(15 November 2016, Honolulu, Hawaii) Hawaii’s Mr. Brandon dela Cruz and Ms. Elizabeth Obod Frilles, two of the ten selected delegates from across the United States to the Filipino Youth Leadership Program (FYLPro), paid a courtesy call on Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin at the Philippine Consulate General on 15 November 2016.

Now on its 5th year, the FYLPro will be held in the Philippines from 24 November to 2 December 2016 where delegates will be afforded the opportunity to meet and dialogue with the highest officials and policymakers of the country, leaders of industry, legislators, media, artists and cultural experts, entrepreneurs, as well as innovators in different fields.

During the courtesy call, Mr. dela Cruz,  Director of Marketing of L&L Franchise, Inc and incoming President of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii for 2017, and Ms. Frilles, an educator from Olomana School and the recipient of the 2015 Windward District Teacher of the Year, apprised the Consul General of their program and activities for their weeklong immersion trip to the Philippines. They also conveyed that they look forward to the opportunity to meet fellow young Filipino Americans, Philippine government officials and industry leaders,  to reconnect with their roots, and to work on their legacy projects. They also expressed appreciation for this unique and commendable project of the Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the United States, and for being selected as participants.

Consul General Jamoralin urged both of them to make the most of this rare opportunity to expand their networks, gain insights and deeper understanding about the Philippines so they may be able to contribute to a better Philippines as a young Filipino Americans, through the activities that they do and the causes they believe in.

The FYLPro is a youth-oriented project launched in 2012 by former Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. which aims to tap ten outstanding young Filipino Americans every year who possess a sincere desire to be engaged in their respective communities and be a part of the Philippines’ growth story. It has produced 40 alumni who now run their own non-profit organization, also called the FYLPro, composed of high-performing next-generation leaders who possess the passion for advancing the Philippines and the Filipino people in the United States. (END).