COMMISSION on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Chairman Dante Ang II has challenged the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) to send at least one young Filipino American from each of its 14 regions in the United States to the CFO’s Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLeaD) program every year.
Speaking before delegates of the 16th NaFFAA National Empowerment Conference in Colorado on Aug. 14, Ang said sustained youth engagement was crucial to keeping succeeding generations of Filipino Americans connected to the Philippines and developing a new generation of leaders in the global Filipino community.
“NaFFAA has 14 regions across the US. Can you commit to sending just one participant per region to YouLeaD every year?” Ang said.
The proposal would bring at least 14 young Filipino Americans annually into the CFO program, providing them with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of their Filipino heritage while developing leadership networks and exploring ways to contribute to the Philippines.
Ang particularly encouraged Filipino Americans who were born or raised in the US to organize or join YouLeaD groups, saying stronger participation from the diaspora’s younger generation would help sustain ties with the Philippines beyond the first generation.
YouLeaD provides an immersive learning experience focused on Philippine history, culture, government institutions and communities. The program also seeks to help young Filipinos overseas rediscover their Filipino identity, strengthen leadership skills, build international networks and identify meaningful avenues for contributing to the country’s development.
Ang described NaFFAA as one of the CFO’s strongest partners in diaspora engagement and expressed hope that their collaboration would result in more YouLeaD groups being organized in the United States.
He also cited the growing cooperation between the YouLeaD team and the Filipino Young Leaders Program, which he said could further expand opportunities for young Filipinos overseas to participate in leadership and community-building initiatives.
“These young people will become the community leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, artists, diplomats and advocates of tomorrow. When we strengthen their connection to the Philippines, we strengthen the future of our global Filipino community,” Ang said.
The initiative is part of the CFO’s efforts to maintain and strengthen the Philippines’ political, economic and cultural ties with Filipinos and their descendants living abroad.
