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| Cebuano Youth Ambassadors |
TAYO's partnership with Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, Inc. began in 2005 through the "Coke Barkada Award," which is given to the group that best demonstrates the Coke Barkada spirit of collective volunteerism, or "working together for the community and living the value of positive action for positive change.” The winning group receives a trophy and a cash grant. The award is part of the Foundation’s response to the global initiative of Coca-Cola that aims to focus on sustainability by improving personal well-being, building stronger communities, and protecting the environment. Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, Inc. has been the sole co-presenter of the TAYO Awards since 2006.
“Coca-Cola believes that the future of our society is in the hands of our youth, and that the power to change is multiplied exponentially as people come together on a common goal,” shares Cecile Alcantara, President of Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, Inc. “Through TAYO Awards, and the Coke Barkada Award, we want to show the Filipino youth that they can indeed become forces for positive change.”
The Coke Barkada Award in 2012 was given to Cebuano Youth Ambassadors for “BasuraSkwela: Changing Lives One Bag at a Time.” The project was inspired by a single bag crafted from used tarpaulin. Making bags from discarded materials has become a source of livelihood for the urban poor community of Tingub in Mandaue City, Cebu. To date, the project has been able to fund scholarships for 50 children in the community.
“BasuraSkwela is an innovative project that has made a tremendous impact in the community of Tingub,” says Atty. Adel Tamano, Vice President for Public Affairs and Communication of Coca-Cola Philippines. “It has empowered the residents in many aspects – trash recycling has helped improve the environment; as a source of income, it has helped improve the lives of families; and by giving access to children’s education, the project ensures the future growth of the community. ”
Tamano, who was also one of the judges for the awards, also noted that the Cebuano Youth Ambassadors is a great example of how the youth can make positive change happen when they work together. “Coca-Cola is all about sharing happiness, and this group definitely exemplified that barkada spirit we are looking for. When they presented BasuraSkwela to the TAYO Awards panel, I could tell that they also had a lot of fun working on the project.”
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