Wesley, Janelle should be TOYM awardees
Wesley So and Janelle May Frayna should be recognized and acknowledged due to their outstanding and exemplary achievements in chess.
The Philippines Jacycees recently launch last April 23 the search for the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) for 2017 in Cabanatuan City.
The TOYM Award is widely recognized as the country’s most prestigious recognition for young men and women. It seeks “to give national recognition to young men and women between the ages of 18 and 40, whose selfless dedication to their profession or vocation has resulted in significant contributions to the welfare of their countrymen, as well as to the advancement of their fields of endeavor.”
Wesley So and Janelle May Frayna should be recognized and acknowledged due to their outstanding and exemplary achievements in chess. There is now a mini-renaissance among our youth because of them. Although based in the USA, Wesley has remained a Filipino and Janelle is the first Filipina Woman Grandmaster.
The Jaycee Creed sees man not only in the light of what he is but what he can achieve. The Awards was initiated by the Manila Jaycees as a chapter project in 1959 and the Philippine Jaycees adopted the project on a national basis the same year
The Gerry Roxas Foundation co-sponsored the project in 1973 as they had similar objectives.
On Oct. 22, 1990, the TOYM Foundation was organized by past TOYM Awardees and Jaycee National Officers to provide support and continuity for the annual search. The 2017 members of the TOYM Foundation are Manny Pangilinan (chairman), Bienvenido Tantoco (president), Judy Roxas (chairperson Gerry Roxas Foundation) and Hegem Furigay (national JCI president).
The people organizing the search are DisstonTan, who is the national chairman and president of the Mandaue Jaycees, Carl Dizon (Northern Luzon) ,Alexander Uy (Metro Manila ), Erwin Ellazar (Southern Luzon), May Jane Abellana (Visayas) and Tushigka Tan (Mindanao). Other officers are Jannina Castillo (Public Relations), Hilario Cruz (Executive Director) and Nancy de Jesus (Secretariat).
Previous awardees from sports were Gabriel Elorde (1960), Johnny Jose (1961), Arsenio Laurel (1964), Eugene Torre (1974), Rafael Nepomuceno (1978), Luisito Espinosa (1989), Eric Buhain (1991), Lydia de Vega (1992), Elma Posadas (1995), Mansueto Velasco (1996), Manny Pacquiao (2004), Romeo Garduce (2006), Heradio Oracion (2006) and Emilio Caligdong (2012).
The time table for this year are launching (April 23), nominations (from date of launching to end of May), screening (September), judging (October), and awarding and testimonial dinner (December).