discuss ways of collaborating on ongoing initiatives of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO).

Consul Ryan Francis Gener and Cultural Officer Noly Dulay met with Mr. Jan Paul Ferrer and Dr. Melissa Palma, who participated in the FYLPRO Immersion Program in the Philippines in 2014 and 2018, respectively.

They discussed plans for joint activities this year, including a report back to the community on the outcomes of the 2018 FYLPRO Immersion Program and the launch in the Midwest of the selection process for the next iteration of the immersion program in October 2019.

The FYLPRO alumni also shared their legacy projects. Dr. Palma’s advocacy focuses on immigrant and refugee health. She hopes to contribute to the Filipino-American community through a mentorship and advocacy organization devoted to medicine, and to employ an evidence-based approach to addressing Filipino-American health concerns.

Mr. Ferrer founded Ambension, a social entrepreneurial initiative in collaboration with Chicagoland Gawad Kalinga supporters, through which he established an eri silk enterprise at Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan providing livelihood for farmers and weavers.

Mr. Ferrer is a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley and was named VIA Times Newsmagazine Man of the Year in 2015. Meanwhile, Dr. Palma is Public Health and Preventive Medicine Resident at the Cook County Health and Hospitals System and is a Masters of Public Health candidate at Northwestern University. END

For more information, visit www.chicagopcg.dfa.gov.ph, www.chicagopcg.com or https://www.facebook.com/PHinChicago/.