Posing With Tourism Secretary Ace Durano

Earlier, I was browsing through the Facebook photos of my friends when I happened to see a photo of Philippine Tourism Secretary Ace Durano with me and my Cebu Jaycees buddies during a JCI Cebu induction at the Cebu Waterfront Hotel.

I have to thank Edwin Al Cuizon, my close friend and president of the Cebu Tour Guide Association for uploading the pic in his account.

Ace Durano has done a terrific job as Secretary of the Department of Tourism. During his watch, the number of foreign tourists in the country has tremendously gone up. The more tourists arrive, the better our economy is.

Seen in the photo from left - George Lao, Emerson Galvan, Dennis Yap, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, Edwin Al Cuizon, yours truly, and Kenneth Kabingue.

Proudly a Cebu Jaycee!

It's almost election time again for the JCI-Cebu or the Cebu Jaycees. My good friend Edwin Al Cuizon who was my buddy during my Jaycee years took the time to inform me that the group will be electing a new set of Board of Directors and officers. JCI Cebu has always lived up to the expectation of molding great leaders in business and politics in the Philippines.

Cebu Stamp Club's success can be credited to my Cebu Jaycees training. The leadership style, the management and operations along with the external activities such as stamp exhibits are all applied learnings from the Jaycees.

I still vividly recall the first time I joined the Cebu Jaycees in 1999 under the leadership of then Cordova Mayor Arleigh Sitoy. I had to balance my time with my family and the organization. As the years went by, the things I learned from the organization (LOM in the Jaycee parlance) made me a better individual. My writing and editorial career took to a new level when I sat as the Editor-in-Chief of the club's publication, Nucleus for a couple of years.

I miss those Jaycees days! The fun, the parties, the politics and the friendships as well as the different projects and activities are forever etched in my memory. Maybe one of these days, I will be able to have the time to mingle again with my Jaycee buddies and help the Lom in my own little way regardless who sits as president.

The Cebu Jaycees will always be a part of me and I am proud to be called one!

Check out this link for more Cebu Jaycees and Cebu Stamp Club joint activity photos..