MANILA, Philippines – Youth organizations across the country were recognized at the 21st Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards at the Manila Metropolitan Theater on Monday, August 19, for their contributions to community development and social change.
Organized by the TAYO Foundation, this year’s awards centered on makabayani, a play on the words makabayan meaning love for one’s country, and bayani meaning hero.
Chosen from 20 finalists, 10 youth organizations were awarded and recognized for their innovation and positive impact on their communities. Winners each get a P50-000 cash prize.
This year, three youth organizations from Mindanao were included in the top 10, while two came from Visayas.
These are the winners of the 21st TAYO Awards:
- ADHIKA PH PH Inc. (Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro) – A civil society organization that aims to become an incubator of new generation leaders and game changers by providing inclusive platforms to the Filipino youth. They implemented Rehistro Mindoro, a voter registration, education and empowerment program that helped register over 13,000 Mindoro voters, and reached over 53,000 voters through their face-to-face and online activities.
- TheraWee Health Innovation Incorporated (Taguig City) – A startup social enterprise that aims to provide sustainable and accessible therapy programs and services for individuals, families, and communities. Their project “TheraWee Community: Transforming one community at a time” considers the struggles in receiving therapy services due to factors aside from disability. It also provides opportunities in health, education, and livelihood, among others, for people with disabilities, their families, and other community members.
- Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders, Inc (Quezon City) – A collective of LGBTQ+ organizations and allies advocating for gender equality and human rights in the Philippines. They led Project GEIS (Gender Equality Index for Schools), which aims to develop a report card that measures and improves SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression)-responsiveness and inclusion in schools.
- Second Chance Philippines (Davao City) – A nonprofit organization that facilitates employment and livelihood for persons deprived of liberty. They offer a community-based post-release employment service for PDLs and aims to provide them opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration in society through livelihood, skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.
- Project Barako (Ibaan, Batangas) – An organization that aims to promote and preserve cultural heritage through visual arts. Their project “Barako Youth Art: Pintang Kape para sa Sining at Kultura” offers art workshops for children and coffee painting exhibits depicting local history and heritage using Barako coffee.
- Sidhà – San Jose City (San Jose City, Nueva Ecija) – An organization that aims to improve youth education in San Jose City. Their project “Usbong Karunungan” provides free reading, writing, and comprehension tutorials for students in remote areas heavily affected by the pandemic.
- Salumayag Youth Collective for Forests (Quezon, Bukidnon) – An indigenous youth and women-led organization that empowers upland communities in the stewardship of their ancestral lands through regenerative practices and narratives. Their project “Reweaving for Forests” aims to enable upland people in mending forest fragmentations.
- Negrosanon Young Leaders Institute Inc. (Bacolod City, Negros Occidental) – A civil society organization that provides mentorship, opportunities, and resources for children and the youth. Their flagship youth development program “The Negrosanon Young Leaders Summit” aims to strengthen leadership and governance spaces for meaningful participation in Negros by building the capacity of Negrosanon youth.
- Mindanao State University Iligan Institute of Technology Youth Chain of Peace (Iligan City, Lanao del Norte) – An organization committed to fostering peace in Mindanao. Their Project PLAY+ uses the power of games to break down complex peacebuilding concepts, and empower youth in Mindanao to overcome stereotypes, biases, and transgenerational trauma.
- Achieve Minarog Youth Organization (Paranas, Samar) – An organization that promotes and preserves community-based culture, heritage, and arts. Their community-based museum “An Balay ni Apoy Bunang” focuses on historical learning, remembering the past and imagining the future.
Aside from the recognition of the top 10 accomplished youth organizations, special awards were also given to select organizations.
These are the winners of the special awards:
TAYO Videos Choice Award:
- 1st place: Salumayag Youth Collective
- 2nd place: Second Chance Philippines
- 3rd place: Project Blue PH
Georgina P. Nava Leadership Award: Sidhà
Hello, Pagkain Award: Kagay-anon Youth Network Alliance
The Bida Kabataan Award: Second Chance Philippines and Iloilo National High School Boy Scouts of the Philippines Outfit 154
Youthled Democracy Award: Model Sangguniang Kabataan Network
San Miguel Better World Award: Therawee Health Innovation, Incorporated
Coke Barkada Award: Salumayag Youth Collective for Forests!
The winner of the Georgina P. Nava Leadership Award will receive a P20,000-cash prize and a scholarship grant to Uplift Code Cam’s web development bootcamp. The recipient of the Coke Barkada Award will get a P30,000-cash grant.
The TAYO Awards recognizes both formal and non-formal youth organizations that have at least five members, with the majority of its members aged below 30 years old. This year, they accepted projects launched between September 2022 to January 2024. – with reports from Samantha Bagayas/Rappler.com
