15 March 2013, Washington, D.C. – Philippine Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. is pleased to announce the search for the second batch of outstanding young Filipino Americans (aged 18 to 40), who will be tapped as future leaders of their Filipino-American communities and advocacies. The involvement of these emerging leaders in the Filipino-American community is expected to further add vibrancy and dynamism to the development of the Philippines and to the Filipino-American community in the United States.

The second Filipino American Youth Leadership Program or FYLPro (known last year by the acronym “FAYLP”) will build on the success of the first-ever program held from July 13 to 16, 2012.  Last year’s program yielded a remarkable batch of young Filipino-Americans who continue to embark on different advocacies to help promote further progress in the Philippines and to further engage the multi-faceted Filipino-American community.  The first batch of delegates have gone to undertake, among others, political advocacy initiatives, cultural and tourism promotion programs, social entrepreneurship activities, education innovations, Filipino-American heritage projects, voter awareness and education, and have even launched political campaigns of their own.

In partnership with the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI), this year’s edition of the FYLPro hopes to attract more young Filipino-American leaders who we hope will be among the movers and shakers among the emerging generation of Filipino-Americans.  Program sponsors shall fund the bulk of the cost of the participants’ airfare, local transportation and accommodations.

Among the qualifications for the outstanding Filipino American achievers and leaders are the applicant’s scholastic achievements and other accolades, leadership skills,  accomplishments, active involvement in school,  civic, political, business and other organizations as well as their vision, innovativeness and commitment to making a difference in the Philippines and within the Filipino-American community.

The chosen delegates will take part in an immersive program in the Philippines from July 7 to 9, 2013 and will likewise participate in the 8th Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT) from July 9 to 11, 2013.  The special FYLPro program will afford them the opportunity to meet and dialogue with the highest officials and policymakers in the Philippines, leaders of industry, legislators, media, artists and cultural experts, entrepreneurs both traditional and social, as well as innovators in different fields.

Applicants should be no younger than 18 years old or no older than 40 years old by July 1, 2013. They should be ready to travel by this date (i.e. have a valid passport for international travel).  The chosen participants are expected to commit time, skills, and resources to engage with the Philippine Foreign Service posts in the United States in ways which would advance the causes and interest of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans.

The application form for the search may be accessed at the following link, http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org/uploads/pdfs/embassy/2013/2013-0315-FYLPro.docx, or interested parties may contact the Philippine Foreign Service post in the U.S., which has jurisdiction over their place of residence.  The deadline for submission of applications is April 30, 2013. The names of the chosen delegates will be announced on the website of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., www.philipineembassy-usa.org, on May 15, 2013.  END