Miss Universe 2015 titleholder Pia Wurtzbach and renowned director Zig Dulay are among the recipients of the 2024 The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awards.
Photo: Pia Wurtzbach and Zig Dulay/Instagram
The announcement ceremony, which took place on December 15, recognized Filipino personalities who set a positive example in their respective field.
Pia, named as one of this year’s TOYM awardees, is honored for her commendable contributions to humanitarian service and social work. She has also been an active advocate for people living with HIV even after winning the Miss Universe 2015 title.
LoveYourself, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that builds a safe and empowered community for transgender people and the youth, congratulated the beauty queen on the award. In early December, she held an auction of her pageant memorabilia to help raise funds for the NGO’s new youth center in Taguig City.
View this post on Instagram
“Congratulations Pia Wurtzbach for being recognized as one of The Outstanding Young Men (and Women) of the Philippines 2024 for her exceptional contributions to Humanitarian Service and Social Work!” it wrote.
It added: “Your dedication to creating a better world continues to inspire countless individuals. We, at LoveYourself, are beyond proud of you, Pia!
Meanwhile, Zig was honored for his impeccable contributions to arts and culture. He is the director behind the popular historical fantasy series Maria Clara at Ibarra.
He is also the director behind the award-winning film Firefly, which was one of the entries in the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival. The fantasy film won the Best Picture award at the 2023 MMFF and the 2024 Manila International Film Festival.
Aside from Pia and Zig, eight other Filipino personalities are hailed as the newest recipients of the TOYM awards for their noteworthy contributions in their respective fields:
- Jose Gabriel Mejia (Arts and Culture)
- Venazir Martinez (Arts and Culture)
- Billie Crystal Dumaliang (Environmental Leadership and Community Development)
- Roscinto Ian Lumbres (Forestry, Agriculture, and Other Applied Sciences)
- Jenica Beatriz Dizon-Mountford (Humanitarian Service and Social Work)
- Pia Ranada (Journalism and Mass Communications)
- Brent Andrew Viray (Rural Medicine and Surgery)
- Dennis Umali (Veterinary Medicine)
In 2023, Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena was one of the TOYM recipients for his global excellence in sports.
The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) award is an annual national recognition given to exemplary Filipinos between the ages of 18 to 40 who have led by example and showcased excellence in their respective fields or communities.
ALSO READ:ย Madame Tussauds Singapore Unveils Pia Wurtzbachโs Wax Figure