Coleen Awit, a Negrosanon young leader from Bacolod City and founder of Sagup Negros, is among the 10 finalists for the 2nd Paing Hechanova Youth Leadership Awards (PHYLA).
Coleen currently serves as Senior Program Manager of the Negrosanon Young Leaders Institute (NYLI) and leads the NYLI Climate Solutions Center, which champions grassroots responses to climate and environmental challenges. The Center advances initiatives that make climate movements more inclusive and grounded in the lived realities of Filipino communities.
Alongside her work at NYLI, Coleen founded Sagup Negros, a social enterprise that addresses food waste in local public markets by rescuing surplus food and creating livelihood opportunities for market vendors and unemployed mothers. It is this initiative that earned her recognition as a finalist for the Paing Hechanova Youth Leadership Awards (PHYLA). Her leadership has been shaped by years of community work, collaboration, and mentorship across different spaces and movements, including NYLI.
The Paing Hechanova Youth Leadership Awards recognize young Filipinos who demonstrate service-oriented leadership, honoring the legacy of the late Rotarian and sports icon Rafael “Paing” Hechanova. This year, the awards received 84 nominations from across the country, highlighting the growing impact of youth-led initiatives nationwide.
The Negrosanon Young Leaders Institute Inc. works alongside children, young people, and communities by creating meaningful opportunities for mentorship, learning, and access to resources.
Coleen’s recognition at PHYLA shows how youth-led initiatives like Sagup Negros can thrive when individual drive is met with collective support and spaces that empower young people to turn ideas into real change.