Graduating, Never Leaving: JCI Manila Honors 52 Brothers at Gabi ng Parangal 2026

For most organizations, graduation marks the end of one’s journey. In JCI Manila, it means something entirely different.

On August 27, JCI Manila gathered at Noctos Music Bar for Gabi ng Parangal 2026, honoring 52 members who reached the age of 40 and transitioned from regular membership to associate status.

Thirty of the year’s graduates attended, joining nearly 200 baby Jaycees, regular members, associates, senators, past presidents, members of the Board of Directors, and the National President of JCI Philippines.

Together, they embodied the message at the heart of the evening: “Graduating, Never Leaving.”

“At 40, you graduate from regular member to associate of JCI Manila, but you do not leave,” explained Organizing Committee Chair Jake Lagazo. “The graduates could look around and see exactly where they were going, because the men who had already gone there were right in front of them, still showing up.”

A Night That Looked Back

Nearly every occasion in the JCI calendar looks toward what comes next: the next project, the next induction, the next batch, or the next year of leadership.

Gabi ng Parangal is different. It pauses to recognize the men who have already given years of their lives to the chapter, including countless hours of work that happened away from the spotlight.

“This is the only night that turns around and looks back,” Chair Jake said. “These 52 men gave years of their lives to this chapter, and most of that work happened in rooms nobody wrote down. This is where we say it out loud, to their faces, while they can still hear it.”

The committee carried one reminder throughout its preparations: each graduate would experience only one Gabi ng Parangal, so they had to make it count.

A Grand Entrance for Every Graduate

The evening’s most memorable moment began outside the venue’s doors.

Each graduate was called inside individually by name. As he entered, the entire room stood to welcome him with applause, cheers, handshakes, and embraces.

Midway through the walk, each graduate stopped as his varsity jacket was placed on him before the entire chapter. Across its back were the words “MNL Jaycees,” marking his place in the brotherhood he helped strengthen.

The jackets and individual grand entrances were reminiscent of the GoBIG Board’s 2023 Gabi ng Parangal, bringing back a memorable chapter tradition and giving it renewed meaning for the 2026 graduates.

Each graduate then continued to the stage, where he received a personalized bottle plaque and shared a commemorative photograph with the JCI Manila President.

The pause during the entrance was deliberate. It allowed the room to welcome and recognize each man, not merely as one of 52 graduates, but as an individual brother with his own history in the chapter.

What unfolded, however, went beyond anything the committee had planned.

“The men smiled the whole way through,” Chair Jake recalled. “They kept stopping to shake hands. They were waving. Some were hugging people on the way past. Nobody told the room to stay standing that long or to reach out like that. They just did it, because these men deserved it.”

Throughout the evening, “Summer of ’69” played repeatedly, becoming the unofficial anthem of the celebration and a song the graduates could associate with that night for years to come.

More Than a Thousand Memories

Behind the program was an extensive effort to recover memories from the graduates’ years in JCI Manila.

The committee created a separate group chat for every graduate and reached out across the chapter to find brothers, friends, and family members who had photographs and videos of them.

The effort produced more than 1,000 photos and videos, many retrieved from old phones and personal archives.

“This was the hardest part and the part I am proudest of,” Chair Jake said.

The keepsakes were prepared with the same attention. Each graduate received a bottle plaque bearing his name, while 200 limited edition miniature bottles were produced so every person in the room could bring home something from the occasion.

The ceremonial portion of the evening was hosted by Commissioner Dan Michael Gallego. After the formal recognition came one of the chapter’s most cherished traditions: the roasting of the graduates, facilitated by Commissioners Chucky Torres and Cyril Manalo.

The program balanced dignity and nostalgia with the humor, candor, and brotherly familiarity that define life inside JCI Manila.

Leadership Through Teamwork

Gabi ng Parangal 2026 was chaired by Jake Lagazo, who was inducted into JCI Manila in 2025 after completing his batch’s Sea of Life project under Special Projects. He also serves as chairman of Oplan Damayan, one of the chapter’s yearlong programs.

Despite being relatively new to the organization, Chair Jake led a committee entrusted with honoring decades of combined service.

He was quick, however, to direct the recognition toward his team.

“Honestly, I could not have done it without them, and I could not ask for a better team,” Chair Jake said.

Not everything unfolded according to plan, but every unexpected challenge was met by a committee member ready to step forward. Responsibilities were shared, problems were handled quietly, and the team supported one another without allowing the pressure to diminish the celebration.

“I saw leadership in each of them, taking the lead and taking over when the unexpected happened,” Chair Jake shared. “The workload and the pressure were divided, so nobody burned out and everyone got to enjoy the night as well. A reliable team is what made this possible.”

The Morning After

The most meaningful feedback did not end when the program did.

The following day, graduates personally messaged Chair Jake to thank the committee for giving them a memorable final evening as regular members.

For the committee, those messages carried special weight. They came after the applause had faded, the program had ended, and no one was obligated to say anything more.

“They knew people had worked for them,” Chair Jake said. “For a team that spent weeks chasing photos from people they had never met, planning and preparing, that was the whole payoff. It was so fulfilling.”

Gabi ng Parangal did not bid farewell to 52 members. It welcomed them into the next stage of their JCI journey.

The jackets, plaques, photographs, stories, and laughter honored what they had already given. But the presence of associates, senators, and past presidents throughout the room reminded them that turning 40 does not remove anyone from the brotherhood.

In JCI Manila, members may graduate.

They never truly leave.