Soulprints - Amyline Quien Ching

TAYO: Unmasking Angels on Earth

Yes. Life is hard.
And while the average youth wallows in the darkness of life and drown in its impossibilities and inanities, there are some who go against the currents and strive for just a semblance of heaven. Undaunted, they push the limits of time and circumstance to serve as the eyes of those who remain blind.

They are angels, who walk the same roads of life as we do. They ride in the same overcrowded jeepney, eat the same piece of bland burger patties, frustrate over the same corrupt public officials and experience the same pressures that we deal with everyday. But while the rest of us satisfy ourselves with merely watching from the sidelines and occasionally whining “a-lot-of-people-are-hungry-there-are-injustices-in-this-country” crap, they go out there and try to change what needs changing faster than we can say “Filipino.”

Perhaps, it is this shift from “indifference” to “making a difference” that the search for Ten Accomplished Youth Organization (TAYO) is gunning for in the long run. “Young people, when they join forces, could do a lot of things for their community,” says National Youth Commission (NYC) chairperson Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV. “They might feel that what they are doing is insignificant but the impact is really big especially to those whom they have helped.” The brainchild of Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, the search aims to recognize the significant role that youth organizations play in nation building. “Being a student leader myself, I believe that young people have so much potential. Once they commit to something, they can really achieve much,” Senator Pangilinan relates. Joining organizations is one way of tapping their skills, knowledge and energy and putting them into good use. Bearing the theme “Defy to Modify,” the TAYO search also hopes to encourage young people to take a stand and help in nation building by finding simple but innovative solutions to the problems that our country is facing now. Bam Aquino points out, “With all that is going on right now, there is a need to focus more on solutions.” More than just a rhyming tagline, “Defy to Modify” defines the spirit that TAYO wants to embody. It urges the youth to go against status quo and swim against the usual path of ignorance or indifference. It impels us young people to throw down the gauntlet and just change whatever needs changing.


A Call for the Best

Having had a successful run last year, Bam Aquino faces the prospect of an even more turbulent year with the number of applications they are expecting to receive from organizations all over the country. “Last year, even when the search was over, there were a lot of organizations that wanted to join.” Deadline of submission for applications is set on January 31 next year. Initial screening is slated on the 1st week of March while Area screening, which will involve community visits and ocular inspections, will be conducted on the 2nd week. To give importance to provincial organizations, the organizers changed the format of this year’s contest. “We will first conduct a regional search before going to the national finals,” announced Aquino. Five finalists each will be chosen from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and NCR. These 20 organizations will then go through a final screening, which would determine the final 10. Organizations will be judged on the merit of their proposed projects, which should have started as early as January 2003. Projects must have an impact on the local community. Each should have introduced an innovative concept that required the involvement of the whole community especially the youth. And because these projects are not just meant for show, they should be sustainable for many years and duplicable in other communities. “We expect the competition to be as tough as last year’s, maybe even more,” Aquino shares. Organizations who have not made it last year could still join this year. Unfortunately, those who reached the top 20 are not allowed to participate to give way to other contenders. “We should probably enforce a moratorium period for these organizations,” he states.

And why would they not want to join? In addition to the prestige of becoming one of the ten outstanding organizations in the country, winners will also receive P50,000 and trophies. “The prize money is for their pet projects. They could not use it for gimmicks and such because we do full accounting,” he discloses with a laugh. Even the trophy is no ordinary glass statuette. Designed by sculptor and painter Toym De Leon Imao, the trophy depicts a group of individuals working together and combining their strength to attain a common goal. The back shows a lone individual harnessing a sail, symbolizing the spirit of an active citizenry as it charts the path of the nation. Winning last year, according to Rotaract president-elect Mildred Nad, also made it easier for their organization to ask for support and sponsorships next projects. Memberships have grown and separate chapters have mushroomed even in far-off places. “From 12 chapters, we now have 25 nationwide. We are even conducting regional assemblies, something that we never dreamed we could do before,” comments Hector, a member of the Mother Earth Movement, one of last year’s TAYO awardees. But more than the additional funding and the memento of triumph, there is that sense of achievement in having made a difference in the lives of their fellow countrymen. “It’s a good feeling to see these people continue what you have started,” divulges Mildred. All these benefits, however, come with a price tag—commitment and responsibility. Having won, these organizations serve as role models for others. Alan Gonzales of TAYO awardee Emmanuel Baja Chapter reveals, “We proved that simple projects could make a difference in the lives of people in communities. It would be even better if others could also do these projects in their communities. If we have done it, why can’t they?”

Of Dreamers and Dream Makers

“There are no overnight solutions and band-aid remedies that could change the Philippines. If there was hope for the country at all, then certainly, that hope resides in the youth,” espouses Senator Pangilinan. And though they may not have enough clout or resources to rid a city of its garbage problem or be “masa” enough to challenge prevailing norms, these youngsters dared to dream and in their small way, incited change. Redgi Plopinio of the Loyola Mountaineers could not have said it better when he described the youth as not only dreamers but also dream makers. “The youth can dream of a better future and make it a reality. We have a say not only in words but also in actions.” And for a society that is guaranteed to make cynics of everyone, hearing these words from one so young is like manna from heaven. For though they may not single-handedly save our country from sinking, they are glimmers of sunlight amidst this storm. And maybe, just maybe… we’ll survive.

Without their halos, they shine a path for others. Without their wings, they lift the spirits of others. Though they may not deliver us straight to heaven, at least they can bring a piece of heaven into our lives.

posted by Amyline Quien Ching @ 11:13 PM