A GATHERING OF PHL’S BRIGHTEST: TOFIL Laureates Summit set for January 2023

The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Foundation has just entered into an agreement with the Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute (ECCRI) and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) to bring together some of the Philippines’ brightest minds from across multiple business sectors and academic disciplines to address hurdles in the way of the country’s sustainable development.

Dubbed “THE LAUREATES: The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Summit,” the event will be held on January 17, 2023, and will be attended by thought and industry leaders, academics, and other prime stakeholders. Under the theme, “Today’s Act, Tomorrow’s Impact,” the Summit aims to build a collective response to pandemic concerns; help communities distinguish fact from fiction in the new information ecosystem; recommend resilient and sustainable solutions to issues of interest to PACU and its stakeholders; and create a multidisciplinary network to address pressing concerns and threats to the country through innovative approaches and solutions.

The Terms of Reference for the Summit were formally signed recently by TOFIL Chairman Atty. Rogelio Garcia, PACU President Dr. Anthony Jose M. Tamayo, and ECCRI President and Science Diplomat Glenn S. Banaguas.

For over 30 years, The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award has been given out by the JCI Senate of the Philippines and the ANSA Foundation in recognition of the exemplary achievements of men and women aged 41 and older. The TOFIL Award is touted as “the Nobel Prize of the Philippines.”

Awardees are selected as much for their accomplishments as for the “strength of their character and integrity; and the impact of their achievements on their field of work, public welfare, and national development.”

Himself a TOFIL Laureate, Sci. Dpl. Banaguas founded the ECCRI in 2010 and spearheaded the institute’s flagship program, Climate Smart Philippines: Science for Service, to bring scientific experts and stakeholders together in addressing disasters and preventing losses from climate change and other hazards. For these initiatives, Banaguas received the prestigious global UN Sasakawa Award in 2022.