15 young leaders named 2019 FYLPRO delegates

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), a joint initiative of the Philippine Embassy, Consulates General in the United States, and the Ayala Foundation, Inc. (AFI), has named the 2019 FYLPRO Delegates.

The 2019 FYLPRO delegates will go on a week-long immersion trip to Manila, this November and be given the opportunity to interact with Philippine government officials and leaders in the fields of business, arts and culture, and civil society.

Due to an overwhelming number of high-quality applicants this year, the traditional number of ten delegates has been increased to 15 to reflect the growth of the Filipino American population and the expansion of the FYLPRO program. The 2019 FYLPRO Delegates (in alphabetical order) are:

1. Sergio Alcubilla (Honolulu, Hawaii)
2. Krystle Canare (Arlington, Virginia)
3. Frederick Docdocil (Carson, California)
4. Everett Icao (Chicago, Illinois)
5. Eileen Agahan Igcasenza (Barrigada, Guam)
6. Joyce King (Frederick, Maryland)
7. Bernadette Lim (Berkeley, California)
8. Antonio Moya (Los Angeles, California)
9. Rizza Palmares O’Connor (Vidalia, Georgia)

10.Elle Ramel (Chicago, Illinois)

11.Timothy Simba-Medel (Bryant, Arkansas)

12.Philjay Solar (Boston, Massachusetts)

13.Leezel Tanglao (New York, New York)

14.Earl Valencia (San Francisco, California)

15.Kevin Zagala (Redwood City, California)

The 15 leaders have done inspiring work in their communities driven by their passions for the Filipino culture and the advancement of Philippine interests and advocacies in the United States.

They now join a prestigious network of 85 young, Filipino-American leaders across the nation to collaborate, exchange ideas, and continue to inspire a wave of diplomatic innovation.

“This year we saw applications more than double and we were thoroughly impressed by the breadth and quality of applicants. On behalf of FYLPRO, I am excited to welcome our fifteen 2019 delegates who stood out amongst a competitive group for their accomplishments and potential,” said FYLPRO President JR Calanoc. “We’re excited to see how together we can continue to advance the Philippines and Filipino people,” he added.

“We are deeply impressed with the number and quality of applications received this year and the selected delegates all represent the dynamism, passion to serve and contribute, and leadership prevalent among the next generation of Filipino-Americans,” said Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez.

“All of us at the Philippine Embassy and Consulates General take great pride in the current and previous batches of FYLPRO delegates. We are also proud of our continuing collaboration with the Ayala Foundation, Inc., Department of Foreign Affairs, and FYLPRO non-profit alumni organization in designing a transformative and impactful immersion program,” Romualdez added.

Established in 2012 by the Philippine Embassy in the United States in cooperation with the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI), FYLPRO annually identifies outstanding young professionals in the Filipino communities across the United States and provide them invaluable community, business, and government insights and access to a distinguished network captains of industry and government. For more information, visit www.fylpro.org.