Winning with a Visionary Leader

By: Francisco III Baluyut, 2020 National Chairman for Publications

Being a president or a leader of an organization is not about fame and glory of the above-motioned position, but a big responsibility to accomplish. It is also showing your sincerity among your members that you can lead them and make a difference to each other.

It is a courageous act to take the lead, especially if you have a thousand members looking up to you, just like JCI Philippines. JCI Philippines continues to grow its membership and in order to continue to promote its values, mission, and vision, it needs a leader who has great passion not just to be the leader of more than 1200 members, but also to bring positive change in the country. For 2020, it will be led by one the most aggressive and passionate young leaders of JCIP, National President Mark Joseph David of JCI Parañaque Pambato.

Let’s get to know NP Mark more as he starts his journey this 2020 in leading JCI Philippines;

1. IN YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE, WHAT IS JCI?

JCI for me is an organization that trains young people to be better. Unlike other organizations, JCI focuses on the process and learnings rather than the results. We provide trainings and we use what we learn from those trainings to create sustainable solutions for a changing world. In everything that we do, we measure the impact we made, how we are able to sustain it, and how as members came out better active citizens.

JCI is an organization of leaders, we mold leaders to be better leaders, to be an active citizen, and to really provide genuine service to those who are in need. To create impact and change in our society, to build a community of leaders that does not demoralize, demarginalize or disenfranchise; rather, leaders that work to build a better society, a society that inspires, a society that improves, a society that works for equitable sharing of resources. and equitable opportunities for everyone.

2. WHAT OR WHO BROUGHT YOU TO JCI AND WHAT MADE YOU STAY?

I started very young in JCI. When I was researching how to be a member of JCI, my father introduced me to a family member who is a member already of JCI Paranaque Pambato and he recruited me. It was 2005 when I joined, he was our 2010 LO President – Rommel Dauigoy.

I stayed because of the friends I made along the way, and I believed I became a better individual because of JCI. From the learnings and the community we helped, it motivated me as a person to give more, to share my talents to do good and it was this reason that until today, I am still active in our organization.

3. OF ALL THE JCI POSITIONS THAT YOU HAVE HANDLED, WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING? REWARDING?

My LO Presidency. It was 2012 when I was JCI Paranaque Pambato’s President. I believe it was that year where I really enjoyed being a JCI member. I was able to recruit my family members and most eventually became our chapter Presidents in 2013 (Edward/ cousin), 2014 (Julio/cousin), 2016 (Matthew/brother), and 2017 (Jeff/brother). It was that year that our chapter had a resurgence in membership and it really made an impact on how I saw JCI as a whole. To be able to share the opportunities that JCI has provided for me to all the members we recruited that year. Creating projects, recruiting members, organizing meetings, etc… have their challenges. It was never easy, it’s a very tiring and grinding year for me and my chapter, but at the end of the year, the accomplishments and people/communities we helped made it all worth it.

4. FOR MANY YEARS BEING A JCI MEMBER, WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE PROJECT YOU HAD ATTENDED OR CONDUCTED AND WHY?

In 2012, we had this project in Bagac, Bataan where we provided shoes, slippers, clothes and school materials to the indigenous children in the area, through the help of Father Benjie who was the parish priest at that time. It was not a big project. It did not win any awards in JCI, but what made it memorable are the faces of the children we helped. To have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives, to be there and making a difference, to be present to those who have been left by our society, to help them with their everyday grind, and make their lives a little easier.

5. WHAT IS VISION 2020 AND HOW CAN WE AS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THIS YEAR’S THEME - MOLD+MOTIVATE?

Our organization has thrived throughout the years in training future leaders to be better leaders. We have done so much for our communities, to our country and to our fellow Filipinos. We have to pick up where we left off and do better. Innovate and move forward towards our goals and aspirations as one JCI Philippines.

In 2020, we should build bridges not barriers, work beyond borders and across affiliations. We should learn to work together with other stakeholders and organizations, having the same goals, same whys, the same passion, and same heart.

6. ARE YOU DATING SOMEONE AND MAY WE KNOW IF SHE’S A JCI MEMBER.

Secret. Haha! But one must be good with dogs. My dogs – Dumbledore, Drogo and Kylo to be exact.

7. WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO UP-ANDCOMING JCI MEMBERS WHO ARE JUST STARTING TO EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT.

Maximize your membership with JCI. Learn as much as you can, serve as much as you can and be an active citizen. Everything we do in our organization has its reasons, from the trainings we provide, the protocols we practice, the projects we implement… they are all done to make you better, so take an active role and be guided by our values, vision and mission in everything you do.

Always remember that we have a responsibility to create a better future not just for ourselves, but for everyone, to think of sustainable solutions with the problems of the world. Abraham Lincoln said, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today”.

Lastly, each one of us has a role to play. Be a catalyst for a better tomorrow. Our actions as members will have far-reaching effects, whether its realized now or in the future. John F Kennedy said,“One Person can make a difference, and everyone should try”.

NP Mark is now ready to serve the community, to be an active citizen, to be an agent of change that will empower not just JCI members but every member of the community and to be strength of everyone, together, LET’S MOLD AND MOTIVATE!•

“Always remember that we have a responsibility to create a better future not just for ourselves, but for everyone, to think of sustainable solutions with the problems of the world.”