For Immediate Release
Media Contact: communications@fylpro.org
April 7, 2026
FYLPRO’s Tayo Awarded 2026 Community Organization Award From Filipinx American Studies Section of the Association of Asian American Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii
HONOLULU, Hawaii — Filipino Young Leaders Program’s Tayo was honored with the 2026 Community Organization Award from the Filipinx American Studies Section of Association of Asian American Studies for substantial contribution to the field of Filipina/o/x American Studies at its conference on April 4, 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In several nomination letters submitted to the Filipino Studies Section Awards Committee, Tayo was praised for providing trustworthy, accessible, and linguistically responsive information that reflected the lived experiences of Filipino Americans since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The committee wrote: “Your oral history projects, public policy initiatives, community-focused technological tools like ChatTayo, and organized events like the “Seeding AFIRE” series demonstrate how you actualize the power of narrative to illuminate critical issues of health, immigration, labor, gender, and belonging. Your organization’s work to engage the Filipino diaspora not only as an audience, but as collaborators and co-authors in the story of our collective resilience, offers models for how research, advocacy, and creative expression can intertwine to bridge the academy and the everyday lives of our people.
Your deep commitment to critical information literacy and community education reinforces how necessary Tayo continues to be in these urgent times when disinformation, authoritarian resurgence, and public health crises disproportionately affect diasporic communities.”
This is Tayo’s third national award since its existence.
In November 2025, Tayo received the American Public Health Association (APHA)’s Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health (APIC) 2025 Community Leader Award. The award recognizes Tayo’s outstanding dedication, leadership, and commitment to uplifting and empowering the Filipino/a/x community through public health advocacy, education, and engagement.
In August 2025, Tayo received the 2025 AAPI Community Impact Award from the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) for amplifying and making space for the AAPI community with special focus on solutions and impact.
Tayo is an innovative data hub that empowers Filipinx/a/o communities by collecting data, fostering partnerships, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable and sustainable future.
Tayo provides vital, trustworthy, and culturally relevant information to help Filipinos navigate the information ecosystem. Tayo’s interdisciplinary leadership team is composed of journalists, doctors, attorneys, mental health professionals, creatives and technologists.
Tayo was developed by FYLPRO’s COVID-19 Task Force in the Fall of 2020 in response to the ongoing pandemic and to tackle the specific needs of Filipinos in the diaspora and back home. It was also known as the Caretaker project.
Today, Tayo has participated and led research projects and studies around mental health, heart health and vaccine hesitancy. In addition, Tayo works to continue to combat misinformation by publishing explainers and fact checks. Tayo is a member of the Asian American Disinfo Table (anchored by NCAPA), Tiny News Collective and NHLBI’s Healthy Hearts Network.
About Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)
FILIPINO YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries.
We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora. By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community.
For more information:
About Tayo
Tayo, a project of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), is an innovative data hub that empowers Filipinx/a/o communities by collecting data, fostering partnerships, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable and sustainable future.
For more information, visit tayohelp.com.
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