TAYO Awards to continue despite split with National Youth Commission

MANILA, Philippines — The Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations Awards will continue as a “completely private sector endeavor” following the decision of the National Youth Commission to cut ties with the non-profit TAYO Awards Foundation Inc.

Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, whose office co-organizes the annual youth awards, said this in a text message to Philstar.com.

“As much as we enjoyed a great partnership with the NYC for the past 15 years, the TAYO Awards now has an opportunity to flourish as a private sector initiative,” he said.

In a press briefing last week, NYC officer-in-charge Ronald Cardema, formerly of the Duterte Youth, announced that the commission had cut ties with Aquino’s office.

Cardema said that the P1.7-million budget allocated to the TAYO Awards would be used to establish a government youth awards named after President Rodrigo Duterte. 

Aside from recognizing youth leaders and organizations within the country, the “President Rodrigo Roa Duterte Youth Leadership Awards” would also honor groups of young OFWs abroad.

Asked if the decision of the Cardema-led NYC is linked to the perceived association of the youth awards with the opposition, Aquino answered “possibly.”

“My support for the youth is a personal advocacy beyond politics and our office will continue to support the TAYO Awards Foundation in its shared vision and mission for the youth,” Aquino said.

The senator was the chairman and chief executive of NYC from 2003 to 2006 and was the president of TAYO Foundation from 2006 to 2013.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan also lamented the NYC's split with the TAYO Foundation, calling the decision “divisive.”

“Instead of banding together to provide for better opportunities and recognize the efforts of young Filipinos, the decision of divisive. One even has to wonder how the NYC arrived at this decision—if there was some politics involved,” he said.

Pangilinan noted that the annual awards have been “above politics” since it was initiated by his office in 2002.

While he considered the NYC’s split with the award-giving foundation a “setback,” the Liberal Party president remained optimistic that the decision would not hinder the efforts of young Filipinos in making a difference in their communities.

“The youth will always be an inexhaustible source of energy, dynamism and idealism. This decision may temporarily affect our efforts at youth empowerment but the youth will overcome—they always have regardless of who sits in government,” Pangilinan said.