2 Pinoys named among outstanding persons of the world

TAIPEI — For making a difference in the lives of their countrymen and bringing positive change in their society, two Filipinos were honored here among the 2012 Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP).

Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV and Dr. Edsel Maurice Salvana joined eight other recipients of the TOYP award when members of the JCI convened for its yearly world congress at the auditorium of the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park.

The JCI is an international non-profit membership organization of 200,000 individuals aged 18 to 40 from more than 100 countries. The TOYP award is given to individuals below 41 years old.

JCI president Bertoit Daems told The STAR after the formal, three-hour long ceremonies that the TOYP winners were chosen because “they seek excellence and become examples for the world to follow.” He said this year, 115 individuals from 37 countries made it to the final screening but only 10 were chosen for the award.

Aquino, Daems said, was recognized for his “extraordinary work in social enterprise for the underprivileged in his country with his Hapinoy program for the Filipinos.”

“Six years ago, we started the Hapinoy program with just a simple dream – to see some of the smallest entrepreneurs in the Philippines get the extra help, the extra push to bring them to sustainability and comfort for their families,” Aquino, who will run as a senator in the midterm elections next year, said when he accepted his TOYP award for the category of business, economic and/or entrepreneurial accomplishment.

Hapinoy continues to help more than 10,000 local shops succeed in their communities, allowing the underprivileged women who run them to create better lives for themselves, their families and their communities. Hapinoy is run by Microventures Inc., a social enterprise founded by Aquino and his friend Mark Ruiz.