Carrying the Name, Building the Legacy

For JCI Manila Vice President for External Affairs Jet Tatel, 2026 became a year of strengthening relationships across borders, opening doors for fellow brothers, and discovering that the greatest measure of leadership is what continues after a term ends.

When Jet Tatel accepted the position of Vice President for External Affairs at the beginning of 2026, he was determined to honor the name of JCI Manila.

He understood that the chapter’s reputation had been built through decades of service, leadership, and friendships that extended far beyond its walls. Every engagement carried that history, and every relationship came with a responsibility to preserve it.

His ambition was to strengthen national and international ties, create meaningful opportunities for members, and prove worthy of the trust placed in him.

As the year unfolded, that responsibility became increasingly personal. VP Jet wanted his fellow brothers to experience the same sense of belonging that had shaped his own journey, especially those who doubted their place or hesitated to step into leadership.

For him, External Affairs was never simply about representing JCI Manila. It was about making the chapter’s relationships meaningful to the people it served.

That philosophy helped shape a year of national and international engagements, ambitious collaborative projects, and preparations for the 2026 JCI World Congress in Clark.

Strengthening the Brotherhood Across the Philippines

Working alongside Director for National Relations and Fundraising Initiatives James Sia, VP Jet helped support an extraordinary year of chapter engagement across the country.

The National Relations team’s 2026 record included 127 national inductions and 100 percent attendance, reflecting a sustained commitment to strengthening JCI Manila’s presence throughout the Philippine JCI community.

The scale of the undertaking was considerable. The team recorded 72,432 kilometers of travel, mobilized 1,431 JCI Manila attendees, and participated in engagements spanning Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Its work also included 14 sister chapter collaborations, 18 collaborations with other local chapters, and three joint General Membership Meetings.

Beyond ceremonial attendance, these engagements created opportunities for fellowship, collaboration, and stronger connections between chapters. The program also highlighted the destinations, traditions, and communities that welcomed JCI Manila’s members.

The broader National Relations and Fundraising effort recorded five fundraising initiatives and ₱750,000 in sponsorship support.

For VP Jet, these figures represented more than an impressive organizational record. Every induction attended and every relationship strengthened was another opportunity for a JCI Manila brother to discover the value of belonging to a larger national community.

During sister chapter visits, he was particularly moved by the warmth with which the delegation was received.

He understood that such hospitality had been earned by generations of JCI Manila brothers who had cultivated those friendships long before his term.

What he inherited was not merely a network of chapters. It was a legacy of trust.

And he had been given the responsibility of carrying it forward.

Taking JCI Manila Beyond Borders

That same responsibility extended to the international stage.

Alongside Director for World Congress Engagement and International Affairs Alf Yaptinchay, VP Jet supported efforts to deepen JCI Manila’s international relationships and create opportunities for cross-border collaboration.

The international engagement effort covered approximately 30,780 kilometers across five countries and eight sister chapters, reinforcing relationships that connected JCI Manila with its international partners.

These connections also helped support community initiatives.

Through Leading OFWs Beyond, the international team reached more than 200 overseas Filipino workers and their families, extending JCI Manila’s commitment to leadership and service beyond the Philippines.

Another initiative, Golden Heart Beyond, brought together international and local partners to support approximately 200 beneficiaries through a project valued at ₱2.5 million.

The collaboration involved JCI Nagoya, JCI Hong Kong, JCI Kota Kinabalu, JCI Orchid Singapore, and local partners, demonstrating how international friendships could become opportunities for meaningful community impact.

For VP Jet, these initiatives reflected the deeper purpose of External Affairs.

International relationships were not meant to exist only through formal visits, exchanged tokens, or photographs. Their greatest value emerged when they created opportunities for people and communities.

The division’s international engagements also contributed to promoting the 2026 JCI World Congress in Clark.

Rallying support for the World Congress gave VP Jet the opportunity to contribute to something larger than his own term. It was a shared undertaking that brought JCI Manila’s relationships, reputation, and commitment to international fellowship into focus.

His pride came not from claiming these achievements as his own, but from knowing that the work could create opportunities for other brothers to build upon.

The Responsibility Behind the Achievements

Behind the year’s accomplishments was a challenge that VP Jet had to confront personally.

He wanted to be present for JCI Manila’s members, fulfill his external commitments, lead his business, and provide for his family.

Trying to meet all those responsibilities forced him to recognize his own limitations.

There were moments when he had to ask for help, trust others with responsibilities he felt personally accountable for, and accept that he could not accomplish everything himself.

It was a difficult lesson in humility.

VP Jet came to understand that sincerity did not excuse shortcomings. When he fell short, he still owed people accountability and a genuine effort to improve.

That realization changed the way he approached leadership.

He also became more conscious of the sacrifices made by the people around him.

A brother attending a meeting might be carrying pressures that nobody else could see. A committee member completing a responsibility might have given up precious time with family or work to fulfill that commitment.

VP Jet learned to look beyond the visible contribution and recognize the unseen effort behind it.

“I never want my expectations of people to become greater than my compassion for them.”

It was a lesson he intended to carry into his business, his family, and every leadership responsibility that would follow.

A Year Made Possible by Others

Despite the scale of the year’s achievements, VP Jet is quick to acknowledge that none of them belonged to one person.

He credits President Edison Ke for the trust placed in him and Directors Alf Yaptinchay and James Sia for their commitment, friendship, and willingness to share the responsibilities of External Affairs.

He also recognizes the entire Lead Beyond 2026 Board of Directors, Commissioners, Chairmen, Committee Members, past presidents, senators, and mentors whose contributions helped sustain the division’s work.

To the JCI Manila brothers who participated in national and international engagements, he extends particular gratitude for the time and energy they gave.

He recognizes that every hour devoted to JCI Manila was an hour that could have been spent elsewhere.

His appreciation also extends to the sister chapters that welcomed the delegation, his colleagues who carried additional responsibilities at work, and the family members whose understanding made his service possible.

The year taught him that leadership is not measured only by what a person gives. It also requires acknowledging what others have given to make that service possible.

That understanding became one of the most meaningful changes in his personal journey.

He learned to share credit, honor commitments, and remain present when the people who supported him needed support themselves.

A Legacy That Opens Doors

As VP Jet prepares to turn over his position, he hopes to leave behind relationships strengthened by trust, a team willing to serve, and a clear transition that gives his successor a strong foundation.

But his vision of legacy extends beyond systems and external partnerships.

He hopes the brothers who served alongside him have become more confident in their ability to lead because someone believed in them, entrusted them with responsibility, and supported their growth.

For VP Jet, one of the greatest measures of his service would be seeing a brother he once encouraged go on to open doors for someone else.

That would mean his contribution continued beyond his own tenure.

His perspective is rooted in a journey that began in 2017, when he entered JCI Manila as a Baby Jaycee simply hoping to find his place.

He could not have imagined then how deeply the organization would shape his life or how much the trust of his brothers would eventually mean to him.

Serving as Vice President for External Affairs became an opportunity to give back to the chapter that helped him grow.

He acknowledges that his year was not perfect. There were moments when he could have done more or done better. He accepts those shortcomings while hoping that his brothers recognized his willingness to keep learning, showing up, and giving what he could.

The experiences of 2026 ultimately taught VP Jet that carrying the name of JCI Manila is both a privilege and an obligation.

It means honoring the generations who built its reputation, standing beside the brothers who continue its work, and preparing those who will inherit its responsibilities.

The national and international relationships strengthened during his term are part of that legacy. So are the community initiatives, collaborative projects, and opportunities created for members.

Yet the achievement he hopes will endure is more personal.

He wants the brotherhood to be stronger because he served.

His term as Vice President will eventually end, but his commitment to the chapter will not.

For VP Jet, the name of JCI Manila was never simply something to carry.

It was something to honor, something to strengthen, and something to pass on to the next generation.