Alumni of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM), led by TOYM Chairman Bienvenido “Donnie” Tantoco III, TOYM Foundation, Inc. President Chaye Cabal-Revilla, and Usec. Ma. Anthonette Velasco-Allones from the Department of Migrant Workers, along with the Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. (CLFI), held the inaugural TOYM Impact Summit at Lakehall in Nena’s Sanctuary, located at the Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
The one-day summit provided a platform for past TOYM honorees to convene and collaborate on potential projects to be undertaken collectively within the next six to 12 months. Guided by the summit’s theme, “Impact Begins With I,” and its subthemes “Imagine, Inspire, and Ignite,” the TOYM honorees explored how their diverse fields of expertise, for which they were recognized in previous years, can be harnessed to maximize the impact of these projects.
Among the distinguished TOYM honorees in attendance were Ryan Cayabyab (1978), Dr. Carmencita Padilla (1994), Menardo “Butch” Jimenez (1998), Dr. Jonas del Rosario (2004), Hon. Alfred Vargas (2019), Samira Gutoc (2019), and Manix Abrera (2022). Additionally, Gawad Kalinga Founder Antonio Meloto and 1992 TOYM honoree Senator Loren Legarda graced the event and delivered their significant messages.
“I was inspired by each awardee’s outstanding work and contribution in their respective fields when I was one of the judges during the latest TOYM awards. I decided to hold this summit because I believed that events like these provide a unique opportunity for us to work collectively towards a common goal and create something truly impactful,” Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier said.
Lhuillier also added that this summit will continue and evolve into something bigger and better. “There is a lot that we can do together. Together as one, we heal and multiply – multiply ideas, projects, leaders, mentors, and entrepreneurs.”
TOYM Chairman Bienvenido “Donnie” Tantoco III expressed his excitement and gratitude during the summit. “It really means so much to us that the previous TOYM awardees are here at the first-ever summit of its kind. There is such a diversity of amazing men and women that are present in this room,” he said.
“We feel your giftedness. We are inspired by your track record. We feel your enthusiasm and patriotism. We feel your individual excellence, and we believe that collectively, we are even more special and even more powerful.”
Lhuillier also emphasized the importance of working together. “We are all interconnected, and our collective efforts can have a much greater impact than our individual ones. We are here to ignite our collective initiative and develop ideas or projects that we can work on together as a community,” he continued.
“We have to do something together as a TOYM tribe and family. If we were able to be amazing together and do it for God’s purpose, for the greater glory, and for the good of others, then TOYM will actually have an impact,” TOYM Foundation, Inc. President Chaye Cabal-Revilla added.
The summit was made possible with the collaborative efforts of the CLFI, Total Exhibit & Expo Solutions, Inc., and Lakehall at Nena’s Sanctuary.