A Marker of Beginnings: Manila Hotel Honors the Birthplace of JCI Manila

The Manila Hotel formally unveiled a historical marker on December 16 at its Centennial Hallway recognizing the founding of JCI Manila, marking the very site where one of Asia’s most influential leadership movements began.

Inside the hotel’s Champagne Room, on December 20, 1947, a small group of young Filipino professionals gathered for what would become the first organizational meeting of the Manila Jaycees. That meeting, attended by just sixteen young men, laid the groundwork for an organization that would later give birth to the Philippine Jaycees, now JCI Philippines, the first nationally organized Junior Chamber in Asia.

The founding members of the Manila Jaycees, circa 1948.

The roots of the movement were shaped by two defining circumstances. The first was the Philippines’ historical ties with the United States, where the Junior Chamber movement had already taken form. The second was the restlessness of a generation of young professionals determined to help rebuild the country after the devastation of the Pacific War. That spirit of rebuilding found its catalyst in World War II veteran Artemio L. Vergel de Dios, whose curiosity about the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce set the wheels in motion for the organization’s establishment in Manila.

By January 1948, the Manila Jaycees formally elected their first set of officers, led by Ramon V. del Rosario as president. Soon after, the young organization moved beyond the capital, organizing chapters across the country, beginning with Cebu in April 1948. By the end of that year, twelve chapters had been established, setting the stage for the first Philippine Jaycee National Convention in 1949, also held at the Manila Hotel.

The newly unveiled marker honors those early beginnings and lists the charter members whose vision and initiative planted the seeds of a movement that would spread far beyond Philippine shores. From Manila, the JCI movement would take root across Asia, with JCI Manila playing a foundational role in establishing chapters in Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Myanmar. Over the decades, JCI Manila would go on to be recognized multiple times as the Most Outstanding Local Organization in the world, cementing its place as one of the most prestigious chapters in the global JCI network.

More than a historical plaque, the marker stands as a reminder that great movements often begin quietly. It speaks to post-war idealism, youthful initiative, and a belief that leadership is best expressed through service.

Manila Hotel President, Atty. Joey Lina. Photo by Lifestyle Asia.

The Manila Hotel, however, has not only preserved JCI Manila’s past. It has continued to serve as a living witness to the chapter’s evolving legacy. This connection is further deepened by the fact that the hotel’s president, Joey D. Lina Jr., is himself a distinguished member of JCI Manila, reflecting the enduring influence of Jaycee leadership values across generations and institutions.

In 2022, JCI Manila returned to this same institution to hold its 75th Anniversary Celebration, bringing the organization full circle. Then-President Richard Lim Jr., fondly known as “Dods,” welcomed Argenis Angulo, the World President of Junior Chamber International, underscoring JCI Manila’s enduring relevance and leadership within the global movement.

That evening’s General Membership Meeting was widely regarded as the biggest and most remarkable GGMM in recent history. It gathered past presidents, veteran members, new inductees, and international guests in a celebration that bridged generations. Held in the same venue where the chapter’s journey began decades earlier, the anniversary reaffirmed the Manila Hotel not just as a birthplace, but as a recurring witness to JCI Manila’s milestones, growth, and continued global impact.

From a quiet gathering of young men in the Champagne Room in 1947 to the unveiling of a permanent marker on December 16, and a landmark 75th Anniversary celebration decades later, the story comes full circle. The marker honors where JCI Manila began, while reminding the chapter that history is not something to admire from a distance, but something to live up to.

For the Newest Members of JCI Manila

For the newest members of JCI Manila, this marker is not meant to impress you. It is meant to confront you. It reminds you that this chapter was built by young people who did not wait to be ready, important, or certain. They simply chose to step forward. What they created now carries your name as well.

You joined JCI Manila at a time when its history is visible, its standards are high, and its expectations are clear. The legacies you admire were not inherited. They were earned. Every milestone you celebrate today was once carried by someone who was new, unsure, and still learning how to lead.

So when you pass by the marker at the Centennial Hallway, do not see it as something finished. See it as unfinished business. Your membership is not just about keeping the legacy alive. It is about proving that it still deserves to live.

The narrative did not end with them. It continues with what you choose to build next.