Leading broadcast company GMA Network, through its flagship international channel GMA Pinoy TV, recently opened its doors to the 15 delegates of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) last November 24 during their week-long immersion trip to the Philippines.
Welcoming them is GMA International First Vice President and Head of Operations Joseph Jerome T. Francia who accompanied them in their full Kapuso experience. “We are delighted to have the excellent delegates of this year’s FYLPRO in GMA. We look forward to being able to contribute in developing their talents and we are excited for the great things that will surely come their way.”
The young leaders were able to step foot in the state-of-the-art Studio 2 of the GMA Integrated News and met Audio Visual Senior Manager Christina Pasual and AVP and Head of Studio and Remote Operations of GMA Network Inc. Jeff Evangelista. Everybody got excited interacting with the AI technology and using the teleprompter. They also met one of the hosts of the variety show Tiktoclock, Kuya Kim Atienza, and talked with the Program Manager of the show Charles Koo regarding the concept of the show. After that, they visited the set of the Family Feud game show in Studio 7.
The participants were also able to have informative talks with Voltes V: Legacy director Mark Reyes regarding the future and challenges of Philippine Television. I-Witness host and documentarist Howie Severino gave them a quick baybayin lesson.
This is the third year that GMA Pinoy TV partnered with FYLPRO’s immersion program in the Philippines. The 2022 cohort includes Melissa Trota, a five-time Hugo award winner; Angelo Mathay, an administrative judge; Neil Wingkun, an emergency room physician; and Michelle Josue, Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker.
Joining them are Michelle Amor, a manager of a digital commercial real estate fintech startup; Grace Rodriguez, the Assistant Deputy Director of Legal Affairs at the California Department of Consumer Affairs; Josh de Leon, an organizational changemaker, local political leader, and community organizer; Daniel Galeon IV, a Product Risk Strategist at a developer-oriented commerce company; Genevieve Villafranca Jopanda; the first American born of Ilonggo and Karay-a parents and a leader executive of 20 years at a various business operations; Agnes Lopez, a Filipino-American editorial and commercial photographer; Jamille Nagtalon-Ramos, an assistant professor and an Engaged Civic Learning Faculty Fellow; Constancio Paranal III, a lawyer specializing in the field of cybersecurity law; Danicole Ramos, a law student and a Military Equal Opportunity Officer; Angelico Razon, an internist, pediatrician and public health professional; and John Victoria, founder of a digital marketing agency that focuses on helping home service contractors.
FYLPRO is a joint initiative of the Philippine Embassy, Consulates General in the United States, and the Ayala Foundation, Inc. It was established in 2012 by Former Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the United States of America, Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and Victoria J. Cuisia in cooperation with the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI) to annually identify outstanding young professionals in the Filipino communities across the United States and provide the delegates with invaluable community, business, and government insights, access to distinguished network captains of industry and government, and a deeper understanding and experience of the Filipino culture.
The program also aims to provide young Filipino Americans the opportunity to meet and dialogue with high-level government officials, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs to forge closer Philippine-United States relations.