About the Tayo Editorial Desk
The Tayo Editorial Desk is responsible for the creation and curation of content around COVID-19 on the Tayo platform. The information and materials on Tayo is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice or official legal advice. We will continuously add experts to grow knowledge base and breadth of subject matter expertise. Information found here is for educational purposes only.
Organizational Partners
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Washington, D.C.
The Embassy is the principal representative of the Philippine Government in the U.S. It advances Philippine national interest largely by engaging US-based constituencies such as: government, business community, media, academia, “think tanks,” NGOs and the Filipino-American community.
Minority Psychology Network
The Minority Psychology Network strives to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health within minority communities by spreading education about how stigma is formed and maintained culturally and environmentally.
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Washington, D.C.
The Embassy is the principal representative of the Philippine Government in the U.S. It advances Philippine national interest largely by engaging US-based constituencies such as: government, business community, media, academia, “think tanks,” NGOs and the Filipino-American community.
Leadership Team
Leezel Tanglao
Project Director, Spokesperson for Tayo
Leezel Tanglao is a bridge journalist at the intersection of editorial, product and business development. She has worked at several media companies including The Points Guy, HuffPost, Associated Press, CNN, CBSNews.com, VICE News, NowThis, ABCNews.com, KCBS/KCAL and Press-Enterprise. She is the Assistant Managing Editor for Digital at Dallas Morning News. She holds a Masters degree in Asian American Studies from UCLA and Bachelors degree in English from Loyola Marymount University. She is currently the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) President and cofounder and project director of FYLPRO’s Tayo, a data innovation hub and media literacy initiative that works to empower Filipinx/a/o communities by collecting data, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable future.
Brian Tajo
Project Manager, Tayo
Brian Tajo is a successful business professional having held prominent roles at various Fortune 500 organizations.
Dr. Melissa Palma, MD, MPH
Health Advisor, Tayo
Dr. Melissa Palma, MD, MPH graduated with degrees in biochemistry and medicine from the University of Iowa. Her medical school capstone project focused on health ed programs for rural migrant farmworkers.
Mark Calaguas
Product Counsel, Tayo
Mark Calaguas is the Product Counsel for Tayo. An attorney based in Chicago, Marks practices at the confluence of law and technology, with a focus on data privacy and electronic discovery. Mark is a founding board member and current at-large trustee of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) and serves as president of the Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago (FALA Chicago), as well as vice board chair of the Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE). Mark also sits on the Illinois State Advisory Committee of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.
Jobel Vecino
Special Projects Manager & Technologist, Tayo
Jobel Vecino is the special projects manager and technologist for Tayo. He is currently a software engineer working on podcasts at Amazon Music.
Krystle Canare
Fellowship Director, Tayo
Krystle Canare is a Program Specialist for the Georgetown University Center for Child & Human Development’s SAMHSA funded Center of Excellence on Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (CoE). She oversees FYLPRO's fellows program.
TJ Simba-Medel
Risk Mitigator & Creative Consultant, Tayo
Timothy “TJ” Simba-Medel is the risk mitigator and creative consultant for Tayo. He holds a BA in Theater Arts from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. He is a professional performing artist, creative consultant, and arts educator with pedagogical methods rooted in the art of Spoken Word (2006 New Jersey Youth Slam Team in HBO’s Brave New Voices, 2008 New York Knicks Poetry Slam Top Finalist, and the 2009 Southern Fried “King of the South” Individual Poetry Slam Champion).
Frederick Docdocil
Core Team Member, Tayo
A Public Relations Commissioner for the City of Carson, CA, Frederick Docdocil is an active member of multiple Filipino American organizations, including the Filipino Community of Carson (FCC) and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA).
Tiffany Batac
Project Manager, Tayo (Fall 2020)
Tiffany is Assistant Vice President and Principal Consultant at WSP – a globally recognized professional services firm. As part of the Asset Management and Business Advisory group, Tiffany advises infrastructure clients on asset management strategy, policy, and planning; program development and implementation; process improvement; resilience planning; investment prioritization; performance management; regulatory and standards compliance.
Dexter Ligot-Gordon
Technology Lead & Product Manager, Tayo (Fall 2020)
Dexter Ligot-Gordon is the Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer at Kalibrr. He is the technology lead and product manager of Tayo.
Pia Besmonte
Operations Coordinator, Tayo (Fall 2020)
Pia Besmonte is the operations coordinator of Tayo. She was previously a Fulbright Global UGrad Fellow. She is also a poet, literature educator and beginning artist.
Jiggy Villanueva
Product Designer, Tayo (Fall 2020)
Jiggy Villanueva is the product designer for Tayo. He currently works as a product designer for Kalibrr based in the Philippines.
Aaron Lee
Developer, Tayo (Fall 2020)
Aaron Lee is a developer for Tayo. He also currently works at Kalibrr.
Donny Rojo
Product Advisor, Tayo (Fall 2020)
Donny Feliciano Rojo is a Technical Program Manager for Amazon. He leads large global teams in the development and innovation of new to market technologies. He is the product advisor for Tayo.
Ireneo Reus III
Core Team Member, Tayo
Ireneo A. Reus III has served as outside corporate counsel to clients in various industries, such as financial services, commercial and residential real estate, health care, and media.
Kit Zulueta Furukawa
Core Team Member, Tayo
In addition to a colorful 15-year career in private, nonprofit, county government and state university, Kit Zulueta Furukawa has provided instrumental leadership to numerous community boards, which includes hours and hours of pro-bono volunteer work for creative services.
The Hon. Joshua Ang Price
Core Team Member, Tayo
Joshua Ang Price is an Election Commissioner in Pulaski County, Arkansas, the largest county in the state with 400,000 residents and home to its capital city of Little Rock. He also serves as an Public Information Officer for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Leezel Tanglao
Project Director, Spokesperson for Tayo
Leezel Tanglao is a bridge journalist at the intersection of editorial, product, marketing, business development and tech. She is currently the Director of Audience Insights & Innovation at The Points Guy. Her previous stints include HuffPost, Associated Press, CNN, CBSNews.com, VICE News, Nowthis, ABCNews.com, KCBS/KCAL and The Press-Enterprise. She is FYLPRO's VP and the chair of the COVID19 Task Force.
Senior Advisors
Gerry Palon
Founding President of Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC)
Gerry Palon is Founding President of Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC). COFACC is umbrella organization of 16 orgs including 12 FilAm Chambers of Commerce in SoCal and Texas.
Melany De La Cruz-Viesca
UCLA Asian American Studies Center, Associate Director
Melany also runs AASC’s Census Information Center and serves as Managing Editor of AAPI Nexus, a nationwide journal focusing on Asian American Pacific Islander policy, practice, and community issues.
Dr. Joyce Javier, MD, MPH, MS
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Dr. Javier is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
Dr. Monica Caffey
California Behavioral Health Planning Council, Governor Appointee
Dr. Caffey also serves as Regional Director, Asst. Professor of National University’s Psychology Dept., and Chair of the Behavioral Health Commission for San Bernardino County 4th District.
Dr. D.J. Ida
Executive Director, National Asian Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
Dr. Ida has over 30 years experience working with Asian American/Pacific Islander communities. She is the National Alliance of Multi-ethnic Behavioral Health Associations’ Executive Director.
Expert Reviewers
The Hon. Joshua Ang Price
Election Commissioner and SBA Public Information Officer
Joshua Ang Price is an Election Commissioner in Pulaski County, Arkansas, the largest county in the state with 400,000 residents and home to its capital city of Little Rock. He also serves as an Public Information Officer for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Juliet Bui, MSW, MPA
Public Health Analyst at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health
Juliet Bui is a public health analyst in the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Isabella Aquino (she/her/hers)
Community Health Organizer & Manager
NAKASEK VA
Zowee Aquino is a 2nd-gen social worker with a background in public health and experience in mobilizing, healthcare and social policy, and support services coordination for individuals and communities
Marielle Kabin
COO/Owner of Travelwise International
Secretary of Philippine American Chamber of Commerce – D.C.
Ms. Kabin is recognized in the industry as a rising star and was named Top 30under30 travel agents by Travel Agent Magazine. She is the Pres. of the American Society of Travel Advisors, Philippines Chapter.
Dr. Melissa Palma, MD, MPH
Dr. Melissa Palma, MD, MPH graduated with degrees in biochemistry and medicine from the University of Iowa. Her medical school capstone project focused on health ed programs for rural migrant farmworkers.
Joel Vazquez (he/him/his)
Diversity and Inclusion Recruitment Manager
Venture for America
As a new Recruitment Manager focused on diversity and inclusion within Venture for America, Joel aims to recruit 200+ Fellows that are reflective of the communities they serve to ensure an inclusive, welcoming experience.
Stefanie Darryl V. Segovia-Engler, MSW, LLMSW-MI
Quality Administrator
Kenneth Young Center
As a Filipina American living in Detroit, She has a BA in Social Work from Norteastern Illinois University and an MSW from Loyola University, providing support and counsel in the community transition process and maintaining program and grant compliance.
Aggie Serrame, M.S., M.P.S
Non-political Staff
Executive Office of the President
Ms. Serrame provides direct support in the current COVID-19 pandemic response operations in the US as a biological expert and advisor. Hailing from a family of nurses, she has worked for the National Institutes of Health and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Dr. Antonio Moya, MD, MPH
Los Angeles Neurologist
Dr. Antonio Moya, MD MPH is a Board Certified Neurologist working in Los Angeles. Antonio co-founded the Council of Young Filipino Americans in Medicine (CYFAM) in 2019.
Brian Tajo
Brian Tajo is a successful business professional having held prominent roles at various Fortune 500 organizations.
Fellowship Program
Fellows 2022
Lorenzo Garcia
Third Year Student,
Northwestern University
Ciboney Reglos
Junior Student,
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Emily Paras
Rising Sophomore,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Bianca Vinoya
Institutional Partnerships Manager,
Breakthrough New York
Frances Angela Maher
Associate,
Avalere Health
Joed Garbo
Public Health Student,
California State University of Los Angeles
Samantha Jane Benavidez-Walsh
Doctoral Student,
Suffolk University
Bianca Barredo
Rising Junior,
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Yna Aggabao
Senior Social Media Manager,
Office of Communications at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Fellows 2021
Maria Cristina Chachie Abara
Alumna,
University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Ione Sky Causing
Alumna,
Central Washington University
Georgie D’Sanson
Rising Senior,
Johns Hopkins University
Nouchka Claire Apostol
Double Major Student,
University of California, Irvine
Carina Gregorio
Junior Student,
California State University, Los Angeles
Jonathan Laxamana
Rising Sophomore,
Stanford University
Sofia Lindo
Sophomore Student,
Cypress College
Nico Palanca
Junior Student,
Virginia Tech
Brian Mangilog
Alumna,
Harvard University
Fellows 2020
Kristen Del Pilar
3rd year,
University of California, Los Angeles
Kathleen Frejoles
4th year,
University of Maryland, College Park
Sarah Mae Dizon
3rd year,
George Mason University
Justine Suegay (she/her)
Alumna,
George Mason University
Nichole V. Dungo
4th year,
University of California, Irvine
Shiela Mae Wong Valerio
3rd year,
University of California, Santa Barbara
Reanna Mae Felix
1st year,
Dominican University of California
/fellow
--- END OF FELLOWS ---About Tayo
Tayo, a project of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), is an innovative data hub that empowers Filipinx/a/o communities by collecting data, fostering partnerships, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable and sustainable future.
Tayo was developed by FYLPRO’s COVID-19 Task Force in 2020 response to the ongoing pandemic and to tackle the specific needs of Filipinos in the diaspora and back home in fall of 2020. The project pilot featured a virtual help desk which connects Filipinos with vital information and services in the greater Los Angeles area.
About the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)
The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization of high-performing, next-generation leaders that have a passion for advancing the Philippines and the Filipino people.
We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora. By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community.
For more information, visit fylpro.org.