"God gave me better opportunities to pursue my passion for public service."
"God gave me better opportunities to pursue my passion for public service."
(First of three parts)
Today I start my one year of service as National President of the Junior Chamber International Philippines. I would like to share my inaugural address delivered during my induction during the online JCI Philippines National Convention on December 13, 2020.
Permit me tonight to begin by speaking from the heart.
There was a time in my life when I thought I lost everything – my young life’s work of almost ten years, many of my friends that I considered family, my idealistic perception about what politics is and should be. The first ten years of my young adult life, I was working for a political group, to which I gave my fullest commitment, giving up even my weekends and vacations so that not only will I get the work done, but because I believed it was something worth doing.
Then the reality of partisan politics hit me – when principle must bow to pragmatism – until it reached the point that I could no longer find it in my heart to carry on. Perhaps, I was just too young and naïve to think that politics would all be too rosy, and not without its own perfidies. So I made the decision to leave the group of which I was part for many years and with my resignation, almost overnight, my life turned upside down.
It was the worst crisis in my life, that I thought it would be the beginning of the end. Honestly, at that point, I couldn’t even find a way out, and my only option, moving forward, was to simply drift through every minute, every hour of my every day.
That was seven years ago when I lost almost every piece of faith in myself.
Until the proverbial happened. When God closes a door, he opens a window. So did he. God brought new people into my life, and even better opportunities to pursue my passion for public service.
It was then that I met our guest of honor, Cong. Martin G. Romualdez. He placed his confidence in me, at a time when I couldn’t even have faith in my own self. It was his vision for Eastern Visayas set me back on a course of working for our region’s development. That is how my involvement with Tingog party-list came to be.
As I stand in front of you today, I am reminded of these difficult times of the past. How a personal crisis shaped my character for the better. How compassion motivated me to make a commitment to put the good of others over my own. How the courage to move on inspired my own confidence in the future.
That is why, I would like to begin by expressing my thanks to Cong. Martin and of course, Cong. Yedda, for believing in me, and for putting faith in my capacities and aspirations. Not only have they given me their friendship, they have embraced me as family. I could honestly say, that without them, this day may have never come, and for that, I can never be thankful enough.
Around seven years ago, I also got invited to join JCI Philippines. Many of my friends were from JCI, and now I wonder what took them so long to invite me. Soon after, I became part of JCI Candahug Liberation – at first, I thought a JCI member was all I could ever be. If on my first day in JCI, someone told me I could be National President, I would have probably laughed at you. Tonight that joke is one me.
This is why it humbles me to stand before you as the 2021 president of JCI Philippines and to accept the trust that you have placed in me and the rest of this year’s leadership team. I am not unmindful of the enormous responsibility that comes with it. There is never a moment when privilege comes, without a responsibility, and especially at this very challenging time, it is such as this opportunity to serve, that gives life even greater meaning.
I am thankful to all the members of JCI Philippines, both past and current, for this opportunity to be of greater service to JCI national movement. I pledge to do the best I can to be worthy of your confidence.
JCI took me in – warts, flaws and all – and shaped me to be better. Just at the right time when I was reeling from my own quarterlife crisis. What started as a welcome diversion, eventually shifted my paradigm in life. Just when I thought there was nothing new that I could learn, I found a new purpose to pursue.
Service to humanity is the best work of life.
Five powerful words that define who we are and what we do.
Five powerful words that spell out our shared mission to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change.
As I begin my one year to lead, I reaffirm my commitment to these values.
I am thankful to everyone who became part of my growth here in JCI – my mentors – NP Jimjim Yaokasin who was the first to see my leadership potentials in the movement – NP Fulbert Woo, NP Mabel Mamba, SG Dennis Cunanan, NP Rix Rafols, VP PJ Estrellado, and of course, NP Mark Joseph David. In due course, I met many others – past national presidents and national officials, former and present colleagues in the National Board, my Infinity batchmates, my JCI friends from the Visayas, my JCI Candahug Liberation family and many others whose example and friendship has inspired and motivated me to commit even further to higher responsibilities in JCI Philippines.
The reason why I can look confidently into the future, is because I stand on the shoulders of these life giants.