Pia Wurtzbach and Zig Dulay (right) are the 2024 TOYM honorees — INQUIRER.net/Jessica Ann Evangelista
Beauty queen Pia Wurtzbach and director Zig Dulay have been announced as the winners of the 2024 Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award.
Wurtzbach was named one of this year’s TOYM honorees for his outstanding contributions in humanitarian service and social work during a ceremony held in Quezon City on Sunday, December 15.
Since winning the Miss Universe title in 2015, the beauty queen and actress has been active in humanitarian work, fighting cyberbullying and supporting people living with HIV.
At the same time, Dulay is also recognized for his outstanding contribution to the field of art and culture in film and television. He is known for his performances in the award-winning film “Fireflies” and the TV series “Maria Clara in Ibarra.”
In addition to Wurtzbach and Dulay, the other eight Filipino role models who were just conferred the prestigious TOYM Award are as follows:
- Jenica Beatriz Dizon-Mountford (Humanitarian Services and Social Work)
- Billie Crystal Dumaliang (Environmental Leadership and Community Development)
- Roscinto Ian Lumbres (Forestry, Agriculture and Other Applied Sciences)
- Vinazir Martínez (Arts and Culture)
- Jose Gabriel Mejia (Arts and Culture)
- Pia Ranada (Journalism and Mass Communication)
- Dennis Umali (Veterinarian)
- Brent Andrew Verey (Rural Medicine and Surgery)
TOYM Foundation President Bienvenido Tantoco III stressed that this year’s winners have reached “a high level” in their respective fields.
“When I compare past winners to today’s winners, I see some differences. In the past, it could be a more linear and binary world where excellence in one chosen area was enough. This year’s winners have achieved a high level of mastery, sometimes in three chosen areas that, on the surface, have no logical relationship to one another,” he said.
“So, they need our encouragement to stick to their path. They need extra motivation to continue to persevere in their goals and character,” the chairman added.
Since its inception in 1959, TOYM has annually recognized Filipinos between the ages of 18 and 40 who have made significant contributions to their fields and communities.