Wanted: 4th batch of Fil-Am youth leaders for PH immersion

By: 10 years ago

Fil-Am-delegates-2014-Filipino-American-Youth-Leadership-Program-FYLPro

Young Fil-Am delegates to the 2014 FYLPro program in the Philippines. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

WASHINGTON, DC — The search is on for the fourth batch of delegates for the annual Filipino American Youth Leadership Program (FYLPro), the Philippine Embassy announced.

The brainchild of Philippine Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., FYLPro, was launched in 2012 as part of his effort to reach out the youth, “encourage them to actively engage in their own communities” and at the same time promote Philippine development.

“By giving Filipino-American youth leaders the chance to have a better appreciation and understanding of the land where their parents came from, we are also giving ourselves the opportunity to have more spokespersons for the Philippines in the United States,” Cuisia, explained.

The program is open to individuals who meet the following criteria:

No younger than 25 years old and no older than 40 years old by 02 July 2015;
Ready and capable of undertaking travel to the Philippines by that date (i.e., have a valid passport for international travel), and be able to participate in the 4^thFYLProand the 10^th Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT) to be held on 02-04 July and 06-09 July, respectively;
Have potential or demonstrated leadership skills within their school, community, workplace or other area of involvement, and
Have potential or demonstrated involvement in the Filipino American community, or in issues and/or activities that align with the interest of the Filipino American community or the Philippines.

Program alumnus Bea Querido, says, “FYLPro offers an entry point, the beginning or continuation of a journey towards finding a meaningful connection to the Philippines. It’s about building empathy and learning between Fil-Ams and Filipinos in the Philippines in hope of creating impactful collaborations that will push forward our global and local Filipino communities forward.”

The past three batches who joined the program were able to undertake political advocacy initiatives, cultural and tourism promotion programs, social entrepreneurship activities, education innovations, Filipino-American heritage projects, voter awareness and education and even political campaigns.

The previous batches are now focused on mentoring the incoming batch and undertaking concrete projects that would ensure the batch’s legacy.

Interested individuals may download the application form, starting January 15.

Deadline for submission of applications and documentary requirements is on March 30, while the announcement of the ten (10) delegates is on April 30.

Applications must be submitted to the proper Foreign Service Post who has jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residency (see the application form).