HISTORY OF TACURONG "KAMPILAN" JAYCEES

The year 2010 marks the 23rd year of existence of Tacurong "Kampilan" Jaycees and the 57th year of existence of the Jaycee Movement in Tacurong.  It was in the year 1953 when JC Ricardo "Totoy" Santos the then Regional Vice President for Mindanao of the Philippine Jaycees came to organize the young men of Tacurong for the Jaycee Movement. The organization formed the nucleus of the first leadership organization in Tacurong which came to be known as the "Tacurong Chapter of the Philippine Jaycees.  The chapter was formally recognized and chartered on August 12, 1954 with Dr. Tony Velasco as its Charter President.  On its chartering and induction rites came no less than the Philippine Jaycees National President Jaime Ferrer - who was at the time the Undersecretary of the Agriculture Department, with him was businessman Louie Araneta. Among those who attended and graced the occasion were prominent community leaders, heads of religious and civic organizations and respected pillars of the pioneering settlers from the four points of the then Cotabato Empire.

The Tacurong Jaycees lived up to the expectations of Jaycee leadership in both the local, national and international levels.  They jaycees spearheaded and participated in various fields of community civic/leadership activities and endeavours, notable among which was the making of the first major thoroughfare in Tacurong which was made possible through the manual labor of the jaycees. Today, the said thoroughfare still bear the name in their honor, the "Jaycee Avenue" of Tacurong City. 

The Tacurong Jaycees active participationduring the late 50's Rat campaign earned them the most coveted title of "the Most Outstanding Jaycee Chapter of the Philippine Jaycees."  Foremost among the achievements of Tacurong Jaycees was during the Vietnam War when the Philippine Jaycees sent a Medical Mission to Vietnam  with JC Dr. Tony Velasco of Tacurong Chapter as the first Jaycee volunteer to the said mission.  The success of the Jaycee Medical Mission to the Vietnam War earned the Philippine Jaycees an  International Jaycee Award as "THE MOST OUTSTANDING JAYCEE CHAPTER IN THE WORLD" with full recognition of Tacurong Chapter as the principal contributing  chapter in garnering said award.

The Medical Mission of the Philippine Jaycees to the Vietnam War had not only placed Tacurong Chapter on top of excellent leadership in the international Jaycee Movement but most of all it earned for the entire Filipino nation a place in the hearts of the Vietnamese people.  During the 1967 flood calamity which struck Cotabato Empire, the Vietnamese Government sent immediate assistance in the form of a clay-soil brick making machine and a cash money in the amount of Php 1,000.00 - a generous amount from a country ravaged by war at the time.  What is worth mentioning is that, said assistance was given to the Philippine Government through Tacurong Chapter of the Philippine Jaycees.  For whatever reason, the Vietnamese Government may have at the time in giving Tacurong Jaycees such honor, we could only surmise even up to this day that: in the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people, it was the Tacurong Jaycees  that they looked up to and owe much because of the Tacurong Jaycee volunteers of the Philippine Jaycees to the said medical mission. 

The year 1987 marked the rebirth of Tacurong Jaycees when JC Dr. Ernesto Matias, the then President of Isulan "Sultan Kudarat" Jaycees with JC Roger Almacen and JC Ram Malana initiated the organization and chartering on, May 2, 1987, of what came to be known as Tacurong "Kampilan" Jaycees.  The noble deeds and excellent leadership examples set forth by the Tacurong Jaycees served as the ideals and inspiration of Tacurong Kampilan Jaycees for many among its charter members became community leaders and excel in thier own rights.  JC Roncal Montilla, the Charter President became the Mayor of Tacurong for two terms and later on became the Representative of the Lone District of Sultan Kudarat; JC Lino Montilla is now serving his second term as Mayor of Tacurong City; JC Vir Paredes - City Councilor; JC Boning Enetorio - City Councilor; JC Jess Arcellana - City Councilor; JC Alex Roldan - Colonol PNP; JC Fred Canizares - Colonel PNP.  The rest of the charter members sre now successful in their fields of interests and businesses.

The rest is history in the making so to say, in the words of the then Jaycees National Senior Executive Vice President for Mindanao - JC Mark Chua, "Tacurong is practically ran by the jaycees, making Tacurong a Jaycee Country".

Researched and Posted by:

JC Jun Robles

Charter Member, External Affairs

Team Leader, Search & Rescue Team, Tacurong City

Battalion Commander, Civilian Volunteers Organization, Tacurong City

Battalion Sergeant Major, 1st Sultan Kudarat Ready Reserve Battalion