National Youth Commission cuts ties with TAYO Awards Foundation

The National Youth Commission (NYC) is ending its support to the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards Foundation Inc., which recognizes and supports the outstanding contributions of youth organizations in the country.

In a Palace briefing on Thursday, NYC officer-in-charge Ronald Gian Cardema said the commission would instead divert the government’s P1.7-million contribution to the NYC to a youth awards that will be named after President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We will just establish our own government youth awards to be called “The President Rodrigo Roa Duterte Youth Leadership Awards” for outstanding youth leaders and youth organizations throughout the country, and even for organizations of young OFWs abroad,” he said.

The TAYO Awards Foundation organizes The Search for the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations of the Philippines in partnership with the NYC and the office of Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV.

Cardema added that the NYC will also no longer focus on the issues of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, but would rather concentrate on the “desired policies” of the President.

“The National Youth Commission will redirect its programs and activities towards the desired policies of President Duterte, and not anymore focus mainly on LGBT matters just like in the previous years. We are the National Youth Commission, not an LGBT commission,” he said.

Cardema was designated as NYC OIC after Aiza Seguerra resigned as the NYC chair in March.

During her term, she had pushed for HIV/AIDS awareness among the youth. /ee