Washington, DC — A Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) info session and networking mixer was held at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C.’s Chancery Annex on July 10, 2019 in order to share more information about the immersion program as well as to encourage interested young professionals in the District / Maryland / Virginia (DMV) area to apply.
“This is one program that we are very proud of. The purpose of this program is to build a broad and dynamic network of young, next generation Filipino-American leaders. Your community here is growing at over four million in the United States and we feel that Filipino presence is pervasive across all fields and industries. It will be good to have a pipeline of leaders, and many of our FYLPRO alumni are already leaders in their own right. They have been doing wonderful things for the Philippines, for the United States, and for the relationship between the Philippines and the United States,” said Embassy Third Secretary and Vice Consul and Public Diplomacy Officer Darell Artates in addressing the young professionals who attended the info session.
“You have to have a genuine love for the Philippines, the desire to connect or reconnect with the Philippines, an appreciation of Filipino contributions to the United States, and then add to that your drive, your passion, and your own respective networks,” she further added.
Amanda Bantug, one of the ten delegates from the 2018 FYLPRO batch from Washington DC, was the featured speaker in the info session. Her presentation touched on FYLPRO’s history and establishment, the immersion program, her batch’s experiences, and legacy projects.
Speaking on what she thinks make a strong application package, Ms. Bantug stressed the importance of extra-curricular activities and being involved in the Filipino-American community.
“It’s a lot of community involvement. They want to see, they want to know that you have been involved in the community,” she said.
Both Third Secretary and Vice Consul Artates and Ms. Bantug fielded various questions from the very engaged audience including the qualifications of a FYLPRO delegate, more information about legacy projects, presence of young leaders and young professionals groups in the Philippines, future plans to expand the FYLPRO network, FYLPRO’s other business partners, and personal takeaways from the immersion program.
A networking mixer followed the official program wherein guests had the chance to connect with each other, and learn more about the FYLPRO immersion and the application process while enjoying Filipino finger foods and snacks.
The FYLPRO, the Embassy and Consulates General in the United States are now accepting applications for the 2019 Immersion Program. The deadline for submission is on 1 September 2019 at 11:59 PM EST. Complete details of the application process is available at www.fylpro.org.
Launched in 2012, FYLPRO is a joint initiative of the Philippine Embassy and Consulates General in the United States, the Ayala Foundation, Inc. (AFI), and the FYLPRO non-profit organization.
Each year, the program selects ten outstanding young professionals within the Filipino communities across the United States to take part in a weeklong immersion program in the Philippines.
The delegates will have the chance to meet and interact with Philippine Government officials and various leaders in the fields of business, arts and culture, and civil society. The delegates will likewise have the opportunity to connect with their Filipino heritage through community service, cultural tours, and other civic activities.
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For more information, visit https://www.washingtonpe.dfa.gov.ph,
www.philippineembassy-usa.org, https://www.facebook.com/PHinUSA or
https://twitter.com/philippinesusa.
