Filipino Young Leaders Program 2019
by Grace C. Sorongon
I was privileged to attend the joint lunch reception for the 2019 FYLPRO Delegation which was organized by the Makati Business Club, Philippine US Business Council, and American Chamber of the Philippines. It was a 14-member delegation composed of young Filipino-American professionals who have expressed their interest to help the Philippines in one way or the other.
Most of them were in the field of medicine, legal, IT and innovation, and the arts. It was quite a proud moment for a lot of them to be part of FYLPRO as they were given opportunities to pursue their advocacies and to network with Filipino business professionals. Likewise, it was also a proud moment for me, having met young professionals who were also making a name for themselves in the US.
One of the delegates, Rizza Palmares O’Connor, is the Chief Magistrate Judge of Tombs Country and the first Filipino-American judge in Georgia. In 2018, she was cited by Georgia Asian Times as one of the 25 Influential Asian Americans in Georgia. She was also recognized this year as Georgia’s young legal mind on the rise. She is young and seems to hold a lot of potential as a judge.
Another person who is quite admirable is Antonio Moya. A neurologist by profession, Dr. Moya was UCLA’s National Clinician scholar and has worked with underserved patients at the Los Angeles Department of Health Services at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center. I also met Earl Valencia, Managing Director for Digital Formation of a Fortune 500 bank and co-founder of Cognity Labs. What he has accomplished in the digital space and in helping start-ups is quite interesting. He tries to connect emerging markets to Silicon Valley’s ecosystem of fund ventures. So far, his passion to help start-up companies has led him to set up QBO and IdeaSpace Foundation. The other delegates were equally accomplished as well.
As a non-profit organization composed of high-performing, next-generation Filipino-American leaders, FYLPRO has lived up to its reputation. Hand-picking these young professionals was a tough process for sure. I liken this to the Business Leadership Program (BLP) of the American Chamber where yours truly was spearheading the selection process. The BLP program offers well-qualified college students to undergo a one-week boot camp of site tours and in-depth discussions with the end goal of gaining understanding of key global business issues. The BLP has been running for 15 years now and only the “Best of the Best” can join the program. So far, most of those who graduated from the BLP have become leaders in their own right.
In the same token, FYLPRO will have these young professionals become future influential leaders in the USA. As they try to make a name for themselves, I trust that the Philippines will be highlighted as their heritage.
I wish these young leaders all the best in their endeavors.
Come visit and join the John Clements Talent Community.
About the author:
Grace C. Sorongon was the 2013 President of People Management Association of the Philippines. She has been working with John Clements Consultants for more than three decades now. She is a Senior Vice President and is in charge of various corporate projects, steering these projects towards completion. She also manages the operations of Professional Staffers, a business unit within the John Clements group.
