MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations or TAYO Awards Foundation will open the 21st Search for accomplished and proactive youth groups in the Philippines. The application period will run from February 19 to March 17 and is open to all interested youth organizations nationwide.
The theme for this year’s TAYO Awards will center on makabayani, a play on the words makabayan which means love for one’s country, and bayani, which means hero.
Through this theme, the Foundation envisions another decade of recognizing and celebrating the efforts of our makabayani in creating a positive impact in their communities. The Search also hopes to help the youth further appreciate the value of volunteerism and cultural diversity towards nation-building.
TAYO Awards is open to formal and non-formal youth organizations nationwide consisting of at least five members, with the majority of its members under 30 years old. It accepts any project launched between September 2022 and January 2024. Application is free, and organizations may submit multiple entries so long as they are of different projects or programs.
“For two decades, the Search for TAYO Awards has witnessed thousands of inspiring stories of the Filipino youth and what they have done for their communities. But year after year, we still get surprised by the innovative and impactful work the youth presents to the Search,” said TAYO Executive Director Rhyn Anthony Esolana.
The Search is divided into six different categories, namely: 1) Culture, Arts, and Heritage; 2) Education and Technology; 3) Climate Change Mitigation, Circular Economy, and Disaster Risk Reduction; 4) Health, Well-Being, and Human Development, 5) Livelihood and Entrepreneurship, and the newest category which was only launched this TAYO 21: 6) Leadership and Governance.
Selection criteria are based on Project Impact, Volunteerism and Citizenship, Creativity and Innovation, and Sustainability.
According to Anthony, for TAYO’s 21st year, the Foundation hopes to highlight youth work as modern-day heroism.
“For TAYO 21, we hope to revolutionize how we view heroes. Today’s heroes are young Filipinos rising across the nation, establishing safe spaces, promoting progressive work on HIV destigmatization, and even doing values and livelihood development programs for children in conflict with the law, among others. These everyday acts of courage and compassion redefine what it means to be a hero as not only people with swords running towards combat but also as young leaders leading societal revolutions,” he said.
In 2023, the Foundation awarded TAYO 20, celebrating 20 years of recognizing accomplished Filipino youth groups. TAYO 20 was anchored on the theme “Siklab,” which refers to the undying flare among youth groups to make a difference, inspire hope and unity, and positively influence future generations.
TAYO Awards is the Philippines’ premier award-giving body that recognizes and supports the excellent contributions of youth organizations in the country. It is co-presented by Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines Inc. and San Miguel Corporation. Both partners have special awards to be given out: the Coke Barkada Award is given to a youth organization with outstanding projects aligned with the Coca-Cola Foundation’s advocacies on circular economy, water stewardship, or recycling, while San Miguel Corporation’s San Miguel Better World Award is given to an organization that aligns with their mission of doing better. Since 2002, it has been the biggest platform to showcase young Filipinos’ dynamism and contribution to community development.
Interested youth organizations who wish to apply may visit the official website here.
