KC JUDGES TAYO YEAR 5 SEARCH
Youth idol "inspired, impressed"

It was nearly impossible for this year's Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Year 5 finalists to contain their excited chatter when the speaker announced TAYO's surprise judge: youth idol and showbiz 'it' girl KC Concepcion.

Immediately, necks stretched to get a better view of KC, radiant as ever, especially in the green blouse she was wearing at yesterday's final judging at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Makati City. Later asked what made her decide to sit in the panel for this year's search, KC said, "Well I've known about the TAYO Search for 5 years now, as my dad (Senate Majority Leader Kiko Pangilinan) thought of the program and he's been encouraging the youth to engage in productive activities. I've been browsing through his files all these years and now that I just finished my degree, I finally have the time to really participate."

And participate she did. For five hours, KC listened and asked questions to TAYO's twenty finalists from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and the National Capital Region (NCR) as they presented their organization's projects.

Vying for the top 10 slots, this year's 20 finalists from the four judging areas ranged from groups that teach special children to those that promote cultural preservation. Winners of the search will each get a P50, 000.00 grant and a trophy by artist Toym de Leon Imaw.

"This is such a great experiece for me, to be part of TAYO. My admiration for these youth organizations and their projects is tremendous. To see people my age, my generation, doing what they can to improve their communities and address the problems instead of complain is really very inspiring," KC said.

An advocate for the rights of children and abused women herself, KC says "It's important to have your own advocacy. Stand up for what you believe in, and change your community."

KC is also a supporter of the marine environment. "I love the beach, and I feel that we need to work for the protection of our beautiful natural resources. Pero wala pa po akong nagagawa compared to the TAYO finalists," she said modestly.

"The wonderful thing about TAYO is that they are working together, sama-sama, tulong-tulong. And sitting before these finalists for just five hours, in just one day, makes me really proud and inspired because the young people are doing so much for our country," she said.

Asked which among the twenty are her favorite organizations, KC smiled and said, "Well, I like the organization of fishermen's children. They tried to find a solution to their fishing problem by making artificial coral reefs. I also like the club fighting for the rights of the handicapped, and the organization from Benguet, which gave so many trivia about their culture and it's amazing to hear that all those wonderful things are actually right here in the Philippines."

Will KC's bets make it to this year's Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations? The answer will be revelead on Monday, during the TAYO 5 Awards at the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati at 2pm.