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Christmas Party
December 16, 2021
Come one, come all! Lets all celebrate Christmas together as one big FYLPRO family! Join us as we celebrate all of our various accomplishments this 2021 despite the continued challenges brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
If you’d like to join us and you didn’t get a calendar invite yet, please register here.
Also, we would like to recognize the contributions of our members, alumni, volunteers and fellows through the 2021 FYLPRO Outstanding Service Award. To nominate an individual or yourself, click here.
FYLPRO Outstanding Service Award Nominees:
Louella Rose Cabalona
Nominated by: Anthony Guevara, Sabrina Alexis D. Sayoc
Mark Calaguas is a jack of all trades in 2021 and has really stepped up this year. He’s been a core member of Tayo’s leadership team, serving as our product counsel and looks out for us from the legal standpoint. He also helped to craft our statement earlier this year on Anti-Asian hate and served on our bylaws committee. He always has the audience in mind as a member of the comms team and thinking ahead on what would resonate with the target demo. He always has the best interest of FYLPRO in mind among the many hats he wears both in the community and professionally as well.
-Leezel G. Tanglao
Mark has been all time supporter of many internal initiatives with FYLPRO. While serving as Legal Counsel for Tayo under Covid Task Force, he also helped in Marketing and Communications, drafting our Statement Denouncing Anti-Asian Hate, and the Letters to Biden / Senators / Representatives for our ModernaVax2PH Campaign that aimed to catalyze the delivery of much needed vaccines to the Philippines. He assisted Kit in some legal matters for some FYLPRO projects, participated in our 9th Anniversary as one of the featured alumni and represented our alumni in Washington DC during our MOU signing providing precious video story coverage!
-Louella Cabalona
-Leezel G. Tanglao
I believe there are a lot of people in FYLPRO doing their thing but I believe these people deserve to be recognized for all the work they have done for FYLPRO, Tayo help desk, FYLPROCON, and the community work they have been doing. They have integrated FYLPRO in a lot of activities throughout the Filipino American community, different partners, and have expanded our network and reach. Mabuhay to all.
-Anthony Guevara
Kit is the selfless, always positive and energetic, super talented ATE of FYLPRO!
She has for the past 9 years consistently been spearheading many of the big projects for FYLPRO including the very first Filipino Young Leaders Summit in Hawaii in 2014 and the very first fundraiser for FYLPRO – the Here Lies Love musical special showing with Seattle Repertory in 2017.
This year alone, while not officially part of the FYLPRO leadership, Kit organized our 2021 Board retreat, she spearheaded bringing one of our new programs, FYLPROCon to life, and she chaired the Elections committee ensuring that we had fair elections for the 2021 officers/directors. She also was the (co)author of 3 big resolutions that eventually became bylaws amendments. Last year, she was contributing immensely to 2 important projects in 2020: Strategic Planning and Covid Task Force.
Did you know that up to this day, Kit is still paying for some of our website domain renewals out of her love for FYLPRO?
It’s no exaggeration when I say, I wouldn’t know where FYLPRO would be if not for Kit.
-Louella Rose Cabalona
Melissa Palma
Nominated by: Leezel G. Tanglao, Louella Cabalona
Dr. Melissa Palma has been an integral part of Tayo from the beginning. In 2021, she leveled up to own and drive our vaccine research team and helped to conceptualize, plan and ready to execute our vaccine survey. She also brought in more than $30K in additional funding for COVID19 task force and Tayo thanks to her work and dedication. She keep the team accountable and honest when it comes to making sure everything we do is culturally tailor to the community.
-Leezel G. Tanglao
One of the pillars of Covid Task Force, Dr. Issa has been the proponent of many Covid Awareness events and Vaccine clinics this year for FYLPRO. She also played a huge part in winning us grants from CDC Foundation, Northwestern and earned us 10K for speaking at an ERG event with Paypal.
-Louella Cabalona
Steven Raga
Nominated by: Frank Anthony Guevara
Steven Raga ran to serve his community and continuously involved in his local community. He also helped lead the effort of naming a “Little Manila Avenue” in Woodside NY.
-Frank Anthony Guevara
Sabrina Sayoc
Nominated by: Jan Paul Ferrer, Alvin Adriano, Louella Cabalona
Sabrina volunteered for FYLPRO and showed selfless acts to help achieve its 2021 mission. It is evident that she lives and breathes the very essence of how it is to be a member of FYLPRO. She is longing to further learn, feel, love and experience love of country. She has this to say upon being elected to the BOD; “I think it’s been easy for me to feel very alone in my experience and this sense of longing I couldn’t explain…..And actually like there’s an incredibly exciting journey and experience coming my way”. This is a passion that a lot of us have. The passion that we prioritize less as we live our busy lives. It is incredibly exciting to rekindle this passion by being surrounded by someone like Sabrina. This love for country is a calling many of us has answered and has been recognized as an Alumni. I implore you pay forward this recognition and select Sabrina as the inaugural FYLPRO Outstanding Service Award 2021. She is the epitome and the right candidate for this award.
-Jan Paul Ferrer
Sabrina is a bright Filipina who has been very supportive and engaged in FYLPRO. She has participated in numerous events and meetings in support of all of our initiatives and programming. Her passion and drive our infectious and appreciate her willingness to lead in our organization.
-Alvin Adriano
Sabrina has given so much to FYLPRO in just a few months that she’s been part of the family. From hosting our “9th Anniversary” with Jennifer Trafficanda that generated $2240 in donations and our “Inspiring Young Leaders Through Mentorship Program” to connecting with 40+ organizations, companies and social media pages and engage them to become FYLPROCon Community partners, she has been a super star team player that has contributed greatly to the success of many of our programs this year. She and husband Robbie were the first people to offcially become “members” as soon as we opened membership up to the public AND they drove 4 hours on Jan 6 just to hang out with us during the MOU Signing in Washington DC. I am so happy and proud that she has dedicated her 2022 in serving FYLPRO as a member of the Board of Directors. I am very sure that she will be a moving force in bringing this organization to greater heights in 2022 and beyond!
-Louella Cabalona
Ryyn (Chua) Schumacher
Nominated by: Frank Anthony Guevara
Ryyn Shumacher has lead health and COVID initiatives in the Bay Area and also now in Santa Barbara
-Frank Anthony Guevara
Leezel Tanglao
Nominated by: Anthony Guevara
I believe there are a lot of people in FYLPRO doing their thing but I believe these people deserve to be recognized for all the work they have done for FYLPRO, Tayo help desk, FYLPROCON, and the community work they have been doing. They have integrated FYLPRO in a lot of activities throughout the Filipino American community, different partners, and have expanded our network and reach. Mabuhay to all.
-Frank Anthony Guevara
Brian Tajo
Nominated by: Leezel G. Tanglao
Hit the ground running this year as he stepped into the project manager role on Tayo in 2021. Under his leadership, Tayo has been able to expand into other areas such as video and helped to corral our strategic planning to ensure Tayo’s future sustainability. As a result, Tayo continues to thrive and continues to innovate and grow. We would not have been able to accomplish all the major initiatives for Tayo without Brian’s forward thinking.
-Leezel G. Tanglao
Since last year, the duo Everett and Lauren has been championing our alumni efforts through their 1 on 1 check ins with the alumni. In the spirit of the highly successful Lingua Franca online screening event last year which featured alumni Jhett Tolentino, this year Lauren and Eve organized 3 movie screenings for our alumni including the “The Debut” which featured director Gene Cajayon and hosted by alumni Meriden Villanueva.
-Louella Cabalona
Everett also hosted many of our important online events including our “9th Anniversary” in August and one of our FYLPROCon breakout sessions with Dr. Abbey Hamilton.
Since last year, the duo Everett and Lauren has been championing our alumni efforts through their 1 on 1 check ins with the alumni. In the spirit of the highly successful Lingua Franca online screening event last year which featured alumni Jhett Tolentino, this year Lauren and Eve organized 3 movie screenings for our alumni including the “The Debut” which featured director Gene Cajayon and hosted by alumni Meriden Villanueva.
Everett also hosted many of our important online events including our “9th Anniversary” in August and one of our FYLPROCon breakout sessions with Dr. Abbey Hamilton
-Louella Cabalona
Alexa was one of the most dedicated volunteers in the first half of the year. She helped put together the programming, run of show and presentation slides for our HERE/HEAR NOW: Confronting Anti-Asian Hate online form that got great engagement online and was televised on GMA Pinoy TV. She also spearheaded creating the ModernaVax2PH Campaign tool kit that was distributed to our large network to urge everyone to write letters to Biden / Senators and Representatives to release vaccines for the Philippines as early as possible. Even in the past years, Alaxa and her Meat on the Street crew (they are now Tatay’s food truck) has been supportive of FYLPRO by providing sponsored Filipino desserts for our events in Chicago like the Signal Rock Movie Fundraiser in 2019.
-Louella Cabalona
Jennifer Trafficanda
-Louella Cabalona