Pinay gets WYA award for defense of human dignity

The World Youth Alliance (WYA), a New York-based group that defends a person's dignity through advocacy, education and culture, has honored a Filipina in its annual ball held over the weekend.

Erika Tatad was awarded the Kathryn Hoomkwap Award for Extraordinary Service for her contributions to the WYA and her continued "defense and protection of human dignity" on March 12, according to the group in a news release.

Tatad became WYA's first regional director for the Asia-Pacific region, which she established in Manila in 2004 after serving as a WYA intern at the United Nations New York headquarters in 2003.

She then studied International Business and Marketing at the University of Berkley in California before returning the Philippines to serve as the managing director of Microventures, the group behind sari-sari store program Hapinoy.

She then joined xchange, a social entrepreneurship consulting agency currently linked to Bayani Brew and Rags2Riches, Inc.

The Kathryn Hoomkwap award was conceived in 2014 to distinguish "service in defense of the dignity of the human person among WYA members" and alumni.

It was first awarded in 2014 to former Lanao del Norte Rep. Aliah Dimaporo Cimafranca, who served as the WYA's International Director of Operations from 2008 and 2010 and its Executive Director before returning to the Philippines for the 2010 elections. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News