By 2026 JCI Baguio LO President Alfred Tan
I still remember attending my first Area Conference and asking:
“Ay, bakit may awards-awards? Kala ko puro inuman lang ang JCI?”
“Kasi may bid.”
“Ano ’yun?”
“Ibi-bid mo yung project.”
“Anong project? Bakit may categories? Paano ’yan ginagawa? Bakit hindi tayo tinatawag? Mahina ba tayo?”
Ang dami kong tanong. I genuinely had no idea how any of it worked. I didn’t know what a bid was, how projects were entered, what the different award categories meant, or why some chapters kept getting called while we mostly stayed at our table.
I just knew one thing: parang ang saya din pala marinig ang “JCI Baguio” sa stage.
And apparently, hindi lang pala ako ang may impression na puro inuman ang JCI Baguio.
Over the years, we somehow became known by some as the “drinking chapter.” And honestly, we can’t completely deny that. We definitely know how to enjoy a good fellowship.
AreaCon was usually the same for us. We would sit at our table, have our drinks, cheer for our friends as other chapters walked up the stage, and hope that maybe JCI Baguio would bring home something.
But most of the time, none at all.
Looking back at what we can currently trace, JCI Baguio received a UNO Award for Best Website in 2022, followed by a RANIAG Award for Best Website in 2023.
And here’s what makes that history interesting.
JCI Baguio is already 77 years old, only a year younger than JCI Philippines itself, which is celebrating 78 years.
Yet for a chapter with more than seven decades of history, nobody we’ve asked seems to know for certain what Area Awards or nominations JCI Baguio may have received before 2022.
Maybe there were many. Maybe there were a few. The records simply haven’t made their way to us.
Seventy-seven years is a lot of history, and there are undoubtedly chapters of our own story that our generation has yet to rediscover.
But we do know what happened in 2026.
This time, we didn’t come with just questions.
We came with 10 bids.
As the categories, finalists, and awardees were announced throughout the night, we kept hearing one familiar name: “JCI Baguio.”
By the end of the night, 9 of our 10 bids had made it as finalists, with 6 bringing home Area Awards. After years of mostly watching and cheering from our table, it felt different to hear our chapter’s name called that many times.
And honestly, seeing the surprise from some of our fellow chapters made it a little sweeter.
For a chapter that some had come to know mainly for inuman and fellowship, I think we surprised a few people that night.
Yes, we know how to drink. But we also showed that we know how to work, serve, and deliver.
UNO AWARDS
- Most Outstanding Local Organization – Category 3
- Most Outstanding Project Chair
- Most Outstanding Website
- Most Outstanding Innovation Project
RANIAG AWARDS
- Most Outstanding New Member
- Most Outstanding JCI Week Celebration
FINALISTS
- Most Outstanding Local Organization President – Category 3
- Most Outstanding Member
- Best Health Program
And our story this year goes beyond AreaCon:
- Leadership Excellence Award – President
- Best Efficiency RSDD Award
- Diamond Seal of Excellence for PEA Reporting
- Recipient of the JCI Gavel
Of all the recognitions, hearing MOST OUTSTANDING LOCAL ORGANIZATION – CATEGORY 3 was especially meaningful.
Because that one belongs to everyone.
To every member who showed up. Every project chair who stepped up. Every officer who worked behind the scenes. Every partner who trusted us. Every Past President and Senator who continued to guide and support us.
And while I’m saying thank you, I also want to acknowledge our doubters, our critics, and yes, even our haters.
To those who thought we couldn’t do it, thank you.
To those who chose not to support us, who discouraged others from showing up or supporting what we were doing, and those who watched from the sidelines waiting for us to fail, thank you, too.
You became fuel.
We could have spent our energy trying to convince people to believe in us. Instead, we put that energy into the work.
We showed up. We served. We improved. We kept moving forward.
And eventually, we didn’t have to prove anything with words. We let the work speak for itself.
But the biggest thank you will always belong to the people who did show up.
To my Secretary, IPP, Coach and Mentors, Board of Directors, our members, project chairs, Past Presidents, Senators, partners, friends, and everyone who believed in JCI Baguio, this moment is yours.
Somewhere between the meetings, deadlines, reports, projects, partnerships, sleepless nights, disagreements, laughter, fellowship, and yes, the inuman, we built something together.
I entered my first AreaCon asking:
“Bakit may awards-awards?”
Now I understand. Awards are not why we serve. But sometimes, they remind us that the work was seen, the effort mattered, and the impact was real.
10 bids submitted.
9 finalists.
4 UNO Awards.
2 RANIAG Awards.
6 Area Awards.
And one recognition we will proudly share as one chapter: MOST OUTSTANDING LOCAL ORGANIZATION – CATEGORY 3
We may not have a complete record of everything JCI Baguio achieved throughout its 77-year history, but we know what happened in 2026.
And this time, we created a record that the next generation of JCI Baguio will be able to look back on. But 2026 isn’t over yet.
The National Convention awaits us this October, where we carry this momentum forward and proudly present our incoming President as JCI Baguio prepares for its next chapter.
For now, we celebrate this milestone with gratitude for how far we’ve come and excitement for what is still ahead.
May inuman pa rin. We just have a few more reasons to celebrate now.
Congratulations, JCI Baguio!
